I mentioned a few weeks ago that I chose The Ghost Whisperer as one of the shows I’m going to watch on DVD this summer. I’ve watched 10 episodes of the first season thus far, and think that the show is very uneven. Some of the eps have been good, while others are completely cheesy and almost unwatchable.
I’ve got to admit that I’m a bit surprised by the lack of quality in this series. I figured that since the show has been on the air for three years, there’s got to be something to it, right? It must resonate with viewers in some way, but I’m just not seeing it yet. Here are a few preliminary thoughts from episodes 1×01-1×10:
– Jennifer Love Hewitt doesn’t bother me as much as I thought she would. She has never been a great actress and won’t be getting an Emmy nod anytime soon, but her character is not as grating as it could be. I’m at least thankful for that.
– I do have to say, though, that I HATE all the scenes between Melinda (JLH) and Jim (David Conrad). They are constantly all over each other, kissing, hugging, flirting… and it’s just disgusting — not to mention highly unbelievable. Sure, they’re supposed to be newlyweds on the show and all, but give me a break. They act more like horny high school kids than the adults that they’re supposed to be. I fast forward through all of their scenes because the actors have zero chemistry together and just bug me to death.
– Another thing I don’t get about this show is how Melinda’s antiques store stays in business. Hardly anyone ever goes in there (except ghosts), and in the first 10 episodes I think they’ve shown one person buying a gold bangle or some other small trinket. Yet Melinda and Andrea (Aisha Tyler) are always purchasing more and more items to stock the place. How they stay afloat is beyond me!
– There have been a few episodes that I’ve liked, such as 1×02 (called “The Crossing”), featuring the little boy who was hit by a train. His spirit couldn’t rest until he got Melinda to assure his mom that what happened wasn’t her fault. I admit to tearing up a bit during that one — probably because my own son is about that age and I couldn’t help but identify with the mother.
– Another good ep was “Lost Boys”, which was about a fire in an orphanage. The police thought four boys died in the fire, but one actually escaped and became a rich and successful businessman who never forgot his childhood pals.
Even though I haven’t been overly impressed with The Ghost Whisperer thus far, I’m going to keep plodding on with the series. I know that Camryn Manheim joins the cast in Season 2, and since I loved her on The Practice, I can’t wait to see what she does with her role as Delia Banks.