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Advance Review: @Syfy #ParanormalWitness , Season 1 Premiere “Emily the Imaginary Friend” and “Lost Girl”

Advance Review: Paranormal Witness, Series Premiere “Emily the Imaginary Friend” and “Lost Girl”

Air Date: Wednesday, September 7, 2011 10:00 PM E/P on Syfy

Rating: ★★★★★

There aren’t too many paranormal shows on TV that truly spook me…that is until I began watching Paranormal Witness. If you know me, it’s no secret I have an affinity for the paranormal and supernatural. I have to watch at least one kind of paranormal show each week and there is a plethora of shows to choose from —My Ghost Story and Celebrity Ghost Story on Bio channel; Ghost Adventures and Paranormal Challenge on Travel Channel; and of course Ghost Hunters on Syfy, among others. Admittedly, Syfy is one of my all time favorite channels. So, when I heard about their new unscripted paranormal series Paranormal Witness, I immediately became intrigued. The premise is similar to other shows I watch —the stories are based on real-life experiences and offer firsthand accounts from the people who lived through them. But a few seconds after I pushed ‘play’ on my DVD, I knew Paranormal Witness was different.

 

(reenactment) Laurel and her husband Brian play with their daughter Isabella

As I said, I’m not easily spooked but I’ll be damned if I didn’t leave the light on and stay seated in bed rather than remain in my usual lounging position for watching TV. Was I freaked out? Um, yeah! I usually leave the TV on with any paranormal show and fall asleep without any issues but after watching “Emily the Imaginary Friend” and “Lost Girl,” it’s safe to say I was more than a bit hesitant to turn off the lights. I actually contemplated putting in an animated movie to settle my nerves.

“Emily the Imaginary Friend” by far creeps me out the most. It is the longer of the two premiere episodes and obviously the most chilling. We meet Laurel and Brian, a young married couple in Baltimore, MD, who, after three failed pregnancies, finally have a little girl named Isabella. The family moves into their first home and Isabella makes a new friend – an imaginary one named Emily. At first, things seem normal but as time progresses, things begin take a darker, more sinister tone in the house. Emily shares a terrible secret about her demise with Isabella but Emily is not alone. There is also a male presence in the home, possibly demonic, and he, too, wants recognition. I used to want to paint my walls a rich red but after seeing this…I’m not sure anymore. And red’s my favorite color!

(reenactment) Isabella looks out her window

The couple invites a medium into their home to investigate but no way did they bargain for what they get. I’m not a religious person; however, if a medium begins speaking in a deranged voice saying, “Get the bibles out” repeatedly, I would probably scream like a little girl and exit the house as quickly as I could; or ball up in the fetal position and think of stars and ice cream (they comfort me). By the way, I’m now no longer a fan of the lullaby “Mary Had A Little Lamb” either. I didn’t know it could sound so incredibly eerie.

There are a few scenes that have me on edge, but one scene that truly sticks thick in my throat is when Isabella is coloring on the kitchen floor while Laurel is cooking and then all of sudden – WHOOSH! – little Isabella is pulled into the basement. By this time, my pillow is firmly in my grip near my eyeballs. You have to watch – there are so many more unexplainable freaky things happening in Baltimore!

(reenactment) Laurel goes after Isabella who’s been pulled into the basement

Now, if you’re still with me, “Lost Girl” is a bit shorter but it still ranks pretty high on the uncomfortably dreadful side. Stephanie, a reporter for a local newspaper in Live Oak, FL, takes her unruly teenage daughter Misty and a Pakistani exchange student with her to “run errands” (apparently that’s code for going to church). Misty waits in the truck as everyone else attends church. As they drive home on a long, dusty and desolate road in a rural area, Misty notices a young girl on the side of the road. When they turn back to see if she needs help, the girl is gone. As they continue towards home, they see the girl again but this time, Misty gets a bad feeling and becomes absolutely petrified with anxiety. She begs her mom not to stop but Stephanie isn’t about to leave a young girl stranded on the road.

Recounting personal experiences is not an uncommon premise for these types of paranormal shows, but having the right reenactment actors, as well as the right director and editor to set the tone and draw out the genuine raw emotions from the real people who lived through it make Paranormal Witness one of the most hauntingly creepiest shows I’ve seen in a while. And coming from me, that’s stellar! If the rest of the stories are as chilling and emotionally charged as the series premiere, Syfy has another hit series on its hands!

Tune into the series premiere tonight at 10:00 PM E/P and watch every Wednesday for a block of paranormal mayhem starting with Ghost Hunters at 9:00 PM E/P, followed by Paranormal Witness at 10:00 PM E/P.

Photos © 2011 Syfy – A Division of © NBC Universal.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.