Ghostfacers

Ghostfacers
Season	3
Episode	13
Overall	57
Series	Supernatural
Airdate	April 24, 2008
Written by	Ben Edlund
Directed by	Phil Sgriccia
Guests	A. J. Buckley Travis Wester
Episode list	Season 3
← Previous	Jus In Bello
Next →	Long-Distance Call

Summary

Sam and Dean take a break from their usual gig to star in a gritty reality show called "Ghostfacers" which chronicles the pursuit of the paranormal. Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spengler have created a radically different and sometimes violent show full of profanity that takes them to the Morton Mansion, an abandoned estate which becomes one of the most haunted places in America one night each year.

However, as their team begins to get picked off in grisly manners not fit for television, they realize they are in over their heads.

Recap

Full Synopsis

We open up to a jarring screen that clears enough for us to see Harry Spengler and Ed Zeddmore from “Hellhouse” sitting in chairs. They’re trying and failing to act spooky as they introduce “the tape” to an unsolicited pilot they’ve made called Ghostfacers.

Apparently, it’s the scariest hour in the history of television…of your life…

Cue the theme to the silliest reality show on TV. Credits roll, including Sam and Dean.

Following the credits we see Ed and Harry walking from their cars spaghetti western style and explaining how they work and how their team has involved. They used to be solo (ala Hellhounds) or in their words, “two lone wolves” but apparently, two lone wolves, need other wolves.

Phase One: The Homework

We open again to Ed and Harry joining the “Ghostfacers” in their headquarters, (a garage) Alan J Corbett (intern and cook) walks in carrying shopping and explains how he met the group.

Skip to Ed’s adopted sister, Maggie Zeddmore. Maggie talks about how Ed and Harry met, and then we skip to Kenny Spruce, the cameraman, who also introduces himself (and his questionable heritage.)

Ghostfacer HQ 7.15pm Research Briefing

Ed walks up to the white board where info and photos are pinned. He starts talking about Morton House – every four years, the place becomes the most haunted home in America. Some call it the “Leap Year Ghost” as he returns at midnight just as February 29th begins. No one has ever stayed the night, until now…

We cut to Harry in his car. He’s talking about Corbett, saying he likes the kid, but he’s worried because he thinks Corbett has the “hots” for Ed.

Cut to Corbett, who talks about the team, but is clearly enamoured by Ed, just as Harry suspects.

Phase Two: Infiltration

It’s now Friday and dark, and the Ghostfacers are breaking into the Morton house by cutting through the fence. They hear rock music and a heavy engine, but once the car passes they go inside the house and start making up a command center. Or in their words, the “eagle's nest.”

Morton House 10.40pm Base Camp

The group are checking out their equipment and decide how the teams are going to split up. They form a circle and do their Ghostfacer “thing” before going their separate ways.

Phase Three: Face Time! Morton House 10.51pm 1st Floor Team One: Ed & Corbett

Ed has an EMF meter and is asking to speak to the restless spirits of the Morton House. Something moves and both guys freak, especially Corbett. Ed tells him he has to “calm the whirlwinds of his mind."

2nd Floor: Team Two Harry, Spruce, Maggie

Harry explains what they’re looking for – EMF etc. to the camera. Spruce’s camera starts to go on the fritz. They burst into a room and Harry totally freaks and runs. It turns out, there was a rat in the room. Spruce teases Harry with the dead rodent.

We skip back to Ed and Corbett who are now using night vision and are pretty breathless. Suddenly, a light appears and someone shouts “Freeze, police officers!” Ed and Corbett freak but then Ed realizes the two “cops” are people he’s met before. It’s Sam and Dean from west Texas…

There is some swearing that is bleeped out as Ed and the Winchesters banter back and forth. Dean tells Ed they need to get out of the house, but Ed refuses. Dean takes Ed by the throat and asks where his partner is.

We skip back to Harry, Spruce, and Maggie. Spruce’s camera goes weird again and suddenly a real life apparition appears of a 1930's mobster. He says a few words and then appears to get shot repeatedly.

Back to Dean and Ed, and Ed explains why they’re at the Morton House. Dean tells them people who have spent the night here don’t live to talk about it, but Ed is sceptical – Sam pulls out missing persons reports from his bag as proof. As they talk, Harry and the others come rushing down, freaking about what they’ve just seen.

Eventually, Harry realizes the Winchesters are there, and Dean and Sam try to usher the group out for their own safety. Again, the Ghostfacers refuse and Spruce puts up the footage of the ghost onto the nearby laptop.

Sam and Dean talk amongst themselves and Sam says the ghost is actually a “death echo.” Dean asks what is it doing here? But, Sam doesn’t know. It seems the ‘facers have been listening to the conversation and ask what a “death echo” is. Dean explains it’s a ghost that gets trapped in a loop. Replaying how they died over and over. They’re not dangerous, usually, but something in the house is.

There’s another argument about leaving, but then they realize that Corbett has vanished.

Skip to Corbett. He’s gone ghost hunting on his own when something grabs him. He screams, and downstairs everyone hears him. There’s more panic as everyone rushes to try and help him.

Morton House 12.00am

The group spend a wild moment searching and then realize Corbett is gone. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are arguing because it appears all the doors have been barricaded – Sam is mad that coming to the house was Dean’s idea and they could have been doing something else given Dean’s “lack of time.”

The Ghostfacers hear the arguing and Dean explains to them that they’re stuck in a “supernatural lockdown.” Whatever took Corbett wants them. Spruce says his camera is freaking again – something is coming. Suddenly, a man appears in the middle of the room. He’s a different echo than the first. Dean tries to shock the ghost out of his loop by shouting at him, but it doesn’t work and it looks like the man is hit by a train before he vanishes.

The group is moving and discussing what happened. Usually “echoes” haunt where they lived, or at least died, but strangely the ghosts haunting Morton House don’t appear to be either. They search through some old stuff and find the house’s original owner was “Freeman Dagget.” He was a janitor at the local hospital and he liked taxidermy. He also had books on surviving a atomic attack and he died in 1964 of a heart attack.

Dean finds some toe tags from the hospital and their mode of death matches the way the death echoes die. It looks like Dagget took some bodies home with him for some perverse reason, and that is why their spirits are trapped in the house.

Harry and Ed say something is “coming.” There is a flash and suddenly Sam is gone. Dean is shouting for Sam and the others are shouting for Corbett. Maggie says she’s scared and Harry tells her it will be okay. The next minute, the two are kissing. Ed finds them, is furious (best friend banging his sister?) and a fight ensues that Dean has to break up.

Cut to Corbett and Sam. They’re in a darkened room with a bunch of wizened bodies all seated around what was once a party table. “It’s My Party” is playing in the background. Sam tries to talk to Corbett, but Freeman Dagget’s ghost appears and skewers Corbett through the neck, killing him.

Cut back to Dean and the ‘facers. Dean thinks Dagget was a “cold war” nut and probably was scared. He rushes off before explaining more, and the ‘facers follow.

Cut back to Sam. Dagget approaches him and puts a rather silly party hat on.

Back to Dean who is obviously searching for a cellar. He says guys like Dagget built bomb shelters and that’s probably where he is with Sam and Corbett. He finds the basement door and enters, followed by Spruce. The basement door slams closed on them before anyone else can enter. Dean tells Ed there is salt in his duffle and to make a circle and get inside.

Dean and Spruce go down into the cellar as Ed is making the circle. The lights go haywire and an echo appears again – this time its poor Corbett’s ghost!

Cut back to the basement and Dean and Spruce hear the music from behind a wall. Dean breaks in, just in time to stop Dagget killing Sam by shooting him with rock salt. He frees Sam. Sam explains Dagget was so lonely he took the bodies, but then later killed himself by taking horse tranquilizers – he didn’t have a heart attack.

Upstairs, Ed decides he needs to free Corbett from his “death echo” and he leaves the salt circle. He tries talking to the kid, but it doesn’t work. Harry eventually suggests that Corbett had the “hots” for Ed, so Ed has to “go be gay for that poor dead intern.” It works and Corbett can now talk with the living. Ed asks Corbett to help them.

In the basement, Dean, Sam and Spruce can’t get back out. Spruce’s camera freaks and Dagget attacks again. There’s a big fight and it looks like our guys are all toast when Corbett’s spirit appears. He fights with Dagget and the two spirits vanish in a flash of light.

Dean, Sam and Spruce pick themselves up and Dean puts his hand over the camera.

The next morning as dawn is breaking, we see everyone leave the house. Ed gives a voice over:

Leap Year, February 29th, the Morton House – a tragic day. A day of souls bound in torment, of lives held in cruel balance. But the Ghostfacers, they did the best that they could. We lost, a beloved friend, but we gained new allies. We know this much – that every day, including today, is a new beginning.

Cut back to Ed and Harry in the studio:

We learned more than we can say in the brutal fate of the Morton House. The Ghostfacers were forced to face something far more scary than ghosts – they were forced to face themselves. War changes man – and Maggie.

War changes man and one woman.

Ed and Harry talk more about Corbett, about how they’d like to think he is out there watching over them. They thank Corbett and the scene cuts to the last footage Spruce shot of Corbett before they visited the Morton House.

The screen goes to:

Alan. J Corbett 1985 – 2008 King of the Impossible

We pan out and see that Sam, Dean and the Ghostfacers are back in their garage HQ watching the final edit of the footage from the house. As they talk, Dean slips something into his duffle and purposely leaves it behind.

Dean and Sam leave and the ‘facers call them dicks.

Ed finds Dean’s bag and there’s something weird inside. As he’s examining it, all the ‘facers hard drives are wiped and all their footage is lost.

Impala

Dean says he left an electromagnet behind that wiped out every tape and hard drive the ‘facers had. Sam says the world just wasn’t ready, and Dean says it’s too bad – he kinda liked the show. Sam smiles, says it had its moments and Dean pulls away, riding off into the distance to the Ghostfacers theme.

Featured Supernatural Being

• Ghost

Featured Music

"Ghostfacers!" Theme Song

"We're an American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad

"It's My Party" by Lesley Gore

"Focus" by Hocus Pocus

Quotes

Dean: "Hey, Ed, listen to me. There's some salt in my duffel. Make a circle and get inside."
Ed: "Inside your duffel bag?"
Dean: "In the salt, you idiot!"

External links

• "Supernatural: "Ghostfacers" Review", IGN review.