Paranormal State: Season Four – DVD Review

Is it real or fake? Here’s the story: A young man, Ryan Buell, struggles his whole life to explain the seemingly paranormal events that transpire around him. He goes off to college and discovers other young people who experienced similar events. He and the others start a support group that turns into an investigative team who now appear on the A&E series, Paranormal State.

Each episode takes the team to a different part of the U.S. where they hear about a paranormal activity or phenomena that can’t be explained through rational means. They set out to either disprove the claim or help the person or people get rid of the problem.

With his plucky team of investigators, camera ops, and psychics, Ryan and his crew help kids, families, and others to solve the mysteries surrounding those things that go bump in the night.

While it’s an interesting show, I’m pretty sure that it’s scripted. There was something about the handful of episodes I watched that didn’t ring true. In one particular episode the team goes to a mansion where a sex dungeon is present. When Ryan interviews the current owner of he house the guy sounds like he’s acting. It was very strange. Are these actors or real people? Are some interviews scripted and others not?

Another thing that seems true for all of these types of shows (and there are several on right now) is the overuse of night vision, tape recorders, and other devices that ghosts, ghouls, and demons seem to love. But are they really capturing these paranormal creatures on tape and video or is this just a case of camera trickery?

It also seems like they get lucky a lot and that the paranormal activity happens right on cue when the camera, recorders, of people are present. If I were a ghost I would lay low until these people were gone and then start up again. You know, make it appear like the owner or the people making the claim are crazy.

I look at shows like this as pure entertainment like Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, or Maury. It’s hard for me to truly believe these types of phenomena are happening around Ryan and company at that moment without a little bit of help from the production department. Drama is what it is, and Paranormal State knows how to ramp it up.

Bottom Line: Paranormal State is fun, escapist entertainment that should not be taken seriously.

Have you ever experienced some form of paranormal activity? Seen a ghost? A demon? Do you think these types of shows are real or scripted? Leave a comment and let us know!

Paranormal State: Season Four is available September 24, 2010 on DVD!

Buy your very own Deluxe Ghost Hunting Kit from A&E for only $99.75 (+s/h) by clicking here!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.