SciFi TV series spine-tingling, highly amusing

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SciFi TV series spine-tingling, highly amusing
March 24, 2009
by Angie Smith
SUUnews.com

xactly what is it about things that "go bump in the night" that keeps the masses intrigued? Why do we watch Wes Craven movies, play with Ouija boards and get a running head start to jump into bed so "they" don't grab our ankles?

For me it's a joyride for my senses, a longing for logical explanations of the unknown and Steve Gonsalves from Ghost Hunters.

Last summer my dear friends (and kindred spirits) Skott and Shannon (lovingly) peer-pressured me into starting a Wednesday night tradition: Dairy Queen and Ghost Hunters on the SciFi Channel.

While we absentmindedly nibble on our chocolate-covered-strawberry Blizzards and French fries each week, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson - Roto-Rooter plumbers by day and lead investigators for The Atlantic Paranormal Society ghost-hunting teams by night - fill us in on what goes down.

In simple terms, anxious hauntees recruit the men and women of TAPS to use a MythBusters-type of approach to "debunk" paranormal activity in their homes, their workplaces and, often, their lighthouses.

Jason and Grant (known to us as "J" and "G") and their posse use thermal imaging, regular hand-held, full-spectrum and digital cameras, as well as audio recorders, electromagnetic field meters, their plumbing prowess (pipes are temperamental little buggers) and other types of equipment to prove that a location is not haunted.

And every now and then, when TAPS can't officially disprove the strange shenanigans, J and G put the "There Is Some Paranormal Activity Happening Here That We Can't Explain" tag on the locale. Only on one occasion have I seen them actually dub a place "haunted" - these guys are a tough sell.

Some of the things the TAPS folks document are pretty creepy: Grant's jacket hood physically being pulled, the EMF meter going wild in response to detailed questions where the Manson murders happened, and electronic voice phenomenon recordings saying "You're not supposed to be here …" really set my arm hair on edge.

But Ghost Hunters isn't simply a gloom and doom frightfest.

Enter Steve and Tango.

One of my favorite human relationships to watch and enjoy is that of a guy and his best friend, and Steve Gonsalves (the tech guy) and Dave Tango (the guy who investigates cases with the tech guy) are seriously my cup of tea.

They pay each other to do terrible things ("Tango … 50 bucks to chew that dead moth.").

They pay each other to do hilarious things ("I will give you $400 cash money if you can get (that bean bag) in (the hole) from that clothesline.").

And they tease each other relentlessly ("I don't like those (pink) headphones. They're inferior to these. Silver and black. Man colors.").

Honestly, guys like these warm my heart, but my affection for Steve in particular turns me into a total girl.

Yes, I have a mad crush on Steve Gonsalves, the TAPS technology manager and evidence analyst. Next to Hellboy and Wolverine, Steve is at the top of my list of guys I should marry.

Is it his multiple tattoos? His witty comebacks? The perpetual 5 o'clock shadow? His fears of spiders, heights and flying? Because he named his cats Sassy Lashes and Home Depot? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.

So Steve is definitely my bonus for tuning in each week - as is spending quality time with Skott, Shannon and Dairy Queen - but that's not the only reason why I look forward to Wednesdays.

I watch Ghost Hunters religiously because I actually really do like that tingly thrill I get when I take that running head start and dive into the safety of my bed.

And it's okay to admit it - I know you like it, too.