Ghosthunters Academy - S01E07 - The New Class

Coming from Wavery Hills Sanatorium in Louisville Kentucky.

Despite the fact their billing this as part of Season 1 its clearly the 1st episode or pilot of Season 2 as we are introduced to the new class of cadets who are introduced in the following order:- (surnames were ascertained during the course of the investigation, each student was introduced intially by first name only)
Natalie Poole from Dana Point, CA.
Eric Baldino from Wilmington, OH.
Michelle Tate from Midland,TX.
Rosalyn Brown from Woodbury, NJ.
Adam Berry from Provincetown, MA.
Dan Hwang from Newport, RI. (He's obviously a TAPS plant then).
Brett McGinnis from Boyers,PA.
Vera Martinez from San Antonio, TX.

My very first question is where the hell are Ben & Chris from the previous series who were offered places ON TV in episode 6 of Season 1? According to someone on here (the Syfy forum) who asked Tango they chose not to come back. So what was the point of going on the show in the 1st place? It stinks of a hatchet job & I think they were told they weren't coming back no matter what had been said. If thats the case you have both got grounds for legal action against Pilgrim, Syfy and TAPS and you should persue it.

The show kicks off with Jason Hawes coming to brief the cadets, he says 5 qualities every TAPS member should have which are:-
1) Scepticism
2) Technical Knowledge
3) Honesty
4) Composure (he took his chance to rag Brian Harnois, I thought they'd buried that hatchet long ago?)
5) Patience.

FWIW these are NOT the exact same 5 qualities Grant mentioned in show 6. He mentioned Professionalism, Scepticism, Honesty, Composure & Respect. So it already appears both Respect AND Professionalism have gone out of the window?

Steve mentions the format has been modified and the cadets will do more 1 on 1 investigating with him and Tango which pretty much admits they didnt do a good enough job of that in Season 1. They state there will be 6 investigations so I guess there will only be 5 shows bearing the banner of Season 2? The cadets are issued a paranormal kit consisting of a thermometer, digital camera, EMF detector & a digital recorder and are told they are responsible for those items which wont be replaced if lost, they also have a funky backpack to keep it all inside.

Jason drops the bombshell that someone will get eliminated at the end of every investigation & there will only be 3 cadets left in the final show with 1 definate winner so no surprise twists like last Season.

Hot Spot Walkthrough which are Room 502, the 3rd Floor, the Morgue & the Body Chute.

The cadets are split into 2 teams with Tango teaching 1 lot about camera setup and Steve teaching the rest about setting up the Command Centre.

Steve, Michelle, Dan, Eric & Rosalyn in & around Room 502 - Steve tries to fool them with an erratic EMF reading that Rosalyn debunks as moving the meter too fast right away. An EVP is done, they hear what sounds like a creaking (or possibly some sort of EMS siren way off in the distance) and if those were footsteps ghosts wear metal boots as the noise was so heavy!

Tango, Natalie, Adam, Brett & Vera in the Morgue area, this team score their 1st booboo by leaving Natalie behind in the Morgue & it takes Tango asking where she is to have to go get her. Both Steve & Tango emphasize its a no-no to investigate on your own so I guess they read my complaints about Buffalo Central Terminal in New York on show 4 of Season 1. Vera & Adam hear steps and radio Steves group who confirm its not them, Tango & Vera go to check it out and they hear something vocal as they walk past one of the rooms. Tango thinks it was possibly a door rattling.

5th Floor - The group set up EMF meters then hear something which they ask to do it again twice and it does both times (leading me to debunk it as normal, possibly a door in the wind as its windy & snowing outside), they go to check it out & Michelle thinks she sees someone outside the window (on the 5th floor?).

1st Floor - Brett is doing EMF work with Adam and wander off abandoning Natalie yet again. Natalie finds a room with baby buggies in them. I'm not really sure who we saw in the room with the coffins though (I think it was Tango & Vera).

Body Chute area, Dan & company (without Steve who has told them to investigate on their own). Dan is a bit quick with his EVP questions, he wasnt really leaving much space. Rosalyn thought she saw a shadow.

3rd Floor, Tangos group still with Tango. Natalie was being a bit annoying and excessive with her enticement of the dog ghost.

4th Floor, Steves group who he has rejoined. Rosalyn was the same as Dan doing her EVP leaving no gaps at all for answers.

As they packed away my personal thoughts are its a bit stupid getting rid of anyone this week but Natalie wandered off several times scoring against her and Dan & Rosalyn had poor EVP technique scoring against them. If I was sending anyone home myself it would have been Natalie.

Evidence Analysis - Steves group do video and Tangos group do audio.

The Judging Panel - The cadets present the various bits of evidence to Jason.
Eric presents audio he got in Room 502 which they claim says "what are you doing", to me its too quiet to make out any actual words.
Vera presents audio she got on the 1st Floor which they claim says "Is he there", again its just too quiet to make out any words.
Steve then presents something the cadets missed which was video from Room 502 of a tiny light that lasts less than a second.
On the slow motion replay this could easily be debunked as someone with a flashlight walking past the corridor behind the room.
Eric admits it might have been him who missed it. Stupid move Eric.

Steve says he was happy with his team picking out Rosalyn as his current favourite. I guess he never saw her bad EVP methods then?
Tango picked Adam as his current favourite.

Adam & Rosalyn get to go to the actual reveal and will be Team Leaders next week meaning they dont get eliminated either.
Jason asks each cadet who should go. Eric says Natalie even though he never worked with her at all, Vera also says Natalie though her reasons are bulls**t because she was never with her much, Natalie says Brett, Brett also picks Natalie citing her wandering off, Dan is at least honest saying he never worked with her which Jason rags on him for but Eric didnt either and should have been pulled up for the same reasons - Dan really should have picked someone from his own team. Michelle wasnt even asked for her opinion.

Jasons logic of picking on Dan because he couldnt give him an answer is total bull as well. At no point was Michelle EVER critiqued at all, not by her fellow students and not by Jason, Steve or Tango either. Basically she got a free pass here thanks to Dans mistake & Jasons stupidly bullish attitude. What happened to attribute #5 Patience Jason?

Eventually Natalie is dismissed.