MovieChat Forums > Ghost Whisperer (2005) Discussion > problems with the show

problems with the show

posted 10 years ago by circulartrend
25 replies | jump to latest

I got season one for Christmas and binged watched it. Loved it, bought season two and caught up to season 3.

Here comes spoilers, so don't continue if you have not seen the show.

You can see an obvious writing shift immediately following season 1. Season one had so much heart and realism. Aisha Tyler via season 2 death, was HORRIBLE writing and horrible acting. Which is weird because she did such a GREAT job in season one. I soon realized it wasn't her, it was indeed the writers and here's why.

This show took a dive when they not only replaced Aisha Tyler with constantly HORRIBLE "sidekicks" for Melinda but when they NEVER wrapped the "bad guy" story arc's. Romano for one, laughing man for two, the dog and countless other things never brought back in. Oh and the ghosts under the ground? Yea, never saw them again either.

The whole Jim thing, was the worst TV decision ever made. The CBS people should have said absolutely not. Everyone HATED the storyline and they thought it would be so romantic for him to die and come back to her. Sounds cute on paper, bad for the show, its fan, the story and our favorite characters. They could have given Melinda's husband some of his own plot.

Delia....I get what they were trying to do. Insert the first ghost skeptic. For a bit, that would have been okay. Delia was so unlikeable and a skeptic to the bitter end. It would have been more interesting for her life to change and suddenly realize ghosts do exist.

The time jump, not okay!!!! Her having a kid, not okay. This show worked better when it was Melinda and Jim, with not only the "ghost of the week" story but an overall season arc. It worked better when she wasn't a mom. I don't like when kids are bought into shows, they end up being a burden to the plot. They have to explain where the kid is or be taken with said main character all the time.

The original formula of the show had heart and you could identify with Melinda and her wonderful relationship with her husband. Its too bad because it was a good show early on.

[–] bwestbroker 10 years ago

Thank you!Although I always liked the basic premise of this show there were several spots that made me wonder if they had handed off writing to kids in grade school.I also understand why they thought having Melinda walk around exposed so much of the time MIGHT be good for viewership but it was simply annoying and made me dislike her character.Having her hubby return in another man's body...stupid.Having them jump 5 ys in a season to "introduce" her son...stupid.Having her PRETEND how to be a "mommy"..pathetic.When I watch these shows I have to set my mind on "ignore" so I can focus only on the story which IS often interesting enough to watch all the way through.

[–] rippy0032 10 years ago

I mostly agree with you. Season 1 excellent. I think both Aisha Tyler and Jay Mohr left the show on their own to pursue other projects. When actors leave like that it's harder for the writers to put in feasible exclamations. It definitely could have been better handled in the writing. Aisha's character was much too accepting of Melinda's ability much too soon, however. But I thought the Delia character was a good replacement and provided some good conflict situations. Keeping the show restricted to "ghost of the week" would have gotten stale pretty soon, however. Writers who inject GOOD secondary plots that run through several episodes can solve this. But, like many other people, I had a problem with holes in secondary plots and associated characters just disappearing with no resolution or even explanation. Romano, Gabriel. But at least the secondary plots didn't leave the main plots in the dust. Can you say "Supernatural"? I would have been more happy with monster of the week. But some people love Crowley and all those demons and crap. Oh well.

[–] Ashley868 10 years ago

The only thing I really hated was the Jim/Sam thing in Season 4. The rest I didn't mind too much. I'm probably one of the few who didn't mind the 5 year jump, and that's weird for me. Normally I can't stand it when they age kids that fast. I always feel that kills the show and maybe it did for other fans. Usually when they age kids it to boost ratings. However, this time I liked seeing Melinda and her son talk to ghosts. I liked the shiny's and shadows storyline.

I hated the abandoned storylines though, and I never liked the town under the town. I will watch this series again, but I will never watch Season 4 again, that is how much I hated it. I could not stand the Jim/Sam storyline. I don't care if they wanted to show Jim and Melinda falling in love, I just didn't find it necessary at all.

I didn't mind the Romano plot but it bothered me that they just stopped without an explanation. If they wanted to get rid of him, she could have banished him somehow. I liked the evil vs good story.

I'll admit I didn't like Delia at first. I hated that she was there instead of Andrea. I was not happy that Andrea died at all. Delia grew on me though after awhile. You could see she did grow to really care about Melinda and she does eventually believe in the ghosts. I did like the idea of having someone not believing it at first. I hate shows that have people accept the unbelievable so quickly.

In the end, I like this show but there are definitely things I didn't like.

[–] eb999 10 years ago

I agree with almost all the negative comments. I loved Season 1, but feel the show went steadily downhill from there. I loved Aisha Tyler! The chemistry between her and JLH was wonderful and I was upset when they killed her off. I also wonder why she left? Was it her decision or did the producers replace her. If the latter then - Stupid, Stupid decision! My favorite metaphysical show of all time was Medium and when I compare the two shows it hurts to see the crap that became part of Ghost Whisperer that never happened in Medium. Here are my least favorite things:

1. The ridiculous clothing, hair and makeup for JLH. Too much cleavage, false eyelashes and hair extensions. Clothing that no regular woman would wear (after Season 1). Hewitt is beautif likeable without all the excessive crap. With it, she comes across as self-conscious and vain.
2. Like you the Jim is dead and comes back as Sam storyline. I loved David Conrad and HATED this whole crude manipulation of the characters.
3. See above - Aisha Tyler gone.
4. Yup - Also hate the time jump.
5. Unlike some of the other commenters, I actually prefer the "ghost of the week" format to the odd dark threads brought in by the writers. My personal belief is that only a loving God exists and death is just a doorway to another dimension - the evil entities in the show just seem like boogie men created by bored writers who haven't even thought much about death.

So - I wanted to love this show but most of the time couldn't. I watched it because of the premise, but constantly wished it could be better!

[–] dorseybelle 8 years ago

THANK YOU!!! The clothes were completely strange. I think it was how JLH thought someone like her character would dress. Yes, if her character was a big old slut with zero taste who bought her clothes at "Whores R Us." Her expressions drove me to distraction as well; the pseudo-coy looking down her nose eyelash flutter thing and the smiling so hard that her eyes would disappear. UGH!

One thing that has really chapped my ass is this; in the episode "The Lost Boys," when the fire burned the orphanage, the little ghost boys told her that they wanted her to spend the night and she happens to have an overly large white nightgown. I'm sure there is no etiquette for a situation like this, but damn. BTW, what happened to the ghost dog?

I guess I'll continue to watch until some of the shark-jumping y'all described takes place.

She did it! She did it! The lady with the grape!

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 years ago

You use “Slut” like it’s a bad thing. I love sluts. Some of my best friends are sluts. Hell, I’m a male Slut. I don’t get the impression that most of the posters on this topic are HOT enough to be sluts. Gee, jealous much? Did you catch your dried-prune hubby fapping to JLH? Is that why y’all like sexless, charisma-vacuum Jim so much, ‘cause he’s like your hubby? If it weren’t for us sluts, our species would be any negative population growth. Sluts make the world go ‘round😈

[–] Drusilla (560) 4 years ago

Call me odd but her clothes were one of my favorite parts of the show. Yes, there was cleavage but what show with women doesn't have it? Not many. (And our boobs aren't even just for sexiness. They are a part of us and have a purpose; why should we be ashamed to have them on semi display? Do you also cover your arms and legs?) At least her cleavage was balanced out with romantic styling. Which fit well with her antique store, the town they lived in, and their beautiful home. I really don't get the JLH hate.

[–] michaeledward1212 10 years ago

I agree with everything you said. The show was best in season one. But season five took a huge nosedive in quality after the time jump and increasingly far-fetched plot lines. Plus, the big bads of each season were never defeated in a satisfying way. Romano, Gabriel, and the Grandview underworld were abandoned completely.

[–] Manna-Fest 10 years ago

I agree with your comment. I love the show too, but it had it's flaws. The biggest ones being that they totally ignored several plot lines and characters (Romano, the ghosts under Grandview, Homer the ghost dog, Gabriel).

Also my gripe was how they just got rid of characters too quickly like Andrea and Rick Payne. Granted it was the actors' choice to leave but they were rather silly. Aisha Tyler was only on the show for a year and already decided she wanted to move on? It makes it seem pointless that she was even on it. Rick Payne was certainly a character I think should have been on longer. I felt if Jay Mohr didn't leave, we would have never encountered Eli and perhaps he would have been the one to gain the hearing spirits ability instead.

I also don't like how they killed Jim off. They did it because they wanted to showcase Melinda and Jim's relationship like they just met since we didn't see that at the start of the series since they had just gotten married and we missed that part of their lives. They had to kill him off for that? They could have gave him amnesia! Then you have the whole audience seeing Jim and then the characters in the show seeing Sam which would be hella confusing as then you would have them stop showing the Sam look once the storyline wrapped up and we permanently see Jim and it's like Season 4 never happened because we're still seeing Jim. This storyline would have made sense if David wanted to leave the show, but since he wasn't they really should have went with the amnesia thing.

The Ned recast really bothered me. Did not have a problem with Christoph Sanders, but him taking over the role of Ned made sense in Season 5 when they did the time jump. Ned was only 13 in Season 2 and in Season 3 when he returns halfway through the season he's now like 16. Granted they wanted him to be older so he could be involved more in Melinda's ghost whispering adventures and perhaps some romance stuff, but they should have just been patient and saved all that when the time was right.

Jim somehow becoming a doctor in five years after the time jump was also an error. He should have been in for three more years.

Then there's the continuity errors. Season 2 establish the Season 1 plane crash happening on May 11th. Season 4 says otherwise making it April 28th, the date the plane crash episode aired on in 2006. Oops. Then there's the fact that it seems like the show is in 2014-15 now and not 2009-10, but nope. The season finale establishes that it's all in the present and the first four seasons were pushed back five years, so now that's all happened in 2000-2004 (ruining the year dates of the May 11th things of the Season 2 finale which all happened in 2003-2007).

As you can tell this show was good as hell, but had a lot of errors and unfinished storylines. It's so distracting.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] swaggypete 9 years ago

but it had it's flaws. The biggest ones being that they totally ignored several plot lines and characters (Romano, 'the laughing ghost' the ghosts under Grandview, Homer the ghost dog, Gabriel..

Definitely agree with this. These storylines were never resolved.

Andrea and Rick Payne leaving the show was probably unavoidable as they probably left for other projects.

Melinda having a child and the 5 year jump wasn't too good.
But the worst decision by far was the Jim/Sam storyline, it was just a terrible decision. It was cringe inducing.

[–] ohtruethat 9 years ago

I binged watched as well and my impression of what ruined the show was having Jim stop being a paramedic and becoming a doctor. I think they did this to make more reasons for her to be encountering ghosts without it being her constantly meeting people who had just had a death in the family to avoid the whole "Jessica Fletcher" problem.

However, I think a big part of the problem was the way the chemistry between JLH and Jim changed in the 4th and 5th season and in my opinion it was because they brought in Jamie Kennedy. They shifted the "male energy" towards him and you could feel the distance that showed up between them. (Especially when they started dating in real life)

When Jay Mohr was her foil, it wasn't the same vibe. There was never a sense of "closeness" between the two. But by giving Jamie Kennedy the same "gift" it bound them together in a way.

It shifted the entire show away from Jim being the one who believed and understood her to having way too many other people have the same kind of involvement. Like the way Ned Banks wound up going all in.

As a Mom, watching Delia have this position of trying to stand up for her son and Melinda ignore her was a real problem for me. IMO if Delia said "Don't involve my son" Melinda should have respected that.

She was risking her friend's son's life. I think as the show got more and more dangerous and violent, it was hard to respect Melinda as someone conflicted by her need to help the ghosts and her relationship with her friend.

The writing just took it too far in the opposite direction and made it scary when in the beginning it wasn't like that.

The airplane crash victims story line would have been a better way to go. Just having a plane crash in Grandview would have logically explained why there were so many ghosts around. It would have been better to have focused on those people instead of shifting it to the Watchers and all that. It was a smart idea at the beginning.

The moment Andrea walked in to see Melinda was a profound moment on the show. I had seen just a few episodes years ago. When I saw that one again it was still very moving.

[–] mshupey 9 years ago

The loss of Andrea and then the Jay Moore character was tough on the show. Those first few seasons are my favorite. The spookiness and evil the "bad" ghosts represented was awesome. Jim and Melinda had good chemistry early on.(I admittedly have a HUGE crush on JLH so that is why I started watching the show)Jim kinda got lost when the Jamie Kennedy character started. Plus Jim's whole body leap thing was worse than the Bobby Ewing in the shower fiasco on Dallas. Plus the time jump basically ingnored the Jim body switch. I have all the seasons on DVD and still enjoy watching it though I do still gravitate towards the earlier ones.

[–] Manna-Fest 9 years ago

Um no, the time jump didn't ignore the Jim/Sam storyline. Jim was going by the name "S. James Lucas" and Aiden's surname was Lucas. That storyline was certainly not ignored.

[–] JennaHanson1974 8 years ago

Um no, the time jump didn't ignore the Jim/Sam storyline. Jim was going by the name "S. James Lucas" and Aiden's surname was Lucas. That storyline was certainly not ignored.

Actually, wasn't Aiden's middle name Lucas? That's what I thought they said... I thought Melinda said something about giving Aiden the middle name Lucas to honor Sam?

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

No, I don't think so. I recall the book of life listing his name simply as "Aiden Lucas".

[–] Manna-Fest 9 years ago

Andrea and Rick Payne leaving the show was probably unavoidable as they probably left for other projects.

It was the actors' decision to leave as I said, but I'm just saying I wish they haven't done so. They so could have been on the show longer.

Melinda having a child and the 5 year jump wasn't too good.

I didn't actually mind this. I think the jump was handled quite well too.

But the worst decision by far was the Jim/Sam storyline, it was just a terrible decision. It was cringe inducing.

This was absolutely stupid. It made sense if David Conrad was leaving the show and thus we were treated to a new actor, but us still seeing Jim made this all confusing especially after the storyline ended. From what I read, this was done to make up for us not seeing Jim and Melinda's relationship before their marriage like when they first met. But they were best simply having Jim have amnesia without necessarily killing him off.

[–] JennaHanson1974 8 years ago

(Romano, the ghosts under Grandview, Homer the ghost dog, Gabriel).

I forgot about Homer the dog! He was the dog of those ghost kids, right? Didn't he end up crossing over? I thought he did.

Oh, okay, the brother GABRIEL. Now, they said he was the son of her Dad right? So how would he get the gift of seeing ghosts if it came from Melinda's Mom and Grandma? Wrong parent. That always confused me. LOL But then we found out that Tom Gordon was NOT her real father, he actually killed her real father when she was little. And Melinda's Mom and Birth Dad could both see ghosts. I thought that was pretty cool. :)

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

I forgot about Homer the dog! He was the dog of those ghost kids, right? Didn't he end up crossing over? I thought he did.

I thought he did too in the episode where the Dog Whisperer guy shows up towards the end of Season 2. I have to look back at that, but Homer had trouble seeing the light so that's why he stuck around. That never made sense to me given animals themselves have the sixth sense ability a regular person don't so they're able to see and detect spirits better so how is Homer not able to see the light????

Oh, okay, the brother GABRIEL. Now, they said he was the son of her Dad right? So how would he get the gift of seeing ghosts if it came from Melinda's Mom and Grandma? Wrong parent. That always confused me. LOL But then we found out that Tom Gordon was NOT her real father, he actually killed her real father when she was little.

The whole Tom Gordon thing is a blur to me now. Could he see spirits or did Gabe get gifted from his mother? They should have made Melinda Tom's daughter through an affair and gave the name Gordon to the man Melinda's mother was actually with who Melinda thought was her real dad, so that her and Gabriel were in fact brother and sister. The writers screwed that whole storyline up as they did with others on the show. The way they wrote Gabriel out was poorly and saved for a brief mention by Ned in the Season 4 premiere.

And Melinda's Mom and Birth Dad could both see ghosts. I thought that was pretty cool. :)

It was established that her real dad could see ghosts too?

[–] PsychiatricPezDispenser 10 years ago

Agree. Season 1 was excellent. Season 2 was pretty good. Season 3 had some pretty eh episodes but the central mystery was still good. Season 4- it plummeted. I honestly couldn't watch past the whole Sam thing aside from a few episodes in 4 and 5 here and there. It was one of those things were the first season was so well thought out but then the writers were like, oh wow, we keep getting renewed but we're running out of ideas... let's just throw in whatever crap comes to mind and hope for the best. I honestly think it would have been better if they cancelled the show right after either season 2 or season 3 rather than dragging it out.

[–] ndunn-52832 9 years ago

I've been watching Ghost Whisperer for years and still sit down to enjoy the re-runs. But no matter how many episodes I see, I have never seen Jim and Melinda's child as an infant. and I've never seen the episode where she gives birth. It was like suddenly there was a grown child in the story.

I think if Melinda was to have a child in this series, it should have been a girl who inherited the gift, as Melinda's grandmother, mother, and she did. Although the young actor portraying the little boy does a fine job, I could never connect with him and it never looked like Jim and Melinda genuinely did either.

And oh yes, the Jim into Sam's body thing was ridiculous. Unbelievable and broke the flow of the story up. And the guy who played Sam was never as charismatic or as interesting as Jim was. It always looked weird to have Melinda with him. I think the connection with the original Jim and Melinda was just too good and it never worked after his 'death'.

As much as I like the show, I tend to agree with psychiatricpezdispenser - cancelling after Season 2 or 3 might have been the best way to go.

[–] JennaHanson1974 8 years ago

But no matter how many episodes I see, I have never seen Jim and Melinda's child as an infant. and I've never seen the episode where she gives birth. It was like suddenly there was a grown child in the story.

They didn't show the child as an infant. The episode when she gives birth, there was another young woman who was having a baby who died and she thinks Aiden is her baby so she comes back every year on his birthday which causes Aiden to get sick.

[–] rozkween 9 years ago

I love this show.. I hated how they didn't finish the storylines though.. Gabriel just disappeared, the man in the black hat just disappeared, and I really didn't like the actor they chose.to play Aiden..

I liked Delia, and I actually preferred Eli over Payne.. I think this show made mistakes, but I wish it hadn't ended the way it did..

[–] JennaHanson1974 8 years ago

The time jump, not okay!!!! Her having a kid, not okay.

Jim has said many times that he wanted a baby but Melinda kept saying No. Jim got mad a few times because Melinda didn't want to have a baby..

I personally kinda liked the "Time Jump" AND it kinda made sense because could you imagine Melinda doing what she did with an infant?? I couldn't. So they made Aidan 5 years old. It was also neat to see her child with the gift too, and the other things he could do. :)