Ghosted Episode 3 Review: Whispers

This Ghosted review contains spoilers.

Ghosted Episode 3

Three episodes in, it’s becoming easy to see exactly what kind of show Ghosted will become. Just like it’s network cousin and chief inspiration point, The X-Files, Ghosted has shown it will traffic a healthy dose of more procedural, Monster of the Week elements with an overarching mythology element weaved in the background. However, working both plotlines into a cohesive story in just 22 minutes has proven to be a problem for the young series.

Thus far, Ghosted as tended to feel rushed and overstuffed rather than quick and breezy. Though lead actors Adam Scott and Craig Robinson have an easy rapport and confidently deliver the pseudo sci-fi material, the major plot points tend to come and go rapidly without making much of an impact. Tonight’s climax comes so unceremoniously, I was left audibly asking, “Is that it?”

“Whispers” finds Max and Leroy traveling to Tampa Bay, Florida resort to look into a string of murders. When the resort’s photographer and chief suspect is killed, Max discovers that the suspect, a disgraced former surgeon, had discovered extensive evidence that a smoke-based succubus was the real culprit behind the mysterious slayings. That’s an issue, because Max had gone out of his way to set Leroy up with a female police officer investigating the crimes. Just as Leroy and the demonic officer are about to become intimate, Max crashes the party, eventually saving the day with a rendition of a stone cold classic, “Walking in Memphis.” He then is able to send the shape-shifting monster over the balcony, where she then disappears. The “Walking in Memphis” bit is the sort of quirky fun that this show does so well, but the conclusion of this week’s case is entirely anticlimactic.

More intriguing is the episode’s mythology business. Max is reunited with his missing wife, who he had believed to had been abducted. She’s in protective custody and Max’s is eager to reunite, though it’s revealed that their relationship was strained prior to her disappearance. When the pair are finally in the same room, their chemistry is easy and Max’s excitement is palpable, but in a matter of moments, a weird glean comes over her eye and she states “Do not look for me,” before knocking Max out and escaping out the window. It’s far more exciting than the ending of the Succubus thread and has me curious to see where things are heading.

The B-plot finds the Bureau Underground gang helping Captain Ava keep an eye on her preteen daughter. Given more to do this week, the supporting characters still struggle to make their screentime seem worth it, with Ava’s daughter actually outshining each of them in her brief appearance toward the end of the episode. If the Bureau Underground is going to make Ghosted feel like an ensemble comedy, they’re really going to have to try harder to get them involved in a meaningful way.

Ghosted still hasn’t ironed out all of its kinks, but with some attention-grabbing serialized storytelling and the eccentric dynamic between the series’ leads, I’m willing to tune in dutifully for a few more weeks.