In Syfy’s new paranormal series “Stranded,” normal people spend five days alone at supposedly haunted locations all around the U.S. They truly are alone—not even a camera crew is present, and the entire pilot episode is filmed on low resolution handheld cameras. While these people are “stranded” in these locations, they aim to incite paranormal activity and do so through EMF readings, “ghost traps” and general supernatural investigation.
In the pilot episode, three friends are left at a historic hotel on Star Island, which is just off the coast of New Hampshire. The hotel is rumored to be haunted by the 14 employees that drowned there many years ago, as well as three young girls who died on the island. Closed for the season, the hotel has a “Shining”-esque vibe to it, and in terms of setting, the creators of “Stranded” did well in choosing an exceedingly creepy locale. Viewers will definitely be frightened by the setting, which can be described as big, dark and spooky.
That being said, “Stranded” is similar to other ghost-hunting shows in that not much paranormal activity actually happens. There are several instances of bumping or clanging noises in other parts of the hotel, a window that seems to have shut on its own and even a supposed giggling noise coming from near the nursery. The problem is that most of these noises can’t actually be heard on camera, and all that audiences see are the hunters’ reactions to the happenings. Plus, those who are already skeptical of the existence of ghosts will be sure to notice that these “supernatural occurrences” could easily have been staged.
Some other elements of the pilot episode seem a bit suspect. For instance, the hunters visit a nearby graveyard on their first day on the island to ready themselves for the daunting paranormal adventure ahead. There they read inscriptions on gravestones to find out more about how people died, but these inscriptions aren’t normal markings like “Beloved Daughter” or “Rest in Peace.” One of the headstones reads, “Death is a debt to nature due. I’ve paid the debt and so must you.” Though it’s possible that this is actually written on the grave, it seems more like a warning from an angered ghost than a loving farewell to a son or husband. Elements like this make the pilot episode less believable and may cause viewers to be suspicious of its authenticity.
The three friends, Sarah, Shawn and Xand, also seem to be overreacting for the camera. At the beginning of the episode, Xand displays herself as a tough, self-proclaimed skeptic who doesn’t believe in ghosts at all. But then suddenly, towards the end of the pilot, she becomes very frightened and begins to cry because of a loud noise on the fourth floor—an occurrence that had already happened several times before in the episode and had left her unaffected. Shawn also gets emotional near the end of the episode and suddenly begins to get angry and swear at the “ghost” for no apparent reason. From a viewing standpoint, these extreme reactions seem to be ploys to give the episode more of a climax—and once again detract from its authenticity.
Thus, “Stranded” is a series that skeptics will continue to be skeptical of and believers may find is too similar to other ghost-hunting shows currently on the air. Some of the “paranormal activity” simply seems too staged to be real, and the reactions of the ghost hunters often feel overdone and fake. This results in a reality show that doesn’t feel “real,” and one that doesn’t offer anything new in terms of the supernatural.
