The
Spirit of Aunt Lois
Writer:
Richard Mueller
Director:
Dale Schott
Main
Cast:
- Lorenzo
Music as Peter Venkman
- Frank
Welker as Raymond Stantz
- Maurice
LaMarche as Egon Spengler
- Arsenio
Hall as Winston Zeddemore
- Laura
Summer as Janine Melnitz
- Frank
Welker as Slimer
(Rating
4 of 5)
Summary: The
Ghostbusters are cleaning up from a recent job and Peter is getting mad at
Slimer again. Then Ray’s Aunt Lois shows
up and the Ghostbusters run to greet her.
Lois tells the Ghostbusters that she has been having horrible headaches
and thinks a ghost is responsible. She
then explains that she has hired a medium named Dr. Bassingame to do a séance
to dispose of the ghost. The
Ghostbusters try to get out of going but a last minute cancellation at Museum of
Modern Art frees them up.
 |
| What's the point of having a nephew who is a Ghostbuster if he won't help you with your ghosts. |
The
Ghostbusters go to Aunt Lois’s very nice house and meet the so-called
medium. The man is an obvious fake using
holographic technology to create the allusion of ghosts. Egon had detected
earlier that there were supernatural entities but they were all dormant. However Dr. Bassingame’s technology woke the
dormant ghosts up. The ghosts start to
raise hell, Ray wants to get there equipment but Lois still wants to give Dr.
Bassingame a chance not realizing he is fraud yet. He continuously fails and they all get
thrown out of the house anyway. Egon, consulting Tobin’s Spirit Guide,finds out the previously dormant ghosts are
called Domoviye; they’re Russian house spirits that came over with some family
heirlooms from Russia a generation back.
 |
| The séance |
The
Ghostbusters get their equipment, go back inside, and do the Ghostbuster thing
capturing all the ghosts. With Aunt
Lois’s house very damaged, not unusual in Ghostbusters cases, Dr. Bassingame
still insists on being paid, pointing out their contract makes him not liable
for any damages. The Ghostbusters tell
the debunked medium if that’s the case then they will just drop the Domoviye
off at his house. Bassingame not only agrees
not to charge his fee but pays for the damages.
As he leaves it turns out one of the Domoviye got by them and is in
Bassingame’s car.
 |
| And know they woke up! |
My Take: This is
very interesting episode for a number of reasons. The primary reason however is the character
of Dr. Bassingame. In the Ghostbusters’
universe ghosts are clearly and demonstrably real. Sometimes there is little ghost activity, sometimes there is more, all depending on the activities on the nether planes during
any particular time period. So you can
be drowning in ghosts or they're nowhere to be seen in some areas for years on
end. In the film, when the Ghostbusters became popular the news covered them because of their successful ghost
catching business, not because ghosts are real.
People in the film, except Walter Peck who was a dick, accept the
reality of ghosts in their world.
 |
| A fraud meets some real experts! |
Now in
the real world there is no good evidence for the supernatural. This doesn’t stop some people with over
active imaginations from feeling otherwise.
These people range from the passive, “I think ghosts might be out there”
to the extremely stupid who believe that the show Ghost Hunters is real. In
this world we have physics and mediums who are all fakes, some market
themselves as entertainment and are harmless; while others actually take
advantage of often emotional vulnerable people (i.e., Sylvia Browne.)
So what would happen in a world
where ghosts are clearly real, wouldn’t these fake mediums see their numbers multiply by the hundreds? The Ghostbusters exist
but they are expensive and often destructive in the ghost capturing. This might force some people to turn to
alternative methods for their ghost problems, in this very episode the
Ghostbusters lose one a museum gig and Ray’s own aunt doesn’t want to hire
them.
Now for my stray observations:
·
Peter is looking to blast Slimer and wondering what he is
good for, once again forgetting the fact that Slimer has saved his life already
this season not to mention all the other times he was helpful.
·
All the Ghostbusters seem to love Aunt Lois, not just
Ray. When she enters they run with
enthusiasm to see her.
·
Do you think they were offended that Aunt Lois went to someone
else for their ghost needs?
·
I love the fact they lost the museum gig. It’s about time the Ghostbusters’
destructiveness caught up with them. I
am going to be volunteering at a museum and I wouldn’t want the Ghostbusters
around even if there was a ghost, far too much too lose.
·
Very formal attire to Ray’s aunt’s house. I never dress like this when visiting a
parent’s sibling.
·
The way the fake dresses, would you say it could remind you
of another fake ghostbuster?
 |
| This outfit looks familiar |
 |
| Oh, here it is! |
·
At first Ray doesn’t want to use their equipment in the
house, Ray never has that concern for other people.
·
Aunt Lois forgives them anyway.
·
I thought at first the Ghostbusters were hypocritical for
being angry at the debunked medium for the mess since they leave messes all the
time. To be fair however the
Ghostbusters do offer a legitimate service where Dr. Bassingame’s a fraud.
Great episode I am glad we finally got
to meet some of the Ghostbusters' extended family from the first season I got
the impression they didn’t have any.
[1]
Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.
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