Another Television Show Ruined
Ghost Whisperer's Reset Button
Many shows in the past have used the "reset button" in their plot lines, Heros is one prime example of using it recently. Every Star Trek series has used the "reset button" as well. Although Heros is currently struggling to keep viewership, Star Trek never had a problem because of their usage of the "reset button". What makes this "reset" fatal for Ghost Whisperer? Plain and simple, viewers didn't want Jim to die in the first place.
In an Entertainment Weekly article producers promised that Jim was not going to go away, and he wouldn't die and haunt Melinda, that they wouldn't do that to the viewers. Instead they have him die, haunt Melinda and then decide he doesn't want to leave her so he "steals" a body from someone who passes away. So although he won't be dead anymore, he's a new person altogether.
The next shows now are going to focus on Melinda's second chance with her husband who doesn't know her yet but has a vauge familiarity of her. She's going to have to court him, make him fall in love with her, reveal her ability to him, marry him, and most likely have a baby with him. Although it might make for an interesting plot for the story it's hard to relate to for viewers.
Technically Jim is not Jim, he's a totally different person with memories of a different life. Writers have the option to have Melinda persue this man as a new relationship or have him suddenly remember as if he's Jim living in someone else's body? How do they intend for this senario to actually work for the viewers.
It's a lame attempt at introducing a love story into the series and this will be Ghost Whisperer's demise if they don't play it out well. The "reset button" rarely works out well in the minds of viewers and after being promised that Jim wouldn't die this is a hard senario to accept for the viewers.
Published by Pamala L. Ott
I am a Stay at Home Mother of two girls, Kaylee and Annabelle. I attended Kaplan University and earned a degree in Early Childhood Education and Development. I also run a play group in my community which... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentI'm an avid Star Trek fan and I think Star Trek used it quite well and only did it within episodes, not within seasons or to "rewrite" history. And every series had at least one, whether it be time travel, Holodeck, imagined, etc. That being said when will someone actually stick to what Star Trek was great for, TOS and TNG, and stop producing crap like Enterprise? We need a good Star Trek show back. Sadly it looks like the new movie while great visually and appealing to the masses will not hold true to time-lines and cannon. Sad really.
While I'm not familiar with Ghost Whisperer - I'm a screenwriter who wrote episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation & Deep Space Nine - so I'm quite familiar with the entire Star Trek mythos - & obviously contributed to it professionally. I must ask for clarification on saying Star Trek used a "reset" button so often. Granted, sometimes a new plot - because of many reasons - may have conflicted with "established cannon" - however a "reset button" is a sweeping generalization. When any "universe" becomes too big/complex - there may be a need to "tweak" things, but Star Trek has always striven to connect the narrative dots & be true to past storylines.