Ghost Hunters Academy: Who Will Make the Cut?

Ghost Hunter's Academy a spin off from SyFy's Ghost Hunters aired on November 11, 2009. Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango members of the TAPS team and crew of SyFy's Ghost Hunters have taken on the responsibility of training new ghost hunters. Five young aspiring ghost hunters have taken on the challenge of being trained for the role of Ghost Hunters team member. The catch? Training is on air and they are expected to work as a team while knowing only one will be chosen.

This week's episode hinted that someone will be cut from the team on next week's episode. So the question is, who will go? Personally, I do not think it will be difficult to decide but here's a rundown of the Ghost Hunter Academy and their performance so far. I'll let you decide who you think should go and who should stay.

HEATHYR HOFFMAN

On both episodes, Heathyr Hoffman has set herself apart from the team refusing to go on the tour of the site to familiarize herself with the building and the reports of the paranormal. Her defense? She claims to be psychic and does not want outside information to influence her. A noble cause, I suppose, but her refusal (even when encouraged by both Steve and Tango to participate in the walk through) has put her and her team at a disadvantage.

In last night's episode, she stood outside the USS North Carolina while other members were introduced to the layout and shown areas that are known to be paranormal hotspots. Although this was certainly her choice, it became a problem when she immediately announced she hadn't been through the ship and wanted to go in and look around before they set up for the investigation.

What ensued was confusion created in part by her decision, but certainly a result of the entire team's inexperience. Setup for the investigation was delayed by an hour or more.

If Heathyr produced some psychic information to further the investigation, I would be more forgiving, but it appears that her psychic abilities provide her with something to be smug about and little to assist the team. It appears she makes little attempt to use those abilities in a useful way. Unless Heathyr changes her ways, I see her as a hindrance and have little faith in her ability to be an effective member of a team.

SUSAN SLAUGHTER

Susan Slaughter fairs no better. She broke down in tears in the first episode and finally revealed she is a sensitive and senses the feelings of spirits. She kept this information secret, believing Steve and Tango would not want her on the team if they knew.

In this episode, she overall attitude bothered me. Her abilities as a sensitive added nothing to the investigation and it appeared she made no effort to harness those abilities. Susan's facial expressions often suggested she was angry or a bit put off when Steve reprimanded the team for their errors.

She did attempt to rally the team and made some good suggestions for setting up the equipment, but was a bit pouty when others disagreed with her suggestions to place video cameras in an area that had reports of noises, but no apparitions. At one point, Susan wandered off on her own leaving her team behind causing a bit of confusion. Her actions have done little to build confidence that she is suited to become the next Ghost Hunter's Team member.

CHRIS McCUNE

Chris McCune appears to be on the ball and impressed me in the first episode, but fell a bit short in the second. He seemed to spend a lot of time emphasizing his "natural leadership abilities". I am of the persuasion that if one has natural leadership abilities, they do not need to announce it. Leadership is evident in actions not words. This makes me a bit suspect that his true motives have more to do with gaining popularity and the desire to be "famous" than a desire to investigate the paranormal. It certainly has potential of getting in the way of the team and in compromising investigations.

KARL PFEIFFER

Karl Pfeiffer seems to be a leveled headed individual. If his audition tape is an indicator of his value to the team, Karl stands out for his understanding that the opportunity to investigate famous locations should not be overlooked as one of the benefits of being a Ghost Hunter Academy student. Throughout the two episodes, he has responded positively to criticism from Steve and Tango without making excuses for himself or the team. This speaks well of his character and his willingness to learn, characteristics every good teacher nurtures in their students. I think Karl has potential as an investigator.

BEN SMITH

Ben Smith has remained fairly quiet throughout the first two episodes, but his audition tape indicates that his skills lie in technology and he has experience with equipment used for ghost hunting. His humble demeanor serves him well as he adjusts to the responsibilities of being a paranormal investigator. I look forward to Ben taking a more prominent role as investigations progress. His skills are an asset to the team. Unless his tendency to work in the background prevents him from stepping up and taking charge, he has much to offer the team.

Overall Performance

Overall, the Ghost Hunter Academy students have done a fine job and seem to have learned from their mistakes. Steve may be a tough teacher, but I think he means well and that his methods will weed out those who are not suited for the position. Tango provides support and a bit softer approach with students. Steve and Tango were not afraid to change plans and offer assistance in set up to allow the team the opportunity to investigate.

I was impressed to see both Steve and Tango provide positive and encouraging feedback letting students know what they had done well just moments after reprimanding them for errors. As long as feedback is fair and honest, the Ghost Hunter Academy students will benefit from their instruction.