Ghost Hunters Academy

Location: Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The search is on for the next addition to the Ghost Hunters team! We kick off with Jason and Grant, founders of TAPS, briefing the new recruits on the job ahead of them and introducing them to Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, who will be serving as their instructors. From there, the veterans take their charges to Philadelphia's historic Fort Mifflin, site of a previous TAPS investigation. As the investigation gets underway, the team leaders brief the recruits on not only what makes a good investigation, but also what makes a good investigative team: Trust, hard work and a keen eye for detail. Over the course of two nights at Fort Mifflin, we learn a bit about the recruits. Heathyr Hoffman, an experienced medium, chooses not to tour the facility with Steve and Tango, preferring to count on her own intuition. Biology student Chris McCune is excited to get his first investigation underway, but his enthusiasm leads him to do a bit of kissing up to his instructors, which Steve and Tango quickly nip in the bud. Most shocking is the revelation that Susan Slaughter has been hiding what she feels are empathic abilities from the team, because she feared it would lead to an assumption that she wasn't enough of a skeptic to investigate with TAPS. The recruits turn up some decent evidence, including an EVP recording that seems to indicate a spirit saying the name of team member Ben Smith. Steve and Tango are impressed, not only with the evidence, but also with the recruits' ability to spot false hits like a reflected dust mote on the IR camera. Before moving on, they take time to talk with Susan about her deception, and strike a deal with her to not judge her investigative integrity if she will be honest and at face value with them going forward. That settled, the GHA crew leaves a successful first foray into the world of the paranormal behind and rolls on to their next adventure. Today's Lessons: - Taping wires is the worst punishment a recruit can face. - Don't let the power of suggestion interfere with a keen investigative eye. - Honesty and trust among team members are crucial.

Location: Wilmington, North Carolina The Ghost Hunters Academy team lands in Wilmington, North Carolina for their next investigation: A stem-to-stern scouring of the USS North Carolina, a famous vessel from World War II. The ship has been the site of numerous reported paranormal phenomena, including objects moving, shadows, noises, strange lights and even apparitions. With two full nights to spend on the ship, the recruits are ready and enthusiastic to get things underway. Unfortunately, the beginning of the investigation is decidedly inauspicious. Equipment setup is delayed because the recruits didn't take notes on Steve and Tango's initial tour, and they quickly manage to get lost in the maze-like bowels of the ship. In addition, they have to show Heathyr, who once again refused the initial tour in an effort not to influence her work as a medium, the various hot spots. At 10:44, Steve and Tango find the equipment still not set up, and cut off the recruits' wanderings with a message that they have to get started on setup immediately. While the investigation gets underway, we hear from some of the recruits. Chris feels he's a natural-born leader, and that he will automatically segue into that role. Karl sees some butting heads among the team, but doesn't think it's a problem yet...but Susan feels corners are being cut, and that the team will pay for it later. During the first night, there are a few minor incidents. Chris, Ben and Susan hear some noises in the kitchen, and later get a very high EMF reading. Heathyr and Karl get a lesson from Steve and Tango on double-checking their equipment. Ultimately, the first night is relatively fruitless thanks to the problems and delays in setup. On night two, Steve and Tango decide to take matters into their own hands and lead the setup so as to allow more time for the recruits to investigate. In addition, they give some instruction on the use of the thermal cam to Chris and Susan, who use it to investigate, but quickly realize that its utility is limited in an environment covered with metal and glass that reflects a lot of infrared imagery. Meanwhile, Heathyr is having a medium moment. She says she's feeling something from a sailor named Thomas Greenwell. The other recruits aren't quite sure what to make of her claims or status as a medium, but she's convinced she's contacted a spirit. Steve and Tango wrap up the investigation and throw a special curveball at the recruits for the analysis phase: This time, it'll be each recruit for his- or herself, analyzing data alone, and the team leaders will see who does best. Chris finds a lot of noises on the EVP, and makes sure Ben and Karl know about it, but in the end, none of it would matter. Steve and Tango only need to listen to a couple of noted incidents to realize that the recruits did not take their advice about tagging their recordings, meaning any ambient noise could be mistaken for paranormal phenomena. In their opinion, this makes the entire investigation suspect. The mood is decidedly darker this time around as a disappointed Steve and Tango prepare to drive the recruits to their next destination, where the fate of one or more of the current team members may hang in the balance. Today's Lessons: - Always take notes when the team leaders are talking. - Double-check your camera angles. - Tag audio in your EVP sessions...or else.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *** WARNING - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *** Eastern State Penitentiary was one of TAPS' most frightening investigations, and now the recruits are being brought to this historic prison for their latest test. As a special treat, they will be given access to Cell Block 14, a newly-opened part of Eastern State that was built and designed by inmates. But Steve and Tango aren't content to let the scope of the venue provide the entirety of the challenge; they've brought in new recruit Jane Riley, an experienced paranormal investigator from New Jersey. The established team is a little hesitant, and the tension builds as the team leaders confirm that someone will be going home at the end of this investigation. Perhaps the pressure gets to the recruits, as Ben's attempts to take charge of tech backfire, and the setup process again runs long, frustrating Steve. At 1:25 AM, he calls off the night, saying that things have gone too far off the rails. The team is devastated, and Chris comments that he could have made things run smoother if he'd been in charge. On night two, Steve and Tango once again take charge of setup, and the team is able to pull it off in 45 minutes. The lights go out, and the investigation begins. We first see Chris and Susan in the newly opened Cell Block 14. They hear a few sounds and then suddenly come upon a great deal of fog. Undaunted, they investigate...only to find Steve and Tango, who were testing them by creating an artificial apparition. Steve is pleased with the way Chris and Susan handled it, and high-fives are exchanged. Jane and Ben are investigating the guard tower, and as Steve and Tango observe, they see Ben basically mimicking everything Jane does. They call him on it and tell him to be more proactive. The official reprimands continue as Chris and Heathyr spend an inordinate amount of time on one tier of Cell Block 12 thanks to Heathyr's insistence on trusting her medium abilities. Eventually, Steve wraps the investigation and says the team really pulled it together on night two, but criticizes Jane for some of her poor tech work, which causes her to cry and leave the room. Steve is taken aback at how quickly she broke down, but impressed when she regroups and apologizes. The team moves on to the analysis phase, and everyone is nervous about the impending cut. Nothing is found on DVR, and while EVP turns up a couple of hits, Steve and Tango aren't convinced, and take the recruits back into the prison for a lesson on the way sound can travel and cause false positives on an EVP. At the end of the lesson, Steve dismisses everyone but Heathyr and Jane. One of these two will be going home. Steve says he and Tango questioned Jane's abilities and honesty, but admired her resilience. Meanwhile, he calls Heathyr one of the smartest people he's talked to, but questions her dependence on her mediumship. Ultimately, Heathyr is told it's time for her to go, as Tango explains that, while they attempted to open the door to a psychic, it wasn't helping them get the hard proof they needed. Everyone is dismayed to see Heathyr go, and tearful farewells are exchanged. More ominous, however, is the implication that none of the recruits are safe, and that, as they drive off to their next destination, they will have to step up their game if they want to stay on the team. Today's Lessons: - Watch out for pranks from the Team Leaders. - Be proactive. - Psychic abilities are no substitute for good science.