Ghost Lab – John Wilkes Booth

Let’s jump right in.

To put it bluntly, the Klinge brothers claim they have a recording of John Wilkes Booth speaking from beyond the grave. This show has now risen to an all new level of idiocy overshadowing all the other absurd claims and shoddy evidence they have presented before. And if you’ve watched the previous episodes you know that’s a pretty hefty claim.

The Klinge brothers are hot on the trail of John Wilkes Booth and what conspiracy theorists believe really happened to him after he got away. They claim he actually lived his life on stage under different names and lived for many years until he took his own life.

The investigation starts in a Texas opera house where Booth, under the name John St. Helen appeared on stage for many years. Setting up their cameras the brothers hope to get Booth to appear on stage for all to see. Working off their "era cues" idea they enlist the help of many of the town citizens to sit in the theater and be part of the audience to see if Booth will come out. Not surprisingly nothing happens.

When that doesn’t work they decide to go with trigger objects and bring out a replica of the gun Booth used to assassinate Lincoln. You can’t help but laugh at the cliché nature of gun toting Texans now can you? I’m not sure what they planned to accomplish by going this route. Would they hear fake shots from their fake gun?

As the investigation moves on they work up to their big finale which is the voice of John Wilkes Booth clearly stating his name.

And here’s where I call BULLSHIT.

Not only did I not hear that at all, the pulses and static don’t even match the pattern of that name. I can’t understand how they can even make the claim that’s what they heard. I don’t hear three words. I don’t hear the word John. Hell, it doesn’t even sound long enough to be the name John Wilkes Booth. But that doesn’t stop Brad from jumping around and going nuts because of what he thinks he’s found. He says it’s clear as can be and no mistaking what’s being said. He doesn’t even wait to let people decide for themselves, he’s just jumping around shouting John Wilkes Booth.

I slapped my own forehead in sadness and frustration. I really can’t believe these guys and the evidence they come up with. Ok, evidence would be a stretch at this point.

Seriously, does anyone agree with the evidence they caught? Does anyone actually hear a name in that static?

But wait it’s not over. Thrilled with what they caught and the fact they may be rewriting history they head up to Enid Oklahoma where Booth supposedly committed suicide in what is now the back room of a furniture warehouse.

Not to be outdone by the gun prop and the audience of confused onlookers they dress up the stores owner as Lincoln using what looks like a piece of carpet taped to his chin and a hat which befuddles them as to which way is the front. Then they record the owner pretending to be Lincoln and then project it through a sheet of glass so it suspends itself in mid-air. Did anyone else get the cheesy feeling this was part of the reveal of a Scooby-Doo episode? I’m not sure which is worse, the fact that they thought this was a good idea or that they somehow convinced the store owner to do it. Common sense why have you abandoned me?

It should come as no surprise they say the place is haunted by Booth. I’m not sure the place is haunted but there is little doubt stupidity abounds.