Summary
“Spirits From Below” is a return to the show’s usual bottom-of-the-barrel form, exploring a tedious family haunting.
This recap of Haunted Season 2, Episode 4, “Spirits From Below”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
Now, this is more like it. After the convincing and affecting preceding episode, Haunted Season 2, Episode 4 returns to the bottom of the barrel for a remarkably tedious family haunting story in which spirits from below torment the tasteful home of a Filipino family forced to flee their native country after their cop father broke up a major gang.
At first, it seemed like the family got lucky — sort of. Dad worked three manual jobs and somehow squirreled away enough cash to buy a five-bed, two-bath house. The problem is that it was haunted by a lanky bloke, a wizened old woman, and a maniac young girl who proceeded to torment the family until they left and sold the place.
The only interesting element of Haunted Season 2, Episode 4 is a cultural one that is swiftly abandoned. We’re told that belief in spirits is common among Filipinos. For that reason, among others, the family members were reluctant to share what they saw and experienced in the house, even with each other. It was a private, personal thing, not to be treated as out of the ordinary. But quickly this begins to strain credulity. There’s a long sequence in which the ghoul girl trashes Elle’s bedroom and sets a bunch of laughing dolls on fire — and with them a big chunk of the house. When, in the present-day chat, we’re supposed to accept that this kind of information is coming to light for the very first time, let’s just say it’s a bit difficult to accept.
Equally ridiculous is when Elle leaves, gets married and brings her new husband back to the house that she knows for a fact is haunted. When violence eventually erupts as a result of this, “told you so” springs to mind. If you think back to the first episode of this season, there seems to be a trend in hauntings that they excuse actions that would otherwise be criminal or immoral. Just saying.
There isn’t a dry eye in the house as “Spirits from Below” concludes, the family home having been sold on and the demons that live in it presumably busy haunting other people. I can only imagine everyone was crying about the fact that their story wasn’t remotely believable or interesting.
