The Dead Files

              When I first saw The Dead Files in the TV listings I had zero idea what it was.  I didn’t have the Travel Channel anymore and none of the channels I did have showed any commercials for it.  All I knew was that whatever the show was about it did not sound cheery.  Something called The Dead Files does not exactly make me think of joy and happiness, especially when it is paired in the line-up with Ghost Adventures.

                After I got the Travel Channel again, it took me awhile to watch the show.  This is kind of strange as it was on right after Ghost Adventures which I was watching on a regular basis.  One would think I would stick around to find out what a show called The Dead Files was all about.  For some reason I didn’t.  I think the reason I did not watch for more than a few minutes for a long time was because one of the investigators of this paranormal investigation show really bothered me.  Steve DiSchiavi is the hard facts and historical investigator and he can be very gruff with the people who are being haunted.  He has a very hard demeanor when he is questioning people and I do not feel that is right to do when someone is being regularly traumatized.  Then I found out Mr. DiSchiavi is a retired New York City homicide detective and it all started to make sense.  Mr. DiSchiavi states his former career in the introduction of every show, but for some reason I did not put it together with his behavior.  As Mr. DiSchiavi investigates the hauntings, he is using his training and skills as a homicide detective which leads him to be skeptical and rough on people.  He wants the truth and hard core facts otherwise he will be unable to uncover what is really going on.

                Once I figured out the homicide detective and behavior connection, I was able to slowly warm up to the show.  I still do not like how Mr. DiSchiavi treats people at times, but I understand it.  At least I sometimes understand it.  There have been moments where I thought Mr. DiSchiavi’s actions were really unnecessary.  However, I must say that the more I watch the show the more I see Mr. DiSchiavi’s softer side come out.  When someone is truly distressed he lets the person know that he cares.  This is good to see and it would be nice to have it happen more often.

                The other investigator is Amy Allan.  She is a medium.  While Mr. DiSchiavi talks to the people being haunted and researches the history of the house, Ms. Allan comes in and talks to the spirits.  She hears their stories and relays them to camera operator Matthew Anderson.  Mr. Anderson is also the person who enters the location ahead of Ms. Allan and removes any pictures or items that may influence Ms. Allan thoughts.  She goes into each location with as clean of a slate as possible so everything she says comes from the spirits only.  This is also why Ms. Allan and Mr. DiSchiavi do not speak to each other until they are ready to present what each has found to the owners.  Without this contact, both are able to conduct their investigations without any bias or leads from the other. 

When the investigations are complete Ms. Allan and Mr. DiSchiavi come together with the owners to compare their findings.  They are often surprisingly accurate.  Ms. Allan has artists draw the description of what she has seen and some are very close to either the historical pictures Mr. DiSchiavi found or what the owners have experienced.  Also there are stories Ms. Allan reveals that are nearly exact to what Mr. DiSchiavi uncovered.  However, there are times where I find the connections to be a bit of a stretch.  Ms. Allan’s findings do not always go with Mr. DiSchiavi’s.  Sometimes they try and think of a way they could fit together, but this does not always work.  Fortunately this does not happen too often.

After all is revealed, Ms. Allan lets the owners know what they should do about their situation.  More often than not there is a way to get rid of the spirits that are causing problems, or at least contain them, but sometimes the best option is to move.  This can be really hard on the owners to hear, especially since they might lose everything if they leave their home or business.  What I find fascinating is the number of different people Ms. Allan recommends to help with each situation.  Sometimes a priest or preacher will do the trick.  Other times a shaman or a Voodoo practitioner is required.  Then there are different types of mediums that could be necessary as well as grief counselors and psychologists.  There is definitely not one answer to solving the problem of hauntings. 

The fact that Ms. Allan uses her ability to help people is why I have come to like this show so much. At the end of each episode the viewer is told how the owners are doing. Some took Ms. Allan’s advice while others did not. At times the owners are trying to take Ms. Allan’s advice but they are unable to find the proper people to help. No matter what the outcome, it is known that Ms. Allan did what she could to help both the living and the spirits. This desire to help the spirits as well is why for the first time in a long time I watched a paranormal investigation show that involved the Villisca Axe Murders House. It is my most hated location. I have nothing against the location itself, but I do not feel people should be conducting investigations in it. Many people died tragically in this home and I believe it is wrong for others to try and stir up these spirits in the effort of obtaining paranormal evidence without giving any true effort to help the spirits that are there. I feel so strongly about this that when a show I watch goes to this location I will either change the channel or turn off the TV as that episode airs. When The Dead Files went to the Villisca Axe Murders House I did my usual and changed the channel. Then I remembered how Ms. Allan wants to help the spirits, not just the living. I knew Ms. Allan would do whatever she could to help those who had died there and I wanted to know if she was able to succeed. Mr. DiSchiavi tried to help as well by working on figuring out who the culprit was in the 100 year old unsolved murders. Unfortunately neither Ms. Allan nor Mr. DiSchiavi were as successful as they probably would have liked. Mr. DiSchiavi was able to put pieces of the case together but could not determine anything definitive while Ms. Allan needed the help of the living to bring peace to the spirits in the house. She got some help, but not as much as she would have liked. This was disappointing to see, on both their parts, because they did go in wanting to make a bigger difference than they were able. That is how they go into every investigation, wanting to make a difference. This is why I have become attached to this show, because in the end it is not about Ms. Allan’s abilities or Mr. DiSchiavi’s skills. It is about helping others.