“Ghost Mine” is set at the once-abandoned Crescent Mine in Oregon. The story goes that the old gold mine had been abandoned, not because the gold ran out, but because of paranormal activity that drove workers away. New owner Larry Overman had already had one entire crew walk out on him, so this go round he’s brought in Patrick Doyle and Kristen Lumen, supposed paranormal investigators, to assure the men they are safe working in the mine.
Later when the miners invite them to join them at the campfire, Kristen assures them that they will continue to share any evidence they find with the miners, leaving out that owner Larry said not to, going on to tell them that if the investigators ever feel like the miners are in danger they will let them know they think they need to get out of there. Ignoring Larry’s warnings, she goes on to tell them she believes something malevolent is in the mine.
But then the investigators are contacted by a local who wants to secretly meet with them. Taking their truck to what looks like a very obscure location (but could actually be along the same road that leads to the Crescent Mine) they wait until another pickup pulls in, driven by an older man. He tells them his son was part of the first crew Larry had at the mine that walked off. He tells them a couple spook tales related to the mine, then asks if they’ve noticed any Masonic imagery. We were told a few episodes back that the Masons were involved with the mine, and once used the bed and breakfast in town as a meeting hall.
The man draws a map for Patrick and Kristen, telling them to look for large rocks. These rocks are supposed to mark the entrance to a hidden mining tunnel. When they return to the site and start looking for the rocks, they are immediately joined by, who else, Foreman Stan, who quickly finds a piece of granite with 3 holes drilled in it to form a triangle. Nearby they find the other two similar rocks, and Stan gets one of the guys to jump in a dozer and move the dirt. After a few scoops, they see mining timbers, and soon have the hidden entrance uncovered. They send in Patrick’s RIPA robot, which finds a bulkhead blocking the path. When they go in on foot to inspect it, they find Masonic markings on it.
When asked why someone would block a tunnel off like this, the miners tell them it could be because there’s something behind there somebody doesn’t want found…like a large deposit of gold. About as un-superstitious as you can get, miner Eddie takes an axe and makes short work of the blockage. Always keeping safety first, they send RIPA ahead, but when she becomes unresponsive to the controls, they go to see what the problem is. While Patrick and Kristen try to fix RIPA, Stan and Eddie, anxious to see what the bulkhead was hiding, continue on to discover a rich vein of gold.
Considering all the bells and whistles on RIPA; IR cameras, real time audio, floodlights, and about 20 other features, I wondered what Patrick and Kristen did for day jobs. You’re not going to build a toy like RIPA on minimum wage. It turns out that Patrick does have a history in the paranormal world. Since the ‘Ghost Mine’ premiere, Patrick’s old website, “Haunted Hoax” has been taken down. Quotes he made in the past showed that he sided with the skeptics, and likened ghost hunting to an addiction: “These sensational encounters and the person's undying commitment to prove the existence of ghosts and the afterlife have created a dependency -- A need for the chemical rush they receive during intense situations, amplified by anxiety, desire and anticipation.”
He goes on to explain how he knows these ‘paranormal reality’ shows aren’t real: “These TV shows are entertainment. It's all entertainment value. It's 100% entertainment. It’s not real in the paranormal field. It's not. It's all just put out there. It's shot, it’s edited, it’s put together and tied with advertising to get you to watch. And then the networks make the money off the advertising dollars.” He adds, “TV shows are staged because they are getting something every episode. It just doesn't work that way. You gotta remember they are on a network called SyFy, Science fiction. It's not true.”
Presenting this stuff as a reality show is an insult to true paranormal investigators who are out there searching for the truth. It taints the ghost hunting community, and could cause people to question actual evidence. Don’t present something as reality when it so obviously isn’t.
Actors, wardrobe, props, writing, they all did exceptional jobs. Too good to be true actually. Just admit the obvious, and I’ll happily watch. Don’t insult actual investigators who are not faking evidence and making up the story as they go. I hope the creators and participants are haunted by relentless poltergeists as penance for their deceptions.