When I was originally presented with a show about a married woman who communicates with ghosts, I did not think I was going to enjoy a single episode. When I found out that the woman was Jennifer Love Hewitt, I was filled with even more dread. However, I put in the first DVD hoping for the best. The good news is that other than the first episode, which continued the cliffhanger from season one, the second season and the show in general made it easy for anyone who hasn’t seen an episode before to catch up on what was going on this season.

Ghost Whisperer is partially based on the work of Mary Ann Wintkowski, a popular spirit communicator. Other help for the second season came from world renowned psychic, James Van Praagh. Praagh worked on various episodes to help make sure things were as realistic as possible. The result is a show that is surprisingly more interesting than anticipated.

Jennifer Love Hewitt plays the main character, Melinda Gordon. Melinda has always had the ability to see ghosts, even as a child. Ghosts seek her out to communicate with the living and find peace for themselves and their loved ones in the process. One of the standout episodes for me was the second in the season. A ghost approaches Miranda, but will not reveal himself. He says he needs to say he’s sorry to the woman he loved. After some hostile moments and threatening messages the ghost leaves for Miranda’s husband (David Conrad), Miranda realizes that the ghost is someone from her past.

While entertaining, the thing that truly makes Ghost Whisperer work is the acting by Hewitt and a handful of other cast members. Other than Hewitt, the two people that tend to stand out the most in the second season are the friendly real estate agent, Delia Banks, who is played by Camryn Manheim and the University professor who teaches classes on the occult, Professor Rick Payne (Jay Mohr). The rest of the cast does a good enough job yet they tend to be somewhat forgettable all at the same time. The cast works entirely well as a unit and that helps the show run as it should. However, at the end of the day, it is the performance of Hewitt that will stay with you.

The only episode I wasn’t real fond of was the first episode. It was not because it was bad; it was because I spent most of my time trying to figure out who everyone was and what the premise of the show was. Some of my favorite episodes include, “The Ghost Within”, “A Vicious Cycle”, “Dead to Rights”, “The Walk In”, and “Delia’s First Ghost”.

This was way more than I was expecting from Ghost Whisperer. In fact, I was hoping that I would just find something that made it worth watching. I found much more than one reason to keep watching. I don’t know that I will seek the show out during the normal season, but I am glad that I got to review this season and I look forward to reviewing the third season, when it comes out on DVD, which is airing currently on CBS.

The special features for Ghost Whisperer offer more than you would expect in a television box set. This set is filled with audio commentaries, trailers, webisodes, and animated sequences. Featurettes and segments include “The Other Side: Behind the Scenes with Star Mark Hapka”, “Melinda’s Closet”, “Grandview Graveyard”, “Ghostly Visions”, “Crystal Ball Mind”, and “A Conversation with the Living”. If you purchase the box set for the second season of Ghost Whisperer you will also receive some collector’s edition, Ghost Whisperer tarot cards.

Ghost Whisperer turned out to be much better than I was expecting. The acting is solid and the writing is entertaining. I would not be surprised if this show was around for at least a few more seasons. The season two box set is filled with excellent episodes and plenty of special features. If you love TV dramas and ghost stories, this is one box set that is a must have for you.

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