01x05 - October 31

[bunniefuu]

I had another vision.

Write it down.

Symbols matter.

Little side hobby here?

No, I was, uh,

trying to decipher something,

in my dreams.

My youngest daughter, Laura,

she was born with a heart defect

in her mitral valve.
There's a 50-50 chance

that she'll die
before she's 20.

If you knew what you
were playing with,

Kristen...

you would be staying at home

and protecting
those cute little girls.

There's a lot of scary stuff

in this world,

things any sane person
would run from.

My name's Tony Pacuci.

I don't run from nothin'.

This is Dougie Martin.

His camera catches stuff
you may not want to see.

And that's Vanessa Dudley,

scientist, resident skeptic.

If she believes it,
youbetter believe it.

Together, we hunt
Gotham Ghosts.

It's Halloween night,
and our investigation

takes us to Jersey, to one of the most haunted strip clubs

in Jersey City.

A lot of negative energy...

Yeah.
...that we've walked
into right now.

Then something just
grabbed me around the neck

and began to squeeze.

I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't scream.

We're taking along
a professional skeptic

this time.

Everything we do,

he'll check and recheck.

'Cause we don't run
from the truth.

Yep. I'm skeptical.

Because...

this show is a stupid
moneymaking enterprise

that uses shaky cameras

and a fictional device
called an EVP

in order to inject drama
into nothing happening

in dark rooms.

Don't hold back, Ben.

Tell us what you really think.

Y-You're not gonna use
any of that, are you?

You said "yep,"
so we'll keep in "yep."

Ben Shakir works

for the Catholic Church,
investigating and debunking

demonic possessions.

We found one another online

when he and I
got in a tweet fight

over Gotham Ghosts.

He doesn't believe in
the spiritual world,

and he thinks
everything we do here

is a lie.Hey. What's up?

I have an issue
at the Hopkins' house.

I need a devil's advocate.

The Hopkins' house?
That was three months ago.

That was the assessment.
The issue is the exorcism.

Oh, uh,

well, I h... I have
that thing tonight.

You know, the,
uh, TV show, so...

probably gonna be here
till midnight.Oh. I forgot. Right.

Hey, why don't
you call Kristen.

Uh, she's a great
devil's advocate.

Trick-or-treating!
Trick-or-treating!

Trick-or-treating!

And what does that
mean for Laura?

We hoped her heart valve
would develop more,

but it hasn't yet.

Now, that doesn't mean it won't.

We need to wait
another three weeks

and pray for good news.Pray?

A figure of speech.

Hopefor good news.

We'll do a test in another three
weeks, and then we'll know.

Trick-or-treating!Okay, I'll bring her
in in three weeks.

We'll go in one second!

That was one second!
Just now!

David,
everything all right?

Actually, no.
There was an assessment

before you joined us, one that
we approved for an exorcism,

and now the monsignor
is having second thoughts.

You need a new assessment?Yes.

The only problem is, we are
four days into an exorcism.

Four days? Is that usual?

No. And I know it's last-minute,
but I need your help here.

It's... getting bad.

Trick-or-treating!
Trick-or-treating!

Okay, can I give you
a call back in an hour?

I promised to go
trick-or-treating
with the girls.

Trick-or-treating!But I'll try to
get a babysitter.

I'm sorry. I've never had
hiccups like these before.

So, you said in your profile
that you... you like...

...you like Flo & Joan.

♪ Somebody's gotta save
the bees ♪
Mm.

♪ Somebody's gotta save them
bloody bees ♪

♪ Those funky flies
with stripes. ♪

You know, I've
never met anyone

who even knows
they exist.

Well, I know, that's
why...

That's why I think...

- That's why...
- Oh.

I'm sorry, these are awful.

Oh, gee.Aah!

Are you okay?

No, no, no, no, I-I...

I was just trying
to scare you for the...

Oh.

Bathroom.

Good luck.

Was your friend okay?

Excuse me?Your friend.

Oh, y-yeah, he
just had some hiccups.

He'll be fine.
I'm glad.
I knew a man

that had hiccups
like that--

he had a heart
att*ck and d*ed.

I'm so sorry.

It's all right.

He was suicidal anyway.

That's a bit chancy,
don't you think?

Making a joke about su1c1de
and a heart att*ck.

I mean, how do you know
I wouldn't be offended?

About three years
ago, I realized

that I was too worried about
offending anyone for anything.

I was constantly saying,
"Sorry, sorry, sorry,"

and then...

I stopped.

It just lifted
like a black fog.

And now I say whatever
I think or feel.

I don't look back,
and do you know why?

Why?

Because kindness
is hypocrisy.

Wow.

Sheryl.

Leland.

Hello.Hello.

Take that-- it
might be important.

What?Your phone.

Oh.

Kristen, hi.
Happy Halloween.

Hey, Mom,

I-I need your help tonight.
Can you watch the kids?

When?In about an hour?

Um...

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

Thanks so much.
Love you, Mom. Bye.

What'd you get?
Look.

Ah, that's mine!

Was yours serious?

Mm. So-so.

Yours?

I've been stood up.

Oh, my God, I'm so sorry.

You're not sorry.

Oh, sheesh!

N...Come on.

I know I should feel bad about
your date hiccupping to death,

but I don't, and I don't feel
bad about my date, either.

She was in a car accident.

Oh, God.

I think that...

life is created by
happy accidents.

This is a happy accident.

Leave with me.

I...

I mean, he's...

that poor guy,
he's in there...

hiccupping to death.

I shouldn't.

Okay, here's what
I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna leave now...

but I'll wait outside
around the corner

for about ten minutes.

Join me if you want.

And if you don't...

...have a good life.

I told him I had to rush home to
take care of my grandchildren.

Look what I got!

Oh! I got it! I got it!

You got the last one!

Trick or treat!

Two candies each, okay?

But because I'm nice,
I'm gonna give you three, okay?

♪ If we don't keep those bees Oh, I like your witch costume.

♪ Alive... Oh, look who's home.

Oh, Grandma.Grandma is here,

and she's ready
for her close-up!

You guys look amazing!

And she's drunk.Oh,

and so adorable.

Oh, you know what?

I'm not drunk.
I'm happy.

♪ Somebody's gotta save them

♪ Bloody bees

♪ Somebody's gotta
save those bees ♪Thanks, Mom.

♪ Those funky flies
with stripes. ♪

The girls are having some
neighbors over tonight--

Kelsey and Hayley
from next door.

Oh, I love them.
They're so sweet.

And a third girl, Brenda.What?
No!

Does she have to
come over, Mom?Who's Brenda?

Yes, you do have
to have Brenda.

I already said yes
to her mom.

But nobody knows her.

You know her at school.Barely.

But she's no fun.Okay.
No one likes her.

No, that's enough.

When other people are
mean, what are we?

Nice.That's right.

Or I'm taking
away your candy.

No, don't, don't.

I will take away
your candy.I got it!

Just make sure
they're nice to Brenda.

I will.And bedtime's 11:00.
No arguments.

Please, can I stay up
a little bit later?

Areyou drunk?

No.

No, I'm happy.

You met someone?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.

On Tinder?No.

He's a complete gentleman.

You would approve.

♪ Sexy lady's
gonna save them bees ♪

♪ Sexy lady's gonna
save them bees ♪

♪ Sexy lady's...

Call me if
there's anything.

Hey, Mom's leaving.

Oh!Bye, Mommy!

Hello?
Hi. Uh, I'm
Kristen Bouchard.

I'm William Hopkins.

It's my wife.

I'll get David.

He'll be right in.

This is purely
to protect all of us.

It's a standard liability...I just don't know

why I'm signing it now.

What changed?We're concerned
about your wife's welfare,

given how long the rite...It's not just this.

I-It's bringing in
a psychologist now, too.

And why wasn't she
here at the beginning?We are concerned.

Kristen.

Thank you for doing this.

Hey. What am I doing?

Observing.

Who?

Caroline and how she behaves.

Oh, Caroline is...Possessed. We think.

Um, we are not sure if the
exorcism was successful,

and now we're dealing
with a medical condition.

Ready?

When we enter the room,

whisper to me if you need
to leave for any reason,

and I'll escort you out.

It's okay.

It's just to keep her
from making eye contact.

So she looked around,

and she couldn't seem
to find her family.

And as the lights in the house
started to fade,

she realized
she never put the lid

back on the box...

of spiders!

Oh! Ah!

Okay. Sorry. Sorry.Hey, Grandma.

I hope we're behaving up here.

Okay, okay, okay.
This is Brenda, everybody.

Now, I want you
to be nice to her, all right?

Come on in.We'll make room.

We're telling stories.

Okay. Listen,
if you need anything, just yell.

And please don't scare
yourselves to death.

That would be hard
to explain to your mom.We'll try.

Hey, turn it back off!

Okay, okay, okay.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Night, night, night.

So you didn't bring
your candy?

No.
That's okay.
Here, you can,

you can have some of mine.Hey, I was saving those ones.

Didn't you trick-or-treat?

A bit.

These are Hayley and Kelsey.Hi.

Uh, they live next door.

You could take your mask off.

No.

Why not?

So what're you guys doing?

Telling ghost stories.

Yeah.I have one.

She's our guest.
We'll all get a chance.

I don't have an iPhone.

Where is the flashlight?Oh, here.

You get a real flashlight.There it is.

There you go.

Once upon a time,
there was a little girl.

She lived with her mommy

and her daddy.

One day,

she misbehaved so badly,

that her parents locked her up
in her room,

and lit a fire...

outside her door to k*ll her.

The little girl tried
to get out,

but there were bars
on her window,

so she screamed and screamed
and screamed,

but no one came.

So, finally,

she squeezed so hard
through the bars,

she slipped through them,

but they b*rned her everywhere.

That's it?

That's the whole story?

Mm-hmm.

But something's
supposed to happen.

She's supposed to turn into
a ghost or something

and haunt people. Ooh...

But that's not what happened.

I can tell you the rest,

but do you want
to do something really scary?

Define really scary.Yeah.
I'm down.

Let's go downstairs.

Where'd your phone go?

Oh, there it is.

Lights low...

pulsing dance music...

these are the exact conditions
when the demon first started

tormenting these women.

Just a thought,

but they do have
light switches.

We can turn on the light.Shh.

Okay, I'm starting
to get something.

Yeah, this is
definitely a reading.

Wait.

We need to let
the demon reveal himself.

Whoa.

Did you get that?DOUGIE: Sure as hell did.

You ever see anything like that
in your Church job, bro?

No.

But it probably helps that you
got the light generators

on the other side
of this drywall.

And that creates
just enough vibration

to shake the mirror loose.

Okay, let's take a break.

And we'll do it again
for camera.MAN : Copy.

So I am guessing that Tony
wasn't thrilled with that.

He wasn't, but I was.

So you don't really believe
in this crap?

95% of what we sh**t
is helped along.

But the other five percent:

I've seen some stuff that
you can't exactly explain.

You must've seen a few
things you can't explain.

Some.

Come on. I'm not asking
if you believe, I just--

I'm just wondering if there's
anything you can't explain.

There was a miracle.

No, no.

Uh, it's not what you think.

Uh, it was a... a video.

Just six frames.

Someone who had d*ed.

And... I can't figure out

how it was done.

An angel?

No.

I-I don't know.

We live in a world

that is made up
of bits and pixels.

And it is so easy
to manipulate them

and create whatever we want.

And I hate that

because it encourages
superstition

and conspiracy theories.

And...

I-I just don't like

when you can't tell
what is real and what is fake.

It's actually
been eating at me, too,

because... I couldn't talk

to my partner David
because, you know,

I'm the one who's supposed
to be rational.

I'm supposed to be...Uh, hey, Ben,

maybe we should
get back to it.

Okay. Why?

It just feels like
we should talk later.

What the
hell, Vanessa?

We were getting great stuff.
Why'd you cut him off?

They were recording us?

They record everything.

And you let me go on?

Yes. Until I didn't.

That is not
cool, Vanessa.

We could've
used that stuff.

His enemies are scattered

and those who hate Him
flee before Him,

like smoke is driven away
by a wind.

And the wicked shall perish
in the presence of God.

Out! Out! Out!

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in this,
our day of battle;

be our safeguard
against the wickedness

and the snares of the devil.

You want to step out?

Ego ex patre meo; et desideria

eius volo facere!What is your name?

In the name of God,
I demand your name.

What is your name?

Help me.

They're k*lling me.

Are you okay?

Was she given a psych eval?

Bipolar I.
Schizophrenia.

Dissociative
identity disorder.

Epilepsy.

Five psychiatrists gave
five different diagnoses.

Both Caroline and William
didn't feel treatment

or medication
was helping.

She felt "att*cked,"
as she put it.

How long has she been
restrained in that chair?

12 hours today.

Has she eaten anything?

Food and water.

When the demon rests,

she consumes.

And when the demon
awakes, she vomits.

She should be under
a doctor's care.

She is.

Father Thomas is
a certified medical doctor.

And Sister Anne is a nurse.She should be under

a non-Catholic doctor's care.

She is preying on

your compassion, Kristen.

But it's not her.
It's the demon

that occupies her.

That's why the
demon talks to you.

Am I here to be objective?

Yes.Then, objectively,

you should stop this.

She's dehydrated,
she's bleeding,

and she's mentally impaired.

Once an exorcism has begun,
it must be finished.

An unclean spirit,

if improperly exorcised,
will return

with seven more spirits

more wicked than the first.

What do you suggest?

A doctor.

Doctor, it's Kristen.

What are you doing?

What are you girls doing?

Getting juice.

Okay. Don't spill.

So now it's time
for the dare part.

I haven't been down here
in so long.

If I dared you
to k*ll your mom,

how would you do it?

I don't want
to k*ll my mom.

It's just a game. It's pretend.

How would you do it, Laura?

Um...

With kisses.

Shut up.

That's not how you play.

Don't say "shut up." It's rude.

Maybe poison?
Lila.

Rat poison.

You'd say, "Mom,

"you work so hard
and you do so much for us.

Let me bake you a cake,"

and then you'd put
rat poison in it.

Yeah, or-or you could
just s*ab her in her sleep.

Hayley, why would you say that?

I think I just found a
perfect place to hide the body.

Look.

What do you think's inside?Bugs.

Probably bugs.

Maybe it's cats?

Well, if there are cats,

then they're all dead.

Why would you say that?

If they're alive,

then they need someone
to save them.

Lexis.

No.

Lexis, they're cats.Lexis.

You have to.You want the cats
to die, Lexis?

Go ahead.

Crawl in.

Okay, I don't think
this is right.

We should go tell
Grandma.

Why? We're just having fun.

Just having fun.Lexis. Wait.

- No, Lexis, it's fine!
- It's a game!

Uh, okay. She's gone.

But do you want to do something
really scary?

Dr. Kurt Boggs.

This strip club

was built on top
of a colonial brothel.

One of the girls had a father
who was so ashamed

of his daughter that he ended
her prostitution career.

Permanently.

That means
he k*lled his daughter.

Yeah, we get that.

Whoa.

Thought I saw something.

Vanessa.

Yeah, I saw it, too.

All right,
we'll go ahead.

You stay here.

Look, um...

Are we being recorded?

Not now. Not if we whisper.

I liked you online because...

you were honest.

And you were, too.

So let's continue that.

Ben.

What was that?

Okay,
your team did that.

There are no cameras.
No one's filming this.

Vanessa,
are you messing with me?

No.

Let's get out of here.

Oh, my God.
Dougie, come on. sh**t it.
sh**t it, man. sh**t it.

Come on, give me the camera.
sh**t it. sh**t it.Tony, stop. How did this happen?

It just started bleeding.We need a medic.

Get Jim. We need
a medic in here now.

It's 10:38,

and we have a violent case
of a demon att*ck.

Everybody just
suddenly started bleeding.

Dougie is bleeding.

Our other producer
is bleeding, too.
It just happened, man.

Vanessa. Okay.

Put your head back,
just like this.

What is it?It's like a forcefield
of paranormal--

Hey.Okay. It's probably
something toxic in the building.

Hey, we need to get you back.

Do it again for camera!

...from us, whoever
you may be,

in the name and
by the power

of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Don't look at her,
demon.

She can't help you.

I demand your name.

God has forsaken you.

Your visions are hell,
not heaven.

The three stars...

...are of hell.

David?

It's...

my vision.

- Turn from God.
- Follow him.

Power is with him.

I drive you from us,

whoever you may be.

Delusions,
hallucinations,

aggravated body
movements--

they're all symptoms
of schizophrenia.

And demonic
possession.

Well, the patient has been
indoctrinated through religion

that pain and suffering
are caused by demons.

That has played
into her delusions.

So you think the exorcism
is feeding the delusions?

Yes. When you're dealing
with schizophrenia,

playing along with the delusions
only escalates the illness.

In my opinion, that's
what's happening here.

What if it's not delusions?

Dr. Boggs graduated
Johns Hopkins.

He's got 30 years
treating schizophrenia.

But, I mean, sure, let's just
get his professional opinion

and ignore it.

I understand that.

All I'm asking is, what if her
possession is not a delusion?

You're calling me here,

asking me to believe. Mm.

But I deal in facts.

Psychiatry.

I look at her
and I see

a very sick woman who
needs a doctor's care

and may die without it.

And we see a very sick woman
who may die if we stop.

And I need
to get back in there.

You changed your mind.

You think it's possession?

I think she saw my vision,

and she's using it against me.

Yes, I...

I-I think she's possessed.

So, if we believe
and they don't,

how do we solve this?

God the Father commands you,
God the Son commands you,

God the Holy Spirit
commands you.

God the Father commands you,
God the Son commands you,

God the Holy Spirit
commands you.

Stoop before
the all-powerful hand of God.

God the Father
commands you...

All right, she needs a doctor.

This is all a pose.

What are you talking about?

That's not holy water.

I switched it with tap water.

She responded to the tap water.That was not your place,
Kristen.

I'm here to offer
my psychological guidance.Yes,

which you did not do.

You just decided by fiat

that you would...No, I wanted to
see if there was

a psychological root
to her condition.

And there was. As soon as
the tap water was sprinkled,

she pretended
it had an effect

on the demon and, therefore...I-If you want to experiment,

you talk to me.

You don't just do it.I need to call

the paramedics for an
involuntarily commitment.

No, sir, that is
not your place.

This is not supernatural,
Father.

This is a sick woman who is
in dangerf harming herself.

No, she is in danger of being
harmed by supernatural forces,

especially
if she's placed

in a hospital that
is not ready for it.

She reacted to the tap
water as if it were real.

That means it is an illness
of the mind, not the soul.

It doesn't matter.

What?What are you
talking about?

I believed it was holy water.

I wanted to bless
Caroline with holy water.

Therefore, by my volition,
it was holy water.

With all due respect, Father,

but you're rationalizing
what happened

to fit your belief system.

And you're doing the same thing,
Kristen.

No. I'm doing my job here.It is not.

Your job is to help
assess. You...Wait, wait.

It is my decision.

I will decide.

Why did my wife react
to tap water

like it was holy water,
Father?

The demon responds
to God's power,

and God can use any
element He desires--

water, blood, sand, ash...

Then why is God letting
that happen to my wife?

Because Satan

is a presence in this world,

and God wants us to triumph
over him through our choices.

Sir, demonic possession

is not a recognized
psychiatric diagnosis.

If you're right
and it's medical,

why is my wife speaking
in those voices?

Glossolalia?Yeah. Rare but possible.

During severe manic episodes,
deeply religious

but highly delusional
people have been known

to speak in other languages.

I saw her throw a man
against the wall.

How can she do that?

Excited delirium.Excited delirium.
Patients show

incredible reserves
of strength from adrenaline.

It's scientific, sir,
not-not supernatural.

I'd like to continue
with the exorcism,

but I want you two
in the room with her.

You okay?

Yeah. I'll live.

Good look for me, isn't it?

Well, it actually is.

So, you're not punking me,
are you?

What, getting a nosebleed to
make you look bad on the show?

No, actually not.

And that thing
we saw in there?

The ghost?

Yeah, "the ghost."

You had nothing
to do with that?

No.

Hey.

What the hell are you doing?

Showing how you did it.

That...

is a Phantograph projector.

It sprays particulate--
a chemical mist--

and then it projects
light onto it

to make things appear
like real ghosts.

That is some cutting-edge
stuff there, Tony.

You were filming us?

It was a Halloween prank,
Vaness.

The only problem is

the chemical you used--
some people are allergic to it.

That's why
the bleeding.

You bastard!

Okay, take it off.

I'm practically naked here.

Wait. What-what color
are your underwear?

Let me guess.
Um, they're boxers,

and they're cupid hearts?

Worse. Jedi Knights.

Oh, my God.

Oh, wait. Hold on.
It's my call-waiting.

Ignore it.

No, I can't.

Come on. Stay on.

I want to set up a date
for dinner.

No. No, just give me a sec.

I may have to go.

No. No, no, don't. I'll be...
I'll be right back.

Hang-hang on. Be right back.

Hello?

Kristen?

No. Who's this?

Michelle Philips.

From the Mamas and Papas?

Excuse me?

Never mind.

Um, this is Sheryl,
Kristen's mom.

Oh, uh, could you tell Kristen,

I'm so sorry
Brenda couldn't make it tonight.

She's been sick.

Brenda?

Yes.

But she's here.
She's in their room.

No. She's in her bed.

But then, uh...?

Well, wait.
Are-are-are you sure?

Yes, I'm looking right at her.

But I... I-I don't...
I don't understand.

Then...

Then who...?

Girls?

Oh, my God.

Lexis, where are
your sisters?

They went to the graveyard.

What? Why?

The new girl took them.

She wanted
to show them something.

Save me.

God the Father
commands you.

Stop.

We have to keep going.Yeah, but-but I...

"The unclean spirits came out,
entering the swine;

and the herd, numbering 60..."

But this time,
the pigs will not perish.

The pigs are here amongst you,

and they will cause
great suffering.

Your daughters will be buried.

Mom, everything all right?

- Kristen, the girls aren't here.
- They've gone out.

Uh, what? Why?

You've got to come. One of the
girls who came over tonight--

she isn't who she said.

And Brenda's mom called
and said she was sick.

And the girls followed her to
the graveyard. Please come now.

Please!

What was that?

My tummy aches.

How much candy
did you eat?

You said we were gonna
play another game.

This isn't a game.

It isa game.

It's called "funeral."

Look.

Look over there.
Look over there.

Oh, my God,
this is so cool.

Go touch it.
Go touch a grave.

No, I don't
want to touch it.

So youlie down here.

I don't want to.

You have to. You're dead.

It's kind of like being buried
at the beach.

Then why can't you do it?

I have to finish the story.

You don't have to be afraid.

It's just a game.

Laura's your mom, and
you k*lled her with rat poison,

and now you have to bury her.

Take over.

We see the same vision.

Christ the Savior,

the three stars in
his outstretched hand.

Tell the 60
to let you go.

The three stars are
arrayed against them.

They are not of the devil.

They are sent by heaven.

They will
protect you.

And the tomb?

Yes.

The 60 can't stand against you.

They are too strong for me.

No. They only
pretend to be.

I'm afraid. I'm afraid.

I am, too.

But...

I am here.

We've seen the same thing.

You're in danger.

He's coming... for you.

Then tell him
to leave you.

Caroline?

Caroline?

Where's my husband?

William?

Oh.

Oh...

You heading home?

Yeah. Thinking about it.

So, uh, how's
your nosebleed?

Better.Yeah.

So, are we gonna keep
tweeting each other?

Call.

So, do you want to hear the end
of the story?

The b*rned girl story?

Once upon a time,
there was a girl

who was so b*rned by her parents

that she looked like a monster.

No one could look at her

for more than a minute.

She couldn't go outside because
people were too scared of her.

They would scream,
and they would run away.

But Halloween night...

was the only night
she could go out,

because she could wear a mask,

and no one thought
it was weird.

And no one was scared of her.

Until she took it off.

Lynn!

Lila and Laura!

Mom!

There!

Laura?

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay.
It's okay.

Where's Laura?

Here. Come on.
Come on.

It was a game.
We were playing "funeral,"

and Brenda made us bury her.

It's okay.What?!

In the game,
Ms. Bouchard.

We had to k*ll our parents,
and Brenda told us to.

It's true. Brenda said
it was a bonus round.

Where's Brenda?

Boo!