02x09 - The Curse of the Ninth

[bunniefuu]

My name is Melinda Gordon. I just got married. Just moved to a small town. Just opened up an antique shop. I might be just like you. Except from the time that I was a little girl, I knew that I could talk to the dead. It's all right, honey. "Earthbound spirits" my grandmother call them. They stay here because they have unfinished business with the living, and they come to me for help. To tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs. thank you very much.

We are three days grace.

We'll be right back.

When you said that we were going out dancing, I didn't think this was what you meant.

I--I said there might be dancing.

Your exact words were, "I cannot wait to get you out on the dance floor."

Come on. Jumping up and down can be dancing.

Another round, folks?

Yeah, yeah.

2 would be great.

Brandon!

Order up for the band.

Sorry, guys.Give me one sec.

Does that guy look familiar to you?

I don't think so.

You?

I don't know.

Why don't you play, man?

You gotta play.

no no no Here, I got a guitar--I got a guitar right here.

Freebird!

He's amazing.

Oh, wait a minute.

That's why I know this guy.

He used to play for crimson doves.

Who?

Crimson doves.

They were a local band, uh...big favorite.

They released this great album a few years back, and then they just kinda disappeared.

Do you feel that?

Ten.

What?What's going on?

Let me guess.

That wasn't the ghost of jimi hendrix?

But it gave new meaning to stage fright.

Ghost Whisperer Season 2 Episode 09

You know, why does a guy like that work here?

I mean, he should be on the cover of rolling stone, not serving drinks.

Maybe he gets monster tips here.

Or maybe a ghost is trying to stop him from doing what he loves.

I hate that.

You're dead, you can't move on, I get it.

But don't mess with the living, especially when they're as talented as he is.

I'm gonna get the jeep.

You stay here, you stay warm.

We'll get this ghost into therapy when we get home.

All right.

Oh, hi! Hey, you were great up there.

Oh, thanks.

Aw, I never did get you those drinks, did I?

We cut ourselves off.

I'm melinda.

Oh. Nice to meet you.

It was weird what happened.Were you ok?

Yeah, it's just some feedback problems.

It's happened before.

Oh, really?Like when you used to play with, uh, crimson doves?

Are you a fan?

My husband was.

So he told you about the curse?

No. What curse?

Just a bad urban legend.

Have a good night.

Well, do you have a second to talk?

Come on.You really think you can get $3, 000 for this?

Easy. It's rumored that the doors played on it.

Who are the doors?

Oh, ouch.

But how are you gonna sell it?

It's broken.It needs a new one of...those pedals.

Well, I worked with a refurbisher, and his card's still on file.

He's also looking to buy a condo if someone wants to sell him one.

Serendipity, the name is melinda.

Thank you.

I will have to check my schedule, but I think we're free, right?

I have a ton of homework that the dog needs to eat.

Ok, fine.

But I want to see it when you get home.

Ok.

Bye, ned.

Yeah.That's a lot of fun to live with for the past week.

What's going on?

Charlie's birthday is coming up.

I know. Weird.

He's dead.

But... celebrating his birthday is just a little way for us to keep his spirit with us.

Actually, it makes perfect sense.

Yeah, well... ned's not so crazy about it.

He knows it's coming up, and he's doing everything he can to avoid it, and by extension, avoid me.

Hey, look. I found it.

So I'm gonna be on the hunt for a new pedal.

Howdy.

Hello, handsome.

Hi, delia.

Lesson jim learned at work today: Don't get caught surfing myspace at work.

Ooh, is there mocking?

Something along the lines of you being a 13-year-old girl?

Very funny.

It was all worth it because... a link for the crimson doves.

Oh...

"rest in peace, jared".

Yeah.He's the lead singer.

Get this...he dies in a plane crash

2 days before that cd I was talking about comes out.

But it gets better.

This guy?He's the bass player.His name's sampson.

That's not a stage name.

He gives an interview where he says that the band has not been able to play together since the plane crash, -- because...

they were cursed.

Yup. Bingo.

Maybe that's what brandon was talking about.

Yeah, except it's not the curse.

It's the lead singer's ghost.

Jared.

Is there contact information in here?

No, but it's a good thing there aren't too many guys with the first name sampson in our zip code.

This guy writes commercial jingles for the radio.

You rock.

Yes, I do.

I gotta get back to work.

All right... the first gig we did after jared d*ed should be on here somewhere.

Is that... is that jared?

Yeah.

They had that telepathy only those weird, creative types have.

Best friends since childhood, too, so that helped.

Where's my head?

This is the wrong dvd. who is that?

Oh. Sandy, jared's girlfriend.

What are you guys doing?

Brandon has a love song we're trying to get off the ground.

Ooh.

Who's it about, brandon?

You know, let me know when you guys are ready to work.

I guess brandon didn't like her very much.

Not too much.

They competed for jared's attention.

This is a month after the funeral.

With jared gone, brandon tried vocals. But...

Wait, pause it.

Does that look like a "10" to you?

I don't see it.

Let me get this straight.

The crimson--whatever-they-ares, they can't play music, and now they're blaming it on a curse?

Doves. Yeah.

Anyway, something'snbeen getting in their way, and I think since the lead singer's ghost d*ed just about the same time as they stopped being able to play, it might be related.

You know what fascinates me about pop culture curses?

The delusional weight that the fans attribute to the curse.

Have you heard of the "paul is dead" hoax?

A little.Paul, as in mccartney?

Yeah.Well, in a nutshell, a bunch of beatlemaniacs turned the volume way up on strawberry fields forever, and they think they hear "I buried paul."

Next thing you know, rumors pop up that the cute one went toes-up in a car crash.

All right, admit it.You were the beatlemaniac who started that rumor.

Oh, sweetheart. If only.Are you kidding me?

If I started that rumor?

That would have been the best.

But it wasn't me.

It was john lennon's studio trickery.

He said, "cranberry sauce".

That was it.

Now, you're talking about a physical manifestation, where people are actually getting ill, playing poorly?

Exactly.

Well, there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of that.

It's--well, it's called infrasound.

What's that?

Well, infrasound... is a frequency...

That's not unlike...

Oh!

Please don't do that.

It sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

Like nails on a chalkboard.

See, different frequencies affect different people in different ways.

But infrasound is a frequency so low that we can't even hear it at all.

But human beings can feel it.

It rattles our bones, it makes us sick.

Now, the wives' tale is that when ghosts want to make their presence felt, they use that frequency.

Ok, so... say that the tale is true, and that the lead singer's ghost pulled a frequency through the amp and speakers, it could make someone sick, right?

In theory.

Ok, so theoretically, how do we counteract it?

Uh, well, you have to tune off of it.

Go to the lowest "g" chord available on an electrical instrument.

Uh, that would naturalize the vibrative harmonies and make the music a little less...stomach-churning.

And what about the number 10?

That's a pretty broad topic.

Does it have any relevance?It keeps popping up.

If it has something to do with your curse, I don't know.I'll look into it.

Hello?

Hi, delia.

How much to fix the piano?

Ok, you know what?Do me a favor and just find out how much it is for just the parts.

I think I know somebody who can fix the piano for us at a discount.

So how'd you find out I knew about pianos?

I heard that you were classically trained, and I took a wild guess.

Have you been checking up on me?

A little.

When you mentioned a curse, I got curious.

I don't think that's your problem.

Do you always ask personal questions of people you just met?

Actually, yes.

Why do you work in a club?

Because I need a job.

And before you try to get a tearful confession out of me about how much I wish I could be up there, let me just save you the trouble.

I wake up every morning wanting that.

But I can'T.

And there's nothing I can do about it.

Brandon, I--

I know a little about having a gift and being frustrated by it.

I think I can help you.

You don't even know me.

You're right.But all I'm asking you to do is play one song.

If anything happens to this piano, I'm not responsible.

Agreed.

Keep playing.

But when I tell you, hit the low "g", ok?

Why?

Just trust me.

Make him play it.

Play what?

What?

Play the tenth.

You know, I know that this is gonna sound random, but have you ever played the tenth?

You don't know what that is.

Nope. what about music teachers?

Did any of them ever ask you to play the tenth?

I had one music teacher my whole life.

Quite accomplished, actually.

He played piano for the new york philharmonic.

Wrote some symphonies for them, too.

And he's buried right next to my mom.

It's your dad.

Yeah.

And the tenth never came up.

here you are.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

Crazy question.

You have patrick roth's other 9 symphonies here.

Do you know anything about a tenth?

Uh, let me check.

Oh, it says here he passed away before he could complete it.

Although, we do have his first 3 movements on file.

I see. Could I get a copy of that score?

Sure. We also have recordings of his symphony rehearsals.

Can I hear them?

He must play it!

Is that what you want?

Brandon to play this?

No!

You're not getting it!

Classical music.

Yeah. I just found out myself.

I know that it revolves around the tenth.

Um, but it's more like play the tenth symphony, and the one that I found wasn't even finished.

No, no.I can make this work.

This I can make work.

Sure, I would have loved having this information before I promised sexual favors to a very unappealing woman at the rock and roll hall of fame, but maybe your problem is actually your solution.

The curse of the ninth?

All the great composers d*ed after completing their ninth symphony.

I--you're talking beethoven, mahler, bruckner.

They all croaked halfway through their tenth.

Is this curse real?

No. No, no. It's not a real curse at all.

These guys all d*ed from having their brains rotted from venereal disease, but saying it's a curse makes it sound more respectable.

And what about a ghost coming back to finish his work?

Is there anything in here about that?

Well, it's rumored that brahms was so haunted by beethoven's ghost he couldn't write a word for 20 years.

That is brilliant.Thank you.

Wait. Wait.

Hey, before you leave a melinda-shaped hole in that wall, you said there were doves in your symbolism?

Crimson doves.That was the name of the band.

Listen to this.

"The death of a dove, symbolically speaking, "indicates misfortune.

"And the death of a dove near someone's house

"means the impending death of someone in that house."

Maybe this lead singer's death, isn't just a coincidence.

Yeah. Maybe.

I can see the dead, and your father's ghost is attached to you.

So is this the part where you say, "I'm getting a "p" name."

And I say, "patrick."

And you say, "he wants you to stop worrying about money."

And I say--

your father is 3 inches shorter than you.

His hairline is receding.

He has a soft european accent. German, I think.

Seems like an impatient guy, and the last time I was with him, he kept telling me how I wasn't getting it.

How am I doing?

He used to say that to me all the time.

When I would practice.

4 hours a day.

Every day.

He made me play his symphonies.

You're not getting it, brandon.

You're off the b*at.

Your orchestra is lapping you.

Don't look down.

The answer isn't in your hands, it's here.

Play it right.

Or don't play at all.

Ghosts stay behind because they have unfinished business with the living.

I think your father trying to ruin your music... is because he wants you to finish this.

Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do here?

The man made my life miserable.

And now you want me to get inside of his head?

Look, I understand.But if you complete the symphony, I can cross him over.

Wh--what does that mean?

It means you can play music again.

Your music.

Hey, have you seen the calculator?

Have you thought about what you want to do for your dad's birthday tomorrow?

How about nothing?

Ned, look at me.

This is important.

I really want to do it.

Whatever. That's fine.

Hey!

Hey!

That electric piano is the hit of the town.

I've already had 3 bids on it.

Uh, well, you have him to thank for fixing it.

Brandon, delia.

Delia, brandon.

He's very artistic.

As long as he brings traffic through the store, he can be as artistic as he wants.

Come on.

Hi, ned.

I have a pretty good sense of my dad's composing style, but I'm gonna have to play it through once just to get a feel for what he was trying to say.

Is there anything I can help you with?

Yeah. Uh, do you have a tape recorder?

You never answered my question about tomorrow night.

Do you remember the creme brulee that you and dad always liked?

Maybe I could make that.

Or maybe we shouldn't do anything.

How come?

Because it's been 3 years.

Because it--

ned.

I want to talk about this.

I have a report due on to k*ll a mockingbird.

I, um--left it in the back room.

I'll be right back.

How's this?

Oh, it's perfect.

You can do this.

Last time I missed a note, my dad almost drew blood.

Now that he's a ghost, who knows what he'll do?

Sometimes, ghosts have messages for the living.

I might need your help to understand it.

A word, a phrase.

Something that might have meaning for the two of you.

Brandon, your dad's here.

I didn't hit the low "g".

No, it's ok.

It's ok.He probably just needed to see you play.

What is that?

I think we're ok.

Help me.

Hit the low "g".

Jared.

Wait, wait, wait.

Are you trying to tell me that... my dad is gone, and there's another ghost?

Yeah, attached to him.

Uh, it's jared.

He's in the store.

How's it goin', buddy?

He says hi.

That's-- my god, that's awesome.

Yeah. Why are you here?

To protect brandon.

He's protecting you.

From who?

From that waste of time.

Waste of time?

What are you talking about?

I know.

We'd been playing together for about a year.

What did you guys think?

I really don't think it works.

It was beautiful.

Do you have lyrics?

I'm still working on them.

And you guys want something to eat, or drink, or--?

Dad.

You two, leave.

Right now.

So this is what you decide to throw your training away for?

This is better than mozart?

Mozart rocked out in his day.

You taught me that.

You want to waste your time, I can't stop you.

But what I can't forgive you for is wasting mine.

After that, my dad and I stopped.

Everything.

Talking, being in the same room.

Jared became my family.

I guess he still is.

So, brandon's dad shows up and you what?

b*at him up, and then decide to wreck my store?

It was bad enough that I d*ed and couldn't play anymore.

But then I followed brandon to his next gig and saw that douche mucking around with the sound.

Disrupted, made brandon play like crap.

Wh--what--what's he saying?

He says your dad was affecting your playing, and the rumble we felt?

That was his way of fighting him off.

Good intentions aside, this is not solving the problem.

Your dad wants you to finish the symphony, and he's not gonna cross over until he does that.

Well, maybe there's a third option.

Maybe mr. Father of the year needs to accept who his son is.

Once he leaves brandon alone, I'll leave him alone.

Oh!

Hello?

Hey, mel. It's me.

Is everything ok?

No, actually.I'm a little freaked out.

You know, ned was very jumpy the whole car ride home and all through dinner.

And then he told me that he had to go do something and...

I can't find him.

Would you want jim and I to help you look for him?

I feel like I should give it an hour or so before...

I really lose my mind. Ok?

So--but if you see him--

if you see him at the store or in the square, will you call me, please?

Will you bring him home?
(Text from Ned:you see ghosts!)

thank you so much.

Ned.

Am I wrong?

I want you to listen to me very closely.

We cannot tell your mom.

Why not?

It's complicated.

So, you can help this guitarist guy, but you can't help me?

With what, ned?

What can I possibly help you with?

I need you to find my dad.

After he d*ed--

when I was young...er--

I thought I saw him.

My mom just told me I imagined it.

But I wasn't, was I?

No. No, you weren'T.

So, you can still see my dad?

No. It doesn't really work that way.

Why not?

Because I have no control over which ghosts appear to me.

You helped that other guy's dad!

And I heard you saying that ghosts give you signs and messages.

That's just what my mom needs.

A message.

'Cause my mom is hurting.

Ned, where you going?

Home.

Don't worry.I'll be fine.

Thanks for your help.

Want anything to eat?

You don't see charlie anywhere, do you?

No.

And the worst part is that I wish I could tell delia and ned that he's here.

But he's not.

Have I ever told you how happy I am I'm--

I'm not you.

Well, that's not helping.

It's not the weight of what you do, it's the responsibility.

I mean, how you have to do it.

For example, on one hand you have to convince brandon not hide his gift.

But then on the other hand... you've been doing exactly that yourself with ned and delia.

So, you think I should tell her.

No. No.

You should come clean with delia when you feel its right.

And not because ned's got you boxed into a corner.

But... what I do think is that you should let me talk to ned.

You got too much on your plate already.

Thank you.

It's what I'm here for.

You're not getting the string section.

You're too sweet.

The notes are sweet.

You don't have to play it so sweetly. you are not giving it you are not giving it

Patrick.

You have to help brandon with the tenth.

I've done everything that I can.

The reason that you're still here is because of your selfishness.

Brandon is not going to complete your symphony.

It's not my tenth.

My son's--

Did you guys ever record a tenth track for the cd?

It was just something he was messing with.

When he and jared were figuring out the track order, it didn't make the cut.

I don't know what happened to it.

But sandy would.

She was with jared the whole time.

She went through enough after the crash.

I don't want to drag her back into this.

I wouldn't bring it up unless it was really important.

If brandon can get through this song, maybe it'll help him play again.

Sammy, hi, I'm melinda.

Hi. Can I help you?

Actually I was hoping that we could talk about the crimson doves.

Man, I haven't thought about those guys in a while.

So, you didn't keep in touch with brandon?

No.

I was hoping you would shed some light on song number 10.

There were only nine cutson the album.

Yeah. But you'll remember the song.

It was the one with the chords that jared wasn't crazy about.

Why don't you go talk to brandon?

Well, because it's complicated.

I think that jared got in brandon's way.

And if I talk to brandon, all I'm gonna get is an earful about how great his best friend was.

So, you go to the girlfriend for the real story.

What makes you think I'm gonna be anymore honest.

Because you were there.

There's a reason that that song came between them, isn't there?

It was about you, wasn't it?

Did jared know?

He must have been furious to find out that his best friend had feelings for his girl.

He was. But not because the song was about me.

Then what was he upset about?

At how good the song was.

See, everybody knew that brandon was scary talented.

That's why jared wanted him in the band to begin with.

And the only person who couldn't see it was brandon.

But after he wrote that song--

he started outgrowing jared.

They had a fight about whether or not the song was going on the cd.

The record company wanted it.

Brandon wanted it. But... jared didn'T.

He got on that plane to come back to the studio and remove it personally.

Only he never made it.

After the funeral, brandon gathered every recording he'd made of the song.

Stop it.

Just leave me alone.

Get out of here!

Leave me alone.

He burnt everything?

He thought he was honoring jared's wishes.

I really thought you were going to be able to help me get him to play again.

Just wait a second.

This is the first demo he ever made of it.

The one with lyrics.

He wanted to know what I thought about it.

Tell him I cherished it.

Hey, delia. Excellent.

Hey, I was actually looking for ned.

And I was wondering if... you're crying.What's wrong?

Nothing.

Mel told me, um... today would be charlie's birthday, right?

Yeah.

That... and I really miss hanging out with my son.

I'm sorry, jim.You didn't ask for this.

If you ever want to talk about it... that's charlie.

You look very happy.

We were.

For 12 long years.

We're ready.We got 13 seconds.

Smile.

And then one day he stopped at an atm.

He got robbed and... god, I hate crying when I'm trying to make a point.

That's all right.

They got into a big argument the night before.

Ned just wanted to get his allowance early so he could buy this game.

Charlie told him he'd have to wait.

So, ned called him an asshat.

Is that even a word?

I don't really know.

So, we grounded him more on principle than anything else.

And charlie was gonna let him off the hook the next day, but... he never came home.

That's why I want to celebrat his birthday every year--

so that... ned can remember all the good things about his dad.

Hey, kid--you and me.Let's talk.

Uh-oh.

What makes you say that?

You coming to me, out of the blue?

I know what comes next, you thr*aten me to stay quiet.

Well, it's a good thing I left the pliers back in the van.

Listen, my wife tells me sometimes you used to see your dad after he d*ed.

Sit down.

I was on pretty bad terms when my dad d*ed.

And after I just kicked myself for not saying... all the things I wanted to.

But then melinda told me something that really helped.

She didn't see my dad anywhere.

That's a good thing?

That's a great thing.

'Cause it meant that he crossed over, you know.

Into the light.

What is that, heaven?

I think it's a place the dead go to be at peace.

And they only go there when the people they've left behind are ok.

My dad isn't here anymore, is he?

You got a phone?

Yeah.

This is my cell.

You want to talk to me about guy stuff, I'm a phone call away.

This is how it works.

We don't tell anybody about what melinda can do, ok?

I'll keep any secret you want.

You keep this one. deal?

All right.I gotta go to work.

Clancy.

Can I come?

How long has jared been doing this to you?

I don't know.

When the doctor said I was dying, I tried to reach out to brandon.

Tell him I was sorry.

I--I was so scared.

After the way I treated him.

Is that why you stayed behind?

To apologize?

No.

Something in my life was unfinished.

I thought it was my symphony.

And then I saw my son perform.

He was beautiful.

I couldn't believe it.

Couldn't believe that I had never let myself... see him.

He kept on getting in the way.

Jared.

Yes.

From the beginning it was him destroying brandon's playing.

But every time I try to stop him, he drains me.

I think jared is using you.

The sadness over what you lost with brandon, it's only making him stronger.

You have to fight him.

I can'T.

I've got nothing left.

You know I've been searching for this demo for years?

And look at that--you lead me right to it.

No. Wait!

You don't want brandon to play the song.I get it.

There's a better way, jared.

Oh, you mean your little peace, love and understanding white light?

Yeah. I've seen it.

What you don't get is that I can do what every rock star dreams of now.

I can make people tremble.

I can make the earth move.

Why get in brandon's way?

I made brandon who he is.

And I can take it away.

What do you have on your side?

Puppy dogs and rainbows?

Brandon's dad means nothing to me.

And neither do you.

I'm not crossing over.

Ever!

I don't understand why you're asking me to do this.

My dad is not going to let me play my music.

You see?

Your father isn't the one that's been getting in your way.

It's jared.

He wouldn't do that.

Yes, he would.

He was jealous about the song you wrote for sandy.

I destroyed that song.

That wasn't good enough.

He was threatened by how good you are.

And the person who wasn't was your father.

Tell him the first song was inspired, glenn gould-esque.

He said the first song on your cd was like glenn gould.

He...listened to my music?

Yes.

Why couldn't he tell me that when he was alive?

Because he hated you.

Brandon, your father wants to help you.

He wants you to sing sandy's song and everything else you've ever written.

Maybe this will help.

What happened?!

It's jared.He's hurting your father.

You can't just keep doing this.

Want to bet?

Is that it?

You can break all the strings you want, man.

No one is going to stop me from playing anymore.

♪ Don't lie and say that it's ok ♪

♪ it's all right if there's nothing more to say ♪

♪ so I'm running away♪

what does that mean?

That light?

It means you're ready to cross over.

He's gonna be all right.

Yes.

♪ And faster than you can follow me ♪

♪ follow me to this place I wish ♪

I just wish I didn't have to go.

Not now.

Not just yet. it's time.

Thank you.

♪ And I wanna hear your reasons wanna hear you tell me ♪

♪ why I should stay try ♪

♪ try to understand me ♪

♪ try to understand what I say♪

♪ when I say can't stay ♪

♪ I'm ...I'm moving off of this place leaving and I won't quit ♪

♪ I'm running away ♪

♪ I'm running away ♪

♪ I'm leaving this place ♪

So, how do you think the reunion tour went?

Ohh, if there was a t-shirt, I would have bought it.

Uh, give me a second.

I have to talk to somebody.

You'll be ok?

Yeah. Trust me.

He can't hurt anybody anymore.

I'll be over there.

Ok.

Just because you can sing a few songs, doesn't mean anything.

Doesn't mean you'll make it.

Maybe he doesn't need to make it.

Maybe he just needs to play.

Look, I know how angry you are right now.

But if you'll let me, I can help you cross over.

Think you're the only afterlife game in town?

There are others around here--

people who are dying to meet me.

Those other spirits, they will promise you anything.

They're all lying.

No worse than the usual rock and roll swindle.

Be seeing you.