Paranormal State: Season Two by A&E HOME VIDEO

Actors

• Reality TV

Format

• Color
• NTSC

Editorial Review

Your enjoyment of the reality series Paranormal State is entirely dependent on your willingness to believe in the supernatural as a real and often physical entity in the material world; those who cannot will simply dismiss the show as so much smoke and mirrors, while those who can will find the episodes contained here chilling evidence of unknown entities and powers. College student Ryan Buell and his Paranormal Research Society are front and center again for 13 more encounters with the unknown, including crop circles (“Haunted Ranch”), poltergeists (“Shadows and Smoke”), a creature known as “Lady Vampire,” headless ghosts (“The Messenger”), and a woman claiming to be possessed by demons (“Hell's Gate”). The show's technical aspects remain its chief selling point to its faithful and casual viewers alike; POV camerawork combined with horror movie-style music, editing and lighting help to underscore the creepier aspects of the investigations. However, the show remains unable to provide more than circumstantial proof of actual paranormal phenomena, and in one case–the alleged possession–their investigation appears to conflict with a genuine case of mental illness. Such problems will only bolster the claims of the program's detractors, but it appears to have no effect on its fans, who are seen in full worship mode during an appearance by the tem at Comic-Con. The latter is one of the set's few extras, which include brief interviews with the principals and a smattering of deleted scenes. –Paul Gaita