Ghost Whisperer Recap: A Vicious Cycle
It turns out that even a relaxing weekend getaway to a remote camping spot can't be especially relaxing for Melinda (and, by extension, Jim). While trying to have a nice fire and perhaps even turn in early or enjoy this simple pleasure, what appears to be a vicious ghost spoils those plans.
After a crazy wind storm, they do get to bed, then in the middle of the night, Melinda gets up after an odd dream and starts walking through the woods - and I'm not suggesting that this is a good course of action - and finds her way to a car in the middle of the forest.
When Jim finds her near the car and they start talking it over, it turns out that the road used to run nearby, but was rerouted decades ago to create the park area. They find a registration inside the car and track down the former owner, and it seems the woman driving died of hypothermia in a snowstorm. That's the ghost. She also seems to have a pretty spooky-looking doll that probably has something to do with the reason she can't cross over yet.
Eventually the ghost opens up enough to talk to Melinda and leaves this eerie-looking doll on her front lawn, and that's when Melinda finds out about the name of the daughter (Lanie, played by Lindy Booth). Unfortunately, she wants nothing to do with her mom - it seems that he father has soured her a bit on that relationship, since he says her dad told her that her mom left them.
Her mom tells it differently, though she can't remember all the details.
That's when Jim comes through (doesn't he always?). He digs up an old 911 call and finds the rescuer who found the mom's body in the snow. It turns out that the mom actually saved Lanie's life by shielding her with her own warmth - and in fact, they were running from the dad, who abused the mom. Using this knowledge, Melinda confronts the father, who in turn goes to the daughter, who is in an abusive relationship of her own. Whew. What a tangled web we weave.
