The Ghost Whisperer
Spoilers

As loyal fans of The Ghost Whisperer know, the show will jump ahead five years when its fifth season premieres tonight.

It's a season that was never in doubt, producer P.K. Simonds told Entertainment Weekly, due to the creative risk the show took to conclude the series in May, as Melinda discovered she was pregnant with a magical child.

“We were in a much stronger position, and that had everything to do with the risk that we took and the new life that we injected into the show," Simonds said.

On this week's episode, little Aiden is a toddler, at the age where he can actually be “the key” watcher Carl predicted he’d be in the aforementioned finale; also Jim is now practicing at a hospital that will become “the centerpiece of our storytelling and the new interesting dark places we intend to go,” Simonds said.

What else did he have to say about the episodes ahead? Let's take a look:

What is Aiden's gift? “This child can see and sense things that Melinda can’t, and some of those things that he sees are things that don’t want to be seen and that no one in our world has seen yet. They’re threatened, and when things are threatened, sometimes they take action.”

What happens after you die? "Melinda is able to see and communicate with spirits who are on that specific plane of existence that is beyond life... we’ve never said what happens when they leave that plane and cross over or under. What we’re basically saying is that it’s a little more complicated than it appears, and there’s beauty but there’s also darkness.

"If there’s someone or something that lives on that next plane, what relationship do they have to the rest of us? Are they friendly or are they not? The answer is both. When they’re not friendly, how much jeopardy do they pose to our characters? The answer is a lot.”

Continue Reading...

It's been confirmed that The Ghost Whisperer will jump ahead five years when its fifth season debuts on September 25.

But what, exactly, does this mean? Here's a detailed (somewhat confusing) look at the upcoming premiere episode, "Birthday Presence." In the installment...

• Sam has re-invented himself as a physician;
• Melinda's son, Aiden, is five years old;
• There's a ghost named Amber Heaton on the prowl, who died during childbirth;
• Her baby, Tyler, was adopted, but Amber believes his body died - and his soul is now in Aiden's body;
• According to Amber, Tyler now haunts Aiden him every year on his birthday.

When The Ghost Whisperer returns this fall, the CBS drama will look a bit different.

Don't worry, Jennifer Love Hewitt will still be her gorgeous self. But she may show signs of a gray hair or two.

That's because the series will jump ahead more than five years. This is mainly meant to speed up the development of Jim and Melinda's unique son, as producer P.K. Simmons confirmed on his blog this week:

"This season's big story is going to be driven by Melinda and Jim's new little guy, Aiden. Carl the Watcher told Melinda that her son would be able to do what she did, "and much, much more" - and he wasn't lying. From the first episode... it will become apparent what some of those gifts are. And that's because, yes, we're jumping five years ahead."

This can be tricky territory. Let's hope the show knows what it's doing.

The Ghost Whisperer is heading to the future.

As the CBS drama readies for an intriguing fifth season, one that will jump the show five years into the future, cast and crew members gathered at Comic-Con last week.

At the event, stars Jennifer Love Hewitt (Melinda), Jamie Kennedy (Eli), Camryn Manheim (Delia) spoke to TV Guide Magazine about their new season, which premieres on September 25.

Enjoy the following excerpts from the interviews:

Hewitt, on Melinda/Eli interaction: I think they’re going to come up with fun stuff for us to do. We got to do a fun scene the other day that was funny and heartfelt. Eli and Melinda are sort of partners in crime and they share their weird gifts.

Manheim, on where her character is at:  My son is dating girls and sucking face and I’m not super happy about that.... Delia has rented the store next to Same As It Never Was, and has started her real estate business. She’s also dating several men.

Kennedy, on his character's parents: My dad and I have a strange relationship. My mother and I have a good relationship. The episode I’m filming now is crazy. The bomb’s keep getting dropped. It’s something that’s either going to work or people are going to think this is really weird. It’s something that’s not addressed normally in television.

Producer Ian Sander, on Melinda's son: He’s a special child. He has the gifts that he has and much more. He can see things she can’t, and sense things she can’t. What that lets us do is reveal a new dimension we haven’t seen before. There are beings on this other plane who are wonderful, magical forces of good. And some are the direct opposite. There’s a new enemy that we’ve never grappled with before. Also, sometimes there are things that don’t want to be seen. Shadows perhaps.

The Ghost Whisperer won't look the same next season.

At Comic-Con last week, cast and crew members confirmed that the show would jump ahead five years when the drama returns on September 25.

“We really felt it would allow us to tell better stories,” said Hewitt. "We thought it would be really crazy for Melinda to be running to a bridge at 3 in the morning with a baby strapped to her chest.”

What else should viewers expect to see when Jennifer Love and company return to the air?

A sampling of spoilers:

• Ned will be in college... and dating!
• We'll meet Eli's parents.
• Jim and Melinda's son will be named Aidan. Look for him to be even more powerful than his mother.

Sounds also confirm that Hewitt herself will direct the show's 100th episode. That should be interesting.

Will the fifth season of The Ghost Whisperer fast forward five years into the future? It certainly seems that way.

While we're still months away from the next new episode, we can report a couple pieces of information regarding it:

• The season five premiere will be titled "Birthday Presence."
• Its main storyline will feature a woman who died during childbirth, and is determined to be reunited with her son.
• We'll meet Dr. Chase, Melinda's ob/gyn.

Sometimes, a simple casting call can result in a major show scoop.

For example, take a look at the following casting notice, just released by The Ghost Whisperer. The show is seeking...

Caucasian, ages 5-8; the son of Melinda Gordon and Jim Clancy. He is a regular five-year-old kid, fun loving and bright, although maybe a little more thoughtful than most boys his age. Strange things come to him at night, but he's matter of fact about it, as any child would be who'd grown up surrounded by ghosts.Recurring Guest Star, with possible series option.

But... wait. How can Melind and Jim have a five-year old?

An insider told Entertainment Weekly that producers are considering bumping the new season of The Ghost Whisperer five years into the future. How come?

In the season finale, Melinda learned that her offspring would possess psychic powers even greater than her own. This would be easier to display in a toddler than a newborn.

There's clarifying news on The Ghost Whisperer front... which is bad news for actor Kenneth Mitchell. Allow us to explain:

Considering the fact that Jim has taken over Sam's body, viewers are wondering just who Melinda sees when she looks at Sam; the same can be asked when it comes Delia, Ned and Eli.

TV Guide took this pressing question to executive producer P.K. Simonds. His reply:

"The face that everyone sees, including Melinda, when they look at 'Jim' is Sam's. But over time, people who know that Jim's soul is in Sam's body - including Jim himself - will see him more and more like Jim. Even in mirrors, we'll soon stop seeing Sam's face looking back."

In other words, Mitchell (who portrays Sam) should start seeking a new gig.

The Ghost Whisperer concludes its fourth season with a major event this Friday:

Melinda gives birth!

While he wouldn't reveal much else about the episode, or the development, Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly did say the baby arrives within the opening minutes of "Book of Changes." But, wait!

The television columnist also says "there's a twist." Guess it wouldn't be much of a finale if there wasn't one, huh?

On next week's all-new episode of The Ghost Whisperer, "Endless Love," a pair of solid actresses guest star on the CBS drama.

Look for young Alexa Vega (best known for her role in Spy Kids) to guest star as Serena Westen, a girl that would like to get vampires to leave her alone.

Gail O'Grady (picured, from NYPD Blue and American Dreams) will play her mother.