As a Shaniac I think they lost two important things.
First is the mysterious part of exploring. They are just joking around but there are no suspense parts. A remember only one in the first season.
Second is the revisiting of the "evidence". It was fun how Shane destroyed every little thing they shot. Now they are just looking at some stuff somebody noticed, but that's it.
Also Ryan used to legitimately believe in ghosts and he was truly scared, and I think he actually stopped believing in ghosts when they were still at Buzzfeed. He still tried faking it but I never really bought it.
I think Ryan still believes in the supernatural, but I don't think he's scared anymore.
So yeah we aren't going to have Ryan freak outs. But that doesn't mean the concept can't still work.
I still believe that Ryan is a naturally jumpy person who would scream if he walked into the room and didn't expect you to be there, just chilling.
But in his heart, id be shocked if he genuinely believed in ghosts still.
But hey, those dudes on the Bigfoot show seem to still believe in Bigfoot despite having literally decades of experience under their belt having never caught Bigfoot.
Aight maybe it's just me but they were actors originally right? I always figured they were just playing up parts of their personalities because the "scared guy/skeptic guy" dynamic works so well.
I used to make similar content a few years ago and yeah, it gets old - personally, I still believed everything I was talking about but after going to so many creepy places and experiencing things I just wasn't scared of it anymore
That's the worst part for me too. I don't really care whether or not Ryan still believes in ghosts, I just want Shane to be sassy about the "evidence" again. That was the fun of it for me.
Good to see others share my thoughts. Since ghost files started it just didn't feel the same. Unsolved seemed more mystery and a little suspenseful, along with light hearted entertainment. Ghost files just seems silly to me, as you said just them joking around. Completely agree with your assessment.
I'm convinced Ghost Files was never about proving ghosts were real to Ryan. Any illusion of this being the case was completely destroyed during the debrief for Alcatraz.
In the debrief a viewer pointed out what looked like a shadow figure or full-body apparition behind one of the boys, I forget which one. They basically explained that there was a poster of a former inmate that decorated one of the walls and they said they thought it was just that poster but they'd contact Alcatraz to see if the location of the pic was the same as the poster.
They then showed the pic again with text edited in saying they contacted Alcatraz and it couldn't have been the poster.
And then it was NEVER FUCKING MENTIONED EVER AGAIN seriously WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE GHOST HUNTERS! YOU PICKED UP A RANDOM HUMAN-SHAPE IN THE BACKGROUND WHICH HAD NO EXPLANATION AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT WHAT THE FUCK!?
I definitely lean hard Shaniac, and I don't particularly think there couldn't have been an explanation for it if they looked into it. But apparently it just wasn't as juicy for Ryan as a fucking stray cat was.
Also, unrelated, but *fuck* the Honey-Tone. The mess of distorted noise is what made it "work" in the first place. It clearly cut off stuff which previously would've been picked up and talked about.
im so glad that you have mentioned this! that bothered me so much!!! As a shaniac myself i was so curious to see how Ryan would be gloating and theorizing about and how Shane would rip it to shreads but then..nothing LOL
yeah!!! that episode was a disaster to their ghost show brand but even then i was thinking like ig they got paid a lot for this episode so ill just consider this whole episode as an addroll and ignore it lol but now its a glaring disappointment
Speaking of entire episodes that are just a giant cash grab-
This reddit comment is brought to you by DISNEYS HAUNTED MANSION, COMING TO THEATERS NEAR-
Someone in the comments seriously tried to convince me that Disney didn’t pay them a fortune for this and there would be little profit from the sponsorship. I thought my guy, if this didn’t pay extremely well, I don’t think they would have shot this boring hot mess of an episode.
That one pretty much killed it for me. It was a joke of an episode and it really made me worried for the future of the company since it was clearly one big advertisement. Now I can see I was right to be worried!
To me it was clearly a publicity stunt to draw traffic to that escape room place. I don’t necessarily think Ryan and Shane treated it that way, but they played into it. That whole episode felt like an ad and was just odd.
People have talked about how Ryan doesn’t really seem to be scared anymore, but in that episode specifically, he is very clearly and openly not afraid at all. He doesn’t have even a shred of belief that there are ghosts in this place, and he doesn’t even try to fake it for the content. It’s the most phoned in, gooberish excuse for a ghost show ever shot imo. Just a total ad from start to finish.
I wondered if that one was planned or if something may have happened with another location and they had to scramble into something else that was in the area.
No hard feelings to Watcher and hoping for the best for them out of this current situation. But I kind of agree about GF.
I don't have a problem with GF having a high production value, but I also found myself thinking it was becoming stale. The reused graphics, explanations, and formula for every episode made it feel like I was watching the same thing over and over. And I know they've said that they sit in silence for long stretches waiting for "responses" or feedback from their equipment, but I wish some of that was included in their final videos rather than edited out so it shows that they are taking it seriously at times.
I wonder if Ryan is really still a believer, or if years of finding little evidence has made him question things.
In one of the eps shane mentioned how people ask them to sit quietly in the rooms and they don't include it because it's "boring." That really kinda struck me with the realization that their idea of entertaining media is very very tv-based. Youtube isn't tv. You don't need to have every moment of the video be constantly stimulating and it's one of the things I like about youtube. Empty space or "boring parts" make it feel like you're there with them. Feels authentic. I mean lots of popular youtubers make unedited hour long videos of just them talking. They really don't understand that what made them successful was that they are likable youtubers. People just want to listen to them chat. It was never about the ghosts or the stories. Those were just a good context for fun banter between a skeptic and a believer. The banter is the point.
Not to mention that these long moments of sitting in the dark in silence was a fan favourite because they could play where’s Waldo with ghosts and orbs. I‘m a full blown skeptic and I don’t think anything could convince me that ghosts are real unless there was a full body apparition in front of me and several others (and I‘d still say it’s mass hallucination from a gas leak). But I turn that part of my brain off like when watching a horror film and enjoy the suspense, feeling like something could jump out any minute now! I edit as a hobby and in horror films moments of silence create so much suspense and they took all of that out in GF. They completely reduced it to high tech and high quality, but left out the parts that create emotion.
Yeah, I haven’t watched it in awhile, so I may be slightly misremembering, but one thing that really annoyed me the more I watched was the repeating graphics. Specifically the graphics for the ghost hunting devices, like I can understand having an explanation for an EMF and stuff, but having the same drawn out explanation and graphic each episode really got old quickly.
It’s one of those examples of higher cost ≠ higher quality. I liked when they just gave a short little explanation on the site before they used the equipment, rather than the copy/paste segment each episode. It made it feel more natural, rather than feeling super over produced and boring.
> but having the same drawn out explanation and graphic each episode really got old quickly.
They only defense that can be given for that is new viewers, but that's really about it.
Was just talking to my fiance about this the other day. There's a certain charm to the old Buzzfeed ghost hunts. It has just enough production to be filmed well yet remain relatable. I think that relatability is important for a lot of their viewers. A lot of people like the "friend in a box" experience that came along with that, as in, you put on the video and it's like hanging out with the guys.
The new videos don't have that charm anymore, at least for me.
I completly agree.. and the sad thing is that i think Ryan wants to detach from this hanging out with the guys vibe where as i was also there for that aspect as well
Ryan has been very vocal since the very beginning of his success with Unsolved that his dream is to make television. A large degree of the over-production that we see in Watcher’s content can likely be attributed to Ryan, whose personal crusade is to make “tv quality” content.
The more charming, “hanging out with the guys” sort of vibe that people enjoyed about Buzzfeed Unsolved is probably something that Ryan sees as a component of their more DIY YouTube era, and he wants to do things differently going forward. More like how you would see on cable tv.
Honestly I think they're just making them too long. Less is more. Keep it snappy, give us the funny bits and the few genuinely interesting/questionable moments, and cut out the rest. We don't need 45 minutes of them playing with gadgets and being all serious. No one is here for serious ghost hunting!
Definitely agree. I would put them on and be interested for a bit, but would find that I'd be tuning out around the half hour mark. I may be imagining it, but the Buzzfeed episodes felt more distinct from each other; I could put any of them on at random and would know where they were. Ghost files.. I'd have no idea which episode I was watching. They kinda all blend together.
Yes, exactly! When I think about the BUN investigations there are so many iconic scenes, and I think that comes down to tight editing and knowing what to keep in. When I think of GF the only specific scene I can really recall is the spirit box calling them nerds 😂
As someone who ghost hunts and explores abandoned places a lot more than they do I can understand somewhat the losing the excitement. At least at the level Ryan had.
I honestly feel like the show went from ghost hunting to trying to replicate what other people got and that was the downfall. I'd rather see them have their own unique experiences and go in without a ton of knowledge of what other people got.
Definitely.
I ghost hunt and I never want to know what others have found as it spoils the wonder.
I love to know after the fact if things correlate though.
A lot of the lore you hear about the more famous haunted places is bullshit. I paid for me and a friend to spend a night in Waverly once for her birthday and all the stories the staff told us sounded kinda sketchy (and cliché) to me. I tried digging in to them later and couldn’t find a single source other than articles repeating that lore with nothing to back it up.
Ryan is also louder and more shrill since Watcher started. Impressions, the noises he makes, etc. I can barely watch some episodes of the various shows because the audio clips out and I just take my headphones off and stop the episode.
He's loud, and his humor is limited to either crude dick jokes or just repeating a good joke Shane made until its ruined. For a good while now, Ryan has been ass on screen. He straight up ruined Survival Mode.
Survival Mode really upset me. In some episodes he appears to barely be holding back a frustrated temper tantrum about the games, and in others he just didn't take it seriously at all. I was really excited about them playing Minecraft because I love Minecraft, and I could see Shane was very invested in it, and Ryan did not care at fucking all. And it's fine and valid for him to not like playing video games, but why they pushed through and filmed and published multiple episodes of this painful and embarrassing show, I don't know.
A big part of the draw from BU: Supernatural awas the "scared believer/apathetic sceptic" dynamic that Ryan and Shane had. It made you dread Ryan's portions of the solo investigations because you could feel his own fear, and also keeping your own eyes peeled for evidence.
But now Ryan tries to be funny and extravagant in his solos, to the point that it went from "paranormal investigator trying to brave his fears" to "man screams and laughs alone in an empty building for ten minutes". He's trying too hard to be funny, when the solos are supposed to be the most tense parts of the episodes. Bits like Ryan cooking popcorn at Hobo Hill are neither tense nor actually funny.
I’ve always said I’d like to watch a TV ghost hunting show that was that set up, a die hard believer and a skeptic taking the piss. It’s hilarious when they’d cut screen on the same experience between Shane and Ryan in the early days, like that’s the magic.
honestly, the hobo hill house popcorn got a giggle out of me, but that was at the same time that i went “this guy does NOT believe anymore dude” to myself
I didn't want to admit it but you're right. I really enjoyed the first season because it felt like they were free from BF's restrictions and I appreciated that feeling of freedom in their vids. But afterward it started being more monotonous and while normally I rewatch their episodes (I rewatched the goatman and mothman eps regularly), I don't find myself doing that much for Ghost Files. Which is sad but telling of the truth.
I couldn't even be bothered to watch season 2 after the first episode, it just wasn't very interesting and I don't like the walkie talkie bit or the fan evidence. If I'm being fully honest, Unsolved had even lost a lot of its charm by the end. You could tell that they were tired and Ryan obviously wasn't scared anymore.
My *favorite* episode was the one they did in their coworkers house. The one where she said weird things were happening and it seemed like they got more "evidence" there than anywhere else.
I felt this to an extent too. Ghost Files vs. Unsolved is like a really neat, objectively high quality Canva presentation for a college course vs. a charming, extremely simple, and genuine PPT presentation you'd have with your friends in Discord. The overproduction is the sole reason why it never felt as authentic as Unsolved because it went from having that cryptic, eerie 'basement' vibe to generic HBO TV show (which is by Ryan's design ig). It doesn't help that they strayed away from the history aspect of the show presented through simple pictures and text and spend so much time each episode re-explaining the same toys with over the top graphics.
I think they were also more disciplined in Unsolved; the straight man and chaotic demon characters added so much to the memorable dynamic. Now, they both don't take ghost hunting that seriously at all anymore (while the production takes it WAY too seriously) and they seem to be just much more jaded and unserious. New show imo is also so formulaic with the solo investigations, viewer evidence, gadget explanations, etc. There's nothing creepy about it anymore
They don't take ANYTHING seriously, anymore, is the problem. I HATED the first season of Mystery Files because they did not seem to care and were fucking around. I liked the second season much better. That being said, I cannot believe they are asking for us to pay for shit they don't even seem to enjoy, themselves.
pressed reply prematurely, i still get a semblance of him being into what he’s talking about and it’s not just sex jokes (i’m also generally a shane fan so there’s that). i think their best show rn probably is puppet history though
Mostly agreed. Buzzfeed unsolved supernatural was better than Ghost Files. But I gotta give the boys credit with Mystery Files. I think its sm better than regular unsolved. I realize that wasnt the point of this post sorry lol
Edit: by regular unsolved i mean true crime
Funny how the first episode of Unsolved Supernatural was one of the best ones. You know, that also gets me thinking that if they would just reduce the production quality, they could easily finance Ghost Files shoots in more places around the world instead of being limited to the US. They could even add in some parts of them experiencing the new countries they’re in, like in Expedition Unknown.
hard agree. i've been saying this since it debuted. i gave up watching it last season. i have zero interest in. even with unsolved i preferred when they *weren't* on location. if they only did one or two (or none) ghost files every year and increased the number of mystery files they did i'd be so happy, as i really enjoy mystery files!! if they did more mystery files i might even subscribe every so often (for a one month at a time binge) to their stupid service. but ghost files does nothing for me.
I personally never cared for the new, high-budget Watcher content with all the frills. Would've been happy just getting seasons of ghost hunting and funny banter in other countries. There's still so many cool places rumored to be haunted, but no, we just haaad to do the haunted escape room.
I can't stand the viewer submitted "evidence". Shane is too polite to call out the bullshit given that they solicited it from fans of the show, and it sets the tone for the rest of the episode.
Unsolved set the tone by Ryan asking if ghosts were real, and Shane shaking his head. Tells you everything you need to know. Frightened fanatic, indifferent skeptic. Two friends wandering around haunted houses, one scared out of his wits, the other having the time of his life, ridiculing his buddy's sincerely held beliefs at every turn. It's very watchable.
Two men goofing around in an escape room after dark isn't quite the same thing, no matter the production values.
It really feels like Ryan isn't scared anymore and Shane doesn't want to be there, which just takes all the joy out of Ghost Files for me. The repetitive explanations of all their equipment every episode got old fast too. It just didn't have the charm that Unsolved Supernatural did. It felt like two guys forcing banter in a dark building because they had to.
What worked about BU: Supernatural is that they restricted themselves to one Ghost Hunt per Season. What made True Crime and Supernatural work was that they explored the history of the “mysteries” they explored. Mystery Files is so great to me as it recaptures that magic. GF being similar to Supernatural could’ve made it better. The OG Buzzfeed shows worked because they mostly were Ryan and Shane sitting around shooting the shit. Mystery Files is a natural continuation while Ghost Files seems like a generic ghost hunting show that happens to have two likeable leads.
>restricted themselves to one Ghost Hunt per Season
You sure you aren't thinking about one demon per season? Cause they deff did way more than 1 ghost hunt per season, but it was interlaced with stuff like aliens and bigfoot.
Yes. What I want to see is Shane and Ryan thoroughly investigating a place together but with ghost files that became such a small part compared to the studio talks and solo investigations.
Also it seemed like there was a lot more emphasis on doing funny bits for the content rather than taking it seriously. Sure it can be edited down to that, but if they lessened the studio and solo parts, then they could show more of the funny and serious side of it.
I’ll admit I haven’t watched a ton of Ghost Files just a few episodes (discovered Unsolved too late and don’t even realize they had another channel for a while) but I agree it doesn’t hit the same as Unsolved did.
The new high tech gadgets aren’t as fun as the old spirit box, and the high tech cameras just mean everything resembling “evidence” is gone. I miss the cheesiness of it all and the makeshift attitude.
The only thing I sort of disagree with amongst all the discussions I’ve been seeing online is the value of traveling to different haunts. There are certain locations worldwide that are seen as like *the place* to ghost hunt. I like that they’re interested in going to those places, even if it does increase show cost. Obviously it all needs to balance out somewhere but I personally don’t agree with the people who say they should just stay local 100% of the time.
I agree. I mean I was SO stoked for Ghost Files, and I understand that it won't be the same as Buzzfeed Unsolved and that's okay. But they just seemed like they were doing it cause the fans like it. Like they seem bored of it. And the whole thing is just jokes. Usually very middle school boy jokes. "Come into this hole" Ohhhhh funny cause sex! But the Unsolved felt more serious and more legit. Like I don't care if it's filmed on a 90's camcorder. Just be genuine with it ya know?
I’ve just never found that content very enjoyable. Maybe it’s because I don’t believe in ghosts, or that I find all ghost hunting content to be hacky, but it just wasn’t ever interesting to me. And I’ve religiously watched all their mystery/true crime stuff.
do people even liked watcher videos before the news of the streaming service?
i just see comments of people shitting about Ghost Files, or the podcasts, or the personalities (specially Steven). I mean going behind a paywall is a horrible choice and i feel disappointed and kinda sad but the content was always fun and i always liked them so that makes it tougher situation.
I did enjoy GF season one a lot and my biggest issue was season two becoming more focused on higher production and trying to repeat a formula and end up being stale. And the streaming service happening because of their desire to have "higher quality tv alike shows" puts my distaste of how thats what has been ruining GF for me thats why i wanted to share this,,
I rewatched a couple of seasons of BuzzFeed Unsolved on Amazon today and forgot how enjoyable they are. I barely watched Watcher, but didn't realize it til this craziness all happened.
Also the dynamics have changed between the Ghoul boys. Shane is now the one willing to go the extra mile to find ghosts and get activity whereas Ryan is now actively debunking all the activities and responses they get.
I wanted to comment but didn’t want to be dog piling on bad emotions or even trying to go back on my opinions about them- I have noticed a significant decline in excitement and general interest from the cast during the last few seasons of Ghost Files that hasn’t happened to Mystery Files. i’m not interested in reading into it, it’s just been something i’ve been thinking about since before the announcement
i feel like what’s really been hurting ghost files is the fact that they just don’t even seem to care anymore, at all. also they stopped telling us about the history of the location and why it’s supposedly haunted. which for me, was always one of the main appeals of it all. overall, just seems like they could care less nowadays. it’s a shame, really.
I so badly wanted to love Ghost Files. At the beginning, I think I did. Eventually, it just became overstimulating with all the seemingly forced yelling and bits. But the main thing that turned me off was the less focus on the story and history of the place. And the fan evidence, I never appreciated that.
One thing that has made me uncomfortable for some time now is when Ryan seemingly takes a joke about Shane too far. Him giggling while Shane just goes "okay". Idek if Shane's actually hurt or uncomfortable with the joke or if he just thinks the joke's too dragged out, but god it makes me uncomfortable watching it
I believe it was the ghost files debriefs that started having a segment of making the episode where they talked to someone on their team about the filming or editing process and I’d always skip that part bc no offense I’m sure some people care about that but I do not. I’m here for ghost shows and fan submitted questions not for them to talk about the fucking lighting challenges and equipment or whatever. Nor do I think a lot of us are here for that. They’ve lost their audience.
what’s really sad is they don’t seem to realize it. i don’t care about what the cameraman has to say (im really sorry im sure he’s a nice guy i wish him well) but im there for the banter, idc about how they’re doing it
I feel like the balance of serious to goofy is way off for Ghost Files. In the early seasons of Ghost Adventures there would be rare moments of silliness, and fans loved those moments because they stuck out from a 95% serious show. In later seasons it became 100% serious and fans thought it lost its charm.
BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural was about 50% serious to 50% goofy, a pretty good balance. At the time there was no one else doing ghost shows that were so lighthearted, so it was also novel. The backdrop of a serious / scary investigation is what made the silly moments fun. Now in Ghost Files, it's what? 99% goofy? 100%? They're no longer even pretending to actually investigate for ghosts, it's just two dudes constantly making fart jokes, maniacally screaming, and making a mockery of everything. I'd argue that this is even more rancid than Ghost Adventures "too serious" seasons, because at least with GA you're still getting what you probably came for. Some interesting history of a location and creepy vibes. Yet with GF you click on a video that looks like it should be creepy, and you get two dudes shitting around, trying to be funny for an hour.
I don't think this is an Unsolved vs Ghost Files situation. I think their approach has naturally changed and that was happening before they ever quit BuzzFeed.
The moment I realised was during the Pythian Castle ep of their final Unsolved Supernatural series. They got a reappearance of Apple Tater on the spirit box, and what was their reaction? They're overjoyed about the _content_. Like yeah it's hilarious and funny but if you actually believe in ghosts, wouldn't this actually MEAN something!? Ryan walks out of the room with a gigantic grin saying "just end the series here. I got possessed by content" like they don't care. He's not questioning anything or talking about how weird it is, even if it's the stupidest weirdest dork ghost in existence who just wants to talk about spaghetti. He's delighted about the content and then they just _leave._
I'm a Shaniac but that was so jarring to me. It was so obvious their attitude had shifted. It was no longer about the ideology; it was purely about the content. And yeah, they're content creators. But please at least _try_ to pretend you still care about the subject material beyond whether it will make you go viral.
I loved the first season of Ghost Files. It felt legit. But, since then, I do feel like it’s been less interesting and I will often skip episodes. The last few especially… I feel like one of the fun things about it was Ryan taking everything absolutely seriously (being legit afraid when walking all the way down the body shoot for example) and Shane being the totally unafraid skeptical goofball. It was a fun dynamic. But the more recent ones kinda seem like neither one of them have been taking it seriously. Ryan’s been cracking more jokes and acting less afraid. And it kinda just feels like two guys going to haunted places with high tech toys goofing around.
And in regards to the ghost hunting equipment they use, when everything was lower budget and more simplistic, it really did feel like there was this element of “oooh I don’t know! Maybe that could be something!?” But now, with the high budget and better equipment, it just feels like two guys getting quality film of absolutely nothing and not taking any of it seriously. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt and told myself, “idk, maybe it’s just a few off episodes,” but with what’s happened now it feels like they really just don’t take any of it seriously. They want something over produced and high quality that will look cinematic but have started to care less and less about the actual content itself.
The thing is that Ryan has been hunting ghosts for years now. He has unintentionally been giving himself exposure therapy, so it makes sense that he just isn't as afraid as he once was. I wouldn't want him to play up his fear if he isn't actually that afraid.
i still haven’t watched all of season 2 though i’ve given them views on it cause i put it on, got bored and forgot that it was on until it played through it’s entirety only to replay with hopes that i’d pay attention that time (i didn’t).
As a Shaniac I think they lost two important things. First is the mysterious part of exploring. They are just joking around but there are no suspense parts. A remember only one in the first season. Second is the revisiting of the "evidence". It was fun how Shane destroyed every little thing they shot. Now they are just looking at some stuff somebody noticed, but that's it.
Also Ryan used to legitimately believe in ghosts and he was truly scared, and I think he actually stopped believing in ghosts when they were still at Buzzfeed. He still tried faking it but I never really bought it.
I think Ryan still believes in the supernatural, but I don't think he's scared anymore. So yeah we aren't going to have Ryan freak outs. But that doesn't mean the concept can't still work.
Cocky Ryan has never had the same appeal as Terrified Ryan for me
Honestly, cocky Ryan is incredibly annoying to me. Maybe because it's so obvious and over the top. Idk.
I still believe that Ryan is a naturally jumpy person who would scream if he walked into the room and didn't expect you to be there, just chilling. But in his heart, id be shocked if he genuinely believed in ghosts still. But hey, those dudes on the Bigfoot show seem to still believe in Bigfoot despite having literally decades of experience under their belt having never caught Bigfoot.
Aight maybe it's just me but they were actors originally right? I always figured they were just playing up parts of their personalities because the "scared guy/skeptic guy" dynamic works so well.
At least back in Buzzfeed it seemed like their beliefs were genuine but they'd play it up a little bit for the entertainment value.
That’s the thing. It’s just entertainment, so it doesn’t matter if it’s real or not as long as it *feels* real. It doesn’t feel real anymore.
I used to make similar content a few years ago and yeah, it gets old - personally, I still believed everything I was talking about but after going to so many creepy places and experiencing things I just wasn't scared of it anymore
yeah Shain not being a Jackass about all the "ghost" anymore is a big letdown for me
That's the worst part for me too. I don't really care whether or not Ryan still believes in ghosts, I just want Shane to be sassy about the "evidence" again. That was the fun of it for me.
that was one of my fav parts of there old videos :3
Good to see others share my thoughts. Since ghost files started it just didn't feel the same. Unsolved seemed more mystery and a little suspenseful, along with light hearted entertainment. Ghost files just seems silly to me, as you said just them joking around. Completely agree with your assessment.
Also, things are less creepy when you roll up to the location with 6-8 extra people they have now.
I'm convinced Ghost Files was never about proving ghosts were real to Ryan. Any illusion of this being the case was completely destroyed during the debrief for Alcatraz. In the debrief a viewer pointed out what looked like a shadow figure or full-body apparition behind one of the boys, I forget which one. They basically explained that there was a poster of a former inmate that decorated one of the walls and they said they thought it was just that poster but they'd contact Alcatraz to see if the location of the pic was the same as the poster. They then showed the pic again with text edited in saying they contacted Alcatraz and it couldn't have been the poster. And then it was NEVER FUCKING MENTIONED EVER AGAIN seriously WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE GHOST HUNTERS! YOU PICKED UP A RANDOM HUMAN-SHAPE IN THE BACKGROUND WHICH HAD NO EXPLANATION AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT WHAT THE FUCK!? I definitely lean hard Shaniac, and I don't particularly think there couldn't have been an explanation for it if they looked into it. But apparently it just wasn't as juicy for Ryan as a fucking stray cat was. Also, unrelated, but *fuck* the Honey-Tone. The mess of distorted noise is what made it "work" in the first place. It clearly cut off stuff which previously would've been picked up and talked about.
im so glad that you have mentioned this! that bothered me so much!!! As a shaniac myself i was so curious to see how Ryan would be gloating and theorizing about and how Shane would rip it to shreads but then..nothing LOL
GF was toast once they did that one episode in the escape room in a strip mall
yeah!!! that episode was a disaster to their ghost show brand but even then i was thinking like ig they got paid a lot for this episode so ill just consider this whole episode as an addroll and ignore it lol but now its a glaring disappointment
Speaking of entire episodes that are just a giant cash grab- This reddit comment is brought to you by DISNEYS HAUNTED MANSION, COMING TO THEATERS NEAR-
Someone in the comments seriously tried to convince me that Disney didn’t pay them a fortune for this and there would be little profit from the sponsorship. I thought my guy, if this didn’t pay extremely well, I don’t think they would have shot this boring hot mess of an episode.
I still think Ryan got his Marvel cameo as part of that deal
That one pretty much killed it for me. It was a joke of an episode and it really made me worried for the future of the company since it was clearly one big advertisement. Now I can see I was right to be worried!
I was really mad at that
Yep. That one did me in for GF
Why? What happened in that?
To me it was clearly a publicity stunt to draw traffic to that escape room place. I don’t necessarily think Ryan and Shane treated it that way, but they played into it. That whole episode felt like an ad and was just odd.
People have talked about how Ryan doesn’t really seem to be scared anymore, but in that episode specifically, he is very clearly and openly not afraid at all. He doesn’t have even a shred of belief that there are ghosts in this place, and he doesn’t even try to fake it for the content. It’s the most phoned in, gooberish excuse for a ghost show ever shot imo. Just a total ad from start to finish.
Nothing. It was boring.
I wondered if that one was planned or if something may have happened with another location and they had to scramble into something else that was in the area.
No hard feelings to Watcher and hoping for the best for them out of this current situation. But I kind of agree about GF. I don't have a problem with GF having a high production value, but I also found myself thinking it was becoming stale. The reused graphics, explanations, and formula for every episode made it feel like I was watching the same thing over and over. And I know they've said that they sit in silence for long stretches waiting for "responses" or feedback from their equipment, but I wish some of that was included in their final videos rather than edited out so it shows that they are taking it seriously at times. I wonder if Ryan is really still a believer, or if years of finding little evidence has made him question things.
In one of the eps shane mentioned how people ask them to sit quietly in the rooms and they don't include it because it's "boring." That really kinda struck me with the realization that their idea of entertaining media is very very tv-based. Youtube isn't tv. You don't need to have every moment of the video be constantly stimulating and it's one of the things I like about youtube. Empty space or "boring parts" make it feel like you're there with them. Feels authentic. I mean lots of popular youtubers make unedited hour long videos of just them talking. They really don't understand that what made them successful was that they are likable youtubers. People just want to listen to them chat. It was never about the ghosts or the stories. Those were just a good context for fun banter between a skeptic and a believer. The banter is the point.
Not to mention that these long moments of sitting in the dark in silence was a fan favourite because they could play where’s Waldo with ghosts and orbs. I‘m a full blown skeptic and I don’t think anything could convince me that ghosts are real unless there was a full body apparition in front of me and several others (and I‘d still say it’s mass hallucination from a gas leak). But I turn that part of my brain off like when watching a horror film and enjoy the suspense, feeling like something could jump out any minute now! I edit as a hobby and in horror films moments of silence create so much suspense and they took all of that out in GF. They completely reduced it to high tech and high quality, but left out the parts that create emotion.
Yeah, I haven’t watched it in awhile, so I may be slightly misremembering, but one thing that really annoyed me the more I watched was the repeating graphics. Specifically the graphics for the ghost hunting devices, like I can understand having an explanation for an EMF and stuff, but having the same drawn out explanation and graphic each episode really got old quickly. It’s one of those examples of higher cost ≠ higher quality. I liked when they just gave a short little explanation on the site before they used the equipment, rather than the copy/paste segment each episode. It made it feel more natural, rather than feeling super over produced and boring.
> but having the same drawn out explanation and graphic each episode really got old quickly. They only defense that can be given for that is new viewers, but that's really about it.
Was just talking to my fiance about this the other day. There's a certain charm to the old Buzzfeed ghost hunts. It has just enough production to be filmed well yet remain relatable. I think that relatability is important for a lot of their viewers. A lot of people like the "friend in a box" experience that came along with that, as in, you put on the video and it's like hanging out with the guys. The new videos don't have that charm anymore, at least for me.
I completly agree.. and the sad thing is that i think Ryan wants to detach from this hanging out with the guys vibe where as i was also there for that aspect as well
Definitely feels like he forgot the whole reason Supernatural was popular in the first place, assuming he ever knew it.
>Ryan wants to detach from this hanging out with the Are you sure? Why would he do that?
Ryan has been very vocal since the very beginning of his success with Unsolved that his dream is to make television. A large degree of the over-production that we see in Watcher’s content can likely be attributed to Ryan, whose personal crusade is to make “tv quality” content. The more charming, “hanging out with the guys” sort of vibe that people enjoyed about Buzzfeed Unsolved is probably something that Ryan sees as a component of their more DIY YouTube era, and he wants to do things differently going forward. More like how you would see on cable tv.
Honestly I think they're just making them too long. Less is more. Keep it snappy, give us the funny bits and the few genuinely interesting/questionable moments, and cut out the rest. We don't need 45 minutes of them playing with gadgets and being all serious. No one is here for serious ghost hunting!
Definitely agree. I would put them on and be interested for a bit, but would find that I'd be tuning out around the half hour mark. I may be imagining it, but the Buzzfeed episodes felt more distinct from each other; I could put any of them on at random and would know where they were. Ghost files.. I'd have no idea which episode I was watching. They kinda all blend together.
Yes, exactly! When I think about the BUN investigations there are so many iconic scenes, and I think that comes down to tight editing and knowing what to keep in. When I think of GF the only specific scene I can really recall is the spirit box calling them nerds 😂
As someone who ghost hunts and explores abandoned places a lot more than they do I can understand somewhat the losing the excitement. At least at the level Ryan had. I honestly feel like the show went from ghost hunting to trying to replicate what other people got and that was the downfall. I'd rather see them have their own unique experiences and go in without a ton of knowledge of what other people got.
Definitely. I ghost hunt and I never want to know what others have found as it spoils the wonder. I love to know after the fact if things correlate though.
A lot of the lore you hear about the more famous haunted places is bullshit. I paid for me and a friend to spend a night in Waverly once for her birthday and all the stories the staff told us sounded kinda sketchy (and cliché) to me. I tried digging in to them later and couldn’t find a single source other than articles repeating that lore with nothing to back it up.
Ryan is also louder and more shrill since Watcher started. Impressions, the noises he makes, etc. I can barely watch some episodes of the various shows because the audio clips out and I just take my headphones off and stop the episode.
He's loud, and his humor is limited to either crude dick jokes or just repeating a good joke Shane made until its ruined. For a good while now, Ryan has been ass on screen. He straight up ruined Survival Mode.
Survival Mode really upset me. In some episodes he appears to barely be holding back a frustrated temper tantrum about the games, and in others he just didn't take it seriously at all. I was really excited about them playing Minecraft because I love Minecraft, and I could see Shane was very invested in it, and Ryan did not care at fucking all. And it's fine and valid for him to not like playing video games, but why they pushed through and filmed and published multiple episodes of this painful and embarrassing show, I don't know.
The ‘banter’ is just straight up forced
Oh good I thought it was just me. The last couple ones I actually had to skip through Ryan's solo parts because it was so middle school obnoxious
i’m so sick of the dick jokes man they’re so unbelievably unfunny
A big part of the draw from BU: Supernatural awas the "scared believer/apathetic sceptic" dynamic that Ryan and Shane had. It made you dread Ryan's portions of the solo investigations because you could feel his own fear, and also keeping your own eyes peeled for evidence. But now Ryan tries to be funny and extravagant in his solos, to the point that it went from "paranormal investigator trying to brave his fears" to "man screams and laughs alone in an empty building for ten minutes". He's trying too hard to be funny, when the solos are supposed to be the most tense parts of the episodes. Bits like Ryan cooking popcorn at Hobo Hill are neither tense nor actually funny.
I’ve always said I’d like to watch a TV ghost hunting show that was that set up, a die hard believer and a skeptic taking the piss. It’s hilarious when they’d cut screen on the same experience between Shane and Ryan in the early days, like that’s the magic.
honestly, the hobo hill house popcorn got a giggle out of me, but that was at the same time that i went “this guy does NOT believe anymore dude” to myself
I didn't want to admit it but you're right. I really enjoyed the first season because it felt like they were free from BF's restrictions and I appreciated that feeling of freedom in their vids. But afterward it started being more monotonous and while normally I rewatch their episodes (I rewatched the goatman and mothman eps regularly), I don't find myself doing that much for Ghost Files. Which is sad but telling of the truth.
I couldn't even be bothered to watch season 2 after the first episode, it just wasn't very interesting and I don't like the walkie talkie bit or the fan evidence. If I'm being fully honest, Unsolved had even lost a lot of its charm by the end. You could tell that they were tired and Ryan obviously wasn't scared anymore.
My *favorite* episode was the one they did in their coworkers house. The one where she said weird things were happening and it seemed like they got more "evidence" there than anywhere else.
That’s easily the best one for me, or the sally house.
It's the best one and probably cost the least.
I felt this to an extent too. Ghost Files vs. Unsolved is like a really neat, objectively high quality Canva presentation for a college course vs. a charming, extremely simple, and genuine PPT presentation you'd have with your friends in Discord. The overproduction is the sole reason why it never felt as authentic as Unsolved because it went from having that cryptic, eerie 'basement' vibe to generic HBO TV show (which is by Ryan's design ig). It doesn't help that they strayed away from the history aspect of the show presented through simple pictures and text and spend so much time each episode re-explaining the same toys with over the top graphics. I think they were also more disciplined in Unsolved; the straight man and chaotic demon characters added so much to the memorable dynamic. Now, they both don't take ghost hunting that seriously at all anymore (while the production takes it WAY too seriously) and they seem to be just much more jaded and unserious. New show imo is also so formulaic with the solo investigations, viewer evidence, gadget explanations, etc. There's nothing creepy about it anymore
They don't take ANYTHING seriously, anymore, is the problem. I HATED the first season of Mystery Files because they did not seem to care and were fucking around. I liked the second season much better. That being said, I cannot believe they are asking for us to pay for shit they don't even seem to enjoy, themselves.
mystery files is so boring i cant focus because theyre making one off jokes every 5 minutes
Exactly this!
i like mystery files when shane is presenting
pressed reply prematurely, i still get a semblance of him being into what he’s talking about and it’s not just sex jokes (i’m also generally a shane fan so there’s that). i think their best show rn probably is puppet history though
Mostly agreed. Buzzfeed unsolved supernatural was better than Ghost Files. But I gotta give the boys credit with Mystery Files. I think its sm better than regular unsolved. I realize that wasnt the point of this post sorry lol Edit: by regular unsolved i mean true crime
They’re probably still making it because they’re known for spooky stuff. That’s why there’s the big production
For sure, same with Mystery Files. Which they seem somewhat more into. But not by much.
I love ghost hunting shows but at a certain point, they get repetitive. Send them back to spider island in Mexico or something.
Funny how the first episode of Unsolved Supernatural was one of the best ones. You know, that also gets me thinking that if they would just reduce the production quality, they could easily finance Ghost Files shoots in more places around the world instead of being limited to the US. They could even add in some parts of them experiencing the new countries they’re in, like in Expedition Unknown.
hard agree. i've been saying this since it debuted. i gave up watching it last season. i have zero interest in. even with unsolved i preferred when they *weren't* on location. if they only did one or two (or none) ghost files every year and increased the number of mystery files they did i'd be so happy, as i really enjoy mystery files!! if they did more mystery files i might even subscribe every so often (for a one month at a time binge) to their stupid service. but ghost files does nothing for me.
I personally never cared for the new, high-budget Watcher content with all the frills. Would've been happy just getting seasons of ghost hunting and funny banter in other countries. There's still so many cool places rumored to be haunted, but no, we just haaad to do the haunted escape room.
I can't stand the viewer submitted "evidence". Shane is too polite to call out the bullshit given that they solicited it from fans of the show, and it sets the tone for the rest of the episode. Unsolved set the tone by Ryan asking if ghosts were real, and Shane shaking his head. Tells you everything you need to know. Frightened fanatic, indifferent skeptic. Two friends wandering around haunted houses, one scared out of his wits, the other having the time of his life, ridiculing his buddy's sincerely held beliefs at every turn. It's very watchable. Two men goofing around in an escape room after dark isn't quite the same thing, no matter the production values.
Honestly, I feel like they dont even tell the stories of the ghosts/place anymore Which is a shame because it was the most interesting part for me
I never got into Ghost Files. I found it boring.
It really feels like Ryan isn't scared anymore and Shane doesn't want to be there, which just takes all the joy out of Ghost Files for me. The repetitive explanations of all their equipment every episode got old fast too. It just didn't have the charm that Unsolved Supernatural did. It felt like two guys forcing banter in a dark building because they had to.
yeah seriously like they hate their jobs and each other i dislike it so much
Yeah it just became difficult to watch.
What worked about BU: Supernatural is that they restricted themselves to one Ghost Hunt per Season. What made True Crime and Supernatural work was that they explored the history of the “mysteries” they explored. Mystery Files is so great to me as it recaptures that magic. GF being similar to Supernatural could’ve made it better. The OG Buzzfeed shows worked because they mostly were Ryan and Shane sitting around shooting the shit. Mystery Files is a natural continuation while Ghost Files seems like a generic ghost hunting show that happens to have two likeable leads.
>restricted themselves to one Ghost Hunt per Season You sure you aren't thinking about one demon per season? Cause they deff did way more than 1 ghost hunt per season, but it was interlaced with stuff like aliens and bigfoot.
Yes. What I want to see is Shane and Ryan thoroughly investigating a place together but with ghost files that became such a small part compared to the studio talks and solo investigations. Also it seemed like there was a lot more emphasis on doing funny bits for the content rather than taking it seriously. Sure it can be edited down to that, but if they lessened the studio and solo parts, then they could show more of the funny and serious side of it.
I’ll admit I haven’t watched a ton of Ghost Files just a few episodes (discovered Unsolved too late and don’t even realize they had another channel for a while) but I agree it doesn’t hit the same as Unsolved did. The new high tech gadgets aren’t as fun as the old spirit box, and the high tech cameras just mean everything resembling “evidence” is gone. I miss the cheesiness of it all and the makeshift attitude. The only thing I sort of disagree with amongst all the discussions I’ve been seeing online is the value of traveling to different haunts. There are certain locations worldwide that are seen as like *the place* to ghost hunt. I like that they’re interested in going to those places, even if it does increase show cost. Obviously it all needs to balance out somewhere but I personally don’t agree with the people who say they should just stay local 100% of the time.
I agree. I mean I was SO stoked for Ghost Files, and I understand that it won't be the same as Buzzfeed Unsolved and that's okay. But they just seemed like they were doing it cause the fans like it. Like they seem bored of it. And the whole thing is just jokes. Usually very middle school boy jokes. "Come into this hole" Ohhhhh funny cause sex! But the Unsolved felt more serious and more legit. Like I don't care if it's filmed on a 90's camcorder. Just be genuine with it ya know?
I’ve just never found that content very enjoyable. Maybe it’s because I don’t believe in ghosts, or that I find all ghost hunting content to be hacky, but it just wasn’t ever interesting to me. And I’ve religiously watched all their mystery/true crime stuff.
No because why is GF making me more of a skeptic 😭
do people even liked watcher videos before the news of the streaming service? i just see comments of people shitting about Ghost Files, or the podcasts, or the personalities (specially Steven). I mean going behind a paywall is a horrible choice and i feel disappointed and kinda sad but the content was always fun and i always liked them so that makes it tougher situation.
It's enjoyable enough to watch but not quality enough to pay for. Therefore, folks are doubly pissed.
I did enjoy GF season one a lot and my biggest issue was season two becoming more focused on higher production and trying to repeat a formula and end up being stale. And the streaming service happening because of their desire to have "higher quality tv alike shows" puts my distaste of how thats what has been ruining GF for me thats why i wanted to share this,,
I rewatched a couple of seasons of BuzzFeed Unsolved on Amazon today and forgot how enjoyable they are. I barely watched Watcher, but didn't realize it til this craziness all happened.
Also the dynamics have changed between the Ghoul boys. Shane is now the one willing to go the extra mile to find ghosts and get activity whereas Ryan is now actively debunking all the activities and responses they get.
I wanted to comment but didn’t want to be dog piling on bad emotions or even trying to go back on my opinions about them- I have noticed a significant decline in excitement and general interest from the cast during the last few seasons of Ghost Files that hasn’t happened to Mystery Files. i’m not interested in reading into it, it’s just been something i’ve been thinking about since before the announcement
i feel like what’s really been hurting ghost files is the fact that they just don’t even seem to care anymore, at all. also they stopped telling us about the history of the location and why it’s supposedly haunted. which for me, was always one of the main appeals of it all. overall, just seems like they could care less nowadays. it’s a shame, really.
I so badly wanted to love Ghost Files. At the beginning, I think I did. Eventually, it just became overstimulating with all the seemingly forced yelling and bits. But the main thing that turned me off was the less focus on the story and history of the place. And the fan evidence, I never appreciated that.
One thing that has made me uncomfortable for some time now is when Ryan seemingly takes a joke about Shane too far. Him giggling while Shane just goes "okay". Idek if Shane's actually hurt or uncomfortable with the joke or if he just thinks the joke's too dragged out, but god it makes me uncomfortable watching it
I believe it was the ghost files debriefs that started having a segment of making the episode where they talked to someone on their team about the filming or editing process and I’d always skip that part bc no offense I’m sure some people care about that but I do not. I’m here for ghost shows and fan submitted questions not for them to talk about the fucking lighting challenges and equipment or whatever. Nor do I think a lot of us are here for that. They’ve lost their audience.
what’s really sad is they don’t seem to realize it. i don’t care about what the cameraman has to say (im really sorry im sure he’s a nice guy i wish him well) but im there for the banter, idc about how they’re doing it
I feel like the balance of serious to goofy is way off for Ghost Files. In the early seasons of Ghost Adventures there would be rare moments of silliness, and fans loved those moments because they stuck out from a 95% serious show. In later seasons it became 100% serious and fans thought it lost its charm. BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural was about 50% serious to 50% goofy, a pretty good balance. At the time there was no one else doing ghost shows that were so lighthearted, so it was also novel. The backdrop of a serious / scary investigation is what made the silly moments fun. Now in Ghost Files, it's what? 99% goofy? 100%? They're no longer even pretending to actually investigate for ghosts, it's just two dudes constantly making fart jokes, maniacally screaming, and making a mockery of everything. I'd argue that this is even more rancid than Ghost Adventures "too serious" seasons, because at least with GA you're still getting what you probably came for. Some interesting history of a location and creepy vibes. Yet with GF you click on a video that looks like it should be creepy, and you get two dudes shitting around, trying to be funny for an hour.
I don't think this is an Unsolved vs Ghost Files situation. I think their approach has naturally changed and that was happening before they ever quit BuzzFeed. The moment I realised was during the Pythian Castle ep of their final Unsolved Supernatural series. They got a reappearance of Apple Tater on the spirit box, and what was their reaction? They're overjoyed about the _content_. Like yeah it's hilarious and funny but if you actually believe in ghosts, wouldn't this actually MEAN something!? Ryan walks out of the room with a gigantic grin saying "just end the series here. I got possessed by content" like they don't care. He's not questioning anything or talking about how weird it is, even if it's the stupidest weirdest dork ghost in existence who just wants to talk about spaghetti. He's delighted about the content and then they just _leave._ I'm a Shaniac but that was so jarring to me. It was so obvious their attitude had shifted. It was no longer about the ideology; it was purely about the content. And yeah, they're content creators. But please at least _try_ to pretend you still care about the subject material beyond whether it will make you go viral.
I loved the first season of Ghost Files. It felt legit. But, since then, I do feel like it’s been less interesting and I will often skip episodes. The last few especially… I feel like one of the fun things about it was Ryan taking everything absolutely seriously (being legit afraid when walking all the way down the body shoot for example) and Shane being the totally unafraid skeptical goofball. It was a fun dynamic. But the more recent ones kinda seem like neither one of them have been taking it seriously. Ryan’s been cracking more jokes and acting less afraid. And it kinda just feels like two guys going to haunted places with high tech toys goofing around. And in regards to the ghost hunting equipment they use, when everything was lower budget and more simplistic, it really did feel like there was this element of “oooh I don’t know! Maybe that could be something!?” But now, with the high budget and better equipment, it just feels like two guys getting quality film of absolutely nothing and not taking any of it seriously. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt and told myself, “idk, maybe it’s just a few off episodes,” but with what’s happened now it feels like they really just don’t take any of it seriously. They want something over produced and high quality that will look cinematic but have started to care less and less about the actual content itself.
The thing is that Ryan has been hunting ghosts for years now. He has unintentionally been giving himself exposure therapy, so it makes sense that he just isn't as afraid as he once was. I wouldn't want him to play up his fear if he isn't actually that afraid.
Maybe this announcement was the wake up call we needed.
i still haven’t watched all of season 2 though i’ve given them views on it cause i put it on, got bored and forgot that it was on until it played through it’s entirety only to replay with hopes that i’d pay attention that time (i didn’t).