Original subtitles

Commonly accepted methods for communing with the dead.

As opposed to...

In my culture, communication with the dead

is taken very seriously.

Oh. Now you respect it.

You politically correct trained weasels.

I expect the subject matter to be taken very seriously.

Yes?

How come you never tell us if you believe this stuff?

What does it matter?

We're studying trends,

theories, systems of beliefs that effect people.

Small subsets of people.

Like those who first believe that the earth is round.

But it is. Oh.

Been to outer space, have you?

Seen the earth in all of its rounded glory?

I'm just saying. As per usual,

some of you will find this all absurd

and have a good laugh at it over your next game of beer pong.

Others of you, for whatever reason,

may find it a little too real.

I told you, I already have a t.A.

He's an econ major.

You need someone who's serious about the field.

Here.

Look at this, ok?

Oh, wow, nice spirit board.

Where'd you get it?

I scope garage sales for a secondhand store I work at.

Yeah, it's rare.

I could have someone look at it

if you're trying to find a price.

It's a gift. For you.

It might be worth something.

Sell it at the store you work for.

I can't.

The woman who owns it, well, let's just say

she's not really a fan of this kind of thing.

Oh, an occult prude? Not exactly.

But really, you should have it.

Don't worry.

You're going to Ace this course,

so you don't have to suck up to me.

That's not what I'm doing.

Then what are you doing?

Is that a concert flyer??

Trey...

Where did you get this? Get what?

This flyer.

Who put it on my door?

Oh, sorry.

I know you want messages handed to you,

but it's not my fault.

I didn't see anyone put it there.

Did you just do that?

No.

Did someone tell you I like that band?

No.

But who would know that?

Maybe the spirit board knows.

For a clean-cut kid, you're a little odd.

I know. Come on in.

I've got it covered, Trey. Go.

Have you ever used one of these before?

No.

But you must have, right?

I mean, in your course of study?

In eighth grade, at a slumber party,

Marie antoinette told my friend sintra she liked her clothes.

Did I mention sintra was holding the planchette?

Why don't we ask about the flyer?

Should professor Avery go to the concert tomorrow?

Whoa!

Did you do that? No.

Come on!

Look...

Somebody wants you to go to that concert.

Somebody dead.

Office hours are over.

I'm sorry. I didn't--

you can leave the board if you want to.

So did you make any inroads?

I still don't know why you want this t.A. Job so bad.

I'd have access to the faculty libraries.

Including the copeland wing.

That's where the Drake collection was originally housed.

I can't even go in there.

You have to be with that department.

It's where we found the book of changes.

Who knows what else is buried in there?

So you want to do it to find out more about the shadows?

I've been researching for months trying to find something,

I mean, anything, about whatever they are.

But I keep coming up dry. The copeland wing...

Academics from everywhere do occult research there.

Weird looking guys, too.

Some with accents, funny hats.

Ok, I thought we were talking about a ghost.

Yes, and if I can help get it away from professor Grant.

That's if the ghost who flipped the spirit board even knows her.

Look, this spirit could be anybody, ok?

That's the problem with those stupid boards.

They upset ghosts who are desperate to communicate;

gets them frustrated, and then you end up with--

frustrated, upset ghost. Exactly.

There's something about that concert.

And professor Grant knew it, too.

She seemed kind of freaked out.

She does have a dead ex-boyfriend.

Fiancã‰, technically.

Car accident.

I thought you didn't know her,

that you guys ran in different circles.

Circles of guys she hooked up with,

briefly dates, and then dumps.

I heard many sad stories.

Fine. What do we know about her?

Well, I found a link to her webpage.

Wow.

Tribute much?

Not to be insensitive, but this is a shrine to her ex-fiancã‰.

I mean, piece of cake.

He's gotta be our ghost.

Am I right?

I'll keep my eyes open.

Thanks for lunch. Yeah, sure.

Thanks. Hey, all right, yeah.

I don't have any money.

Listen,

this might be a little awkward,

but I think we have more in common than you might think.

Ned, we need to have a talk

about a little thing called "boundaries." Ever heard of them?

What concert?

I did not put this on my date book.

Do you see what's happening here?

No more office visits, no more bringing me presents,

and no more trying to get me to go to this concert with you.

With me? I think you have the wrong idea.

And what are you even thinking?

With your spooky, invasive magic tricks.

They're not magic tricks.

The flying spirit board,

the flowers you left me?

I didn't do any of that.

Then how did you find out about my favorite band?

You're haunted.

My friends don't think so, but--

I'm haunted? What friends?

I think there's a spirit.

The board awakened it,

and I'm sorry for my role in that.

But I don't think it's going to stop pestering you

until you acknowledge it.

You're nuts, and you need to transfer out of my class.

But this is-- I'm asking you to leave.

Child, whispering: Can you see us?

"You're nuts."

According to ned, those were her exact words.

So she teaches the paranormal,

but she doesn't believe in it?

Hey, if I bought into every psychological theory I teach,

I would have murdered my parents.

Hey, how are they? Honestly? Thriving.

I mean, for a couple of dead people.

I think they're haunting my aunt Shirley in boca.

That's not exactly romantic.

You can't even dance to it.

Well, maybe it was something special

she shared with her fiancã‰,

if he's even the ghost.

The guy's sending her flowers from the grave;

setting up concert dates with her.

Who else could it be? Anybody,

thanks to the spirit board.

Ok, I get it, you hate them.

Because they're like writing your number on the bathroom wall

for the dead.

And maybe ned told Avery about the ghost too soon.

But he was doing it trying to help us

get into the copeland wing. So we gotta help him.

That's her, with the chair.

That's just academics. Hey!

I resemble that remark.

No, I mean, in this area.

Whether they believe it or not,

they all think they're experts.

And not only do I have to convince them

that I can see ghosts,

but then they have to unlearn everything they think they know.

Hello?

I told you, I was going to a concert.

Poor thing.

Whatever she said to ned, she still came.

To meet her dead fiancã‰.

What faculty meeting?

With president bedford?

What wasn't it on my calendar?

No, it wasn't. All right,

I'm 10 minutes away. Oh!

Oh, yeah, yeah.

I used to have one of these.

I hated mine, too, so.

There. You ok?

Better than my phone.

Yeah. Sorry.

I just--please.

It's fine.

Fine.

Set it up.

So you see ghosts and you talk to them.

You're one of the friends ned was talking about.

I know it's a lot to process.

And you think that's why my cell phone decided to take flight.

At the exact moment you were thinking about leaving the concert,

which a ghost went to a lot of trouble to get you to.

What do you think happened?

I tripped, and it flew out of my hand.

Law of physics. You don't teach physics.

Just because I teach anthro of the occult

does not mean I should buy whatever it is you're selling.

I'm not selling anything,

especially to somebody who doesn't want my help.

But you know what, feel free to call me

when your ghost comes back.

Look, I'm sorry.

I'm listening.

Please, tell me how this works.

First, we have to figure out who the ghost is.

Logical place to start, based on the behavior,

someone who has romantic feelings for you.

'Cause all the good ones

are married, gay or dead, right?

I should have said "had."

Eli told me about Curtis, your fiancã‰.

Well.

If you're just taking shots in the dark,

you should be a little more careful about throwing out names of loved ones.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--

nobody means to.

They just want me to move on.

Register at some dating sight and find another soul mate.

Well, I'm old-fashioned.

I think you get one.

I don't expect you to understand.

I understand better than you think.

Believe it or not, I think this ghost is staying here

because he thinks you need him.

You have to let him go.

But if Curtis is here, why would I let him go?

Because spirits don't belong here.

They belong in the light.

Who died and made you the expert?

I know a few things about ghosts myself,

or did you forget that?

No.

No, I didn't.

Did I order this?

"The big lebowski."

At least someone screwed up with taste.

Curtis?

What are you doing?

Popcorn?

Extra butter?

Curtis, if this is you,

you know I like my popcorn plain.

I can't tell if this is a seduction or a sã‰ance.

Ok.

Well, what's that about?

You don't want to watch the movie?

So what do you want to do?

Talk?

You know how much I hate texting,

but I'm game.

Curtis, I...

I've been talking to you out loud

for the past 3 years.

And now, I'm about 5 cats away from crazy,

so if you can talk to me,

I mean, really talk back to me,

now would be such a good time.

Maybe that woman's right.

Maybe you do belong in the light.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

I miss you so much.

Don't touch, I got it covered.

I'm--I'm just trying to help.

Let me help. Uh, no? Ok.

You know what, I'm gonna go.

I'll clear Aiden's stuff out of the way.

No, no, he's in the middle of a masterpiece.

Look, I already set the dining room table.

Why don't you and Aiden go outside and play ball?

Right.

Ok. Turkey chili, 20 minutes.

We'll be there.

Hey! You know what,

if you want to talk to me, just talk, ok?

No games.

Hey! Oh! You know what?

That is just childish!

Why are you hiding?

No, no! Not my son's art project!

Will you please stop?!

I just want to have a quiet evening with my family!

You are ruining everything!

Look, what I don't understand is, how can you ruin everything

when you haven't done anything yet?

Well, I told Dr. Grant and Curtis

that they should move on.

And you think he has other plans?

Well, luring her to the square

for a romantic concert,

sending her flowers.

It's like he doesn't want to let go.

And who am I to say he should?

You know, they're soul mates.

Like us.

Hospital.

Duty calls.

For both of us.

See ya.

Bye. Avery, hi.

Is everything ok?

I think I owe you another apology.

Something strange happened last night.

I know I should be happy

instead of feeling whatever it is I'm feeling,

but something about the whole date night

was just...Off.

And what was it?

I could really feel him there,

and that was so amazing.

But-- but he wasn't really there.

Having him so close but not being able

to really be with him...

I know it sounds ungrateful,

but...

It's just not enough.

It's torture.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe the only way for both of us to heal

is for Curtis to go into the light.

I can't believe I'm saying that.

Hey, it doesn't mean that you love him any less.

I know.

It's just that I have a problem

with the whole... afterlife thing.

I mean, before the accident,

I was kind of a closet believer.

I mean, I always maintained a very healthy,

scientific skepticism in public,

but I would go in the copeland wing

and I would read those books,

and they rang so true.

After Curtis died, I waited and waited for him to come back to me,

and...he never did.

So you're saying that the hauntings

and feeling his presence,

that just started recently?

Maybe I shouldn't question it.

Why would it start now?

What's different?

Are things worse for you?

Ever since you told me that Curtis was haunting me.

I mean, before that,

I could go the whole day

or two without thinking about him,

but now,

I'm more obsessed with him than ever.

Curtis?

Curtis, if that's you,

you don't really have to use the board.

I can see you and hear you,

so you could just talk--

or we can do it your way.

"Curtis is..."

"Gone." that's the message

the ghost spelled out on the spirit board.

If Curtis is gone, then who's controlling the board?

Maybe we have the wrong ghost.

Wouldn't be the first time.

That would explain the message

I got on my new board last night.

You got a new board?

It said, "I'm not Curtis,"

which would make sense if--

you bought yourself another board?

Look, I know how you guys feel about them,

but you don't understand what it's like for me.

I'm not a sensitive,

and I just thought if I could...

I don't know what I was thinking.

You really don't, if you actually wish you could hear what I hear.

But I guess it proves the ghost was attached to Grant and not the board.

Right.

Do you know anyone else in her life who died recently?

Professor nettinger was her mentor in the anthro department.

He died a few months ago. But the guy was like 104,

so I'm guessing he wasn't making

with the romance.

Wait, her grandmother.

How do you know that? They were close.

And she died last spring. And according to my friend,

grandma was always pushing Avery

to get on with her life

and date guys she'd only kick to the curb.

Fits the profile of the ghost.

I was thinking the ghost couldn't be a guy.

How come?

Dude, the ghost left a glitter note.

Ok.

My ghost consultants now tell me

that I may be communicating with you, Nana.

Is that true?

Nana, you don't have to use the board.

There's a lady in town who talks to ghosts,

and, uh, she might be my new best friend.

Or a complete whack job.

Possibly both.

I know you want me to go out there and meet new guys.

How about this?

I promise to start shaving my legs

and putting on lipstick before I go to the market

if you promise to go into the light.

But I can't promise that I'll ever feel

what I felt for Curtis.

Is this supposed to be the silent treatment?

Ugh! Why isn't there a star 69 on this thing?

Ugh! Ok, fine!

"The big lebowski," how did this get back in the machine?

Clavus ferreus, malleus ferreus,

ferrum refilium, ferrum nobilis.

My parents thought my degree would be useless.

Not so useless now, huh, mom?

Actually...

I don't know.

Get this Chucky doll out of my life.

Professor Grant,

quince seed, Sage, spirit circles...

This stuff's not going to help.

Well, your friend, then, tell her,

whatever potions she has,

just to bring them on.

That's not how it works.

This ghost wants to reach you somehow.

Well, whoever's calling me,

my phone is off the hook and I am not answering!

Hello?!

I was being metaphorical!

What do you want from me?

It's the scratched disk.

I never returned it.

Maybe that's what it wants you to do.

The ghost is trying to get me to return an overdue DVD?

That makes no sense. Not yet.

Not until we go to the store and find out what else it wants.

I'm on my way to the square right now.

Let me give you a lift,

and maybe we can put an end to this thing once and for all.

There really should be some kind of express line

for people with haunted disks.

Got that right.

What does the ghost expect me to find in here?

I already rented every good movie,

which is not a lot.

Look out!

Whoa. Are you ok?

Wait... uh-huh.

Wow.

Now, don't I know you?

I think so.

The concert in the square.

You threw your phone at me.

I didn't throw it at you,

it just kind of fell out of my hands.

I can't explain it.

Well, I can explain it, but never mind.

You're kidding me.

You're the one who's late with this?

I've been waiting for this.

You're here to rent "the big lebowski"?

It's the best Coen brothers movie ever.

Uh, best Coen brothers comedy.

Aren't they all?

You may have a point.

Well, what are the odds, huh?

Maybe not so bad.

No, not bad at all.

Excuse me.

All right.

Surprise.

Hey, I was hoping you guys would come by.

Oh, Aiden twisted my arm.

I made this for you at school.

It was really, really hard.

Oh, it's really beautiful.

You know what, I better put this away,

'cause somebody's going to want to buy it.

What's that doing here?

Ah, oh, it's another one of ned's.

I made him leave it.

I thought those were only for teenage girls

to scare themselves with at slumber parties.

Uh, that, too, but there's more than one thing

that can make the pointer move.

Oh, really?

Other than the unconscious muscle movements

called ideomotor response?

You believe whatever you want there, doctor man.

I used to, but then I met this girl...

Mom?

This board...

You know what, baby, that's mommy's.

We're just gonna-- we're gonna put that away, ok?

It talks.

It talks?

What does it say? It says,

it still won't give her peace?

Give who peace?

Her.

All right, there you go. Ok.

What, a girl with a bloody head? How bloody?

She's a ghost.

But what does this have to do with professor Grant?

You know what,

ned's out there, so let me see if he knows something.

Right.

Oh, that's beautiful.

That's--that's funny.

This your doing?

No. It's the ghost, whoever he is.

Oh, we got a problem.

You said you didn't really get a chance to see it,

and, uh, I got...

You mean she.

Professor Grant's grandmother?

She's here?

Not unless she had kids at a very young age.

I don't know if you're going to be able to watch it either,

'cause I think it's scratched. Oh, yeah?

I mean, maybe I could come over and watch it, but...

That sounded so smarmy.

Um, there's something wrong with my DVD player.

I was not inviting myself.

Stop it, that was me.

I was angling inviting you

in my most smarmalicious kind of way.

Really? 'Cause it was really awkward.

Why are you smiling about it?

'Cause I think you're just as bad at this as I am.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

I need to get out of the house more.

Yeah, tell me about it.

Ok, why do I keep feeling like I've seen you before?

More than the concert or the video store?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, I know what it is.

The Taj Mahal.

Not the one in India.

Mini putt! Mm-hmm.

I love that place.

The best mini golf in the tri-state area.

Oh, the world!

You know, I know people go there ironically and stuff,

but...it's beautiful there at night, you know?

It's like this tiny, perfect world

where nothing bad can ever happen.

Yeah.

It's not like here, huh?

No.

You want to go get a coffee or something?

Ooh!

Why is there a tweenager haunting Avery?

And why'd she work so hard to get those two together?

Nothing, nothing was right at all.

And, you know, we parted ways.

That's all. But we still talk,

sometimes. Not so much.

Oh, god, how many rules does that break,

talking about my divorce on the first date?

If that's even what this is.

It is for me if it is for you.

Good.

Tell me a little bit about you,

'cause honestly, I...

I can't believe you're single.

Well...

The truth is, I don't really consider myself single.

Mm-hmm. Why?

My fianc㉠died in a car accident.

Oh, my god, I'm so sorry.

A car accident?

Yeah, if it had been a couple of weeks later,

we would have been married

and I would officially be a widow,

which maybe people would understand better.

Mm-mmm. No, no, they'd never understand.

Avery, the only people that understand

are people that lived through it.

Did you?

My daughter.

Also car accident, 3 years ago.

I was driving.

I'm so sorry.

You never get over something like that, never.

Uh, the other guy was wrong side of the road.

And this was 3 years ago?

And what road was this?

Covington Ridge.

Covington Ridge road?

That's the road Curtis was killed on.

It's those blind curves. I mean, the other guy,

he was just-- he was killed instantly.

And, what was his name? Um...

Henry c. Flood.

You said your fiancã‰'s name...

His middle name was Curtis.

Oh, god.

And you said...

January 12th, 8:28.

You were driving the car that killed Curtis.

And Madison.

Who is doing this?!

What do you mean?

Who wants me to feel this pain?

What do you mean? Avery?

Do you think this is a coincidence?

I don't know. I--Avery!

I'm sorry, I can't.

Avery, wait!

Pizza's here.

What do you want to drink?

Anything. I found it.

Thank god. I thought I was really going to have to make good

on my offer to help you inventory.

Ah, check it out, I've ided our ghost.

Brian and his daughter Madison.

But it says they only had minor injuries.

Ah, that's what they thought at first.

But look at this piece from 2 weeks later.

2 weeks after the accident she got a headache

during a volleyball game.

By that night, she was in a coma.

She died of an epidural hematoma.

This is why we didn't come up with her name before.

It's possible. Not even Avery knew.

Why would Madison haunt Dr. Grant?

She wasn't driving the car that killed her.

Hmm, first article, officials blame texting and driving for the accident.

Curtis was answering a text at the time of the crash.

What if it was a text from Dr. Grant?

Hmm, that would explain why the ghost blames Avery,

but not why the hauntings just started recently.

Why good-bye? Is somebody leaving?

Leaving how?

What does that mean? Someone's going to die?

When?

Does it mean that somebody's going to die soon?

Hello? Avery, it's Melinda.

Where are you? I'm driving. What is it?

Where are you going? I need to talk to Curtis.

Avery, please just listen to me...

Please just leave me alone!

Where's my purse, and my keys?

But we don't know if the spirit board meant it was Dr. Grant

who was going to die, or if the ghost was threatening her.

Do you really want to take that chance?

Of course not, but how do we find her?

I don't know.

She said she was in her car,

that she needed to talk to Curtis,

so where would she go to talk to him?

Wait a minute.

His obit said he was cremated.

No service to Bury his ashes or anything.

Ok, so what else would be a meaningful place for them?

I don't know, her website listed dozens of places

they liked to go together.

Maybe she went to the crash site

at Covington Ridge road.

I called 9-1-1!

Help is on the way!

Ok.

Avery...

Brian! Avery, it's you!

What are you doing here?

Oh, god. I was driving,

I saw dust and smoke. Are you all right?

Are you hurt? No, I don't think so.

You sure? Yeah.

Ok. Ok.

Ok. You sure nothing hurts?

No. I think I'm more rattled than anything else.

Ok.

Ok.

Come on. Ok.

Ok.

All right, now, I want you to move everything

just to see if anything's broken.

Ah, I'm fine. Thank you.

You're all right.

It's ok.

Why were you driving on that road?

What do you mean?

Were you-- following you?

No, Avery.

This can't be another coincidence.

It's not.

It's where the accident happened.

I come here all the time. Why?

Avery! Brian!

Is everything ok?

Yes. I think so.

Where did you get that?

From your shrine for Curtis up the road.

Why did you do this?

I didn't mean for her to get hurt.

I believe you.

What?

Is Madison here?

It's gonna be all right.

Ok.

Madison?

Nobody is mad at you.

You don't have to hide.

Sweet--sweetheart?

It's daddy.

We just want to talk with you.

She's here.

You did this to bring them together, didn't you?

I didn't. Fate did.

Fate?

You mean your accident?

No, I mean, like, practically every day since.

I don't understand.

Ever since he started coming to talk to me on that road,

I noticed she'd go there, too.

She'd come the anniversary of the crash,

and he'd come the anniversary of when I died.

So they missed each other.

But I followed her, and I started noticing

that she likes all the same stuff you like, daddy.

And not just weird groups and mini golf,

but you both hate snow skiing

and people who take up 2 parking spaces,

and people who say "supposebly."

She followed you.

You both have a lot in common, and not just music

and movies and mini golf.

But you both don't like snow skiing

and people who take up 2 parking spaces

and people who use the word "supposebly."

Supposebly is not a word.

No. And people who take 2 parking spaces...

Should be beaten.

Plus, even the accident,

it only happened because dad and her fiancã‰

happened to be buying tickets to the same bizarre concert.

The accident was just a part of it.

You and Curtis, you were headed to buy tickets for the same concert.

Broken social scene.

It's my second favorite group.

Honey...

Um, having a few things in common with someone

doesn't necessarily mean the two of them

should end up together.

I never said they should end up together.

Just talk.

She just wants you to talk.

You don't think I talk?

Till today, not hardly.

Not really.

Until today.

Because Avery, she understands.

That's the real thing you have in common--

me, her fiancã‰,

the wreck, and how that feels.

Is that why you started haunting Avery?

Because something reminded you of the accident?

No. Daddy was feeling so sad,

like a new place would help.

He was going to move.

And you were thinking about moving?

Yeah. Yeah, she's right. I mean, I was looking.

You were? Yeah.

Then they'd lose their chance.

I couldn't say good-bye

till I made it mean something.

What mean something?

Me being gone.

What?

What?

She wanted her death to mean something.

That's what all this is for.

Sweetheart?

Oh, god, Madison.

No.

Your life meant so much to me.

It would mean even more if you try.

Promise, daddy.

Just try.

She needs you to promise that you're gonna try.

Oh. I--honey,

I don't know. I can.

I can try.

Really?

I mean, you sure?

Ok. I'll try.

Can you tell him never to wear

the Cologne that mom gave him?

He thinks it makes him irresistible. It doesn't.

Yeah, I'll tell him that.

Sweetheart?

I'm going to miss you...

Every single day of my life.

And I love you so much.

I love you, too.

She's gone.

I mean, does our son just imagine

that little elves come out at night

and clean up his toys for him?

I don't--no.

He probably imagines that we come out and do it.

I really wish someone would clean up my toys.

Sorry. I keep taking these from ned.

What's wrong?

Nobody died.

That's a bad thing?

Well, no, it's just that the board

said that somebody was going to die, and they didn't.

Good. The board was wrong.

You're right. The board was wrong.

No.

Does that mean that somebody is going to die?

is it someone we know?