Ghosted Episode 1
It’s impossible to talk about Fox’s new series Ghosted without talking about the X-Files. Using the tried and true formula of the skeptic paired with the true believer, the cliche TV duo that X-Files popularized, Ghosted dabbles in sci-fi and the paranormal with a comedic twist. In this comic reimagining, Mulder is a bookish, neurotic type more in the mold of Dr. Egon Spengler named Max, played by Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott. The Scully part, Leroy, is played by Craig Robinson (The Office, This is the End) as a Craig Robinson-type: sassy, sweet, and finding ways to show off his pipes. Robinson and Scott help all of this go down smoothly with their magnetic chemistry and sharp improv skills, scoring laughs with aggressive carpool karaoke routines of “Higher Love” and getting too into character on their first mission. Transcending all of the tired “we’re not partners” beats, Robinson and Scott are both the reason most people tuned into Ghosted and why they’ll be willing to try it again next week. It certainly won’t be for the action sequences. As soon as their first mission kicks into gear, the shots are edited together in incoherent fashion, appearing as just a bunch of random excerpts of people running and screaming down nondescript hallways. Luckily things liven up a bit in the next action scene when the pair visit the area where Checker disappeared. While there, Leroy’s car is hit with the same energy source that zapped Checker in the cold open, sending it levitating in the air with Max inside. Later, a screaming severed head gag hints at the kind of fun Ghosted could have with their paranormal premise.
