Jack Osbourne is finally returning to his roots, and we get to learn why he’s embarked on a career in searching for ghosts and ufos. It’s not about dealing with sordid family history, but instead in finding answers to why he’s become a magnet of sorts. I’m glad his latest, Haunted Homecoming, gets to explain that past, and it’s very appropriate to catch on All Hallow’s Eve weekend.
It’s the type of show which helps validate why he’s the star behind other programs like Portals to Hell and The Osbournes, We Want to Believe. Unlike these other shows, what’s presented here feels a lot more personal. We’re not dealing with those famously haunted places. Instead, it’s in what lurks at the places he often frequented during his youth. Despite what one reality tv show tried to imply, he’s a lot more normal than we realise. And where he went after school speaks a lot about his character. Although three episodes were only made and five locales are visited, I hope he’ll extend this series to include even more moments of his life.
The first episode deals with the home he grew up in, and he wastes no time in saying where it’s located. Tucked away somewhere in Buckinghamshire is Welders House, and it has quite the history! Jack is sure the house has cursed the family, and he wants validation from the spirits that live here in why they chose to allegedly curse them. I sincerely hope he finds peace.
What he learns from Kate Cherrell, a paranormal investigator, is that many deaths occurred here. She digs into this building’s past and what we learn is that It was part of an expansion before becoming a mental hospital. One person, Eva, sought treatment here. But after the abuse she endured, this patient took her own life. She may be the woman in black frequently seen by Jack, and he’s ready to talk.
But to effectively do so need the help of psychics, and he meets Ryan Griffiths. The fact we always meet someone new is nothing special. What viewers learn is creepy in itself, and as for if he brought “The Right One In,” well, that’d be telling.
The first episode is a strong start and later episodes visit the bars, theatres, and locales he once frequented. They don’t stand out as well when compared to the pilot, and that may be because Jack’s connection with those places isn’t as deep. A few are like fond memories when he met a fellow celebrity, and others were more like I’ve been there because his school took him there for a field trip.
A few of the stories told and recalled are the stuff right out of a Hammer film. Whether the legend of Missenden Abbey is true or not, that depends on how far-fetched the rumours of the monks engaging in sins of the flesh are true. We also learn about a tale of a crying baby, and other haunts that can deliver goosebumps!
Unlike other series where I struggle to continue watching, I’m liking this short run which concerns highlights from Jack Osbourne’s younger life. Even though much of it is told in retrospect, the feelings he emotes says it all. As for whether there’s other night terrors near his family home, we just have to wait if there’ll be more to come.
