Before we get started, I understand that some of us live under a rock so we're not exactly caught up with pop culture trends when it starts to go viral. I can admit, that was me when "Stranger Things" first came out. It took me two years before I actually sat down and watched the first season and half of the second season. Yep, I haven't finished the second season yet... please don't kill me.
But the hit YouTube series "Buzzfeed Unsolved" is a show that anyone will enjoy, regardless if you love true crime, have had alien abductions, seen ghosts or just don't believe in that sort of stuff. Believers or skeptics, this show is for you. I have been following this show since the release of the first episode, "The Mysterious Death of The Somerton Man," which came out my freshman year of high school. Four years later and about to graduate, I'm still hooked on the series because it never gets old. The series follows two men, Ryan and Shane, in their hilarious adventures as they try to solve cold cases and hunt down ghosts. Seasons alternate between true crime and supernatural adventures. Currently, the network has produced five supernatural seasons and four true crime seasons.
Shane is the obvious skeptic while Ryan has had his fair share of experiences with ghosts and demons; it's clear enough to say they are quite the dynamic duo. "Buzzfeed Unsolved" is going to have a season five premiere of "True Crime" later this March, so I thought I would list off the top ten episodes, in no particular order, of both their true crime and supernatural seasons for any newbies who are unsure where to start.
1. The Chilling Black Dahlia Murder Revisited
There are two episodes on the Black Dahlia, but the more recent one is much more detailed than the original episode plus it has Shane in it! The murder of the Black Dahlia is probably one of the more grisly murders that anyone comes across with the true crime series; what makes this episode so interesting is how thick the plot is. While the case remains unsolved, the boys dive deep into one suspect that stands out amongst all of them. Why it remains unsolved is another question all of its own, especially with such surmounting evidence. Curious as to who it is? Well, check it out!
2. 3 Horrifying Cases Of Ghosts And Demons
This was the season premiere for season three of supernatural, so it is extra long, running over 45 minutes. Essentially, grab your popcorn and a friend because this episode is filled with spooks and laughs. The boys go on a road trip as they cover a local haunting known as the Winchester House, then travel to a haunted doll island in Mexico and finally have a demonic showdown in the Sally House in Kansas. The stories behind each haunting is interesting, if anything else. The narration on who each person was, how they lived and how they died really gives insight on whether or not the afterlife, demons, and ghosts really exist. Want to see Ryan and Shane stay the night with a demon? Check it out here!
3. The Chilling Exorcism of Anneliese Michel
The story behind this one is just cool in general, as sad as it is for the real Anneliese Michel. The episode gives you a deeper look into a real story of a girl who was possessed by a demon for almost all of her life, eventually passing away years later. Skeptics may believe this was just abuse by the family and church who tried to fake it by claiming she was possessed by a demon. Believers may say she truly was possessed. Your belief is up to you, but in order to find out, see the episode here.
4. The Creepy Murder In Room 1046
Crimes of passion—that's where the interesting stuff is at. This episode will send shivers down your spine as the guys dig into the murder of a man that no one even knows about. That's right. Besides the case being unsolved, the identity of this man is also unknown. The real question isn't "who's the killer?"; it's "who was killed?"
5. The Horrifying Murders of the Zodiac Killer
Probably one of the most horrifying yet ingenious serial killers in America's history, the Zodiac Killer remains unidentified until this day. What makes this guy stand out from the rest—the fact that he actually left clues for police and sent letters to different newspapers. He wanted to be known. He wanted people to know he was killing. This man was an obvious, yet unfortunate, intellectual who used his smarts to do horrible things. This episode definitely makes the top ten list.
6. The Bizarre Toxic Death of Gloria Ramirez
This one is super intriguing, mainly because it's one of the inspirations for the hit TV show, "X-Files." In the early 1990's, Ramirez was rushed to the hospital unconscious. What happened after that is a completely creepy mystery because whatever happened to her, spread throughout the hospital's staff. Her death still remains mysteriously inhuman, and the case has definitely gone cold. Oddly enough, even with several solid theories, there is always minor detail that brings the entire foundation down. So. What do you think happened to Gloria Ramirez and the hospital that one fateful night?
7. The Murders that Haunt The Lizzie Borden House
There's no murder more gruesome than the one that takes place in your own home. Especially when it's clearly a crime of passion... and your entire family has been murdered. Yep. Pretty horrible. What makes this case even more intriguing is the amount of ardor that went into each Borden family member's death. I mean c'mon. Being hacked 18 times with an axe? That's no accident. Who do you think dunnit?
8. The Horrors At Pennhurst Asylum
There are probably ten more episodes where the boys check out haunted houses, asylums and other ghostly demented places, but this one always makes me laugh the most. Actually they all do, but this one stands out the most. I can never get tired of Ryan always jumping around in fear, and, in response, Shane giggling his head off. I've said before, and I'll say it again. They are the 'Tom and Jerry' of 2019, but most episodes, you can't even tell who's Tom and who's Jerry because they goof off so much. If you need a laugh or a good fright or even both, check out their adventures such as the one above as they try to talk to the supernatural (and die in the process....).
9. The Mysterious Disappearance of Roanoke Colony
Oddly enough, no matter which history class anyone takes, this story never comes up (quite agitating). It's a mystery that should definitely go down in history because it puts a dark twist on the colonial history of America. We've all learned about the American colonization by the Pilgrims and the Puritans, but not many know about the mysterious Roanoke Colony. After watching the episode, comment below! How do you think an entire colony just disappears without a trace?
10. The Mysterious Death of the Somerton Man
This is the OG Unsolved episode that started it all. While it is the shortest episode runs only four minutes, it is one of my all time favorites because, in my opinion, this is one of the creepiest cases of all time. Remember the murdered man in Room 1046? Imagine that, only 50 times weirder. You'll hear about a man who has no identity, and doctors and detectives have not the slightest clue how he was killed, much less who killed him (if he even was killed by someone.) That's right. This murder is so weird that we're not even sure if it was a murder. Tell me—what makes a murder better than that?
