Haunted State (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Island of Secrets - full transcript

It's been fifteen years since

we had our first paranormal
experience as filmmakers.

As we drove through the
darkness in the middle

of the night,

I thought about the countless

paranormal experiences we've had.

As skeptics, there are things our eyes

and ears have experienced,

that our logic can not comprehend.

This is more than
glamorized ghost hunting.

This is a documentary.



This is not just hunting ghosts.

We are documenting our
journey and experiences

communicating with those
who pass before us.

But we never expected
communication like this.

- If your name is
Tom, can you please turn

the flashlight on when I count to three.

One, two, three.

- Holy crap.

- Good dogies, stay.

Go.

Alright, dogs are feed.

It's our turn now.

Cheers to our morning coffee
cause we're definitely

going to need it today.



We've has multiple conversations as

the creative team right?

And you and I know that, but now that

the cameras are rolling
important to know what

this show is and isn't.

Setting expectations right
now at the beginning,

I think is really important.

Obviously, we have to get going.

We have to go to Washington Island.

But first, we have to go to
Appleton, pick up our film crew.

Then drive all the way through Door County

to Northport, where we're
gonna take the ferry

across to Washington Island.

So, what is that, three hours

and change we have to drive?

- I think so.

- So, we gotta get
going, but it's important

that we have a quick conversation

with the cameras on.

- I view paranormal as like,

I mean both my parents have passed away.

I see anything on the other side

as something that should be respected.

- I think in my heart,
if we are communicating

with someone's loved one, that they would

be proud of the way that we handled it.

Covering the journey,
covering the location,

covering the folk lore and the interviews

of the people that live
there or work there

depending on where we're going.

All of that is important.

It's not just about the evidence.

If people are watching this show

waiting just for the evidence at the end.

This show may not be for them.

I'm glad we had that conversation,

I know it's a little unorthodox

to just kinda put it out
there like there like that.

But I think if we're
honest with our audience,

I'm hoping they appreciate that.

So, the dogs are fed, the
car is packed, ready to roll?

- Yeah.

- Let's go.

- There's a first ready to roll.

- Cheers!

- We're going to Nelsen's
Hall super haunted,

lots of stories.

- Is it deemed to be be a more of

a negative type hunting?
- No.

It's how I would be if I was a ghost,

I'd mess with people.

It messes with people.

- So, prankster?
- It's a prankster, yeah.

- Okay.

One of the locations is
the woman's bathroom.

When they told me that paranormal activity

was in the woman's bathroom I'm like,

were definitely gonna have to be closed

for us to do this investigation.

So what, are Angela and I not
gonna pee the entire time?

- Well, if you do you might want to take

the camera with you.
- Yeah.

Have they indicated if
what's been witnessed

is residual or intelligent,
or a mix of both?

- That's a good question.

Yeah, save that, we'll ask them that.

- So, here we are now, traveling

in the dead center of Death's Door.

Tell us about Death's Door,

why is it even called Death's Door?

What is the significance?

- The French fur traders
that where in the area

had been told stories about
Native American tribes,

one on the island, one on the mainland.

One of them set out
across Death's Door and

the whole entire war
party never made it back.

All their canoes sank.

Another theory that I heard is that

the French would give an area

that they liked a bad name

to deter anybody else from coming here.

And there's been a lot
of tourists associate

the name with many ship wrecks that have

been in the area.
- Cool, awesome.

- I don't think that's the reason why

it's called Death's Door.

Do you mind talking a little
bit about your equipment here?

This is actually fascinating.
- Yeah.

So, this is our radar, we don't have

it running right now,
but I can turn it on.

- Okay.

- We use this in this in the fog.

- Sure.

- This is our chart plotter.

It just gives us a GPS
location in relation

to the islands around us.

Where we'd be on a map.

- So how deep are we, is it--

- Right now, we're 40 feet below the boat.

- Okay, okay.

What's the deepest point
that you have seen?

- The deepest point we
crossed not too long ago,

it's pretty much right in the middle.

- Okay.
- It's about 140 feet.

- Wow.

Well, we're here.

- That's kinda lack luster.

Death's Door is a strait

linking Lake Michigan and Green Bay

at the northern tip of Door County.

Previously known as Porte des Morts.

It literally means door of the dead.

Washington Island is located on

the northern section of Door County

and is surrounded by the
waters of Lake Michigan.

Washington Island is a
seven mile wide island

that is a year round
home to about 700 people.

The history of the island is very unique.

A majority of the European settlers

where Scandinavian immigrants,
especially Icelanders.

Today, Washington Island is home of one

of one of the largest
Icelandic communities

in the world outside of Iceland.

Washington Island is an island of secrets.

For years, locals and visitors

have reported unexplained experiences,

but the most compelling stories

are rooted in Nelsen's's Hall,

which is our first destination.

- Are we walking into something
that's potentially negative?

- No.

- Or, I mean you never really
know in either situation.

- As far as I know, no.
- Okay.

- But, you never really know
either, until you're there.

I think this island has a feeling.

Feelings don't count.

The people watching right now don't

give a shit about that,
they wanna see evidence.

But I think there's
something in the air here

that I think maybe this
place is, maybe it isn't.

- So, like what are we
walking into tonight?

I don't know a lot of the history

about where we're going
or why we're going,

or anything like that.

- The short version is it's

the longest running bar in Wisconsin.

During Prohibition, a lot of bars turned

into pharmacies, this did not.

This stayed a bar because of

a loop hole with Bitters and the gentleman

who owned it drank a pint a day

and he lived until his nineties.

And he died in this
location, he lived upstairs.

- So, the question I have though

that when you feel like
you get to that point

where it's escalated, you're scared

or things don't seem right,
how do you shut it down?

What do you do?

- It's too late at that point.

I mean you just have to hope for the best.

There is no science to this.

A lot of the stuff you can't prove,

it's up to you, the individual to decide

this is what I think.

And that's what we're doing.

And that what I love the way we do it.

We give it them.

We say here's what we got, you decide.

We're not trying to convince people like

there are a lot of other paranormal shows

that do what they do.

They pull out a device and say here,

this device does this, you except it.

We're gonna take that device and say

how does this device work, right?

Why does it work?

What are the voices coming out of it?

We're gonna break it down so I think

it gives it a little bit more credibility.

That's important to me.

- I think I question that if anyone

just picks up the equipment
and starts doing this,

that's were it's, there's risk involved

I feel like.
- There's no doubt.

We were talking about this earlier

and I'm actually curious
what you would say.

We're talking about if you were a ghost,

you know cause we had talked about,

it's kinda funny, but one of the places

the ghost at this location allegedly,

He haunts the woman's bathroom.

If you where a ghost, where would you go?

Where'd you hang out?

- I don't know if I believe in ghosts,

or if I believe in energy,
so if I'm an energy,

I think I'd wanna hang out someplace

kinda like we're right
now, ya know on the lake

in a cottage, but who knows?

I mean I also like to have fun,

so I could scare the shit out of somebody,

I'm gonna do that.

- You'll just be like that
residual image that goes by like.

- Residual asshole.

- Todd the streaker.

The streaker ghost is back.

- Yeah I don't know, I just thought it was

and interesting topic,
and I agree with you.

I use the term ghost cause
it's kinda dumbed down,

but I agree with that

- Yeah, you know if that place was really

important to him--
- Yeah it was.

- Well, then I think his
energy is just there anyway.

- I think he will be
there, but I'm also nervous

because of the amount of
effort we've put into this.

Because I mean we're not a
top production budget here,

you know what I mean?

- Obviously.
- Obviously.

- No socks.

- Like my feet?

- I think you go into it
with low expectations,

I mean there's nobody supportive if we--

- Like a date with me.
- Essentially yeah.

- Like a woman would go on a date with me.

Low expectations.

- As we
became acclimated to the island

we made our way to Nelsen's Hall

where we joined the Bitters club

a long standing tradition on the island.

- I have to mentally
prepare myself for this.

- What are we going to expect here?

- What are we going to expect here,

don't go it doesn't work.

- You can expect quite a bit.
- Yeah?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- I'm not looking forward to this.

- I'm doing my neck stretches trying

to like mentally prepare.

- It actually kinda looks like blood.

- It reminds me of Kroll's.

- Like what?
- It reminds me of soy sauce.

- Like what?

- Kroll's.

- What the hell
does your blood look like?

- Gotta worry about you.

- I gotta smell this stuff.

- You guys are gonna want
our story here right?

- What's the story?
- Tell us.

- Why we do Bitters.

The original owner of this
joint, Mr. Tom Nelsen.

Prohibition rolled
around and they told him

he can't serve alcohol anymore,

Well, he didn't like that too much,

so he went out and he got
himself a pharmaceutical license,

which meant he was allowed
to dispense medicine,

you know, at his leisure.

So, he went out and he got
a whole bunch of Bitters

and marketed it as a like a stomach tonic,

like an elixir, you know, like a cure all

like they did back in the day.

- Yep.

- So people would come
in and he would prescribe

them a little shot or
two, or three of Bitters.

Bitters, I don't know if
you know this, is 90 proof.

People come in here and get all happy

off of Bitters, it was perfectly legal

cause Tom was a pharmacist.
- Okay.

So they actually never shut
us down for Prohibition.

Longest legally continuously open tavern

in the entire state.
- Love it.

One of the very few in the entire country.

Pay ohmage to Tom.

Join the club.

- Everybody ready?

- Yep, ready.

- Up your old address.

- Crap.

- It's not that bad.

- Wait hang on, I gotta
make these official here.

There we go.

- With the blood.
- That's right.

- It wasn't that bad.
- No, it wasn't bad.

- Alright.

- You guys gotta sign your cards.

- It's like a weak Jager.
- Yeah.

- Don't forget to sign.

The power of the book.

Welcome to the club.

- Whoo.

- High five.

- Yeah!

- That's bad, one more.

- That's better.

- After hearing

about Tom Nelsen's legacy, we dug deeper

into the history of Nelsen's Hall.

The building dates back to 1899.

It's said that the founder, Tom
Nelsen still visits his bar.

Tom was known as a ladies
man and he remained

a bachelor his whole life.

The entire property is
experiencing unexplained activity

including shadow figures being spotted,

a lady in white, and doors slamming.

The location with the
most unexplained claims

is oddly, the ladies restroom.

The first thing I can remember happening

was one winter we closed early,

we had a bartender close at 10.

We where in bed and they
brought the drawer upstairs

to the kitchen and shut the doors,

got in his truck and left.

We had all the windows plastic shut,

so there was no drafts
or anything like that.

And all of a sudden
that door just slammed.

Door upstairs to our
place, it just.

And we both got up and I sent
her down here to check it out.

She didn't see anything, I don't think.

And that was the first time I thought man,

because I didn't know
what would slam that door.

- I was in the kitchen
opening the restaurant

and it was about 9:30 in the morning

and I was cutting onions and tomatoes and

I was the only person in the building

and I was glancing out
through waitress station

and I saw a lady white go past.

I could see her through the doorway

and I went out to see who was here

because I was the suppose
to be the only one here

and there was nobody in the building.

I searched all through the
dining room and the bar

and there was nobody there.

- Let's go in there.

We'll meet you in there.

Alright guys stick close to me.

Wow, it's really dark in here.

Turn it on if you need it.

If there's anyone here with us tonight

we invite you into the kitchen

where the party's going on.

Yeah, why doesn't some
one explain it to them.

- So we have we have a
radio communication device

with us right now it's sweeping
through radio channels.

It gives you the ability to
speak to us the through this.

So you can use any
energy that you can find

in the kitchen area, any of our energy.

And use the radio
frequency to speak to us.

One word.

A few syllables, just letting
us know that you're here.

- What do you think that means?

- What was that?
- Did you hear that?

- That was a low--
- It was a total growl.

- Did you get it?

- Yes.

- Here we go.

- What do you think that means?

- What was that?
- Did you hear that?

- That was a low--
- It was a total growl.

- It was.

- Did you get it?

- Yes.

- Is there someone angry?

Okay.

Is there someone angry at us?

Alright, let's start at the beginning

because we didn't actually
do this the right way.

My name is Michael, we got
Anne, Angela and Todd here.

We're here in the spirit of friendship.

We wanna be friends with you,

we wanna to talk to you.

The person that just communicated with us

can you please tell us your name?

I didn't hear it.

Can you describe it?

- Like a.
- It literally sound like a--

- yeah.

- Like a.

Like a low breathing.

Like a exhale.

- We appreciate you opening
up your establishment to us

for especially for how
long it's been open.

- There it is again.
- Yes.

- We appreciate you opening
up your establishment to us

for especially for how
long it's been open.

- There it is again.
- Yes.

- Getting the growl was
really really crazy.

Getting it a second time, even more so.

It's not something we typically get

during our investigations and we heard

it right there in front of us.

- It was just weird hearing the growls

because I could physically hear them.

A lot times we get things coming

through the microphone
that we hear later on

as EVPs, but that was audible.

It was weird.

- Are you touching the monitor in my hand?

You're doing it, you see it, thank you.

- Is it blinking?

- Can't you make it go red?

- Anne, walk
towards me very slowly.

Alright, now go back where you were.

I'm trying to get you to test it

because it could be some of

the equipment around you, because where

there's a lot of stuff around here,

But if it doesn't go off, right now

that's actually a good thing.

Why don't we use that as
a communication device?

Prop it up so I can see it.

- Over the next

minute and a half the K2
device does not flicker.

- Well I would say that what Anne

had in her hand was probably legit.

Because if it was a device around here

setting that off, it
would be going off still.

- We we're there for about 45 minutes

and all we got were two growls

and one blink of the K2 and that was it.

We decided to try and break off in pairs.

Anne and I tried to
go, just the two of us,

and nothing really seemed to happen,

so Michael and Todd went by themselves.

- The girls where in here,

you didn't talk to them.

Well, the guys are coming in.

You gonna talk to us?

Like you need to realize that we came here

to talk to you and like this was not easy.

- It was very difficult for us to get here

and we're having problems actually.

My frustrations just got
the best of me that day,

it had been 18 hours about
since I had been filming.

Since I woke up.

So I lost my cool a little bit,

but it turns out it may have helped us.

I'm gonna be honest with you

and I don't fucking care if this airs.

We came in here and we where promised

that this place would be empty

so we could communicate with you.

There's still people here, were exhausted.

We traveled a couple hundred miles here?

There was a little bit
of a misunderstanding

between myself and the owners

and I'll take responsibility for it.

It was my understanding that we were

going to be able to film
in the whole building,

but they were really nice enough

to let us come back the next day,

so we knew we where going to be able

to film the full building.

So, we took advantage of the time we had

and filmed in the kitchen.

I've been holding back, but I'm just go.

I'm fucking irritated.

This is my friend Todd, he's
taking off of work kind of.

He worked his ass off
so he could come here.

The two girls in here did the same thing.

We're here now, okay?

I'm not frustrated with you.

I'm frustrated with the
situation that I am in,

but it would mean so
much if you could make

this flashlight go on right now.

Or make these lights blink, or knock

all this shit of the table.

Just please, please try
communicating with us.

We want to be friends with you.

Since nothings happening

we head back to the room we began in.

Pay special attention to
this light right here.

This is the Zoom 2 recorder, recording

our radio communication device.

Hey, what just happened?

- What?

- Did the light just go off?

The Zoom just shut off.

- I thought I just saw
something go like this

underneath here, but I just
thought I was seeing things.

- The Zoom when off.

- Whoa, this--

What is that?

- Okay turn it off please.

The Zoom went off and
the flashlight went on.

- Thank you.

- Somebody's here.

- Can you turn it off please?

- They turned the Zoom off though,

so we're not getting any audio down there.

Don't move though.
- I'm not moving.

- I'm just gonna hold this.

- Can you please turn it off?

- In our second film Theater of Shadows

we were at the Pabst Theater
and the same thing happened.

I have a theory on
this, but I'm definitely

not a scientist, but the build up

of the energy may have
turned the device off.

Because in both instances,
we had something huge

happen immediately after.

In order for those people
watching on television

right now at home, in
order for them to believe

that you're real, you gotta turn it off.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Can you try one more thing?

Could you try turn-- thank you.

- All the way.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Really, thank you.

I mean it, thank you.

- I was gonna ask it
to turn it back on

As I'm moving forward,

pay attention to my K2
device which measures

electromagnetic energy.

Spirits or ghosts are said to be made up

of this energy.

Any type of reading of
electromagnetic energy,

well cause the lights to flicker.

- The FLIR would have
been able to see him.

- Yeah it's not tripping it.

- That all could
be he was walking past

with the K2 it just
seems like a little bit.

- Yeah, Anne's K2.

- Jesus Christ.

- Close by.

- Thank you.

- Could you turn this
device this device off?

- It was super hot in
the part of the kitchen

and at that point Michael
left to go get our

FLIR camera, which is a thermal camera

that helps us kinda see
variances in temperatures.

- Thank you.

Did you get it?

- Okay.

- Okay so Michael's gone now.

We would love for you do what you're--

- Thank you.
- Perfect.

- Thank you.

As I return to the room

with the thermal camera, Anne
asks a fantastic question.

- Do you like to play pranks?

If you do turn the flashlight on please.

Ho.

- Heres my perspective
with the thermal camera

from the ground.

- So it's about-- let me
ask on more question.

If you have no ties to the island,

but you're just passing through,

could you turn the flashlight off?

I had a feeling.
- Okay.

- Okay, so why can't

you say your name though?

I'm glad you're able to turn
the flashlight on and off.

Thank you.

Can you say your name in
that device right next

to the flashlight.

You know you can talk and
we can hear your voice.

My name is Michael, this is
Angela behind the camera,

Todd over here, and Anne over there.

You know all of our names, we would

like to know your name please.

Can you please share that with us?

We want to know who the amazing person

is turning this flashlight on and off.

What is your name?

We always show respect when we film

because we don't know what
we are communicating with,

and it's not always about us.

When the energy chooses
to communicate with us,

we let that energy choose
how they communicate with us.

So, tonight it was the flashlight.

Another night it could be a
radio communication device,

it could be a Mel Meter, it
could be a thermal camera.

We have no control over how
they're communicating with us.

Once they find something
that works for them,

they usually seem to gravitate
around using that one device.

- If they were just passing through

maybe they have moved on.
- They're gone.

Thank you.

- Guess I was wrong.

- Turn the flashlight
off when I count to five.

Ready?

One, two, three, four, five.

Turn it off please.

- We made multiple attempts

to get the flashlight to turn
off on command via countdown.

Do it when we count to three.

One, two, three.

All of our attempts where unsuccessful.

Okay, I wanna know if you
are male or a female, okay?

So, let's answer this one--

- What went on?

- He likes to be touched there.

- Are you touching Michael?

- A little to the right please.

- That could've been me,
though I just stood up.

Still funny though.

So, if you're male, if
you're a man, or a boy

turn it off when I count to four.

One, two, three, four.

- Jesus.

- Thank you.
- Hello sir.

We got a gentlemen here.

Now, if your name is,
I don't want to say it,

- Start to provide it.

- If your name starts with a letter T,

can you turn the flashlight on please?

When I count to six.

Wait till I get to six if your letter,

if your first name starts with a letter T.

Here we go, are you ready?

One, two, three, four, five, six.

Whoa.

- That's a show off move right there.

- So if your name is
Tom, can you please turn

the flashlight on when I count to three.

One, two, three.

- Holy crap.

- Alright, Tom.
- Tom, I'm here brother.

- Hello sir.

- That was three in a row.

- That was fucking amazing.

- Pretty crazy.

- The amazing thing to me is we came here,

we worked hard to get here, we got here,

things didn't start off the way we wanted

it to here, we were ready to go home,

and now this happened.

- Are you still here?

If you're still here
and have enough energy

to talk to us, okay,

- He's still here, wow.
- Thank you.

- Wow.

We're gonna show this
to the owners tomorrow.

- Let's ask the question please tell us

your name, let's give
him a chance to answer.

- Yeah, okay so we're gonna
ask the question again,

this device right here I'm holding,

I'm gonna put it down right here.

We would like to know what your name is

and please don't turn this device off.

Tell us your name, take your time,

say your name in this
device right now please.

It skipped.

- What we have here is an EVP.

An EVP is when we hear voices
on our digital recorder

that we did not hear at
the time with our own ears.

In this EVP you can hear
the last name Nelsen,

just like the founder
of the bar, Tom Nelsen,

right after I asked to say his name.

Let's hear it again, with boosted audio.

It skipped.

It skipped.

Really quick everybody, I'll
leave this flashlight on.

What do we think?

Todd?

- It didn't look like we
we're going to get much.

And I think we we're just on the verge

of saying the heck with it

and then things started to pop.

It's happened to us
before when we're just,

we're about ready to
say, the heck with this

and move on, and all of a sudden

something kinda big happens.

- If you don't know what
we're talking about,

in our second film, Theater of Shadows,

I won't give it away but the big moment

at the Grand Opera House,
we were about to leave

and that's like the
frigging climax of the film.

That's what I said out there.

Nothing was really happening.

Same thing here.

That is paranormal investigating.

The work that goes into
getting here to do this

and you then you get here and
then nothing is happening.

And you've got a situation out there where

we want to investigate the full
bar, but we can't right now.

So we were pretty much
stuck here in the kitchen.

What do you think Anne?

- Well, I think once they
figured out how to communicate

what device, or what channel which through

which to do it, made difference.

I mean think about the different sites

that we go to and one is through

the electrical wiring potentially.

One is through the
voice, you know the SP7,

this is through using a flashlight.

- I think with this device,

there's a lot of, it's
just a simple flashlight,

but there is a lot of debate.

The debate is that the batteries inside

the flashlight heat up, it expanded it

and it sets it on and off, which is true.

But the part for me that is difficult

to throw to the weigh side is when

it is just going on and off on command.

It's called the paranormal for a reason.

It just means it's unexplained.

We're not saying science can not prove it,

it most certainly can.

But as far as we know there's not

an explanation for it.

The thing that blew my mind more

than anything was the countdowns.

Three in a row.

Like that's amazing.

Outside of a bottle flying at
us or seeing a shadow person,

that's up there.

I think this was a success.

- Yeah.

- It was cool.

- It didn't seem negative though.

- What are you thinking Angela?

- We got a response with the flashlight

and even though we'd asked is you name Tom

and the flashlight went either on or off,

I can't remember.

Even if that's not
necessarily the person's name

and if they are just pulling a prank on us

we know somebody's here.

And the fact that they
were willing to communicate

with us that intelligently shows that,

I mean there's a lot of intelligent life

on the other side that's
still hanging around here.

- It's funny but one of the places

that the ghost haunts
is the woman's bathroom.

- What'd you hear?

- Beautiful.

Beautiful?

That's what I heard too.

That's what I heard.

It said beautiful.
- Emm

- It's calling me beautiful.

- I saw a shadow walk by numerous times,

it went through a window that was closed.

- Get over here quick!
- Look at that.

- An iconic
restaurant went up in flames

this morning in Door County.

- Then there's all the Al Capone stuff,

bodies may be buried in the basement.

- Can you hear it close to
the flashlight over here,

wave your hand over it and turn it on

so we know you're here.

And it moved.

- Just got another hit.

Look at that, red!

- What did you like to do for fun?

- Read.

- Read?

We have a laser grid and
any time something breaks

that light we know there's a good chance

there's a shadow person.

I've never ever had it
work except this one time.

Guys, what the hell is that?

Holy shit we got it, it's a shadow person!

- The new docuseries

Haunted States, new episodes
streaming April 26th.