I have mentioned on numerous occasions in my writings that, even though I’m a hardcore student of paranormal topics, I am not a fan of mainstream paranormal content. Most UFO documentaries and TV series bore me to tears with their bland take on the subject, and their Hollywoodesque CGI recreations of events. And as far as ghost-hunting reality TV is concerned, just how many times can you watch a group of ‘researchers’ (mostly white and male) go into some abandoned building wearing infrared goggles and shouting “HOLY $#!T WHAT WAS THAT??”
Which is why in 2019, when the web series Hellier came out courtesy of Planet Weird‘s Greg and Dana Newkirk, it felt like a breath of fresh air with its rare embrace of the kind of high strangeness elements which tend to be eschewed in favor of a more easily-digestible narrative: synchronicities, precognitive dreams, psychic questing, and approaching the paranormal not as separate phenomena but as different components of a single tapestry.
Obviously I was not the only one who enjoyed Hellier’s two seasons (which remain freely available on YouTube) and after 4 years the series managed to attain a loyal cult following, as well as the praise of many pundits and fellow investigators —I also highly suspect (even though I cannot prove it) that Hellier’s popularity helped to establish the Internet slang “goblin mode” on social media.
Since 2019 the Newkirks and their partners —Karl Pfeiffer and Tyler Strand— have been accosted by their fans with pleas for a third season of Hellier. But now it seems the goblin search is being put on hold, and the gang is embarking in a different adventure with The Unbinding.
After viewing the teaser trailer, part of me wanted to give kudos to the Hellier team, for resisting the natural urge of keep milking that cash cow by giving their loyal fans exactly what they wanted. Indeed, The Unbinding seems to share the same high levels of production value as the previous web series, and it promises to be as engaging and fun to watch as Hellier.
…But another part of me can’t help thinking: “Just who the hell is crazy enough to bring a seemingly cursed object back to their home??” Now I am sure that for Greg and Dana, who make a living with their Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult, handling black magic paraphernalia is just business as usual; but for a muggle like me? That’s just testing your luck, yo!
The Unbinding does not currently have a release date, but once we know more about it we’ll keep you posted.
