Dead Last
An television show produced in 2001 about a rock band that comes across a magic amulet that allows them to see and communicate with ghosts. This new power obligates the three band members, Scotty, Vaughn and Jane, to help the dead people finish any Unfinished Business and Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence.
The show's genre was a solid mix of Urban Fantasy, Horror and Drama. Only 13 episodes were produced before it was canceled.
Tropes used in Dead Last include:
- Applied Phlebotinum: The Amulet of Soren.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Holders of the Amulet of Soren are entrusted to help ghosts take care of any Unfinished Business and move on to the afterlife.
- Blessed with Suck: The ability to see and communicate with ghosts comes with very few perks, and a lot of drawbacks. Helping out spirits is a mostly thankless job, and it tends to make Muggles think you're either crazy or on drugs.
- Cassandra Truth: Whenever any of the band members claim that can see ghosts.
- Clingy MacGuffin: The Amulet of Soren can't be destroyed by any means, and always makes its way back to the holders.
- Ghostly Goals
- Invisible to Normals: Ghosts are invisible to anyone who isn't one of the current holders of the amulet.
- I See Dead People: Whole premise of the show.
- Jacob Marley Apparel: In one extreme case, a ghost died naked. This made things extremely awkward for the main characters.
- Magnetic Medium: Justified. Ghosts tend to flock to the amulet bearers because they want to resolve their Unfinished Business and move on to the afterlife.
- No Ending: Due to the fact that only 13 episodes were produced.
- Mr. Exposition: The former holder of the Amulet of Soren stuck around after he died so that he could explain the responsibilities that come along with the amulet to the next holders.
- Poltergeist: With enough time and practice, ghosts can develop Psychic Powers. This means that in many cases the protagonists can't simply ignore ghosts, because the ghosts would just use their Poltergeist powers to make the protagonists' lives miserable.
- Selective Obliviousness: The protagonists attempt this occasionally to avoid having to help ghosts. It usually doesn't turn out well.
- Spoiler Opening: The incredibly poorly done opening completely spoils the events of first episode.
- Unfinished Business: The reason ghosts exist.
- Urban Fantasy
- Weirdness Magnet: The Amulet of Soren acts as one. Justified in that bearing the amulet forces the users to help spirits with their Ghostly Goals, so naturally ghosts seek out the amulet-bearers.