BuzzFeed gets quite a bit of slack for its content. However, the BuzzFeed Unsolved series seems to be beloved even by viewers who don’t traditionally watch BuzzFeed. The BuzzFeed Unsolved Network takes claim as “your one-stop destination for all things mystery, true crime, conspiracy, supernatural and everything in between.” Their series is a must-see.
As arguably the best segment on BuzzFeed (shown by a quick scroll through its comments), BuzzFeed Unsolved amassed such a strong following that it earned its own channel. Only two months in, the Buzzfeed Unsolved Network has already gained over 1 million subscribers — and counting. It has even found its way onto streaming sites like Amazon Prime and Hulu.
Starring amateur detectives Ryan and Shane, BuzzFeed Unsolved originally started off as BuzzFeedBlue YouTube channel playlists, “Supernatural” and “True Crime.” In 15- to 20-minute-long videos, Ryan and Shane explore the unknown, sometimes even venturing to haunted sites.
Ryan and Shane represent opposite sides of the belief spectrum, even as partners in crime. Simply put, Ryan believes in ghosts and conspiracies, meanwhile a skeptical Shane makes fun of him. Somehow, the pair manages to provide a great balance of spookiness and humor. Coupled with PowerPoint-like audio and visuals, Ryan explains the unsolved case with an eerie tone. This is then usually interrupted with banter between him and Shane — along with a bit of wheezing laughter here and there.
Although their banter has become characteristic of a Buzzfeed Unsolved episode, Shane wasn’t present in its premiere episode. In fact, he didn’t pick up co-hosting until episode nine, “The Mysterious Disappearance of the Sodder Children.” Regardless, the series starts off with only graphics and voiceovers. As it progresses, the show gets a personal touch by actually showing the hosts and getting acquainted with their humor, making viewers feel as if they’re with friends.
The quality of the show improves throughout as well. The duo ventures out to the very locations they talk about. In recent episodes, the series even provides reenactments of events. These scenes are almost humorous in nature and take away from the darkness of the actual story.
It continues to appeal to the light-hearted by providing a retrospective for each episode. Within, the two answer questions and address details of the preceding episode.
In the 70th retrospective episode, they provided a list of the top five fan favorite episodes: “3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons,” “Goatman’s Bridge,” “Waverly Hills Sanitorium,” “D.B. Cooper” and “Jack the Ripper.”
I would 10 out of 10 recommend the episode, “3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons.” Within, Ryan and Shane visit three locations in search of spirits: Winchester House in San Jose, CA, the Island of the Dolls in Mexico City and the Sallie House in Kansas. Its entirety is nearly an hour worth of in-depth and entertaining content. Viewers can expect Shane watching on and enjoying Ryan getting scared several times — by both Shane and flickering flashlights.
“3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons,” the episode in which they go on-site, has over 14 million views. It is a prime episode in showcasing the wit and hilarity of the pair, as well as their dedication in solving these chilling cold cases.
There are four seasons per show just waiting to be binge-watched. Step aside “Hocus Pocus, Pocus;” Buzzfeed Unsolved is here to play.