Help! My House Is Haunted: 'Crying Girl Of Comber' - Series 5, Episode 6 Review

In the latest episode of the Discovery+ series 'Help! My House Is Haunted', the team of paranormal investigators sets its sights on Comber, County Down. Here they visit an 18th-century farmhouse where veterinary nurse Allison resides with her husband and two daughters. Reports of unusual occurrences have plagued this property, compelling Allison and her family to call the team.

Shortly after moving in, Allison had a peculiar encounter with a woman who claimed to have heard a young girl's cries for help. Though Allison found her own children safe, the mysterious woman disappeared without a trace. Further unsettling experiences ensued. Allison's husband saw what he describes as a little girl playing in the bathroom. The family also speaks of a 'strange room' in the house that gives off unsettling vibes, compelling them all to avoid it. Oddly enough, their pets began to suffer from unexplained ailments after renovation work commenced beneath this room.

On their way to the location, the paranormal investigators discussed their thoughts on the case. Jayne Harris sees it as a classic haunting scenario, complete with a distressed child spirit and strange occurrences. Ian Lawman and Barri Ghai, on the other hand, hint at feeling a darker presence alongside the supposed little girl's spirit.

Ian Lawman was the first to enter the house alone to conduct a solo psychic sweep. He claimed to feel a dark energy and heard a child's cry from the bathroom area where Allison's husband also reported seeing the girl.

Meanwhile, Jayne went to meet local historian Sophia Traxler, who shed light on a couple of tragic deaths including a little girl who died after consuming a large amount of alcohol during a cholera outbreak in 1832. Given the limited number of occupied buildings at that time, it's possible that this event could have some connection to the farmhouse.

After completing their initial investigations, the team re-grouped and decided it was time to initiate the 'Spirit Triggers' phase of their exploration. To boost the chance of capturing any possible paranormal activity, homeowners Allison and Kenny were invited to join the investigation.

Barri was the first to make contact, directing questions at any spirits that might be present. He asked if a little girl was in the home and why she might be sad. The team believed they heard a voice on their Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) recorder, responding with the name "John." Jayne noted, "That said John. That is really clear."

Continuing this line of inquiry, Kenny and Allison also posed questions. They asked for the name of the little girl, to which the EVP seemed to respond with "Jane." Further questions hinted that this 'Jane' may regard John as her father, according to another voice recording.

Given the string of responses apparently related to the little girl, the team thought it prudent to divide their efforts. Kenny took up position in the bathroom, where he had previously seen the apparition. Wearing noise-cancelling headphones to eliminate distractions, he wrote the word "help" on a notepad. Intriguingly, at the very same moment, the team interpreted an EVP in the living room to be saying the word "help."

The investigation then moved towards what Allison and her family term the "strange room." Guided by Ian Lawman, Allison focused her senses by wearing a blindfold and using an Alice Box, a device used in paranormal investigations that is said to be able to audibly vocalises words it detects in the environment.

The device first relayed the word "Black," which caught Jayne's attention. "'Black' as soon as you put a blindfold on. Wow." Questions continued to be posed, with responses suggesting that an entity may have been involved in affecting the family's pets. Allison asked, "You hurt my animals?" to which the Alice Box responded with "Bathroom."

Things took a more sinister turn when the word "Dark" was announced by the Alice Box. Ian felt the energy in the room turn negative and decided it was time to wrap up this phase of the investigation for Allison's safety.

"We've already gathered so much evidence and information already in a very short space of time," concluded Barri, but the night was far from over.

As darkness fell outside, and Allison and Kenny have vacated the premises, the team get stuck into their nightlong investigation. Barri suggested they begin in the bathroom, a location that has been reported as active with apparitions of a little girl. Barri introduces 'Brian the Robot' to serve as interactive items for the spirit, which they think is Jane, to manipulate. Although the robot seems to sway, it's hard to ascertain whether this motion is due to the natural mechanics of the toy or is indeed a reaction from the purported spirit.

Continuing their attempt to communicate, the team uses Echovox, an Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC) app believed to allow spirits to form words through sound manipulation. Responses like "Help us" and "Leave" are recorded, leading Ian to conclude that they might be dealing with multiple entities — one seemingly innocent, the other more ominous.

The reference to 'drink spirit' through the Echovox seems to confirm what Jayne had learnt from the historian about the little girl who was wrongly administered alcohol as a curative measure during a cholera outbreak, leading to tragic consequences.

Barri decides to remain in the 'strange room' alone as he attempted to decipher the identity of the dark entity. After hearing a frightening voice, he hastily exits to regroup with Ian and Jayne. He plays back a recording that captures a little girl's voice followed by a very angry and unsettling noise. The team is now convinced that the home harbours three distinct spirits: Jane the child spirit, John who they now believe might be Jane's father, and the unidentified dark entity.

Later in the episode, Jayne refers to the malevolent entity as 'demonic.' Although the team themselves haven't definitively identified the nature of the entity, and no explanation is given for this sudden escalation in terminology, this leaves it open for interpretation.

In their effort to communicate with the child spirit, Jane, the team employs a REM-Pod. Barri describes the device as creating a magnetic field, which is a common misconception. In reality, the REM-Pod generates a static electric field. Nonetheless, he is correct in saying that the device lights up and emits a noise when this field is disturbed. The team appears to get responses through the device that suggest Jane might have died from alcohol poisoning, possibly administered by her father, John.

The investigation culminates in the 'strange room,' where Jayne seems to receive confirmation through a ghost hunting app that the entity had killed the family's pets. A sudden movement in the room reinforces the team's belief in the need for a cleansing the property. Although the team haven't worked out what the malevolent entity is, it's time to banish it, which Ian does through prayer.

Following this, a candle is lit to assist in helping what they believe to be the spirits of John and Jane to 'cross over,' thus bringing their investigation and cleansing rituals to a close.