Forget your typical haunted houses and crumbling castles. “Mysteries of the Abandoned” returns, ditching the cobwebs for a broader definition of “desolate.” This week’s itinerary? A bizarre fantasy world in Alabama, an Irish asylum with a chilling past, a South Korean city scarred by conflict, and the remnants of a harsh industry on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. It’s a globetrotting tour of forgotten places, each with its own unsettling narrative.
First up: Alabama’s abandoned fantasy land. Now, before you conjure images of decaying Disney knock-offs, think stranger. This is less about broken rides and more about a peculiar vision realized, then left to decay. The details are scant, but the very idea of a deserted dream kingdom in Alabama is enough to pique curiosity. What fever dream birthed this place? And what stories do its crumbling facades tell?
Then, the show shifts gears to Ireland, where an abandoned refuge takes center stage. Asylums always make for creepy viewing, and this one seems to check all the boxes: crumbling architecture, shadowy corridors, and a history undoubtedly steeped in suffering. The show’s creators understand that abandoned places aren’t just about bricks and mortar; they’re repositories of human experience, often painful. Let’s hope they handle the material with appropriate gravity.
Next, the episode lands in South Korea, a nation not typically associated with abandoned spaces. But even in a country known for its sleek modernity, the past leaves its mark. This segment focuses on a city grappling with the scars of a violent history. The specifics remain a mystery, but the prospect of uncovering the stories embedded within this city’s forgotten corners is undeniably intriguing.
Finally, the journey concludes on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, a landscape as desolate as its name implies. Here, the episode explores the vestiges of a brutal industry, presumably whaling or something similarly grim. Given the location, it’s likely a tale of exploitation and ecological damage – a sobering reminder of humanity’s capacity for destruction.
“Mysteries of the Abandoned” airs Wednesday, December 4 at 11:00 PM on Discovery Channel.
