Recap: Monica The Medium, Episode 6, “Bun in the Oven”

Tonight, Monica disrupts dinners and dreams about diapers, and I share a recent message that I got from beyond the grave.

Monica’s Dad is coming! We met Mr. Ten-Kate via Skype in Episode 1, but now we get to see Papa in the flesh! Monica doesn’t get to see her dad very often, he’s been working as an Afghanistan-based contractor for several years, so this is a big treat for her. She hopes to show him that her dead-talking abilities are legit. (FYI-I’m obsessed with Monica’s olive moto jacket) She’s looking for acceptance from one of her parents.

And, Monica had a dream (that may have been spirit-sent) that someone in her life may be pregnant!

Monica’s first session is with Jamie, her sister Terri, and Jamie’s daughter. The family is struggling with the loss of Jamie’s father and they’re looking for closure.

Monica picks up his strong, military-like energy and it’s revealed that women’s brave father was a police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty. One of the messages that he passes through Monica is his happiness happy that the women’s mother (his ex-wife) has found love again, and that the failure of their marriage was his big mistake.

Then Spirit makes the women’s jaws drop. The night before, the young woman put her grandfather’s picture in her purse and challenged him to bring up the photo as proof that it was really his spirit coming through. When Monica tells the women that their father/grandfather is asking to see the picture, they are amazed and overcome. He also reveals that he approves of the young woman’s boyfriend and tells her that he’ll be at her high school graduation. He also thanks Jamie for the manner in which he was laid to rest, a decision that gives relief to Jamie who had agonized over his final wishes after his sudden death. Understandably, it was a session filled with tears of joy.

I’ve been wondering what had happened with Mitch since Monica and her roomies’ singles party. Well, he’d asked Monica out to dinner and now he wants to make that date happen! Ann and Krista are thrilled for their roomie because Mitch is a catch. “And he’s a good kisser!” teases Krista, who saw Monica and Mitch’s lip-lock. Is it wrong that I’m like Krista and already shipping M&M? (And trying to come up with a better couples’ nickname than Mitchica.)

Monica’s Pops has arrived with her her sisters and Mon’s hoping that this visit will legitimize her talents in his eyes. Monica’s dad is a budding cook, so he’s brought a grill and looks forward to cooking for the girls. MMMMmmm, can we get a Monica the Medium cookbook!

Monica’s dad is preparing a delicious-looking dinner of tasty steaks and has a host of willing sous chefs. Who wouldn’t want to help with the fest they’re preparing? Monica says that she and her dad aren’t super-close; they drifted apart as a teenaged Monica struggled to understand her gift. But whenever Monica brings up her life as a medium, her father changes the subject. It’s clearly not something that his empirical mind can wrap itself around. He also gives Monica a little fatherly advice. He doesn’t want her to filter every life moment through her experiences a medium. It seems that he’s telling her that things happen, not because she’s a medium, but because he’s a person. “You’re still a normal person.” He reminds her.

That night, Monica gets ready for her date. (Have you noticed Monica’s enviable triangle-shaped necklace collection?)

Monica tells her roommates that she things that someone in her life is pregnant. And she resolves to get to the bottom of the baby drama. So who’s baking a bun in her oven?

Monica is early for her dinner-date with Mitch, who is tardy for the party. Just when she thinks she’s been stood up again (and perhaps contemplating becoming a nun), Mitch arrives bearing a sweet, pink rose. Awwwwwdorable!!! Mitch tells Monica that he’s graduating in only 2 weeks and Monica shares with him the strangest place she’s ever given a reading (a steam room!). Monica tells him that he’s one of the few people she’s ever met who she can’t read, is it Spirit’s way of telling her he’s “the one”? Is love blooming? I hope so, Mitch is comfortable with her gift and he likes her for her.

And then spirit comes a’knocking. While Mitch excuses himself, Monica gives a message to a woman seated nearby who has lovely reddish-brown hair. Her mustachioed father, Norman, has come through to Monica with messages of love and support. Norman knows her daughters (his granddaughters) and is always with them. Dad also offers council from beyond the grave on the woman’s recent marital separation, and encourages her to finish her education although he and other deceased loved ones support any decision she makes.

Then, Monica returns to her date and Mitch tells her, “it was awesome” seeing her in action. Mitch is a special guy, Monica likes him, and I think TV-land is in love with him! #TeamMitchica

Monica takes her sisters out for yogurt to get insight into what her dad thinks about her medium-ness. Each of the girls’ parents parent the girls differently; of course they do, they’re different people! Monica’s dad is scientific and he hopes that he can believe in something that can’t necessarily be scientifically proven. Monica’s mother is driven by her faith, and Monica as a medium is in contradiction to her Catholic beliefs. (Which is confusing, because so much of what Spirit describes to Monica — the deceased being at peace, in a happy and safe place, surrounded by loved ones — sounds like the Christian idea of heaven to me!) Anyway, back to Monica.

The Ten-Kate girls and their dad go out for dinner. Mr. T-K (or Michael, if you know him, which I don’t) has never seen Monica give a reading. Monica reveals that she is unable to give readings to her sisters because they share the same friends and family members. She’d be too close to the sender and receiver of the message and she can’t be sure if she’s getting a real message from Spirit or she’s just recalling her own memory.

After a few moments of family time, Monica receives a message from Spirit and heads to another table to pass along a message. It’s finally time for Pops to see his daughter’s gift at work. But Monica’s Dad says he’s is agnostic about the idea of his daughter being a medium and instead, is focused on eating his oysters. “I’m channeling these oysters,” he giggles.

At another table, Monica approaches a young woman and describes the girls’ engraved necklace in memory of her father. Then Monica gives her a message from her father, who was her best friend. Monica also passes along her father’s approval of her boyfriend. Her father also calls attention to the fact that the next day is the anniversary of his death, and says that is grateful for the heroic surgery that was attempted to save his life. Monica starts to cry thinking about the pain the woman feels and her the own grief she’d feel if she was never able to see her wn father again. “Love never dies,” Monica tearfully tells the woman. “Their spirit will never die.”

Monica returns to her family at the table. They’ve eaten their entire meals and Monica anxiously awaits her father’s reaction to her reading. “It’s a gift,” he concludes.

The next day, they video chat the fourth Ten-Kate sister, Jessica, who lives in London. Another Ten-Kate beauty! Jessica tells her family that she got a promotion — to Mommy! That’s right, she’s pregnant! Monica’s premonition was right and she can’t wait to become “Auntie Monica” (insert LOL British accent). It doesn’t seem like Monica normally gets help about the future from Spirit, but perhaps she was getting a message from a deceased loved one someone who knows Jessica and her husband and had already learned the happy news. Monica’s dad is a little stunned that he’s becoming a Grandpa. “I’m flummoxed!”

As Monica’s Dad prepares to head back to Afghanistan, I hope he’s gotten a better understanding of Monica and her ability.

My message from beyond
So, here’s something amazing that happened to me on Sunday, which I can only describe as a message from beyond …

On Sunday night after watching the CSI series finale (I also got to interview the show’s creator-yay!) intermixed with breaks to check out the eclipse, I got ready for bed. I had run out of my normal eye cream, so I went into my collection of unopened cosmetics from a past Lancome bonus time.

Immediately, I smelled my grandmother, who’s been deceased for 30 years. I’ve smelled her scent over the years — usually when I open a box of her scarves in my mom’s closet — but it’s been a very long time. The comforting smell took me back to my early childhood, and I was overcome with the most wonderful feeling of warmth, happiness and peace. I’d like to think it was her saying “Hi” from the other side. And if I’m wrong, I don’t want to be right.

That was just one moment an It was exhausting and exhilarating, I can only imagine how Monica and the people she gives readings to feel after they get messages from their loved ones.

Do you have an experience where you feel like you’ve gotten a message from the other side? Share below!

More about Monica the Medium
Recap: Monica The Medium, Episode 5: “Heaven on Hold”
Recap: Monica The Medium, Episode 4: “Junior Slump”
Recap: Monica the Medium, Episode 3: “Spirit Needs an Office”
Recap: Monica the Medium, Episode 2: “Spirit at Work”
Recap: Monica the Medium, Episode 1: “Blind Date Surprise”
About Monica Ten-Kate