They are aided in part by Merlyn's ghost, who personally appears before Caleb throughout the series in order to try to keep him from Buck's corrupt grasp.

CBS originally aired American Gothic in a differing sequence than the production order and omitted four episodes ("Potato Boy", "Ring of Fire", "Echo of Your Last Goodbye" and "Strangler") from its network broadcast.

Gage's guilt seems confirmed when he commits suicide in his jail cell, leaving Caleb an orphan... except for the ghost of Merlyn.

Caleb seems to find a father figure in Dr. Matt Crower, but this won't last if Sheriff Lucas Buck has any say in the matter.

Fleeing deep into the woods from Sheriff Lucas Buck, young Caleb takes refuge in an eerie, abandoned hunting lodge and is terrified when he discovers a dying man who has been tortured and is being held prisoner there.

Junkyard owner Carter Bowen panics when Sheriff Buck wants his teenage daughter, Poppy, to work for him as payback for an old favor.

Gail may have pushed Sheriff Buck too far when she accuses him of foul play in the death of his former girlfriend, who was with him just before her car mysteriously drove off a bridge.

When Jack Drey, a South Carolina state police lieutenant, throws his weight around in the investigation of the disappearance of his adulterous brother-in-law, Hack Weller, Sheriff Buck becomes wary.

Sheriff Lucas Buck gets revenge, in his own chilling fashion, on four men who move to Trinity and set off a crime wave, causing the local residents to start losing faith in his control.

Special Guest Star Richard Edson as Lowell Stokes Merlyn borrows an unborn child's spirit and reappears as Halle.

But not even he can control the seemingly miraculous activities of the dead Merlyn, determined to make Lucas answer for his crimes.

A sudden, mysterious bleeding illness quickly spreads through Trinity, causing death and devastation, as well as the arrival of a new doctor, Dr. Peele.

Caleb is trying to find the full potential of his powers by attempting to kill Gail, leaving him sole heir of Lucas' will.

The only exception is the German boxset (released October 5, 2007 by "Koch Media Home Entertainment"), which features all episodes in the intended order on 7 DVDs.