The Case For: CBS’ ‘Ghosts’

I came to CBS’ Ghosts after its first season aired completely as I prepared for an interview with one of its many actors. All I knew that it was a re-imagining of the BBC series of the same name, but I quickly fell in love with this screwball, silly, perilously stupid and wonderfully written comedy. I have been a devoted fan ever since. If you are a theater lover, you will love Ghosts. If you love the movie Clue, you will love Ghosts. If you simply appreciate the high art of ensemble comedy, then Ghosts needs to be in the conversation for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Of the ten main cast members, only two (Rose McIver’s Sam and Utkarsh Ambudkar’s Jay) have the ability to roam outside of Woodstone’s walls going into season three. That would probably intimidate any showrunner, but Joe Port and Joe Wiseman cleverly expand on the world by introducing characters with ties to our beloved ghosts or finally revealing new ghost powers. Due to the strikes earlier this year, season three is shorter (with ten episodes), but it neither feels rushed or like plots were dropped in order to have everything wrap by the season’s end.

Season three begins with a big loss as we discover that Flower is the ghost that got sucked off (just watch the show…) at the end of season two. How refreshing it is to have a comedy dissect the main themes of grief and moving on through Thorfinn’s frustrations while thinking that his girlfriend was reincarnated into a barn owl. Underneath Thorfinn’s gruff exterior and handsome beard (sweet mercy, follow Devan Chandler Long’s Instagram), beats the heart of a man who didn’t even know that his heart could be given to someone else. How sad it is to have that heart broken, especially by something that all of the ghosts ultimately want.

It might seem gauche to admit, but I am glad that Caroline Aaron’s Carol returns this year…because she dies on Halloween by choking on a donut hole. Her and Richie Moriarty’s Pete have a rocky history since he found out that she’s been sleeping with his best friend for many years, and her addition adds a new tension to the house. Pete’s nice guy demeanor is tested over and over again before he bops Thorfinn in the nose after Pete discovers that he slept with his ex. Other romances at Woodstone offer new perspectives that you wouldn’t expect from a show full of deceased characters. Danielle Pinnock’s Alberta hooks up with a handsome, lovesick poltergeist, played by guest star Lamorne Morris, but our favorite jazz singer is able to recognize that she isn’t looking for someone so clingy. Even in death. Brandon Scott Jones’ Isaac blows up his engagement to Nigel in the season finale because he’s…interested in a ripped stripper who shares his passion for dinosaurs. It’s planting the seed for many stupendously awkward run-ins in season four.

No discussion about this third season is complete without bringing up episode eight, “Holes Are Bad.” I personally think it’s the best episode of the entire series so far for how it flexes the muscles of the entire ensemble and balances the ridiculous Muppet quality of the ghosts with some deeply felt emotion. We discover that Flower did not get sucked off, but she chased that darn butterfly through the property and got stuck in a well. With Jay and Sam gone for the weekend, it is up to the other ghosts to get her out before the well is filled with cement as part of the bed and breakfast’s upkeep and updates. This is where the curious rules of a ghost come into play.

For those new to Ghosts, even the ghosts don’t know why they can sit on furniture but don’t go through the walls or furniture. Flower can go through the walls of the well, but it’s pitch black since she’s underground. A ghost can’t pick anything up, and they can only touch the items on their person, so, if you die with something in your pocket, you can touch it but not hand it to someone else.

“Holes Are Bad” reveals that Hetty strangled herself when police began pounding on her door when they came to collect for her missing husband’s debts. She gently pulls down her collar and unwinds a telephone cord and the group lowers it down to save their friend. The other ghosts’ faces signals to us that Hetty has never revealed much about her personal life to anyone, and it’s like we are seeing the reaction on the ensemble’s faces as well as the character’s. When you watch the episode back knowing how Hetty ended her life, you appreciate Rebecca Wisocky’s performance even more. She stands with the group, but you feel her desire to run away as she stands the tiniest bit further back. Wisocky can nail a punchline with how she modulates Hetty’s voice, and she is afforded to soar to new heights in this episode. I’m sure that Hetty felt like she failed her friendship with Alberta in season two, so she doesn’t make the same mistake with Flower. It’s a landmark moment for the entire show, and it’s one of the most well-written episodes of television this season.

As comedy changes and the Emmys change along with it, one thing is constant. There is no doubt that Ghosts is silly, wacky, and clever but its pockets of emotion always take us by surprise. There is no question that this ensemble–running around in their period garb struggling to mash together their distinct personalities–is a comedy. This is playful, character-driven chaos.

We use the term “late” when it comes to referring to someone who has passed, and the Television Academy has a chance to rectify being “late” to the Ghosts party.

Ghosts is streaming now on Paramount+.