🎄 The Ultimate Holiday Gift: Why We Need a Sam Possession Episode
If you’re anything like me, the single best thing about the holiday season is cozying up on the couch for the annual Christmas Special of the U.S. comedy hit, Ghosts. The show, which follows the perpetually put-upon couple Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) as they navigate life alongside a houseful of eccentric, deceased residents at Woodstone Mansion, has become a comedy staple.
But let’s talk about the one massive, chaotic narrative opportunity the show hasn’t fully utilized yet: possession. Sam, as the only living person who can see and hear the ghosts, acts as their permanent intermediary. The ultimate fan-service, holiday wish, and most disruptive plot point possible would be to have one of the beloved, deceased residents temporarily possess Sam’s body. This would finally allow a ghost to interact with the living world in a physical way and, most importantly, confuse the heck out of Jay, who is always the outsider in this bizarre dynamic.
Now that Season 5 is officially on the horizon, the likelihood of this high-concept, holiday hijinks episode is tantalizingly high. The big question isn’t if it will happen, but which Woodstone spirit will get the golden ticket to temporary corporeal form? The stakes are high, and the potential for comedy and emotional payoff is even higher. We are breaking down the top contenders and why their individual backstories make them the perfect candidates for a Christmas body swap.
👻 The Contenders: Which Ghost’s Backstory Demands Possession?
The beauty of the Woodstone ensemble lies in their wildly varied personalities and unfinished emotional business. Each ghost has a compelling reason why they would desperately want a physical Christmas miracle.
H3: The Comedic Frontrunner: Trevor (The Pantless Bro)
If the writers aim for pure, unadulterated comedic chaos, the obvious choice is Trevor (Asher Grodman), the high-flying, pantsless 1990s finance bro.
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The Desire: Trevor’s biggest grievance is his lack of pants and his inability to physically interact with the modern world. His deepest desire would be to experience simple human pleasures: eating a gourmet meal prepared by Jay, wearing a real suit, or, perhaps most realistically, just enjoying the simple feel of pants.
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The Comedy: Imagine Sam, in Trevor’s persona, aggressively attempting to negotiate a massive financial deal over Jay’s Christmas dinner or trying to hit on a distant relative. The physical comedy inherent in Rose McIver channeling Trevor’s smooth, bro-tastic movements and dialogue would be gold. It’s a guaranteed laugh riot, perfect for a high-energy holiday special.
H3: The Emotional Payoff: Pete (The Scoutmaster)
If the showrunners want to tug on the heartstrings—a Christmas Special must include some sentimental tears, right?—the best choice is the perpetually optimistic, eternally disappointed Pete (Richie Moriarty).
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The Desire: Pete, the eternal boy scout who died tragically via an accidental arrow to the neck, simply wants to share a normal Christmas with his family. The holiday season is a painful reminder of his unfinished life. Possessing Sam would give him the chance to see his daughter, who may be visiting for the holidays, or simply feel the warmth of a non-spectral fireplace.
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The Story: A possession by Pete offers the deepest emotional complexity. Sam would have to navigate the sadness of Pete’s life while giving him the courage to interact with his living relatives without revealing the truth. This storyline provides the perfect blend of humor (Sam awkwardly mimicking Pete’s wholesome demeanor) and genuine Christmas sentiment.
🇺🇸 The Historical Candidates: Unfinished Business
The historical ghosts, with their centuries of accumulated yearning, also present incredibly fertile ground for a possession episode.
H3: The Modernity Crisis: Sasappis (The Sassmaster)
Sasappis “Sass” (Román Zaragoza), the witty, observant Native American ghost, rarely expresses a burning desire for the modern world, making his desire to possess Sam even more interesting.
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The Desire: Sass is primarily focused on storytelling and observation. His possession might be driven by a desire to use modern technology—to finally record his stories, watch his favorite TV shows on a big screen, or order something absurdly modern, like a massive pizza, for the ghosts to watch Jay eat.
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The Comedy: Sass’s dry wit filtered through Sam’s body, interacting with a completely mystified Jay, would create a beautifully layered comedic dynamic. He might use the opportunity to completely mess with Jay’s perception of reality or order something historically significant for the ghosts to analyze.
H4: The Socialite’s Return: Hetty (The Gilded Age Matriarch)
Hetty Woodstone (Rebecca Wisocky), the judgmental Gilded Age matriarch, despises the modern world and is constantly battling her own antiquated neuroses.
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The Desire: Hetty would possess Sam not for pleasure, but out of a misguided sense of duty. She might believe she needs to physically manage the household’s holiday logistics, ensure the Christmas dinner is socially acceptable, or, hilariously, ban all modern music. The twist here is that her Victorian sensibilities would clash violently with the casual, 21st-century Christmas celebration.
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The Conflict: Hetty’s deep-seated addiction issues (as revealed through her relationship with the ghosts’ addiction specialist) could surface, creating a powerful, dramatic plot point where Sam/Hetty struggles with modern temptations, offering a dark comedic edge.
🤪 The Wildcards: Unpredictable Possibilities
No discussion of Ghosts would be complete without considering the characters whose chaotic nature would make a possession truly unpredictable.
H4: The Revolutionary Fury: Isaac (The Foundational Father)
Isaac Higgintoot (Brandon Scott Jones), the fussy, self-aggrandizing Revolutionary War officer, is a master of melodrama.
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The Desire: Isaac’s entire existence is focused on correcting historical records and achieving validation. Possessing Sam would be his chance to demand recognition from visiting historians or, more likely, to perform a flawless, physical rendition of his awful play for a live audience.
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The Comedy: Sam acting out Isaac’s exaggerated, highly dramatic flourishes and obsessive need for attention would be comedy gold. The conflict would be his utter disdain for anything not 18th century, making him incredibly hostile to modern Christmas traditions.
The Hippie’s Journey: Flower (The Peace-Loving Wild Card)
Flower (Sheila Carrasco), the free-spirited hippie, is the ultimate wildcard due to her perpetually altered state.
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The Desire: Flower’s motivations are always simple and sensory. She would want to possess Sam to experience simple pleasures: hug a tree, taste Jay’s cooking, or simply feel “the good vibes” of a family gathering—preferably while making everything unnecessarily complicated with overly long, philosophical anecdotes.
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The Perplexity: The perplexity here lies in her lack of inhibitions. Sam/Flower would likely be highly embarrassing, oversharing intimate ghost details with the guests and making everyone incredibly uncomfortable, which is peak Ghosts humor.
📝 The Narrative Challenge: Making Possession Meaningful
The possession plot is a massive challenge for the writers. It can’t just be a gimmick; it must serve a narrative purpose.
The Jay Factor: The Crucial Emotional Payoff
The ultimate payoff of a possession scene is its impact on Jay. He is the only one who cannot hear or see the ghosts, constantly feeling excluded from Sam’s world.
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Forced Inclusion: If a ghost possesses Sam, Jay finally gets to interact directly with one of the spirits, even if he doesn’t know it. This provides a genuine, human connection between Jay and the Woodstone residents, which he craves.
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Emotional Stakes: If Pete possesses Sam and shares a meaningful, final moment with his family, Jay acts as the emotional conduit. This elevates the scene beyond simple comedy into a moment of genuine, shared humanity.
The Holiday Requirement: Sentimental Resolution
For a Christmas Special, the possession must lead to a meaningful resolution. A ghost should use the time to achieve a single, specific, emotional goal that allows them to find peace or deepen their relationship with Sam and Jay before returning to their spectral state.
🎬 Our Final Prediction for the Season 5 Christmas Special
Given the show’s blend of high-concept comedy and unexpected emotional sincerity, the ghost most likely to possess Sam for the Season 5 Christmas Special is Pete.
His story provides the richest ground for holiday sentimentality: a father wanting one last Christmas with his daughter. Trevor is too chaotic for a holiday special’s main arc, and while Hetty or Sass would be funny, Pete’s possession allows Sam (and Jay) to participate in a true Christmas miracle—allowing a lonely father to connect with his family. The comedy comes from the miscommunication and awkwardness of Pete trying to operate a modern human body, while the heart comes from his ultimate, tearful farewell.
Final Conclusion
The single most chaotic, hilarious, and emotionally resonant plot point the Ghosts Season 5 Christmas Special could deliver is the temporary possession of Sam’s body by one of the Woodstone spirits. This would finally allow a ghost to interact with Jay and achieve a moment of genuine human experience. While Trevor offers guaranteed comedic gold, Pete the Scoutmaster is the strongest contender. His deep-seated desire to share one final, physical Christmas with his family aligns perfectly with the emotional requirements of a holiday special. Whatever spirit the writers choose, the episode is guaranteed to provide the high-stakes, hilarious, and heartwarming chaos we crave from our favorite spectral family.
❓ 5 Unique FAQs After The Conclusion
Q1: Can Sam be possessed by the ghosts in the U.S. version of Ghosts?
A1: Yes. The mythology of the U.S. version of Ghosts establishes that Sam, as a near-death experience survivor, can see, hear, and occasionally be possessed by the ghosts under specific circumstances (often involving intense emotional states or accidental ingestion of certain substances, though this last point hasn’t been fully explored yet).
Q2: Has the U.K. version of Ghosts ever done a possession or body-swap episode?
A2: Yes. The U.K. version, on which the U.S. show is based, has utilized the possession trope, often leading to huge emotional breakthroughs for the ghosts and major comedic setups, suggesting the U.S. version is highly likely to follow suit.
Q3: Why would Jay not realize Sam is possessed during the Christmas Special?
A3: Since Jay cannot see or hear the ghosts, he would only perceive the possessed Sam acting strangely. The comedy would stem from Jay’s attempts to rationally explain Sam’s bizarre, out-of-character behavior (like Trevor’s financial jargon or Hetty’s Victorian etiquette) as stress or illness.
Q4: What role does the B&B operation play during the Christmas Special episodes?
A4: The Christmas Specials often feature B&B guests, which raises the stakes for the ghosts, who must either try to ruin the holidays or, in more sentimental plots, try to help Sam and Jay ensure the guests have a perfect, ghost-free holiday experience.
Q5: Which ghost has the longest backstory and biggest amount of unfinished business at Woodstone?
A5: Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long), the Viking, has the longest history, having died over 1,000 years ago. However, Hetty Woodstone arguably has the most complex unfinished emotional business involving family, her past addictions, and coming to terms with the modern world.
