Indeed, Jay’s unique Ghosts plight means he can’t even hear the ghosts or see them, leaving him on the periphery of the show’s action. Although Sam can communicate with the ghosts, she can only focus on one or two of them at a time. Most episodes involve a main storyline centered on Sam helping a ghost, while a separate B-story will see some of the ghosts go on independent adventures, like Pete solving Donna’s murder case in Ghosts season 4, episode 19.
Ghosts Season 4’s Finale Brings Back Elias and Patience
Hetty’s Husband Joins Mary Holland’s New Character
Since the ghosts are the show’s true heroes, it is hard for the series to see them ascend to the afterlife. Theoretically, the ghosts all want to get “Sucked off” to Heaven, to use their unfortunately phrased euphemism, but in reality, viewers don’t want to lose out on some of their favorite characters. Luckily, Ghosts season 4’s finale seemingly found a workaround for this issue with the return of two recurring guest stars. Both Mary Holland’s humorless Puritan Patience and Hetty’s husband Elias will return in the season 4 finale, meaning viewers could get an ideal exit.
In season 4, episode 14, “Alexander Hamilton and the Ruffle Kerfuffle,” Elias appeared and updated the ghosts on his fate. After he voluntarily returned to Hell in season 2, Elias was promoted and became a soul-collecting demon. Rather than trying to woo Ghosts guest star Stephanie or another one of the mansion’s more obscure ghosts, Elias attempted to convince Thor that he should sell his soul to the devil for preferential treatment in Hell. Thor’s lifetime of barbarism led him to think this might be a reasonable deal, as he feared he was doomed to damnation regardless.
Fortunately, the ghosts managed to convince Thor that he could still redeem himself, and he ended up not signing his soul away after all. Now, Elias’s return in the season 4 finale proves that he won’t be easily dissuaded from converting the Woodstone Mansion’s souls to the dark side. His next target is likely to be the pious Patience, who was first introduced in the season 4 premiere, “Patience.” Mary Holland’s Puritan kidnapped Isaac in the season 3 finale, but she didn’t gain a full speaking role in the series until season 4.
Elias Sending Patience To Hell Makes Perfect Sense
Ghosts Season 4’s Finale Could Pay Off Patience’s Hypocrisy
Patience already believes that almost everyone is going to Hell, including herself now that she has succumbed to temptation and watched television. As such, it would make perfect sense for Elias to easily convince her to give up her shot at getting “Sucked off.” None of the other ghosts would be likely to miss Patience all that much since, although Isaac tried to make amends for leaving her in the dirt beneath the mansion for decades, she proved abrasive and unpleasant during her short tenure in the mansion.
Why Ghosts Writing Out Patience Is The Best Way To End Season 4
Patience Is A Ghost But Not A Lead Character
For the series itself, Patience exiting during Ghosts season 4’s finale makes perfect sense, too. Holland’s character had a short three-episode arc at the beginning of season 4 with a self-contained story, and she hasn’t been mentioned much since then. Patience is one of the mansion’s ghosts, so her exit would be dramatic and important, but she isn’t one of the main characters, so it wouldn’t destabilize the show’s reliable status quo.
Holland’s Puritan arguably deserves a redemption arc since, despite her obvious flaws, she is also sweet, lonely, and unaccustomed to modern life through no fault of her own.
That said, there is also an argument to be made that season 4’s finale shouldn’t send Patience to Hell. It took Ghosts season 4 ages to give Flower a character arc of her own, but this doesn’t mean that it wasn’t worth the wait. Similarly, Holland’s Puritan arguably deserves a redemption arc since, despite her obvious flaws, she is also sweet, lonely, and unaccustomed to modern life through no fault of her own. If Ghosts can redeem its outright cruel characters Hetty and Isaac, then the sitcom could redeem the misguided Patience.
Can Patience Still Return If She Goes To Hell?
It Is Unclear Whether Ghosts Can Regularly Return From Hell
There might be no reason for viewers to fret either way, since the changing rules of Ghosts mean a trip to Hell isn’t necessarily permanent. Elias has returned from Hell more than once now, while Pete learned he could leave the boundaries of the mansion back in season 3. Ghosts’ underrated supporting star Sass can invade the dreams of the living while Hetty can be seen by people once a year, so the idea of Patience going to Hell but still returning on occasion doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
However, one Ghosts season 4 finale tease complicates Patience’s exit. Series supporting star Sheila Carrasco, who plays Flower, promised a shocking ending in an interview with Collider, saying: “The season finale is going to give you a huge surprise at the end, and it’s going to leave you nervous about the future of one or more residents.” Since Patience is the newest character, her exit wouldn’t be the most unexpected twist.
