“She’s been wandering for 130 years or something like that, so she’s a little upset.”
With their fourth season on the way, Ghosts showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman are both surprised and delighted that the little CBS show about horny spirits haunting Hudson Valley bed and breakfast Woodstone Manor has struck such a chord. But, as they see it, that’s a real testament to the cast.
“We have 10 absolutely incredible cast members, and that allows us to go in so many different directions with stories and combinations of people,” Wiseman tells Entertainment Weekly.
And they’re going in even crazier directions this year. Season 3 ended on something of a cliffhanger, with Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) jilting his fiancé Nigel (John Hartman) at the altar, only to be dragged into the dirt by the mysterious, and vengeful, ghost Patience, played by guest star Mary Holland.
“The first act of business is, the ghosts and Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) rallying to try to find Isaac and rescue him. And we’re going to find out more about Patience,” Port says, adding about Holland’s portrayal, “We’ve seen the first couple cuts and she’s very funny and we’re very pleased with her and really enjoying her performance.”
So who is this Patience and what does she want with Isaac?
“Patience is a Puritan, who traditionally were very judgmental and strict, and she was actually kicked out of her village for being a bit too much so, even by their standards,” Wiseman explains. “She’s a lot to deal with. Then of course, she’s also angry. She was abandoned to the dirt. Isaac let go of her hand to sneeze and left her alone in the dirt, where she’s been wandering for 130 years or something like that, so she’s a little upset. But she’s going to spend a few episodes at Woodstone and she’s going to sorta mix things up there.”
Since they’re already fans of Holland’s take on Patience, the Joes have left the door open for her to return, but promise that, either way, she “leaves a bit of a compelling mystery in her wake.”
Last season, Pete (Richie Moriarty) also discovered his ghost power to leave the Manor — but he begins to gradually disappear the longer he’s away. That power will have “a big influence on this season,” Port says, as will Sass’ (Román Zaragoza) ability to enter Jay’s dreams. The showrunners are still figuring out Hetty’s (Rebecca Wisocky) powers, though they’re not sure if they’re going to get to that this season. After all, they’ve only got 22 episodes for 10 characters, multiple storylines, and the occasional guest star.
This season, we will get to meet Jay’s parents, though they have yet to be cast, and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) will play Sam’s dad. Additionally, Punam Patel and Andrew Leeds will return as Jay’s sister Bela and her boyfriend Eric.
Meanwhile, if the spirits of Woodstone know how to do anything, it’s figure out how to get laid without a corporeal form. Sass, however, has been unlucky in love in the past, but this season we will learn more about his romantic history and his search for love. Then there’s poor Nigel. Despite Isaac’s altar falter, that old Red Coat dandy is still hanging around. Things between him and Capt. Higgintoot are “a bit rocky right now,” Wiseman says, but he hints that we may have” more of him in the future.”
As if that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, this season will also feature an hour-long Christmas episode because, thanks to Charles Dickens, ghosts and Christmastime go together like Pete and that arrow through his neck.
Ghosts returns Thursday, Oct. 17 on CBS.
