Why Ghosts Season 4’s New Character Could Finally Save the CBS Sitcom

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Although Ghosts season 4’s new ghost is a risky addition to the show’s sprawling cast, she will bring a necessary element that the sitcom typically ignores to the forefront. The premise of CBS’ Ghosts sounds fairly ghoulish. Like its British namesake, Ghosts follows a couple who inherit a mansion from a distant relative. Ghosts’ heroine, Sam, has a near-death experience and gains the ability to see the many ghosts that inhabited the estate throughout its lengthy history. This might sound like a horror show’s premise, but the ghosts of CBS’ Ghosts ensure the show is a light-hearted sitcom.

Ghosts mostly shies away from the horror elements of the show’s central conceit, outside a few darkly comic gags about the gruesome deaths the ghosts endured. This means the series rarely parodies traditional ghost stories, a missed opportunity that the sitcom is perfectly suited to. Fortunately, Ghosts season 4 is set to change this. The fourth outing of the CBS sitcom will see Ghosts introduce a new spirit to the show’s lineup, and this newcomer sounds like they will be more of a traditional ghost complete with a gruesome backstory and intense, unsettling supernatural powers.

Patience Reintroduces Horror Tropes To Ghosts Season 4

Ghosts Rarely Leans Into Its Spooky Side

Even in its Halloween episodes, even though it is ostensibly about ghosts, Ghosts rarely leans into the horror elements of its premise. However, Ghosts’ season 3 finale changed this when Patience the Puritan took Isaac hostage after his wedding was called off. Patience’s faceless character was deeply creepy, and the latest revelations about this new addition to the sitcom’s cast are appropriately spooky. According to series star Richie Moriarty (speaking to TVLine), Patience’s ghost powers are “Intense” and they spark unnerved reactions from fellow ghosts and humans alike. Patience draws attention to Ghosts’ inherent, but ignored, horror side.

Co-showrunner Joe Wiseman told TVLine that Patience, unlike most of the show’s ghosts, is, “Meant to be funny but also a little scary.” The character will be played by Mary Holland, the breakout star of 2020’s acclaimed seasonal dramedy Happiest Season. In season 4’s first promotional clip, Holland’s Patience cheerfully reminds Isaac that the pale skin he is complimenting came from the bloodletting that killed her. This hilariously creepy character detail proves that Patience’s subplot won’t steer clear of the darker implications of Ghosts’ premise, unlike earlier seasons of the series.

Patience’s Ghosts Season 4 Power Sounds Creepy And Gruesome

Patience’s Powers Have Been Called “Intense” By Cast Members

While Ghosts season 2 did center on Sam’s attempts to solve Alberta’s murder, this plot was shaped more like a parody of police procedurals than a straight-up horror spoof. Although the first episodes of Ghosts addressed Sam’s initial fear of the spirits, the CBS series largely dropped any horror elements after that. As Ghosts season 4 explores more ghost backstories, the show won’t be able to focus all of its screen time on Patience’s presence in the house. However, Wiseman did mention that Patience’s story leans into “A horror trope,” and her backstory hints provide plenty of nightmarish implications.

Ghosts might include a lot of dead characters, but the show’s tone rarely gets seriously dark.

According to the showrunners, Patience’s powers are related to the way she died. In the early promo clip, she mentions that she died by bloodletting, so the odds are good that Patience’s “Intense” powers will be pretty atypically bloody for the series. Ghosts might include a lot of dead characters, but the show’s tone rarely gets seriously dark. Compared to shows with similar premises like Shining Vale, the CBS sitcom is surprisingly upbeat and light-hearted. While Patience’s powers might be benign, and may even set up Ghosts season 4’s Jay twist, they could also prove gorier than usual.

Patience Can Allow Ghosts Season 4 To Play Up Its Creepiness

Mary Holland’s Character Can Balance Scariness and Sweetness

Ghosts is overdue an injection of horror after the show’s first three seasons established a playful tone for the show. At the end of the day, Ghosts is about a haunted house, so it makes sense for the series to have some creep factor built into its tone. Patience can bring back this element of unsettling horror, while Holland’s charisma means the character will remain likable despite her inadvertent creepiness. As Ghosts continues to expand the show’s stable of recurring ghostly guest stars, it is fun to see the series embrace its horror roots.

Other upcoming plots, like Ghosts season 4’s Sass backstory revelations, are likely to be less scary and more poignant. This makes Patience’s presence even better, since the supporting star can provide scares when the show’s combination of historical drama and character comedy slows down proceedings. Ghosts season 4 needs a little more horror in the show’s setup, so this new supporting character’s arrival could not be more perfectly timed.

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