Why Ghosts Season 5 Must Fix the One Thing Fans Can’t Ignore

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Although Ghosts has avoided losing any of the show’s many major characters so far, season 5 of the CBS sitcom must explain how this works without breaking with the show’s established lore. The ghosts of CBS’s Ghosts are the show’s main focus, as was the case in the 2019 BBC sitcom of the same name that inspired the series. Sam and Jay can’t even have kids in Ghosts since so much of their time and energy is taken up by the schemes of Woodstone Mansor’s undead inhabitants.

However, the lore behind the afterlife that Thor, Sass, Isaac, Hetty, Alberta, Flower, Pete, and Trevor share isn’t entirely clear. The ghosts were still discovering new supernatural powers in season 4, and the outing revealed that Hetty’s ex-husband Elias became a demon after his soul went to Hell in an earlier episode. As a demon, Elias can take the form of a human and even tricked Jay into unknowingly signing his soul over to the devil. Ghosts season 5’s Elias/ Jay storyline will soon be a major part of the next outing’s overarching story.

None of the Woodstone Manor’s Spirits Got “Sucked Off” in Ghosts Season 4

The Ghosts Stayed In Place Despite Making Up For Their Personal Failings

However, there is another detail of the sitcom’s lore that Ghosts season 5 must explain before it is too late. Early on, the ghosts explained to Sam and Jay that they were trapped on Earth until they completed their unfinished business, at which point their souls ascended to Heaven. Hilariously, the innocent ghosts refer to this process as getting “Sucked off,” and the fate seemingly befell the good-natured hippie Flower in season 2’s finale. Season 3 later revealed that Flower didn’t make it to Heaven but was instead stuck in a well.

However, Ghosts has yet to explain why most of the main ghosts haven’t been “Sucked off” by now despite their character development. Pete, Isaac, Flower, Trevor, and arguably even Alberta, Hetty, and Thor should have ascended to Heaven, as they have all undergone a lot of character growth since Sam and Jay’s arrival. While Pete and Alberta’s Ghosts season 5 romance makes this fate less likely for them in the immediate future, it is almost impossible to understand why characters like Isaac remain in situ.

By the time Isaac gave Sam and Jay great advice on running Mahesh, it seemed like his days in the manor were numbered.

Isaac’s season 4 character development was one of the show’s most notable arcs yet. First, he made peace with Patience, and then he later saved the rest of the ghosts from her. After that, he sincerely apologized to his former fiancée, Nigel, for calling off their wedding, allowed Sam to completely rewrite his biography, took it on the chin when Chris picked Nigel over him, and even spared Nigel’s feelings when Chris left. By the time Isaac gave Sam and Jay great advice on running Mahesh, it seemed like his days in the manor were numbered.

Ghosts Season 5 Must Clarify When Spirits Ascend To The Afterlife

Numerous Main Character Arcs Have Seemingly Come Full Circle

Instead, Jay’s Ghosts story dominated the action of episode 22, “The Devil Went Down to Woodstone,” and the question of Isaac ascending to the afterlife appeared to be forgotten. None of the ghosts have seriously considered the possibility of their ascent to Heaven recently, even though all of them have improved their biggest personality flaws since they passed away. Pete has grown more assertive, Isaac more thoughtful, Hetty has dropped her anti-Irish bigotry and embraced her Celtic heritage, and Thor has learned to be a good friend.

One could argue that Sass needs to experience the romance he missed out on in life to ascend, and this could explain Sass’s Ghosts season 4 love story. However, if fixing the failures of one’s time on Earth is the only criterion for ascending to Heaven, Trevor is a perfect candidate. In episode 19, “Pinkus Returns,” he met his daughter and made peace with his legacy while, in episode 14, “Alexander Hamilton and the Ruffle Kerfuffle,” he talked Thor out of selling his soul to the Devil. Later in season 4, Thor risked his (after-)life to save Sass.

Ghosts Season 5 Still Needs The CBS Sitcom’s Main Characters

Ghosts Can’t Afford to Send Its Redeemed Stars Packing

On the whole, Isaac has gone from a catty, selfish, delusional character to a kind, supportive friend, Thor from an angry, wrathful character to a sweet friend and love interest, and Trevor from a self-involved, amoral trader to a caring, supportive member of the Woodstone Manor community. All the ghosts have grown and matured since Sam and Jay’s arrival, but it seems none of them have done anything that merits getting “Sucked off.” This seems dubious, but there is a narrative justification.

Ghosts season 5 can’t just drop one of the show’s main cast members, meaning the bar for what gets a character taken away from the Manor always has to grow higher. The characters must change over time or their stories will feel stale, which is why Ghosts season 5 must explain Sass’s death after years of teasing this revelation. However, they can’t become so mature, kind, and supportive that their continued presence on the property starts to feel like a plot hole. This puts the show in a double bind, meaning the ghosts must either stop developing as characters or exit the series.

How Ghosts Season 5 Can Explain Its Remaining Ghosts

Ghosts Season 5 Must Reintroduce The Main Cast’s Character Flaws

The best way for Ghosts season 5 to justify holding onto all of its main characters is for the series to remember that not all character growth is linear and positive. Although they don’t need to aggressively revert to their worst selves, the ghosts should show their darker sides more often in season 5. This doesn’t need to render them unlikable, but it should be just enough to remind viewers they are far from perfect and therefore haven’t quite earned a trip to Heaven yet.

From Pete’s inability to stand up for himself to Trevor’s greed and avarice, the ghosts of the sitcom have plenty of problems left to overcome. These distinct character flaws don’t always overlap with their character growth, meaning they can retain their newfound maturity and still display these issues in new episodes. While the next spirit to leave Ghosts is impossible to predict, ratcheting up the existing flaws of the cast members could justify the continued presence of many fan-favorite characters as Ghosts enters into season 5.

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