Ghosts is approaching its mid-season finale with Ghosts 2×08 “The Liquor License.” Benjamin Frankin, frat parties, and the most chaotic speakeasy featuring bootlegged booze is the best that this series has to offer. Shocking twists and tantalizing details of a murder most foul bring everything together, as fans get ready for the festive special coming our way. The return of this series from a brief hiatus comes at exactly the time we need it most. Woodstone Manor is always here to welcome us home.
Isaac Higgentoot, Revolutionary War Hero and Sad Boy Extraordinaire
Isaac Higgentoot (Brandon Scott Jones) has mainly provided the background gasps and snide remarks for his compatriots this season. Never one to miss an opportunity to throw shade at Alexander Hamilton, he’s quick to remind everyone that he’s the snootiest one in any room. His journey with Nigel (John Hartman) has been a poignant one. He wasn’t able to live as his true self when he was alive, so he’d better be able to in his afterlife.
In all of the hilarity of Isaac’s character in this episode, there’s actually a lot of heartbreak underneath. We know he was married, which is so awful to think about the heartbreak that would have caused him. We also know that all he ever wanted was to be accepted by his peers. Even if he had to work with unsavory characters like Ben Franklin, he just wanted to make himself known. He clearly has always known what he’s capable of offering the world. It’s devastating that this was too often ignored.
Trevor and Isaac: Frat Bros For Eternity
Isaac and Trevor (Asher Grodman) should spend a lot more time on-screen together. They may seem like polar opposites. In reality, they are more alike than anyone could have imagined. Their dual visions of what a fraternity is are both funny and heartwarming. Trevor evidently understands where Isaac is coming from, in wanting to be accepted. It’s beautiful that Trevor’s instinct isn’t to mock Isaac for his past rejections, but to make Isaac part of the team, and a founding member of the ghosts’ fraternity.
The fact that Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) and Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) immediately want to be in the thinky meeting of the minds fraternity Isaac tries to get off the ground is a credit to both of their characters. They really are better than everyone, and they should say so. As serious as they are, they need their fun too. Seeing Flower (Sheila Carrasco) and Thor (Devan Chandler Long) revel in being the lives of the party is such a joy. Ghosts 2×08 “The Liquor License” harnesses this fun in the best possible way. It’s easier to get into shenanigans like jumping off of roofs when you’re already dead, and nothing can hurt you.
Rum Running and Law Breaking
Woodstone Manor is the picture-perfect setting for a prohibition-era speakeasy, with corresponding illicit booze that is powerful enough to blind the heaviest imbibers. Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) has been the pinnacle of that era. She knows how to avoid Jonny Law and how to look and sound fantastic doing it. Watching her advocate for a return to her glory days makes her even more lovable as if that’s even possible.
Enter Sandra, sorry, Sherry (Kaliko Kauahi), trying to kill everyone’s fun. She’s delightfully bureaucratic. It’s hard to not root for her, even as she’s trying to sniff out illegal activity. She’s trying to destroy everyone’s fun, and she’s kind of perfect doing it. She knows how to do her job, and do it well. However, she is no match for the chaos of Woodstone Manor.
Alberta and Pete, Peas in a Pod
Alberta and Pete (Richie Moriarty) are so good together. Not in a romantic way (sorry, Pete), but as the best of friends. Pete has always been too uptight for his own good, even in his afterlife when presumably he’d be able to relax. He needs Alberta to teach him the important lesson that rules and regulations aren’t everything. Breaking out of his Pinecone Troop persona every once in a while is just what Pete needs.
Ghosts 2×08 “The Liquor License” also hints at more of Alberta’s backstory. Who the heck is T? Who was behind Alberta’s murder? Maybe Sam’s (Rose McIver) podcast can shed some light on the truth. Fans saw a tiny glimpse of Alberta’s backstory this season. There is obviously so much more in this character’s past to explore.
Shawshanking a Terrible Business
Sam and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) are great people, and will always be couples goals. Sadly, their lovability doesn’t translate to good business sense. However, there’s something oddly endearing about seeing these two work together to solve their problems, relying on Jay’s love of The Shawshank Redemption. Unlike a lot of idiot men who hold this up as their favorite movie while blatantly misunderstanding the message, Jay’s love is pure.
Ghosts has had a smashing start to its season, and the series is in a perfect position for lots of holiday fun. Each ghost has had the opportunity to showcase elements of their lives and afterlives. There is no telling what kind of holiday hijinks the residents of Woodstone, living and dead, can get up to. The holidays are a chance for the series to dial up the chaos to a whole other degree, and we can’t wait to be along for the ride.
Other Spooky Thoughts:
- Isaac’s passing comment about Trevor’s frat bros throwing his body in the lake might indicate we will see the discovery of Trevor’s body this season. This writer for one is not ready.
- Someone needs to start an actual Woodstone podcast about the lives of all of the people who died here.
- Normally we don’t condone the desecration of dead bodies, but we’ll make an exception for Elias Woodstone. He deserves what he gets in this episode.
Ghosts airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.
