The holidays have arrived at Woodstone Manor with Ghosts 2×09 and 2×10 “The Christmas Spirit,” Parts One and Two. The holiday hijinks are extra hilarious and extra poignant as the show harnesses the chaos of the season. If anyone can capture the absolute disarray of this time of year, it’s the residents of Woodstone Manor. Hauntukkah and Ghostmas are our new favorite holidays, and we’re officially celebrating them every year from now until the end of time.
Woodstone Takes on Hallmark
Let’s be honest, Woodstone Manor is actually the perfect setting worthy of the coziest Hallmark stories. The fact that Sam (Rose McIver) is the true Holiday Queen just makes her so much more endearing. Her desire to re-create this seasonal comfort is incredibly relatable. The haters have no effect on the woman determined to make the holidays merry and bright.
Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) continues to be the only valid wife guy. It’s great to see him get on board after having to be dragged to get with the program. He will stop at nothing to fulfill his wife’s winter wishes, and that makes him worthy to be Sam’s husband. She deserves nothing less than a man who will move heaven and Earth (and deal with a dirty-minded train passenger) to deliver holiday perfection.
Rose McIver: The Only Valid Thor
Speaking of the living Woodstone residents, McIver gives a career-defining performance, playing a woman possessed by Thor (Devan Chandler Long). If Chris Hemsworth isn’t quaking in his boots that he’s no longer the definitive version of the mythological Norse figure, he should be.
So, what makes McIver’s version a legendary one? It’s in the details. The way she captures the movements, the voice, and the emotions is picture-perfect.
McIver’s Thor portrayal is also such a sweet one. She captures the raw feelings of a man who hasn’t lived for 1000 years, rediscovering the world in a tactile way. Throw in the discovery of Sam’s gift to Thor, and you have a tear-jerking moment in the midst of all of the laughs. One can only hope Thor enjoyed all the seafood he could get his hands on. It is, after all, befitting a Viking king.
The Perfect Holiday Threesome:
Ghosts 2×09 and 2×10, “The Christmas Spirit, Part 1 and 2,” sets up a perfect threesome we didn’t know we needed. We love the polyamorous royalty that are Flower (Sheila Carrasco) and Thorfinn. However, Bela (Punam Patel) and Trevor (Asher Grodman) clearly haven’t finished their story. Their reunion is a sweet, if hilarious one. Props to Eric (Andrew Leeds) for being willing to take the leap to bring Bela and Trevor together. Get you a man who will get himself possessed by a ghost to fulfill all of your wildest desires.
Perhaps the sweetest part of this storyline is just how supportive Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) is as a wingman. His total support of Trevor’s ghostly sex goals is commendable. He combines reality checks with unbridled enthusiasm to see his friend happy. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Sasappis in their corner cheering them on, no matter how ridiculous one’s schemes become.
In other possession news, it’s devastating to think that Jay’s possession by Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) was a traumatic experience. It makes sense that that loss of autonomy was so jarring and left such a massive impact. It just furthers the case that, hopefully, Jay will one day be able to see and interact with the ghosts, rather than have one of them inhabit his body.
Judah Maccabee or T-Money?
There’s a new Hanukkah hero in town, and his name is Trevor. He’s a problematic fave, but we need to defend him at all costs. If it’s a toss-up between Judah Maccabee or Trevor, the fight would be a close one. Trevor has consistently shown that he’s willing to harness his Wall Street bro abilities for good, and it makes him so crushingly loveable.
There have been several moments this season where it’s been teased that Trevor’s body is going to be found soon. If this is the case, it’s going to be a devastating reveal. After all, he was left for dead by his alleged friends. Hopefully, if this heartbreaking story does come full circle, there will be comeuppance coming for the frat bros who deserve no mercy. In the meantime, he deserves an eigth night of Hanukkah like no other.
Alberta and the Christmas Cookies
In the wake of Alberta’s (Danielle Pinnock) devastating rejection of Pete (Richie Moriarty), it’s more clear than ever that these two should be shipped as best friends. Poor Pete can’t catch a break. But with that being said, the constant reminder of Alberta’s hand on his face is strangely heartwarming. He’ll learn to move forward, though. His optimistic nature demands it.
It also has to be said that the singing, led by the great Alberta, is ethereally beautiful. This is an example of how Alberta is truly the glue that holds this little family together. Every time we get to hear Alberta’s voice, it is a gift that keeps on giving. Hopefully, this is not the last time we will hear this goddess of a woman use her angelic talent.
Isaac and Nigel: A Continued Revolutionary Love Story for the Ages
Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) and Nigel (John Hartman) have always been worth cheering for. Ghosts has been setting them up as endgame for a while, and now, their moment is finally here. It’s as sweet and heartwarming as one would expect. This has been a long and winding journey for these two. They’ve had over 200 years to admit their feelings for one another. This is a new beginning for them, and it’s exciting to think about where they’ll go next.
The continued development of Isaac as the dark horse hero is as sweet as it is surprising. This episode sees him able to forgive himself for his own mistakes and recognize the love and peace he deserves in his afterlife. The fact that his wife was the one who stayed with him in his final moments and dressed him in his iconic uniform is one we won’t stop crying over any time soon.
Ghosts ends the first half of this season in picture-perfect form. This is how a holiday special is done. The chaos, heartbreak, and all-around good time are balanced perfectly. This is a holiday episode that should be re-visited year after year. If you’re looking for a setup for happy holidays, look no further.
Other Spooky Thoughts:
- Any chance to make fun of Benjamin Franklin is a chance we’ll take, every day of the week.
- Can Eric see ghosts now since he technically died? Did he come close enough to the afterlife to have this superpower? These are the real questions fans need answers to.
- Bela and Jay are such A+ siblings. They have one another’s back and are absolutely unhinged when they get together.
- The fact that Flower was in charge of going after runners in the cult. This woman is fully entering her villain era, and we love to see it.
- The literal SCREAM we let out at the end. Is shipping ghosts a thing now? It probably is, and we should embrace it.
Ghosts airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.
