Ghosts 2×19 “Ghost Father of the Bride,” brings the laughs and the feels as the series starts winding down for the season. Whenever families of the ghosts visit Woodstone, a good time is had by all. Sure, there may be some tears along the way. However, the presence of family always grounds these characters even more. Of course, there can’t possibly be a wedding at Woodstone without an appropriate amount of ghostly hijinks along the way.
Pete Martino, the Only Valid Father
If you have father issues, watching Pete Martino (Richie Moriarty) be the dad you never had may do something to you. If you need a dad, he more than fits the bill. While he might be taking lessons on how to be a criminal-adjacent father from Thor (Devan Chandler Long), Pete never loses his massive heart for his family. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of his daughter’s wedding, whatever it takes, within reason for a Pinecone troop leader.
What makes Pete such a great father to Laura (Holly Gauthier-Frankel) is the fact that Pete not only wants to cement his own legacy, but he truly wants his daughter to be happy. One of the many beautiful parts of this story is that it feels full circle for Pete as a character. He may not have been alive to see his daughter grow up, but he’s here now to watch her begin a new chapter in her life. Not even Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) and her anti-feminist views can take that away.
Jay and Pete, Bromance for the Ages
There really are few friendships as pure as Jay’s (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and Pete’s. They continue to support each other, even if one can’t see the other. This friendship requires a massive amount of trust. We should all be so lucky to have a friendship like this one. Every moment these two spend “together” is yet a crushing reminder that these two should be able to see each other and communicate freely. If Jay falls down the stairs and has a near-death experience, no one would mind.
Relatedly, Ghosts 2×19 “Ghost Father of the Bride,” is further proof that Jay and Sam (Rose McIver) always manage to be two sides of the same coin. They both obviously want what’s best for the ghosts. However, sometimes that means getting themselves into a hilarious amount of trouble. They really go all out to ensure that the Martinos are physically trapped at Woodstone. Their intentions are good, and in the end, they do right by Pete and his family. This is what grounds the chaos at Woodstone; it’s always for a good cause.
Crash, the Origin Story
Ghosts finally revisits a character who, until now, has remained in the literal shadows. Crash (Alex Boniello), being the discounted Grease Lightning he is, was perhaps always going to be absolutely horrible. After seeing more of this character, he should maybe stay there. Of course, there’s no way that Ghosts could top the headless ghost story of the BBC version. Sir Humphrey Bone’s origin story is brutal. There’s maybe only room for one headless ghost whose life and death are hilarious and devastating.
Seeing more of Crash’s character is an opportunity to reflect on the fact that this is who Trevor (Asher Grodman) could so easily have become. Whereas Trevor has become a man (or ghost) of the current times and now respects women, Crash is very clearly stuck in his ways. His continued bothering of Flower (Sheila Carrasco) is evidence of the fact that this ghost shows no interest in adapting to the modern world, at least not yet. He belongs in the tree stump, and hopefully he will only re-emerge when he’s ready to do some serious self-reflection.
Pony and Bangs, Open for Business
Ghosts 2×19 “Ghost Father of the Bride,” brings Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) and Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) together as yet another best friendship to cheer for. These two have chemistry for days, and this is hopefully not the last time their detective agency will be in action. Watching them solve a “crime” that has an obvious culprit is a testament to how adept the ghosts are at creating their own entertainment. If they need to commit more “crimes” in the name of getting the solve, so be it. Isaac and Alberta need to combine their one-liners and savage takedowns of other ghosts way more often.
As Ghosts heads into the final episodes of the season, the series shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it’s unbearably sad to think that the doors of Woodstone are about to close temporarily before a whole new season of hijinks. In the meantime, hopefully, Ghosts will continue to put out a silly amount of ghostly fun with a side of emotional damage that this episode so perfectly illustrates. This is truly the Woodstone way.
Ghosts airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.
