The best part of Ghosts continues to be the friendships within Woodstone Mansion. Every dynamic, in its own unique way, reminds viewers of what an intimate purgatory this version of the afterlife tends to be for the characters. In Ghosts Season 4, Episode 10, “The Not-So-Silent Partner,” we reunite with a camaraderie that’s been in the background for a while now.
First things first, Hetty is Irish (Who’s shocked!?!!), and while the revelation is a shock to every Woodstone resident, it’s not a secret to Thor. In fact, it’s the only secret the Viking brute has ever been capable of keeping because he’s still looking out for Hetty and her well-being. He’s still taking care of her when the lights are out, even though she can certainly take care of herself. It says so much about Thor that he cares for her as deeply, but more than anything, it’s the message the episode delivers that feels especially relevant to how the state of the world is right now. (Another winner for Ghosts as it also does this with “The Primary Source.“)
Ghosts Season 4, Episode 10 Is About Acceptance
Hatred runs deep for many of the Woodstone residents. For Thor, especially because even while he’s here telling Hetty that he’s learned how people are all the same no matter where they come from, he still hates the Danes. But what’s so painfully obvious is that, for instance, if Hetty learned that she was somehow Danish, he’d still love her. He’d still love Flower and anyone else. He’d realize that his message is actually true for all people, without exclusions. In a weird and beautifully twisted way, the episode is about accepting the things we (or, in this case, the characters) cannot change, and it starts with Hetty and ends with Isaac.
“I still want to protect you,” Thor says while looking back at how, even though he’s no longer Hetty’s invisible friend, he’s taken up the mantle to do this for her. And that’s largely because of the love that runs deep for each of the ghosts. So, in a lot of ways, every bit of growth these characters have and the choices they make is by virtue of how they’ve grown together. It’s easier for Hetty to accept her Irish lineage after she’s been drilled to hate them because those around her don’t see her any differently. It doesn’t change who she is to them. It also doesn’t change who she is outside of what she’s believed.
Isaac’s Restaurant Decision Is Significant for His Growth
Because Isaac has seen such goodness from the ghosts, as well as from Sam and Jay, it makes his decision in Ghosts Season 4, Episode 10, “The Not-So-Silent Partner” easier to make. So much of Isaac’s pain comes from being forgotten—from the work he’s done that the history books neglect. Yet, whether a memorable hero in name or not, he knows that no matter what happens, he has a place at Woodstone Mansion. These characters love him and whether the tiles are his preference or not, he knows that Sam and Jay would never do anything to harm him.
Instead, he takes the extra step to say that he wants to keep the ghost table for his friends, not him. This decision is also a result of Isaac understanding the role he played in the downfall of his and Nigel’s relationship. Growth is continuing to try, and try he does. Plus, we can also look back at how the Christmas special gave the ghosts a better understanding of how much the restaurant means to Jay.
Isaac’s decision is everything we need to know that he’s making actual changes inspired by the acceptance plus patience—not the Puritan ghost—he’s seen extended toward him. He’s comfortable in allowing himself moments to grow because of the love that’s around him, and similarly, that’s how we can look at Hetty accepting her Irish ancestry and even Thor’s apology for keeping it a secret. It’s the sort of proof we need to see how far these characters are willing to go to showcase how much they care, and much of it comes from sincere apologies, conversations, and truly selfless decisions.
Ghosts Season 4, Episode 10, “The Not-So-Silent Partner” is now streaming on Paramount Plus.
