For four seasons, Ghosts has teased viewers about Hetty’s ghost power, often using the others in the house to mock her for not having one. But gone are those days because as revealed in “St. Hetty’s Day,” our girl does have a ghost power. And it’s a glorious one.
In “The Not-So-Silent Partner,” we learn that Hetty is actually Irish. This allows her to break her deeply rooted hatred to eventually accept her ancestry. Today, on St. Patrick’s Day, Ghosts Season 4, Episode 16, “St. Hetty’s Day,” reveals that for one day out of the year, Hetty will become visible to mortals outside of Sam. And for the first time, she even has the chance to be on a proper date, making the episode one of the show’s most heartwarming depictions of adoration to date.
I haven’t made it a secret that I’m a big Hetty and Trevor shipper. And part of that is because, with him, she has a reminder of her excellence. She knows now that when it comes to a relationship, a woman can have control, adoration, and respect. While she wasn’t perfect during her time on earth, she never deserved how a man like Elias treated her. (No woman ever does.) She never deserved to be belittled. With Trevor—despite how she insists on calling him a rebound—she knows that she’s respected and appreciated. In addition, having the chance to see a similar type of respect from a mortal who’s interested in her also proves to her that she is desirable.
In Ghosts Season 4, Episode 16, “St. Hetty’s Day,” Jay’s cousin, Sunil, not only sees her (physically, which alone means something) but he’s compelled by her. Fully and thoroughly entranced. It brings forth a whole new meaning to embracing her Irish roots because it explores shedding some of the hatred that Elias inflicted upon her. It means overcoming those small voices that might not actively hurt her anymore but are there in the back of her mind still. Hetty Woodstone is no shrinking violet. But she’s still a human being—dead or alive—and sometimes, no matter how thick a person’s skin is, everyone feels the pain from all the wounds inflicted upon us. Rebecca Wisocky is exemplary at conveying Hetty’s wit. But she’s also sensational at portraying her longing—the deeply rooted desire to be wanted, to be revered. To be loved.
At the same time, what we see in “St. Hetty’s Day” is proof of her great, big heart. Proof of how much adoration she her capable of giving to others. Visibility, in this sense, means something more significant for a woman who had trouble accepting her rights. It means something for the woman who didn’t know that she can also feel pleasure in intimacy. It means something for a woman who’s no longer in the shadows, even if it’s just for a day. It’s accepting every part of her that was snuffed out.
It’s a big deal to go on a date with someone who’s ready to give you to the world. To be around someone who knows they can never find another person like you. It’s a big deal to be the reason someone has hope again, and for Sunil, that’ll always be Hetty Woodstone. And for Hetty, this could be her reminder to keep shining around the people who love her light and are happy to share all their joy with her.
Ghosts is now streaming on Paramount+.
