Like a number of TV shows airing right now, Ghosts suffers from exposition dumping, which is an unfortunate result of networks demanding writers cater to the people who are second scrolling. As a result, some moments are a bit frustrating, making it feel like we’re wasting precious moments with the characters, when instead, we could be getting a well-played, subtle jab or a nuanced insider that can parallel past seasons. Still, this flaw isn’t the end-all, be-all, and Ghosts Season 5 continues to ensure that the series remains the best sitcom on TV.
More than anything, it’s a love letter to endurance, brought on by our favorite little weirdos continuing to fight despite the walls mounted before them. Through another well-balanced season, we get plenty of opportunities for character development that sticks the landing and keeps the show fresh. From the first episode, “Soul Custody,” to the finale, “Across the Pond,” Season 5 reminds us of why Woodstone Mansion remains a safe space.
Ghosts Season 5 Continues to Be a Comfort Watch
Sitcoms often do the best job of weaving in heavy topics with plenty of laughs to ensure that we’re never teetering too far along the edge. And even as Ghosts pulls punches to keep us a little uneasy, it never leaves behind any sort of bruise we can’t come back from. In fact, it always does the opposite, taking something as taxing as the fear of failure and simultaneously turning it into one of the funniest Thanksgiving episodes of all time. It delivers an emotionally fitting Christmas episode to remind us of just how intimately Sam, Jay, and the ghosts have changed each other.
Those quiet moments, coupled with the more frustrating ones (like Trevor and Patience’s tryst), allow the show to be a place of comfort where we can understand that these characters will come out of whatever rut they’re in. Flower even wins the elections, giving Sheila Carrasco some incredible episodes to shine, and Tristan D. Lalla’s Mark finally learns the truth about Sam’s ability to talk to ghosts. Characters come and go throughout, and we get moments both big and small to remind us that the residents of Woodstone would do anything for each other.
Narratively, the series always juggles a ton, so it’s riveting to look back and see just how much we get in the span of one season. Because even the episodes that are lighter in stakes still provide plenty of emotional beats that layer the characters and their dynamics. With the series taking a larger hiatus between seasons this time around, the finale also leaves us with enough to keep us pondering how the holiday specials will be in the next few months. There’s never a dull moment, and to say that about a show five seasons in feels rare nowadays.
The actors continue to give us their best, ensuring that everything they bring to their characters layers them even further, and directorial changes with cast members allow for solid features to think about. And the one thing I’ve always said is that on any other show, pop culture references to this extent simply wouldn’t work, yet Ghosts continues to find the sweet spot where each name drop hilariously adds both humor and something to think about.
There really is no other comedy like it, and how the showrunners continue to give us gems in every episode is remarkable in every way.
Ghosts Season 5 is now streaming on Paramount+. What are your thoughts on the season? Let us know in the comments below.
