Sam & Kyle (and Jay):
One of the many ironies of “Ghosts” is that Sam (Rose McIver) is peculiarly isolated. She and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) live on a fairly remote property, and she’s the only person with access to a world no one else can see. But when you really think about it, Sam actually has more access to potential friends than anyone alive—literally.
The current global population is about 8.2 billion, but it’s estimated that over 110 billion people have ever lived. Assuming just 1% of them became ghosts instead of getting “sucked off” (or, you know… the other thing), that’s 1.1 billion spectral acquaintances Sam could befriend. On the flip side, that’s also 1.1 billion ghosts who might want to use her to accomplish their unfinished tasks… or microwave a fresh Hot Pocket.
Of course, it only makes sense that Sam wouldn’t be the only person in the world with this power. Enter Kyle (Ben Feldman), who shows up this week with a very familiar backstory. Like Sam, he had a near-death experience (one that sounds hilariously close to something that actually happened to Fabio) and came back with the ability to see ghosts. He’s charming, reasonably funny, and instantly becomes a point of concern for Jay, who’s not thrilled about another ghost-seer hanging out with his wife.
At first, Jay’s jealousy seems silly. Kyle’s presence is awkward, sure, but he seems harmless (he even has a great excuse for a felony!). Even Sam rolls her eyes at Jay’s insecurity. But then Kyle makes a move, and suddenly Jay’s “paranoia” looks more like well-honed intuition. The moment is both funny and satisfying, especially because it flips the typical dynamic of the inconsiderate, overprotective male companion on its head.
The show does a great job of setting Kyle up like he might be a recurring foil or quirky side character, only to reveal him as a bit of a creeper who probably won’t be invited back anytime soon. It’s a fun twist and a clever reminder that having ghost powers doesn’t make someone eager to split up a relationship any less of a creep (take note, Alberta).
Sas & Joan:
As Flower might say, “our long national nightmare is over!”: Sassappis is no longer a 537-year-old virgin! Let’s hope he doesn’t get sucked off anytime soon, though!
On a more serious note, what makes Sas’ storyline work so well is how unexpectedly nervous he gets about the whole thing. While he’s usually the calm, rational one, the voice of reason when everyone else is spiraling, he seems almost completely unable to read signals when it comes to women. In fact, when it comes to sex, he’s completely in his own head. It’s a perfect character moment, and one that makes him instantly more human (or… ghostly human).
Arguably the best part of this story so far is Sas’ misguided attempt to follow Thor’s advice to throw Joan onto the bed. It certainly sounds like something we would see Fabio doing on the cover of a romance novel, but it’s not exactly Sas’ style. While the writers have clearly been leading up to this moment for a while now, it’s been nagging at me that the consummation of his relationship with Joan didn’t initially appear to have an obviously ghostly element to it. Of course, this is just what this story needed to be fun!
Acting on Thor’s advice, Sas throws Joan onto the bed with all the passion he can muster, only for her to go flying straight out of the building. It’s a perfectly Ghosts-specific gag: a mix of supernatural physics and painfully relatable awkwardness. While I’d bet not many people have fallen out of buildings during sex, expectations not quite matching reality is pretty common.
And once the deed is done, the reactions from the rest of the crew are perfection. Sas proudly announces he’s no longer a virgin, and the ghosts’ collective response is exactly the kind of over-the-top chaos you’d hope for. The only lingering question: What exactly was Joan doing while Sas ran around the house bragging about it?
Rating: 8.5/10 – This episode was a lot of fun! While it seems unlikely that Sam or Jay would relish the idea of Kyle returning anytime soon, I think occasionally having someone else who can see ghosts gives the show a nice twist.
Additional Notes:
Does this actually mean Fabio can see ghosts? If he ever guest stars, I definitely want to see Trevor’s reaction to meeting him.
Who else loved hearing Nancy (Betsy Sodaro) talk about her bet with the basement ghosts for back rubs? A bet on Sas’ virginity combined with when a tree branch breaks is peak “Ghosts”!
This tree branch breaking has been referenced several times over the years, so it’s surely gonna be a bigger thing down the road, right?
Best Quotes:
Sas: “You don’t get to be a 500-year-old virgin by picking up on clues, okay? I need things spelled out.”
Thor: “Like Sam, but man… ManSam!”
Pete: “When we met, I was smelling his meat.”
Alberta: “I remember how he was correct and you gaslit him to hell.”
Hetty: “What makes it really easy is they almost never have guests.”
Trevor: “I’m gonna let you use my room… aka the boneyard.”
Sas: “No one call it that.”
Trevor: “They will if you do your job.”
Trevor [when invited to watch Flower and Thor fornicate]: “Eh. I got nothing else to do.”
Thor: “And putting CODPOCKET on Thor plate!”
Sam [in a decidedly pointed manner]: “Goodbye, Kyle.”
Joan: “I’m head over heels for you… Literally, I landed facedown in a family of woodchucks.”
Joan: “For a roamer, you sure are around a lot.”
Sas: “Pete, get the hell out of here.”
Jay: “I KNEW IT! I was right. Oh, I am so angry, but also vindicated, so I’m a little happy about it.”
Hetty: “How far did you let it go? Blink twice for all the way.”
Thor: “Small man about to be thrown outside of house, if you know what Thor mean.”
Sam: “I love you.”
Jay: “I know.”
Jay: “It was Han Solo—in Empire. Is Pete in the room?”
Flower “They might need help! This isn’t something two people should do by themselves!”
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