Can’t Miss Episode of the Week: The ‘Ghosts’ Go to Therapy
Welcome to our weekly column Can’t Miss Episode of the Week! Every Saturday we’ll be spotlighting a different episode of television from that week that we thought was exceptional and a must-see. Check back to see if your favorite show got the nod — or to learn about a new one! Spoilers ahead.
If CBS’s Ghosts is essentially a show about spirits trapped in the same house as eternal roommates, that element got quite a bit more literal this week. In “Thorapy,” season 1, episode 15, which aired on March 3, living couple Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) inform the ghosts that with renovations to Woodstone Mansion’s bedrooms underway to get ready for the Bed & Breakfast’s grand opening, the ghosts will have to bunk up two to a room at night (yes, despite being undead, the ghosts sleep). This is, of course, a perfect set up for hilarious conflict, and a taste of what is to come for this show once Woodstone is filled with guests.
You’d think there’d be a limit to the shenanigans this series can get up to since it spends most of its time confined to one house, but Ghosts never fails to think outside the box. When Thorfinn the Viking (Devan Long) drives new roommate Trevor (Asher Grodman) crazy with his night terrors, the other characters don’t just try to get Thor to talk about it; Jay has the grand idea to invite a therapist to the house so that Sam can relay Thor’s bad dreams as if they’re her own. It’s a wonder that McIver is ever able to keep a straight face, especially as Sam has to pretend to be agoraphobic to get the therapist to make a house call.
The revelation that Thor ate his best friend during a harsh winter is delivered with peak comedic timing as he pauses before mentioning eating a tail because said friend was actually a squirrel. But nothing beats Thor accidentally chopping off Trevor’s arm with his axe when he’s awoken from a nightmare. I love that this show has, despite its silliness, thought through so thoroughly its mythology. In this case, the new thing we learn about the ghosts is that they can maim each other–we see the flesh and bone of Trevor’s severed arm for a moment–until their bodies instantly knit back together.
And while the gruff and lovable Thorfinn is my favorite ghost, the scene-stealer of this episode is Sasappis (Román Zaragoza). The clever Native runs circles around his housemates as he, already knowing about the night terrors, manipulates Trevor into bunking with Thor instead of him. Later on, when Sam is trying to convince Thor to come see the therapist, Sasappis uses reverse psychology–Vikings don’t like to be called scared–to get Thor to agree. Sasappis’ dry wit, which Zaragoza impeccably deadpans, makes me laugh out loud every time.
This episode also takes another huge step forward with Revolutionary War ghost Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones). It’s sad that after all this time, Isaac is still in the closet about his sexuality, but when the others suggest he share a room with Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), he’s suspicious of why they’re not scandalized by two (undead) people of the opposite sex in the same room. What’s brilliant here is that while the other ghosts are all well aware of Isaac’s homosexuality, Hetty, in her old-fashioned way, is the only one who is oblivious to it. It makes the moment when Isaac finally comes out to her all the sweeter, as she receives the shock of the news, and then accepts with nothing but love for her friend.
Other observations we thought made this episode stand out:
- Jay suggests that Sam not just meet with the therapist for the sake of the ghosts, but to have someone to confide in, aside from him, about these rambunctious spirits. She declines for now, but I personally would love to see an episode where Sam has to convince a therapist that she’s not crazy, and she really can see ghosts.
Ghosts, Thursdays, 9/8c, CBS
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J
We saw that the ghosts "magically" come back together, so to speak, last week, when Sas gave Sam his storytelling feather. It zapped back into his hair as soon as he let go of it, and he said at the time "things go back to where they were when you're a ghost."
Interesting that one minute Hetty was ready to accept Isaac's (very awkward) advances, and yet in the next scene, she easily accepts his 'coming out.' Kind of crazy for such a staid Victorian woman.
Also, I wondered why Sam & Jay (as well as everyone else) could suddenly hear Thor's night terrors, when apparently up to that moment, they'd never heard them. (And I won't even get into the crazy physics of being dead, like how the ghosts can walk through walls, and yet don't fall through the floor, and they can also lay atop a bed. 🙃 )
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R
I would say that Thor's nightmares weren't uncovered until Trevor started rooming with him. And then therapy (as Trevor says) "made it so much worse," causing the dreams to be louder and more violent (and making them heard throughout the house). But previously, if you weren't sleeping in the same room as Thor, you wouldn't have heard his nightmares.
As far as Hetty accepting Isaac when he came out to her, well, I don't know why that's inconsistent with her being turned on by his previous advances. If anything, Isaac's revelation is a pretty good one for Hetty's ego in terms of not feeling rejected. Plus, you know, she's his dear friend, so I thought it was nice that she accepted him for who he is.
In terms of the Trevor hand regenerating thing, if your point is that is not the first instance of that mythology being explained, I would say you're right.
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J
I thought Sas already knew about the night terrors... and that's why he tricked Trevor into rooming with Thor. I guess it is also possible, as you suggest, that 'therapy' made the nightmares worse. And yeah, I thought it a little odd that one minute Hetty was accepting Isaac's "advances" and the next she showed no surprise when he told her the truth about himself. But I definitely agree, it was nice (sweet) that she responded as a good friend would. Characters from two totally different worlds, both very proud, but obviously they've formed a good friendship. So many different types of characters on this show, one of the things that makes it interesting.
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R
Sas did know about the night terrors. From having been stuck alone with Thor for so long. That’s why he tricked Trevor into rooming with Thor, as sas explained in the episode.
And hetty didn’t show “no surprise.” She was in fact quite surprised. And reacted as such before choosing to accept Isaac and be understanding about her dear friend, for whom she knew how difficult it was to say those words.
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G
Love the show! What happened to the ghost that lost his head and the 3 other revolutionary soldiers?
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O
Oh for goodness sake, it's supposed to be funny, we really don't know what ghosts
can do!!
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