Ghosts Season 4, Episode 1, “Patience” Spoilers Ahead
Ghosts is back with a not-so-scary episode that’s all about Patience, the Puritan ghost, who’s far from the terror we thought she’d be. Instead, she’s a lonely woman who’s always wanted friends beside her, only to experience abandonment instead.
Seeing how the episode picks up shortly after Isaac and Nigel’s failed nuptials, Sam, Jay, and the ghosts don’t realize Isaac’s gone until they need him to consider potential restaurant colors. Written by Trey Kollmer and directed by Richie Keen, Ghosts’ Season 4 premiere is quieter in a sense, but it hints at a wholesome new beginning that could potentially examine the harrowing loneliness the characters often joke about.
Ghosts Season 4, Episode 1 Wastes No Time Introducing Viewers to Patience
We knew from early stills and trailers that Ghosts Season 4 would dive deep into Patience’s story, but I imagined we’d have to wait a bit longer to see Isaac freed from her. However, that’s not the case because Ghosts Season 4, Episode 1, “Patience,” honors its titular character as it dives right into her state of mind and shows us how lonely she is despite the rules she brought on herself before she even died.
In capturing Isaac, she hopes to get revenge, but instead, when he lies about how lonely he’d feel here without his friends, something in her cracks. Mary Holland shows us the slight hints of what’s been gnawing at her spirit, and we realize that all she wants is the company she lost. But when she brings in Sas to ensure Isaac will have someone, they end up making fun of her instead. After overhearing all this, Patience lets them go back home, only for the ghosts to rally the others and decide to bring Patience back up to the house with them.
One of—if not the most—intriguing thing about Ghosts is the found family we get between an unlikely group of people. Even while the basement ghosts are essentially isolated, the intermingling we see between them still showcases that Woodstone Mansion is a safe space. So, everything about including Patience in this makes total sense, and it also makes the series that much more endearing. In some way, shape, or form, all the ghosts are lonely. Despite their camaraderie with each other, the purgatory they’re trapped in is still very much a void. The series is pretty good at exploring this loneliness, and based on the way this episode pans out, it could dive even deeper throughout the season because of Patience. It’s unclear how long she’ll stay, whether she’ll eventually get sucked off or leave to isolate herself once more, but the doors that open because of her character can be vast.
Help, We’re Still at the Restaurant
If nothing else this season, I hope that we’re actually on the path toward Jay’s restaurant opening. He’s spent far too many days on his own while Sam has all the fun with the ghosts, so it’s important that we get to a point where there are more humans involved in the show. Simultaneously, four seasons in, we also need to see some progress with the B&B that could heighten the circumstances.
Ghosts Season 4 premiere is a charming return with great moments and surprising turns. Yet, in a proper season premiere fashion, most of what we get is a setup for the bigger things, and in this case, it’s one I’ll take. There’s plenty of character development that the show’s laying on the table, not just for the new house member, but for Isaac, Jay, and even Alberta.
Stray Thoughts
- I’d ask where Carol is, but I actually don’t care.
- Poor Nigel!
- Nancy calling Trevor “chicken legs” made me cackle.
- Pete and Jay: my guy! Please let this season be the one where Jay officially sees.
- The basement ghosts talking about Nancy and Stewart is my reaction to every Hetty and Trevor interaction. But also, why couldn’t they have held hands?!! Why?!! Or kissed. I don’t know, I’m not picky.
- “Are we opening a restaurant or a brothel?” So Isaac would not be a fan of Moulin Rouge. Got it.
Now streaming on Paramount Plus: What are your thoughts on Ghosts Season 4, Episode 1, “Patience?” Let us know in the comments below.
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