Ghosts Season 5, Episode 6, “Planes, Shanes and Automobiles” Spoilers Ahead
Ghosts is always well written and always funny, but “Planes, Shanes and Automobiles” might just be the funniest and sharpest episode to date. Full of so many hard-hitting jabs that’ll likely result in belly laughs, and yet in true Ghosts fashion, it also sticks the landing on the type of gratitude that feels deeply earned.
Funnily, while the shows aren’t even remotely connected, last year’s Shrinking Season 2 finale, “The Last Thanksgiving,” and this year’s Ghosts Thanksgiving special pulled me out of the kind of rut and burnout that was eating me alive. So, if it’s okay with everyone, I might get a little personal in this review, and while that’s not usually common, it’s what continues to make fiction so touching every time because we never know what’ll hit us and how it’ll crack something wide open in our hearts.
Sam’s Journey as an Author Is Deeply Relatable
It might be proof of magic in the real world when a piece of fiction perfectly aligns with what you’re going through personally. I think most people who follow me on social media for Ghosts content also know that I’m also a romance author, and just this last weekend, I had my first panel and signing at the OC book fair. I tossed and turned all night, had a panic attack, and almost backed out at the last second because I was convinced no one would come. The only reason I agreed to it in the first place is because the lovely employees at Heartbound Book Shop asked me, and they’re such incredible humans, I couldn’t say no.
Despite the horrible night, I went anyway, and not only was the panel an absolute blast, but I sold and signed ten books. Eight people showed up, wanting to read my words based on what they’d heard me say about Pride and Prejudice meets Moulin Rouge. I don’t yet have the words for how grateful I am for each of those people (and how I’ll forever remember all their names), but I do have some words for how deeply lonely the publishing industry is. If you follow me on social media, then you also likely see me consistently screaming into the void while Instagram and various other apps hide our content because we’re not appealing to the algorithm. It feels like a never-ending battle these days, and Ghosts Season 5, Episode 6, “Planes, Shanes and Automobiles,” gets every part of it right as Sam lashes out at, then opens up to Pete.
The book might be Isaac’s story, but it’s Sam’s words. And while we write for ourselves because it’s fun and we have stories we’re itching to tell, it’d be a lie to stand here and tell you all that sales and reception don’t matter, because they do. Because an episode like this proves how fiction and human connection go hand-in-hand. We all want to feel a little less alone when everything else is weighing us down, and so finding ways to share our heartaches helps someone else, too. It’s why fandoms are such a beautiful place. It’s why the people who are on the journey with you matter. Sharing joy is necessary. It might be bleak to put it like this, but what’s the point of life if we can’t have lasting happiness?
It’s why when a piece of fiction reaches deep into that dark place in your head and pulls you out from underneath the waters, it means everything. You hold on. Hard and fast. You get online and want to scream about it. Because it’s so easy for our minds to convince us that the pain and loneliness will never end. It’s so easy for both my brain and Sam’s to continue whispering that our value is measured by sales and how many people show up to our book signing. Fiction or the real world, there’s magic in how we all connect through the conversations that are hard to have sometimes. But also, Rose McIver broke me through her performance—raw, sincere, and so vulnerable that every minute of it was twice as impactful because of her.
And for all of this to happen with someone like Pete, who’s not only so passionate about his job but is also remembered for it? We lash out at those we’re closest to, but also, sometimes they’re the only people who can pull us out of our ruts, too. And for Sam to recognize all of this in the heat of the moment? Incredible. It might be cheesy to admit this, friends, but the hope this all evokes is indescribable. It doesn’t just feel fictional. It feels real. Like maybe there is a point to all the blood, sweat, and tears. Maybe passion will pay off someday.
Ghosts Season 5, Episode 6 Thoughtfully and Hilariously Takes on Thanksgiving
The decision to recognize Thanksgiving for what it is can only happen with this much humor and genuine clarity on a show like Ghosts. We all know the history. We know what America’s done. But the ghosts? Oh, it’s glorious to see them recognize it in all their ridiculously unique glory. And it’s incredible how we can laugh so hard at something and simultaneously recognize the flaws in the system.
But interestingly, it’s so good to see Ben Feldman’s Kyle back, and I hope this is the beginning of seeing him more because burying the hatchet with Jay works. The more people who know about the ghosts and can make the everyday interactions with Jay easier, the better. And while it’s understandable that we won’t see him too frequently, how “Planes, Shanes and Automobiles” brings him back to the equation is not only clever, but it’s another hopeful reminder that no one should be left alone. Because that was also one of the reasons “Kyle” resulted in such a sad episode. Yeah, he shouldn’t have hit on Sam, but the knowledge can be so wildly lonely, and how Ghosts continues to be a wholesome show that celebrates second chances is largely what makes it so incredible.
Related Content (via Fangirlish): Ghosts Delivers the Funniest Thanksgiving Episode in ‘Planes, Shanes and Automobiles’
People are deeply flawed, whether alive or, in this case, dead. So, any time someone’s given a chance to learn and understand the error of their ways, it makes everything feel twice as meaningful.
Stray Thoughts
- Sas is finally back!!! Last week’s “T-Daddy” really solidified how much I missed him.
- Oh, this conversion is incredible. So funny but so brilliant. How can I quote the entire thing in this review!?!?!
- “I wasn’t there either.” “Baby, you’re a colonizer.” “I’m gay!” “Patience! Patience! We need you!” I’M HOWLING.
- “You pay taxes. You own a home. Cut the chord, Jay.” 😂
- “Nemesis” 😭😂
- “Is this about the sonic?”
- “Victorian perv.” 😂
- OMG, Pete !!
- “It’d be great for you to ghost-sit us when Sam’s out of town.” TOOK ME OUT.
- “Talk about the best mustache since Magnum PI!” “Hell yeah!”
- No one is showing up at Sam’s signing 😭
- “You already won. You’re a published author.” Oh, this? This WRECKED ME.
- Why am I crying? 😭😭😭
- “Car is landship but you know helicopter?”
- Paw Patrol !!
- “HETTY I can see you.” “I can see you, too.” Rebecca Wisocky delivered this line.
- “Why are we at the kids’ table?” “We’re the newest ghosts?” “Should we choreograph a dance and present it to the grown-ups?” “We are grown-ups!”
- “A gay colonizer! I’m going into the dirt to find Patience.” Isaac, I adore you!!!
- This episode deserves an award for every line I couldn’t properly write down cause I was laughing so hard.
Now streaming on Paramount Plus: What are your thoughts on Ghosts Season 5, Episode 6, “Planes, Shanes, and Automobiles?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Photo: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.