Ghosts Season 5, Episode 17, “The Investor” Spoilers Ahead
One word: finally. Finally, finally, finally. After five seasons, Sam and Jay do the one thing we’ve all been begging for, and it results in a mostly hilarious episode that was so good, I never wanted to end. With another well-balanced A and B plot, Ghosts gives us a riot that effectively wraps up a few arcs while simultaneously thrusting us toward the next chapter of chaos.
There are still four episodes left until the finale, and knowing that we’ll probably have a cliffhanger as well as an extra-long wait where we won’t see Season 6 until 2027 isn’t ideal, but this episode gives me a bit of hope. Hope that if nothing else, they can at least fix some of their financial problems until the new year.
Mark Finally Learns About the Ghosts in “The Investor”
If the episode teased the possibility of Mark finding out about the ghosts but didn’t actually tell him, I might have had to write my first-ever super critical review of Ghosts, so thank goodness that’s not the case. Because of all the times they’ve gotten close, it made sense that the timing wasn’t right. But after last week’s “Woodstone Royale,” the stakes are too high with the amount of money Trevor lost for the writers to continue dangling hope in front of us, only to continue taking it away. It also makes complete sense that they’d bring back Ted after “I Know What You Did Thirty-Seven Summers Ago,” and have him be the reason to pull out another truth bomb at Woodstone.
More than anything, this feels like the exact episode we’ve been waiting months for, both for Mark and the election, so the fact that they happen in the same timeframe is pretty neat. What’s also great is that this decision serves as a great reminder of just how important Mark is to Woodstone and why the truth matters for his and Jay’s friendship. The more people Jay can talk to about the one time his wife fell down a bunch of stairs, the better for his mental health, right? And it’s also how everything ties together that makes this one of the strongest episodes of the season, because we’re touching on all the important beats that make Woodstone the memorable property that it is.
Mark is an integral part of this story and has been from day one, so it finally makes everything feel a little lighter. There’s a weight lifted from all the different ways Sam has had to lie and pull through weird hoops to justify an odd decision that was driven by the ghosts.
Ghosts Season 5, Episode 17 Elects Its Ghost Representative
After one final debate and a word from Bruce, who’s made his return upstairs, Flower is deemed the victor of the ghost representatives, and honestly? Yes, please. If we can’t seem to get women winning elections in the real world, then at least we can have hope of it in the fiction we consume. At the same time, it feels right for Flower despite the fact that she’s rarely ever lucid. Because really, so much of her character growth depends on her rising to the occasion and surprising us right when we least expect it.
Flower might not always know her name or what’s going on, but when we need her the most, she shows up. She loves the ghosts in a way that’s purely selfless, and that’s exactly what makes her the perfect candidate to represent them all. As much as Isaac’s made great progress in the last few years, there’s still a part of him that’s driven by more selfish desires—which is fine, for what it’s worth—but it’s not what the ghosts need. That’s not what a politician should be like, even though more often than not, it’s exactly what they’re like. This way, we get something that’s more fitting and honorable. It’s a silly election, sure, but the momentary joy that Flower’s win evokes feels right.
Ghosts Season 5, Episode 17, “The Investor,” is the exact kind of episode that makes this show so delightful. Allowing all the seeds planted to come to fruition in a way that honors the characters while it simultaneously pushes the plot forward is why we can perpetually be giddy about sitcoms.
Stray Thoughts
- When are we telling Mark about the ghosts?????! Oh, today apparently:
- “His thick thighs and sublime buttocks notwithstanding” SENT ME!
- Trevor’s eyes randomly freezing on Hetty. You good, bud????
- AND THAT LOOK?!!! If they don’t get back together soon or at least bang it out, I’m going to start screaming.
- “You can call me Jennifer.” “Wait, that doesn’t sound right.” Your honor, she’s just a baby.
Now streaming on Paramount Plus: What are your thoughts on Ghosts Season 5, Episode 17, “The Investor?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: Photo: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.