After five long months, "Ghosts" returns with the premiere of its much-anticipated fourth season, and the wait is certainly worth it! When last we checked in at the Woodstone B&B, Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) had fallen out of love, leaving poor Nigel (John Hartman) at the altar, only to promptly fall into the clutches of a particularly perturbed and vindictive Puritan ghost named Patience (Mary Holland).
Season 4, Episode 1 (“Patience”) kicks off with a clever, brief flashback that gives depth to the newest recurring ghost. While Patience clearly hasn't had many friends while living in the dirt, she doesn't appear to have had many during her life either. In fact, the Puritans banished her for extreme piety (yes, she was extreme even for the Puritans). Far from the hippy-dippy Puritan one might expect for a show like this, Patience is instead a rigid, humorless spirit who seems destined to struggle to adapt to anything remotely modern—a clear setup for the show’s hallmark blend of comedy and cultural conflict.
"Patience" - GHOSTS. Pictured (L-R): Mary Holland Guest Stars as Patience and Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac. Photo: CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Patience's introduction highlights the show's consistent ability to weave fresh characters into its recurring crew. Bit characters like Stephanie, Elias, and Carol don't appear in every episode, but whenever they do, their contributions are always memorable. In fact, as much as the talent of the series regular crew is key to the show's charm, making the rotating door of the afterlife spontaneous and quirky is arguably just as important. Patience perfectly fits into that mold; even among this crew, she has an eccentricity that clearly stands out. Her tendency to shout her own name in moments of discomfort (and happiness, as Isaac discovers) is hilariously unsettling, and her struggles to reconcile centuries-old values with modern-day life feel like the kind of fertile ground where the show thrives.
This episode also deftly accomplishes the tricky task of revealing the sympathetic nuances of Patience’s character. While she may initially come across as vindictive, her true motivation in kidnapping Isaac and Sass (Román Zaragoza) is surprisingly simple: she longs for a small community of friends with which to spend eternity. When her attempt to connect doesn’t go as planned, she swiftly returns her captives, underscoring her desire for belonging rather than malice. Meanwhile, Isaac’s internal struggle deepens as he contends with the guilt of having failed Patience 130 years ago, compounded by the more recent failure of leaving Nigel at the altar. This allows the show to explore more emotional terrain, touching on themes of fear, shame, and acceptance with a balance that feels both authentic and lighthearted. As always, the cast's signature banter—whether it’s petty gossip or deeper debates on morality and friendship—strikes the perfect balance between comedy and heart.
This episode also deftly accomplishes the tricky task of revealing the sympathetic nuances of Patience’s character. While she may initially come across as vindictive, her true motivation in kidnapping Isaac and Sass (Román Zaragoza) is surprisingly simple: she longs for a small community of friends with which to spend eternity. When her attempt to connect doesn’t go as planned, she swiftly returns her captives, underscoring her desire for belonging rather than malice. Meanwhile, Isaac’s internal struggle deepens as he contends with the guilt of having failed Patience 130 years ago, compounded by the more recent failure of leaving Nigel at the altar. This allows the show to explore more emotional terrain, touching on themes of fear, shame, and acceptance with a balance that feels both authentic and lighthearted. As always, the cast's signature banter—whether it’s petty gossip or deeper debates on morality and friendship—strikes the perfect balance between comedy and heart.
"Patience" - GHOSTS. Pictured (L-R): Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jay, Rose McIver as Samantha, Devan Chandler Long as Thorfinn, and Asher Grodman as Trevor. Photo: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
By the episode’s end, Patience is adjusting to her new surroundings, now sharing a room with the ever-friendly but visibly unsettled Alberta (Danielle Pinnock). This smooth transition integrates Patience into the larger ensemble, a dynamic that is sure to return hilarious results. Though her initial conflict with the other ghosts is resolved, her presence promises to stir up plenty of drama and laughs as she navigates life among the eclectic personalities at the Woodstone B&B.
Rating: 9.2/10 - The new season promises the same sharp humor, endearing characters, and charming absurdity that has made "Ghosts" a standout from its very first episode. The stakes are always relatively light, but the emotional depth and quirkiness make it as entertaining as ever.
"Ghosts" airs Thursdays at 8:30 pm ET on CBS. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the premiere with us here at SpoilerTV!
Rating: 9.2/10 - The new season promises the same sharp humor, endearing characters, and charming absurdity that has made "Ghosts" a standout from its very first episode. The stakes are always relatively light, but the emotional depth and quirkiness make it as entertaining as ever.
"Ghosts" airs Thursdays at 8:30 pm ET on CBS. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the premiere with us here at SpoilerTV!
