Ghosts Review: Possession (Season 1 Episode 10)

Ghosts depart this year in style with a chaotic Cheeto-fueled fever dream of possessions and silly spirit lore.

The most paranormal-heavy plot yet to challenge this bubbly manor’s dynamic, Ghosts Season 1 Episode 10, “Possession,” asks the question, “what happens when a Victorian-era cocaine addict accidentally possesses a man and discovers peanut butter?”

It’s a question we are glad this sitcom explores because what transpires in the wake of Hetty taking control of Jay’s body is one hell of a scene-chewing bender.

Utkarsh Ambudkar kills the assignment here!

Ghosts has been eager to incorporate Jay into the group dynamic, which can be tricky when he can’t see ninety percent of this cast. However, this barrier has hardly made Ambudkar a weak link. He uses Jay’s disadvantages to his advantage, nailing the one-sided comedic banter and ongoing fear of ghosts in bathrooms.

However, to go full possession and thrust Jay into the world of the supernatural is a bold change of pace and a beautiful chance to show off the actor’s comedic genius in a more aggressive setting.

His devotion to the role of victorian housewife is unwavering. From hands constantly clasped together to that overtly shrill voice, he expertly captures the absurd characteristics of Rebecca Wisocky’s Hetty. Ambudkar could have easily mimicked Thorfinn or Trevor, so his ability to tackle the trickier option doesn’t go unnoticed.

At least Jay has confirmation his wife isn’t lying about the ghosts.

Wisocky is only present in spirit for this possession. Still, she sets up the concept expertly, stepping into Hetty’s judgemental shoes to demonstrate how well-formed her character is before passing the mantle to Jay to use as a rewarding comedic tool.

Hetty’s manic eating is epic, but the payoff comes when Wisocky returns to the land of the dead and realizes that despite wishing she could ditch her ghost gang for years, the moment she had to live without them, she couldn’t bear the thought.

It drives home the relationships these ghosts are reluctant to acknowledge and brings Hetty full circle as she finally stops telling Sam to be disgusted with herself for learning to drive. With perspective, Hetty realizes she needs to encourage women to take the opportunities society never afforded her.

This touches on storylines from past episodes and reminds us that Ghosts continues to prioritize the lore of its characters in this confined setting.

“Possession” suggests the friendships Hetty made in death were worth giving up the chance to live again, and that’s a powerful sentiment for this sitcom. However, Hetty trying her first Cheeto and going off the deep end is just as impactful.

This episode dives humorously into the supernatural lore of Ghosts‘ spirit world in that it tells us nothing and finds that lack of transparency funny. For the record, it is.

What’s not to love about the inadvertent mockery of American Horror Story‘s ruling about ghost boundaries? Sam pressing the ghosts about why they can’t leave the manor and what keeps them here leads to a fun demonstration with no real answers.

It’s an intelligent way to avoid becoming bogged down by paranormal lore. It is also an opportunity to have a fun twist on the horizon viewers are not anticipating.

Flower’s power is a perfect example of this as it comes much later in the game, reminding us that if we knew everything about these dead people, the premise would wear quickly. Flower’s ability to get people ridiculously high isn’t groundbreaking, but it treads new comedic ground.

How does one resent a sitcom that refuses to answer any of afterlife’s questions but delivers more than enough solutions to things like; what the best wedding song is to dance to and how to seize pigeons in large quantities.

Despite the ambitious nature of the possession, this comes across as one of Ghosts‘ weaker installments.

It is lovely to see Hetty and Jay take point on this episode. However, it feels like this ensemble isn’t utilized well enough for the first time. Much of this episode arc has the group standing around reacting rather than participating in the chaos.

Understandably, the ghosts wouldn’t be interested in side-missions given the drama unfolding with Jay. Still, I wish they could have more material to work with to better break up the singular storyline.

And this is not a legitimate critique, but the lack of Thorfinn is a tiny bit disappointing for fans of the big Viking softie.

“Possession” makes it incredibly difficult to part with this show until the new year.

Ghosts is the gift we didn’t expect to love this holiday season with its charming cast and sharp-edged humor. These episodes prove what any sitcom can do when it refuses to phone in storylines and prioritizes the spirit of problematic humans above all else.

This sitcom has been present from day one and unflinching its trajectory. If it can bring this enamoring energy into 2022, we need not fear losing these loveable ghosts to the cancelation graveyard.

What did you think of this episode of Ghosts? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Ghosts will return in 2022 with new episodes on CBS.

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