Ghosts Review: Ghostwriter (Season 1 Episode 14)

Ghosts proves once again that when it comes to storytelling, this comedy is a master of its craft. 

Between careless shenanigans, feminism, and important cultural representation, Ghosts Season 1 Episode 14, “Ghostwriter,” navigates its many storytelling avenues with ease.

It is commendable to hear Lenape consultants and language experts helped ensure that success. That is the great thing about this sitcom; the authenticity of its story matches the spectacular absurdity of its ghosts.

Flower Fights Back

It’s surprising to see “Ghostwriter” give Flower the floor so soon after her wild bank-robbery backstory. Yet, this bold move pays off because her feud with Pete provides immensely stronger material for the hippie to work with.

This is the Flower we have been eager to embrace, and she is gloriously funny!

It’s satisfying to see Flower’s arc hit all the right notes, from sorrow in the face of Pete’s quick dismissal of her to the realization that the sexual revolution was the beginning of her fight for equality. It’s rewarding to see that fire in her reemerge.

Flower expertly weaponizes her sharp-elbowed comedy, turning Pete’s toxic misogyny back on him with some wicked reverse mansplaining.

By the time that sweet little cinnamon roll of peace confesses, “I fouled out of every game. I am aggressive,” Sheila Carrasco has all but run away with this storyline.

Sasappis, the Storyteller

And because this ensemble is that good, Sas is right next to her.

He finally gets to explore his legacy as a storyteller and reiterate why the Lenape icon has been a secret weapon since he first walked on screen.

It’s wise of Ghosts to pair Sam and Sas together and then hone in on that shared struggle to please their parents. Including Román Zaragoza’s real-life father, Gregory Zaragoza, grounds this backstory in such tangible father-son emotions, too.

My one complaint is that for a fourteen-episode slow burn, this brief milestone does not entirely do Sas justice. His struggles bleed too often into the larger ensemble’s shenanigans for a character-centric episode.

That said, his final storytelling montage covers tons of ground for the character when it counts. Nothing gets people more emotional than a well-timed musical montage, and Ghosts exploits this well.

It is interesting to see Ghosts explore Sas’ pettier storyteller practises, whether manipulating Sam for fun or employing Trevor to help him get what he wants.

If anything, Sasappis’ backstory gives this episode rationale to frame his uglier tendencies in a new light, one that pushes us to appreciate the depth Zaragoza brings to this role and the poignancy his sassy character is capable of.

This episode subtly demonstrates how dangerous Sas’ gift would be if he used his talents for evil. So instead, Sas keeps his master manipulating skills to a minimum and nails those iconic one-liners, a happy medium for all.

But I hope Sam revoked reality TV privileges because Sas watching Big Brother would be hazardous for everyone.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

In typical Ghosts fashion, its storytelling pulls from the ensemble to ensure a steady stream of jokes is always within reach. This jam-packed formula has yet to fail, with someone always around to make us laugh.

The shower joke has played the long game, and it pays off as Jay hilariously reveals he is so paranoid the ghosts are watching he wears a bathing suit in the shower.

Even better, Alberta notes the suit has cute little duckies on it, both validating Jay’s concerns and sending us into total hysterics. I want to feel bad for Jay, but his ghost-related trauma is our gain.

As always, Thor has several iconic lines, with the best having to be, “One never think because then one start feeling very bad for murdering everybody.”

It’s so difficult to choose with him, though!

Ghosts has undoubtedly benefitted from having the entire roster at its disposal.

This is especially noticeable in the quieter group scenes where everyone discusses a mundane topic like basketball. They each make an obscure reference about the subject only they find funny as the rest of the group looks on in misery.

It’s such an unusual form of banter, but the cast adapts it effortlessly.

Now that the ensemble has found its groove, the desire to see this spooky sitcom dive even further into individual stories has never been greater. 

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Ghosts airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

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