Ghosts Review: Farnsby & B (Season 1 Episode 18)

Let it be known Ghosts has never sacrificed its shot. This spooky spectacle appeared as a fully formed entity and has haunted us with its scary good comedy ever since.

Ghosts Season 1 Episode 18, “Farnsby & B,” looks to raise our spirits once more with a grand tale of goodbyes, Norse grudges, and reluctant B&B guests.

This spooktacular first season run couldn’t last forever, and there is nothing quite like your first time (there you go, Trevor). So the sitcom ensures it closes with top-tier chaos and the triumphant highs of a Hamilton watch party.

Curses Are Cause for Celebration

Ghosts saves the best for last as Sam treats the spirits to a screening of Hamilton: The Musical.

The tension surrounding Isaac’s hatred for the founding father has been building to this crossover, and it’s every bit the joke gold mine we had hoped for.

The irony that the film’s inspiring nature is what pushes Isaac to confront his fears is beautifully accompanied by Hetty’s upbeat misquoting of the lyrics. Indeed, some lovely comfort comedy is happening in this room.

The idea that multiple belief systems could wreak havoc on the manor from above is intriguing, and Ghosts knows we love it when the mythology expands. Thor can now blame the curse every time he sets something on fire, and you have to love that development for him.

But with no big lore-bending twist, this episode works best in subtleties.

It has more banter between the basement ghosts and ensures Trevor’s “sucked-off” prank continues to gain traction. Sam pretending not to see the Fransby ghost while her eyes shift wildly is a small dose of physical comedy, but I love that it’s included.

Much of Sam and Jay’s solo storyline is this way, demonstrating the little ways they have become accustomed to their new lives.

Jay is so eager to embrace the ghost world now that he says adorable things like “sorry for your loss — of yourself” and “hey ghosts, we’re home.” It’s sweet of him to make room for these invisible tyrants.

After two near-perfect episodes, “Farnsby & B” is not what one would expect this season’s closer to be. It’s notably quieter than the whirlwind Gazebo fire of ghost shenanigans we have come to expect.

It finds itself in unfamiliar lulls by betting much of the B&B conflict on a fleeting pickleball storyline, and the ensemble work isn’t as strong as it is known to be, with most ghosts absent for lengths or paired off for short discussions.

Thankfully, the lack of rapid-fire banter is aided by somber, delicate energy that beautifully complements the episode’s two defining group scenes. Ghosts leans into its subtle nuances of character-driven comedy here as it winds down.

In that respect, this finale feels appropriate. It’s agreeable to have this conclusion give the story a moment to breathe and reflect, as we appreciate the quieter ways this show succeeds before the chaos comes crashing down.

Here Come the Waterworks

It wouldn’t be a proper goodbye if the ghosts didn’t make us cry at least once.

So it is understandable why the episode is structured entirely around this group confessional — it’s a beautiful, necessary moment of reflection. It is the pinnacle scene of the season as Sam, faced with a choice to return to life without ghosts, cannot go through with breaking the curse.

The emotional impact of the big finale moment is alive and well amongst this tight ensemble, who don’t need the words to say what their ridiculous chemistry has shown us has all season.

Yet, the dialogue layers so many inside jokes into each goodbye, ensuring every line is rich with importance. From Hetty calling Sam a daughter to Alberta wanting her murder solved to Trevor keeping the sentiments slightly sexual, every ghost is on-brand for this bitter-sweet scene.

We have come to care for these ghosts a great deal, knowing it’s a rarity for every character to be so effortlessly interchangeable and likable. After dozens of delightful group outings, their final showcase couldn’t feel more earned.

Oh Captain, Our Captain

After many killer closet jokes, Ghosts is ready to step up and confirm there will be no queer-baiting in this house.

The sitcom makes it a priority to give our captain the love story history refused him. There’s no sweeping kiss or passionate hugs, but Isaac and Nigel’s confession is wrapped in the warm embrace of group acceptance. For a show all about found family, that feels right.

Brandon Scott Jones ensures Isaac’s coming out is an emotional affair, his face displaying every inch of pain that comes with losing Nigel to in-action. That low point leads to stirring performances stripped of Isaac’s typical defense mechanisms.

If two actors can do this much with a simple “I like you,” there’s no telling the places Isaac’s love story can go.

We’re rooting for these crazy kids, and it’s good to know Ghosts is too. With their meet-cute ending in murder, the sitcom isn’t worried about catering to conventional romance as it demolishes the “bury your gays” trope from beyond the grave.

Post-Mortum

Ghosts came into this world a blazing triumph of humor, heart, and harmless ghosts that didn’t know the first thing about haunting. It leaves us with an unprecedented first season that never feared death or change.

The series rarely struggled to find its footing in this gorgeous gothic setting, and how could it with Utkarsh Ambudkar and Rose McIver’s wonderfully wholesome dynamic guiding us.

And yet, the choice to leave Jay’s fate and ghost-seeing abilities up in the air suggests Ghosts isn’t looking to get comfortable with what works. That tenacity has breathed life into this eighteen-episode run, giving us TV we don’t have to hate-watch or slug through.

We began this journey with a group of petty ghosts that would do anything to see Sam leave. This character-driven finale lovingly reflects on the group’s realization that now, they couldn’t see an afterlife without her.

It’s a fitting sentiment as we couldn’t imagine living in a world without Ghosts now either, and we won’t have to thanks to CBS.

So, long live this wonderfully weird, adorably spooky reprieve!

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The first season of Ghosts is available to stream on Paramount Plus.

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