Ghosts Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Halloween 2: The Ghost of Hetty’s Past

The occult, near-death experiences, and petty grudges — Ghosts Season 2 Episode 5, “Halloween 2: The Ghost of Hetty’s Past,” knows how to throw a party!

The sequel flips the script on a fun horror trope and explores what happens when the ghosts that go bump in the night dare to muck around with a séance.

Jay’s party may be a dud, but this episode is a solid follow-up to the gazebo-burning chaos of last year’s Halloween special.

Séances and Safes, Oh My

This episode feels the most ghosty of all the Ghosts episodes, and that’s worth celebrating.

Because if any outing deserves to showcase the spooky potential of this undead ensemble and the rickety murder house they occupy, it should be the Halloween special.

One of the best sequences from Season 1 was when Elias fell to hell, and the ghosts collectively lost their minds. So to see the séance recreate the magic of that group pandemonium is a treat. These spirits getting scared by anything remotely supernatural will never go out of style.

Then there’s the masterpiece that is the safe rescue mission, perhaps the best utilization of the sitcom’s clashing paranormal and mundane agendas to date.

There are many excellent storytelling layers to this scenario. Not only does Ghosts sinisterly toy with Sam’s mortality, but it fully mobilizes the mystical lore that often occupies a small part of this premise.

Utkarsh Ambudkar plays to Jay’s dueling lack of awareness and eagerness to talk to the ghosts brilliantly. He adorably fumbles through this situation, smiling with glee as he remembers each ghost’s power while still referring to them as “ghost lassie” and “no pants.”

We need more episodes dedicated to exploring how Jay and the ghosts communicate when Sam isn’t there. This first taste of that dynamic is electrifying.

That said, there are real stakes here with Sam’s life on the line. The episode matching that severity by kicking the energy of its fickle supernatural premise into overdrive is nothing short of thrilling.

And the ghosts going from almost killing Sam with their haunting to saving her — that’s one hell of a full-circle moment!

A Dark Sense of Humor

“Halloween 2: The Ghost of Hetty’s Past” uses this holiday as an excuse to tease the spookier themes always lurking nearby and I, for one, love when this show gets dark.

Whether it’s Sam mentioning she has to space out body removals or Molly suggesting she will “melt” if she tells them what heaven is like, this series walks the line between harmless sitcom and horror all too well.

Logically I know Ghosts isn’t referencing American Horror Story: Murder House on purpose with these shenanigans. But, the line between the living and dead thinning on Halloween and a dead maid with red hair? I’ve seen this story, and it did not end well.

Thankfully, no one suffocates or ends up under the gazebo. It’s a reminder that we can enjoy the delightful nefariousness of these darker jokes without committing to worse. And sure, sometimes people die in this sitcom, but it’s all in good fun.

An Uninvited Guest

The tension-filled return of The Maid offers a fitting reckoning for the lady of the house.

Despite a quick resolution to this centuries-long feud, the sitcom elevates Hetty and Molly’s final standoff with dialogue that understands it has to be preachy to hold poignancy. It helps that the women are learning of abusive power dynamics feet away from Elias’ corpse.

Rebecca Wisocky is an absolute force as she navigates humbling guilt and Hetty’s trademark lack of self-awareness with that quick wit and even quicker scorn. We not only hope for Hetty to lose her composure with Hannah Rose May’s innocent maid, the perfect foil, but we root for it.

Her hatred for the Irish is an entertaining saga within itself. So this confrontation is a strong showcase of Hetty’s capabilities as the ensemble’s driving force and as her own greatest downfall.

Plenty of shows are doing female empowerment right, but only Ghosts can say it takes delight in two women celebrating a man contracting syphilis.

Scaring up New Traditions

Woodstone proves the perfect setting, and Ghosts the ideal vessel for these Halloween specials to solidify themselves as a noteworthy tradition for the series moving forward.

I desperately want more; more costumed shenanigans, more decorations, and more paranormal tomfoolery.

This sneaky sequel delivers more in almost every regard, and it will be exciting to see how Ghosts tries to top these increasingly chaotic episodes.

Whether doubling down on the Step Brothers costumes or ghostly party tricks, this episode is a delightful treat.

—

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

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Ghosts airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Ghosts: Rebecca Wisocky on the Return of Woodstone’s Infamous Maid [Interview]