Ghosts UK Season 2 Episode 1 Review: The Grey Lady

If you watch a lot of TV, you know second seasons are often when the best shows hit their stride. Ghosts UK is no exception.

Ghosts UK Season 2 Episode 1, “The Grey Lady,” meets Season 2 with a rush of exhilarating energy, clearly having shaken off its pilot season struggles. Alison and Mike dive headfirst into a fully conceived concept with newfound comfortability and confidence.

You can feel the excitement of letting loose in this massive sandbox as Alison reintroduces us to Button House.

It is impossible not to be filled with joy after watching Ghosts UK’s morning routine scene.

It is a fabulous, clever way to reintroduce us to the ensemble and this show’s expansive set. Plus, seeing how Alison embraces her ghostly abilities for good is quite nice, considering the bitter note she and the ghosts left us on.

The Captain’s little morning run for “King and Country” is a particular highlight of the routine, and the episode calls back to him when it needs to wrap up the plot.

Ideally, the show would find more creative ways moving forward to create conflict between Alison and the spirits so their sudden change in attitude to help each other doesn’t create so much whiplash.

But also, I hope Mary continues to act like a Dragon’s Den judge in all conflicts because that reference is so out of pocket for her.

A Phantom Photobomber

Also, Ghosts UK embraces one of its more underutilized gimmicks — the ghost power — to make sure this premiere stands out.

All because Fanny can be seen in photographs, Alison and Mike have to turn the hotel into a haunted house attraction, and the paranormal elements are forced to the forefront of the series. Her power also welcomes droves of conflict and clashing personalities inside Button House.

With such a powerful plot tool now available to this character, hopefully, we’ll get more backstory about why photobombing is her power. Undoubtedly, the backstory will be just as rewarding to explore as the fallout of her power reveal.

And now that the ghosts are contemplating what their power could be, the series has a pandora’s box of paranormal conflict at its disposal indefinitely.

The Basement Ghosts

The basement ghosts have a much more significant role in Ghosts UK than Ghosts US, which presents an interesting paradox.

Both shows use the secondary ensemble effectively. However, I would say making them an entity of personalities rather than just the butt of a joke is more rewarding in times when they can be helpful to the plot.

Indeed, the British basement ghosts are quickly becoming the comedic underdogs of this series with their quirky commentary.

The scene where Alison has a breakdown, and they talk her down from the ledge is hilarious. As is their wholesome desire to make her feel safe in their home — home being a dank, plaque pit. The group panicking and offering her a glass of milk is a great way to cap off the interaction.

That said, as funny as having the core cast disguise themselves as the plaque ghosts in Season 1 was, I can see that gimmick growing tiresome if these spirits have more speaking interactions with the upstairs ghosts.

On the Air with Pat & Thomas

One underwhelming element of Season 1 was its lack of direction for Thomas.

So it is lovely to see the season premiere give Thomas a starring role in Pat’s radio show. It helps that Pat is an excellent choice whenever this show wants to experiment with pairings, and his time with the poet is no exception.

This storyline acquires multiple payoffs from the intrusion of ghost hunters, proving its value tenfold.

We learn Thomas struggles with stage fright. Of course, after Pat helps him face his fears, Thomas repays him with a brutal critique of the radio show. That snap back into character after growth feels appropriate, given how little the show has tested the poet’s limits.

The ghost radio may not have recognized the talent before it, but we appreciate everything Pat accomplished during his time on air.

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Back-to-back episodes of Ghosts UK air Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

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