Ghosts Season 4 Episode 6 Review: The Primary Source

Ghosts Season 4 Episode 6, “The Primary Source,” doesn’t need to cite its sources to prove this comedy is legit.

All it needs is a ghost snail and a stake in the recent vampire renaissance to take this episode from a half-assed homework assignment to a memorable addition to the show’s roster.

While the upcoming Christmas special is sure to test the confines of the ghost lore, it’s essential to expand on the human stories, and that’s precisely what this episode does.

First of all, Asher Grodman — sir, how dare you have us out here fighting for our lives like that!

Throughout Ghosts’ existence, we have had the pleasure of witnessing spectacular performances. However, Trevor’s tearful confession that he misses his dog has to stand as one of the best performances the show has ever seen.

The exquisite monologue is steeped in heavy, emotional rhetoric as Trevor conveys the devastation of knowing his death must have taken a toll on the dog waiting for him to return home. Any pet lover can connect with that raw sentiment on heartbreaking levels.

Ghosts know it has us, and Trevor’s devastating plea to call his dog a good boy one more time brings the speech home.

It’s beyond clear Grodman poured his heart into this scene, using the fact that the fictional Bucky is also the actor’s real dog to propel this performance so far into the depths of emotional purgatory that it will take weeks to recover from this scene.

That’s a Good Ghost

Total devastation aside, this episode is a lot of low-stakes fun with long-term consequences.

The snail ghost, adorably named Ghostcargo by Hetty, is an excellent use of the B-storyline. It not only keeps the rest of the ghosts occupied and out of trouble, but ghost pets certainly pique our interest, too. On account of their adorableness.

The idea that this snail lived a wicked life to end up in purgatory makes for a good chuckle. But the fact that it was just waiting for someone to confirm it was a good boy? It would be less painful if Jay crushed us under his boot.

Seeing the spirits’ reactions to the snail is an adorable side quest. Trevor’s overprotectiveness and Hetty’s dorky fixation are a fun cocktail of wholesomeness.

Also, the revelation that Flower doesn’t care about the thousands Thorfinn killed, but she draws the line at him eating a cute snail, really sums up the beauty of their relationship.

Interview with the Ghost

This is an entertaining idea in the Isaac book saga, if only because no one stopped to ponder if a ghost could be a viable source to cite for a book. 

Hard as Sam and Jay try, they can’t pull through, and that’s for the best. We must see these characters fail more often in their schemes, especially when fraud is involved. Plus, it’s interesting to see Sam’s ghost-seeing abilities hinder her rather than give her the advantage.

That said, pivoting to a fictional vampire book series depicting Isaac’s story is much more fun. Ghosts embracing the Vampire renaissance was not on our 2024 bingo, but I am here for it.

Vampires have historically been used as an outlet for forbidden romances. Jay telling Isaac that the fantasy genre is a digestible way to tell complex stories is layered in its own history. If anyone deserves to step out of the shadows and revel in a bloodthirsty romance, it’s our Captain.

And what a clever nod this is to the vampire rom-com the Ghosts showrunners are developing. (That’s right, Joes, we see what you’re doing. Connect those dots!)

Pros and Cons of the Ghost Snail

Pros for “The Primary Source”: Sam lets the ghosts sit shotgun, which upsets Jay.

Sas uses his storytelling abilities to help write Isaac’s vampire novel, which is a fantastic turn of events. Sas was made for the petty nature of the paranormal romance drama.

Additionally, I love how Ghosts doesn’t know what to do with Pete here, so we sit him in the corner and let him be as loud as possible. It visibly drives Sas up the wall, and the little moments when he lets Pete know this are so much better than any formal joke.

Cons: For an Isaac episode, we needed a more Isaac-centric plot. It’s probably not great that Trevor’s big emotional showcase came during an episode showcasing the latest breakthrough in Isaac’s backstory.

Someone had to compete for air time with the ghost snail; unfortunately, that ghost was Isaac.

We are due to delve further into his post-break-up world, and this feels like a wasted opportunity.

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

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