Ghosts Season 4 Episode 16 Review: St. Hetty’s Day

Irony is indeed a cruel mistress, and Ghosts Season 4 Episode 16, “St. Hetty’s Day,” courts her with ease.

The momentous episode delivers two storylines that shake the foundation of Woodstone while reminding its spirited guests that happiness has always been within reach — they’re just too stubborn to acknowledge what happiness can look like.

For Hetty, it means embracing the power of a culture she once saw as worthless. For Isaac, it means accepting that the perfect fantasy man does not exist.

Love at First Sight

It’s a tier-two power, but it’s easily a tier-one episode for Hetty!

First, Hetty’s power is the perfect homage to her UK counterpart, Lady Button. Ghosts has done such an excellent job of forging its path that it’s come full circle to surprise us when it acknowledges similarities between the series.

Yet, Hetty’s power is still uniquely hers, especially in the manner in which it is used.

Hetty is a romantic and desires the love connection she missed out on in life. So to see her stumble into a meet-cute with Jay’s cousin is so sweet. Love at first sight is the perfect excuse for revealing her power to be seen by the living.

So much of Hetty’s storyline has me grinning, kicking my feet, and twirling my hair in pure glee. Jay’s excited interactions with her are just the icing on this delicious storyline.

Hetty is smitten, twirling her hoop dress and giggling like a girl who finally gets to drop her guard and be vulnerable with a stranger. When she finally slips back into her regal lady-of-the-house persona as a way to stay strong for Sunil, the whiplash of her performance is palpable.

I still can’t shake the smile from seeing Hetty so pleased with her new power. However, it would not be proper to demand more for the woman that desevers the world and then some.

Understandably, Hetty can’t always be visible because that would ruin the premise. Yet, we could have taken a similar approach to Trevor and given her the restricted ability to appear for a few seconds here and there.

Having the power only be used on this niche holiday feels too gimmicky for my taste.

Speaking of Trevor, it feels like a huge missed opportunity not to have him overlap with Hetty and Sunil’s flirtations in some capacity.

Ghosts is weakest when it drops ongoing threads to embrace a new storyline. It’s common practice in sitcoms, but this show and its goldmine of slow-burn relationships are not commonplace. It also sucks when we sequester ghosts in separate rooms and pretend they don’t knowHetty is talking to a living across the hall.

Nisaac, is that you?

Ghosts is back in my good graces with Nisaac. The breakup was a very risky gamble, one we were sure was going nowhere good, but look at us now — eating our words!

Nigel’s sudden reappearance seems unexpected, but Ghosts plans this entrance perfectly.

His reintegration into the group turns the Chris narrative on its head even before the stripper reveals he has as much an issue with commitment as he does keeping his shirt on. Nigel doesn’t owe his former lover a heads-up that he is courting Chris and yet he takes the time to ensure Isaac’s feelings are spared.

It’s far more complex and dynamic than Nigel simply making Isaac jealous.

Isaac doesn’t see the act of love for what it is initially, but he does reacquaint himself with his feelings when Chris shatters his fantasy and hurts Nigels in the process. Isaac could pity Nigel for being dumped, but the subcontext is so much richer than that.

It is fantastic writing to have the universe align and send Isaac’s dream guy crashing into his life, just for it to be a Trojan horse for Isaac’s soulmate to emerge.

It is a crucial final piece in Isaac’s journey this season as he realizes that Nigel is the one who stayed, prioritizing his feelings despite the pain he caused. That isn’t nothing in a relationship; it’s everything, and Isaac needed Chris to flee to see Nigel’s loyalty for what it is — true, tangible love!

The wedding fiasco came across like cheap theatre, so it feels beyond right that Ghosts put their endgame back on the table with such a respectful and organic start to their redemption arc.

If this comedy isn’t careful, it might earn a reputation for some of the best relationship developments on TV.

New Ghost, Who Dis?

A hot new ghost has entered the villa, and as expected, Chris brings even more chaos and dinosaur discussions to the table.

It is challenging for Ghosts to introduce undead guest stars, but it finds a way to give us a refreshing new take on the issue of having these fantastic characters for a fleeting moment in time.

As quickly as Chris considers running off to the shed with Nigel to continue the gag, he pivots towards a more substantial ending.

Chris may disappoint Isaac with his betrayal, but his impulsiveness is no mischaracterization. It’s just a clever reminder to the viewer and the characters that we never really cared to know the real Chris when the forbidden fantasy was so tantalizing.

I have a bone to pick with the ghost power because what do you mean Chris can leave the property by sky travel without the same restraints as Pete? But then I remember it’s not actually that serious and tell myself to calm down.

It is still a bummer that Chris left us as soon as we got him. However, he managed to create new chemistry between Isaac and Nigel, something that will be felt for seasons to come. That’s the mark of an excellent guest star.

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

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