Ghosts Season 4 Episode 21 Review: Kyle

Ghosts has us on Cloud 9 with the introduction of Ben Feldman’s Kyle.

Ghosts Season 4 Episode 21, “Kyle,” is a fun outing that pairs two people with the ability to see ghosts together and raises Sam’s spirits after years of believing she was alone with her curse. Secretly, it’s a love letter to something far rarer — Jay and Sam’s relationship.

The episode champions Jay’s patience and acceptance of Sam’s abilities while also mocking him for those qualities. After all, that is this comedy’s love language.

You have to give it to Joe Port and Joe Wiseman; they have impeccable TV taste, and they actively use Ghosts as a conduit for any TV references.

Feldman’s return to network comedy is the cherry on top of a series-long agenda to spoil us with cameos from Superstore alums. He slips effortlessly back into the large ensemble format, enchanting us as he banters with the ghosts as if he has been living a similar premise outside Woodstone.

Watching him have to constantly point out to a very loud and horny Hetty that he can hear her never grows tiresome.

He is equal parts sweet and problematic, just like Sam. So much so that he embraces the hilariously unoriginal nickname “Man Sam.” Kyle is Sam if she were forced to carry on without Jay, and it’s fascinating to watch him mirror her with an agenda that is antagonistic and heartbreaking.

With Ghosts leaving the door open for his return, we hope Feldman knows he is always welcome at Woodstone, even if Kyle is not.

At first, it seems Feldman will be a vessel for Jay’s petty jealousy, and nothing more. But the reality of his presence is so much better than we anticipate.

He becomes the catalyst for a special look into Jay and Sam’s relationship. He flips the script on the ghost-seeing ability to show Sam the harsh realities of living with such an unbelievable gift. Not everyone would double down the way Jay has for her, and Kyle’s desperation to take Sam from Jay is a needed reminder of that.

We’re also due for a reminder of how rare Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar’s chemistry is in this business. It’s such an effortless aspect of this premise that it’s easy to take their dynamic for granted.

Not to mention, McIver pulls double duty as she delivers an emotionally powerful plea for Jay to understand her struggles. Then she returns to convey in a heartbreakingly tender tone: “You’re patient and understanding, and I don’t tell you enough.” 

For all the childish ways Jay tries to insert himself into Sam and Kyle’s discussions, it’s worth the payoff of seeing Sam fall deeper in love with her ridiculous man.

Sas and Joan return for an exceptional B-storyline that finally puts the discussion of his virginity to bed with celebratory flair.

The episode expertly uses the long-running joke to its advantage, treating Sas’ first time as if it were a historical event — because to these ghosts, it is.

It’s both sweet and incredibly entertaining to see the others form strategic huddles to help Sas between the sheets. Instead, they hilariously overcomplicate the situation, leading Sas to accidentally throw Joan across the property.

The ghosts mistaking Joan’s “He threw me out the side of a house” for an old-timely expression has me wheezing.

In the end, we are engulfed in comfort as Joan delivers a wholesome speech to calm Sas’ nerves, and the house comes together to celebrate the dirty deed with an epic slow-motion celebration. This show is so beautifully unserious.

The virgin joke dies today, but in its place, a delightfully supportive relationship is born.

This heavenly episode of Ghosts is a reminder of why we still yearn for the immortality of sitcoms like Superstore.

Large ensemble shows are rare, and shows with ensembles that have this kind of kismic chemistry with each other are even rarer. Ghosts, like Kyle and Sam, is one-in-a-million. Its abilities may seem a little far-fetched at times, but this comedy is the real deal.

Back at full strength this season, the show is firing on all cylinders. We are seeing more storylines carry across multiple episodes, like with Pete and Alberta’s kiss. At the same time, the series establishes the payoff of long-term storytelling with Sas losing his virginity.

No victory ever feels too small or insignificant with this premise — something to keep in mind as Season 4 comes to a close.

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

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