Ghosts Season 4 Episode 22 Review: The Devil Went Down to Woodstone

Season 4 has been one hell of a ride!

Ghosts Season 4 Episode 22, “The Devil Went Down to Woodstone,” confirms the devil is in the details as the season finale opts for a nuanced affair of small triumphs rather than big swings.

It’s a celebratory showcase of the ensemble and a fun nod to the macabre undertones of this paranormal premise.

The season has toyed with the issue of Sam and Jay giving everything they have to the ghosts and often having that kindness extorted.

So it is lovely to see the ghosts band together without ulterior motives to ensure that Patience doesn’t turn Sam’s book launch party into a bloodbath.

Trevor’s take-charge attitude, coupled with Hetty’s desperation to help Sam, really elevates Alberta’s sacrifice to ensure Sam gets what she wants for once.

Patience does not make it easy on Alberta. She forces the singer to be incredibly raw and vulnerable to keep her public shaming authentic. It is a humiliating loss on her part, but it is an appropriate sacrifice for the stakes of Sam’s success.

After defeating Patience, the couple has a bright moment of hope. As they clink glasses over their accomplishments, Jay says, “May this offset the money we’ve lost on ghosts.” Seeing the unbalanced relationship with the spirits reward them for once is promising, even if it is fleeting.

This is where Ghosts excels — two storylines directly affected by one devastating and hilarious scene.

When the show breaks down the walls confining each storyline to an individual room of the mansion, it allows the ensemble to elevate what could easily be a mediocre concept.

And much of this episode’s placating of Patience is mediocre. It is a very low-stakes premise for a finale, but extraordinary performances and clever multitasking elevate that premise.

Having Alberta’s pining for Pete fast-tracked to help Sam lends much-needed context to the suddenness of her change of heart.

At the same time, the Day of Shame scene also showcases the entire ensemble (the basement ghosts and Baxter included) for the finale while lending a helping hand to the main storyline with Sam’s book launch.

This scene does the majority of the heavy lifting for this season finale, and while everyone plays their part beautifully, Danielle Pinnock is the star of the scene.

She handles the exposing monologue with a sincerity that allows us to jump back on board the romantic Pete/Alberta ship without hesitation. She is effortless in her delivery and illustrates the budding feelings that led her to this revelation.

Rarely in comedies do the characters get a moment of reflection like this to explain their process and doubt themselves openly. Alberta asking, “Have I always felt this way about Pete?” feels like a win, even without the kiss.

There’s the humor of the actual shaming to eat up. However, the grounded moments of confession, where everyone in the room is visibly moved by Alberta’s romantic declaration, set this couple’s swoony-worthy kiss up for success.

Cheers to Pete and Alberta for carving out an authentic moment despite the short notice.

“The Devil Went Down to Woodstone” diverges from the typical season finale by skipping the cliffhanger in favor of a simmering storyline setup.

All those times Jay joked about going to hell, and now it is actually happening to our poor man. The ghost lore has not been kind to Jay, that’s for sure.

While Elias’ earlier visit was a disappointment, it pays off here with the reveal that the devil has sent him to reap Jay’s soul. If there’s one way to up the stakes in effective and terrifying ways, it’s threatening Jay’s life.

The thought of losing our sweet, Sonic-loving dork to the devil is certainly upsetting.

It would have been nice to see the season set up Jay’s devilish demise more. A few more breadcrumbs here and there, even removing the reveal that Elias was posing as Jay’s publicist and showing us, not telling us, would have made this reveal all the more gasp-worthy.

That said, it is highly practical that the ghosts would just forget to tell Sam that Elias can take human form. They truly are the worst, but we love them for it.

We crave more continuity from this sitcom. With a two-season renewal, we have to hope Ghosts considers more multi-episode arcs.

That said, the complaints stop here because Season 4 was a success for the cherished sitcom. This ensemble of heavy hitters knocks it out of the park every week. Few shows can be this consistently funny, endearing, and fresh this far into their run.

This is an aging premise, but like the spirits it exploits, the show is frozen in a youthful wonderment.

It continues to poke at the crossroads between living and the undead with a child-like curiosity and Addams Family quirkiness that never truly grows tiresome. The people working on this show in every capacity love what they do and believe in this show.

Here’s to hoping we see more of Patience popping up at the worst possible moments and Nigel discussing Isaac’s vampire novel with him. This show is at its best when it taps into the rich character studies haunting its halls.

Ghosts, thank you for continuing to keep us in good spirits with the perfect TV haunt.

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Season 4 of Ghosts is available to stream on Paramount+.

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