Ghosts Season 5 Episode 13 Review: St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help

Hetty Woodstone never had a real job — and Ghosts looks to rectify that with a truly delightful outing.

Ghosts Season 5 Episode 13, “St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help,” lets Rebecca Wisocky run the show with a character showcase that demonstrates how valuable a currency Hetty has become to this show’s success. And St. Hetty’s Day allows us to pay our proper respects before her altar.

The socialite’s desire to despise humanity and find companionship in it never grows tiresome to watch.

A sequel meant to showcase Hetty’s annual ability to be seen and heard by the living is merely an excuse to let the mischievous spirit loose in a very fun sandbox.

That creative freedom is felt at the core of this episode as Ghosts lets loose in ways it has not afforded itself in a long time.

This episode feels like a classic Ghosts outing. With Director Rose McIver at the helm and Joe Port/Joe Wiseman penning the script, this installment is brought to life by a team that knows the bones of this premise better than anyone — and it shows in the end product.

This dream team captures the messy grassroots hauntings of the pilot season with vintage shenanigans and an interwoven web of chaos that spans the entire ensemble.

As much as we miss it when Sam has to leave so McIver can step behind the camera, there’s no denying that she has a knack for directing excellent TV.

Hetty being a menace to society five seconds after reentering it is so iconic of her.

Yet, rather than playing it safe with another romantic outing, Ghosts flips the script and surprises Hetty with a different form of companionship she craves.

By having Hetty fail at her first job after years of mocking the working class, it forces her into a crucial and vulnerable place. That’s a perfect time to have strangers swoop in to save her pride. Hetty has never experienced the camaraderie of a team atmosphere, and watching her become so overwhelmed by that unconditional support is wonderfully heartbreaking.

Wisocky takes us through a whirlwind of emotions as Hetty is lifted by her peers and treated as an equal in the living world.

The devastation our pouty Hetty displays when she is asked to leave solidifies that this development will stay with her long-term.

This episode is indeed “for Hetty,” and we couldn’t be more emotional in the wake of such a perfect nod to her character.

These special outings explore a ghost power Hetty earned when she opened up her worldview to scrutiny. So it’s satisfying to see these sequels devote themselves to the essence of her ghost-power by encouraging Hetty to continue challenging her prejudices.

Sometimes, one wonders if we ask too much of this sitcom in a twenty-minute run time. But this outing is proof that Ghosts is capable of everything when it writes to the strengths of its characters.

Hetty’s growth in these moments is beneficial to everyone, not just her. The restaurant scenes feature several standout moments from Jay’s staff. We learn more about this tight-knit group through their interactions with Hetty than through the entirety of the restaurant’s existence.

When a show prioritizes story evolution and grounds those developments in known character foils, everyone wins.

Then there’s Bela, whose rich history of trying to date the ghosts carries the B-storyline to victory.

The episode rightfully lets Bela’s troubled past speak for itself. The unsaid exposition amplifies the wacky nature of this dreamance. So when Bela is faced with a choice between a living man she has lots in common with and an unavailable ghost, we get to be in on the joke that she is never picking Kyle.

To summarize the series of events: Sas seeks out advice on dating Bela from Trevor — who once catfished Bela and tried to possess her ex-boyfriend so they could make out. Then Sas asks Kyle to help him win back the girl the poor man is on a date with.

That is classic, messy Ghosts!

Sas becoming Bela’s dream man is such a delightful train wreck to watch. It makes Jay uncomfortable and continues to add to Sas’ unusual dating history while Joan is away.

So much of this episode pays homage to and rewards long-time viewers.

There’s Hetty’s dating profile, which hilariously features her scandalous oil painting with the exposed ankles. Not only is using a 150-year-old painting as a profile pic iconic, but we also get the tiniest of H-Money crumbs when we learn Trevor set up the profile for her.

Indeed, that’s the stuff fan-fics are made of.

The writing also champions the quoteable one-liner formula of the earlier seasons, with iconic lines like Hetty’s “And I did it all without cocaine!” or Isaac’s iPad kid moment when he responds, “I don’t know, but I saw it on Emma Watson’s Instagram.”

Between the fun callbacks and exciting new pairings, this is a Ghosts episode we will happily rewatch all year round.

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

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