Ghosts Got Rid Of The Wrong Spirit In Season 5 (& Made Its Premise More Confusing)

by

Season 5 of the CBS sitcom Ghosts attempted to raise the stakes by having one of its regular cast members leave the show, but unfortunately, they chose the wrong character. The show’s appeal lies in the quirky personalities of its ghosts – Thor, Sass, Isaac, Hetty, Alberta, Flower, Pete, and Trevor – and their funny adventures are what keep viewers tuning in each week.

There’s always a chance that any of the ghosts could be unexpectedly taken to either Heaven or Hell. This possibility was introduced in the first season, but it hasn’t happened often, and so far, none of the show’s regular characters have experienced it.

Things shifted noticeably in season 5, episode 1, “Soul Custody.” Pete’s wife, Carol, made the selfless decision to send her soul to Hell so that Jay could keep living. Surprisingly, this act of kindness earned her a place in Heaven, ending her brief time as a ghost trapped in Woodstone Mansion.

Carol is a significant ghost on the show, but she’s more of a supporting player. She doesn’t appear in many episodes, and even the episodes that feature her story also heavily focus on her ex-husband, Pete.

Ghosts Season 5’s Premiere Should Have Redeemed Patience (Not Carol)

The biggest issue with the character leaving in the Ghosts season 5 premiere wasn’t that Carol wasn’t a central figure. The real problem is that the show had a better choice for a supporting character to be written off. Mary Holland’s character, Patience, a Puritan introduced in season 4, would have been a more logical choice as a guest star departure.

The show Ghosts has outgrown the character of Patience, and she’s no longer necessary. While still irritating, the writers continue to include her despite her lacking a clear purpose or storyline, especially since she didn’t step up like Carol did when Jay was needed.

The season 4 finale of Ghosts hinted at a confrontation between Elias, Hetty’s former demonic husband, and Patience. Throughout the season, Patience had frustrated both the ghosts and the living with her constant talk about religion. But when she sensed something demonic on the grounds in the finale, she turned out to be right for once.

Patience realized Elias had returned before anyone else did, making her feel vindicated about claiming she was doing something important. It would have been a surprising turn of events if Patience, who had always seemed focused on herself and overly confident, had unexpectedly sacrificed herself to save Jay.

Ghosts Made Its Lore More Confusing With Carol’s Exit

Photo: CBS via MovieStillsDB

The way Carol left in Ghosts season 5 didn’t just disappoint fans expecting a payoff to Patience’s storyline—it also created more confusion about how the show’s world actually works. The show was already bending its own rules by introducing demons in season 5, on top of existing issues with how the ghosts functioned.

Carol’s departure actually made the process of ghosts leaving even more unclear. Patience initially volunteered to step in for Jay, but then got cold feet. Carol then offered to do it, claiming she wanted to make amends for something related to Pete.

Everyone saw her offer as proof of her kind heart, and she was finally welcomed into Heaven. However, didn’t her sudden salvation undermine everything she’d sacrificed? If she entered Heaven, Elias would still be expecting a soul in return.

Carol moving on to Heaven raises the question of why everyone else is still trapped at Woodstone Mansion. For Thor, the reason seems clear: he’s confessed to killing many people and needs to atone for those actions before he can move on.

The CBS Sitcom Must Explain How Ghosts Are “Sucked Off”

Image via CBS

Trevor’s poor handling of money could be the reason he’s still stuck in the afterlife, and Hetty’s prejudice against Irish people and those of lower social classes suggests she probably hurt a lot of people when she was alive. But it’s a mystery why characters like Pete and Flower are lingering in Woodstone much longer than Carol.

The show Ghosts needs to clarify its rules about how ghosts achieve redemption. Specifically, it needs to explain why some ghosts, like Flower who is consistently kind, remain ghosts while Carol was immediately redeemed by a single act of kindness. The show should address this inconsistency, potentially through the character of Patience.

Holland’s character, Patience, isn’t getting much attention from the show’s writers, making her a natural choice to leave in season 5. Her exit could also finally reveal what it means to be “Sucked off” – a long-running mystery on the show Ghosts.

Read More

2025-11-06 01:41