CBS Finally Fixes Ghosts’ Oldest Problem (& Forces A Major Change)

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for the Ghosts season 5 Christmas special, “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol.” Before taking a break for the winter, the show Ghosts finally resolves a long-standing issue. Since its premiere in 2021, this comedy has been a popular and successful addition to CBS, both with viewers and critics. The network recognized its potential early on, and has already renewed the show for seasons beyond 2025-2026. The series, created by Joe Wiseman and Joe Port, is based on a popular British show of the same name.

The show Ghosts consistently delivers – it’s genuinely funny, boasts a talented cast, and starts with a clever idea. Even after several seasons, it continues to surprise viewers with fresh storylines for both the living characters, Sam and Jay, and the ghosts themselves. However, the show has faced a recurring criticism throughout its run. Fortunately, the recent two-part season 5 finale tackles this issue in a fitting way, perfectly timed for the Christmas season.

Ghosts Finally Confronts How Awful The Spirits Are To Sam (& Gives Them The Chance To Fix It)

In the “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol” episode of Ghosts, Thor convinces Flower to possess Sam’s body as a Christmas gift. While body swaps have happened before on the show, this time the stakes are higher: it occurs right before Sam is scheduled to appear on TV and promote Isaac’s book. This episode finally highlights just how much the ghosts of Woodstone Mansion interfere with, humiliate, and generally make Sam’s life difficult.

After a humiliating moment on live television, and feeling abandoned by the ghosts, Sam angrily wishes she’d never gained her supernatural abilities. This sets the stage for the season 5 finale of Ghosts, drawing inspiration from stories like A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life. Sam then finds herself in a reality where her wish has come true, though this storyline feels a bit emotionally manipulative. Considering everything the ghosts have put her through, her feelings of hurt and resentment are understandable.

Thankfully, everything that happened before Sam’s interview was just a bad dream. Even though Flower is still influencing her, the ghosts worked together to help Sam, finally creating a harmonious relationship between them. Normally, Sam and Jay are left to deal with the ghosts’ antics, but this time, the spirits stepped in to save Sam from embarrassment in front of a huge audience.

Sam’s Dynamic With The Spirits Need To Change In Ghosts Moving Forward

It’s really starting to bother me that Ghosts keeps showing how Sam gets picked on by the ghosts. Remember earlier this season when Jay spoke up about the spirits manipulating his wife? It didn’t really feel like it went anywhere, but when Sam finally snapped in the Christmas special, it hit hard. Now that the show has made it clear this is a real issue, I really hope they start writing stories that actually address it going forward. It feels important that they do.

This doesn’t require Sam to completely abandon her gentle way of interacting with ghosts, nor does it mean her ghostly friends need to become perfectly obedient. However, after the events of the Ghosts season 5 finale, their relationship needs to become more balanced. If it doesn’t, the important message of the episode will be lost.

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2025-12-19 16:38