Ghosts Season 5’s Revamped Rules Are Oddly Similar To The Good Place

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The fifth season of Ghosts started with a change to how people are taken to the afterlife, and it’s surprisingly similar to the rules in a well-known supernatural comedy. In the premiere episode, Carol (Caroline Aaron) went to Heaven after selflessly offering her soul to Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh) – she did this to save her ex-husband, Pete (Richie Moriarty), who had previously tried to make the same sacrifice to save Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar).

It used to be believed that ghosts could only move on to Heaven – or, as Trevor jokingly called it, get ‘sucked off’ – once they resolved their earthly issues. But Carol’s kind act seems to have altered this, suggesting there may now be other ways for ghosts to pass on to the afterlife.

Trevor’s Theory About Getting Sucked Off Echoes The Good Place

In the second episode of Ghosts season 5, Trevor discussed his idea with Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) about how to get into Heaven. He figured Carol was immediately accepted because of one incredibly selfless act. Knowing opportunities like that are rare, he wondered if doing a lot of smaller good deeds could eventually add up to the same result.

Trevor decided to do something nice for Sam (Rose McIver) by staying on hold for her while she tried to cancel her water delivery. Sas offered to help, but Trevor declined, saying he’d split the reward points with him.

The idea of using ‘points’ felt similar to the TV show The Good Place. In that show, a point system determined whether people went to the Good Place or the Bad Place. Good deeds earned points, while bad actions lost them. However, if someone did something good for selfish reasons, they wouldn’t receive any points.

Even though the point system in The Good Place didn’t last—it was later replaced with a test—it was a central element of the show. Trevor’s mention of points brought that system to mind, and his idea that small acts of kindness could lead to a great reward echoed how characters earned their place in The Good Place.

A fun nod to The Good Place happened when Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) called Trevor and Sas’ plan brilliant and rushed off to tell Sam to take the call himself. This was a playful connection because Jones previously played John Wheaton on The Good Place, a character who ultimately earned his place in the afterlife.

Trevor & Sasappis Are TV Junkies Who Surely Know The Show

Credit: CBS via MovieStillsDB

While Trevor and Sas were on hold waiting for Sam, they grew bored and wanted to watch TV. They had become big TV fans ever since they realized Sam could turn it on for them. In Season 5, Episode 2 of Ghosts, Trevor admitted his love for television, and Sas agreed it was the best.

Sas and Trevor were far back in line – number 50 – so they snuck off to watch TV, confident they had time before Sam needed to answer the call. As they happily headed upstairs to watch shows like The Golden Bachelor, Trevor started thinking about the show The Good Place, and it sparked a new idea.

This episode of Ghosts definitely felt inspired by The Good Place. The show introduced a new system – a point-based one – for ghosts to move on, which has the potential for a lot of funny situations as they try to be extra helpful. But, unless they’re genuinely trying to do good, Trevor’s plan won’t succeed.

If Trevor is watching The Good Place, he probably hasn’t seen much of it yet, and he’s in for a lot of surprises as the story unfolds. He’ll need a really good understanding of the show if he wants to truly appreciate it.

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2025-10-27 23:21