WhileGhostsseason 4’s break will only last a few weeks, it does mean that the CBS sitcom has once again missed a chance to acknowledge a major US holiday.The ghosts of CBS’sGhostsmight fight a lot, but the ragtag group of misfits is more like a sitcom workplace or a dysfunctional family than outright enemies. Even whenGhostsseason 4’s cast of charactersadded Mary Holland’s unhinged Puritan Patience to the show’s lineup, the other undead residents of the Woodstone B&B welcomed her to their number despite her punitive, humorless attitudes.
Ghosts Season 4, Episode 4 Missing Spirit Makes Season 3’s Worst Multi-Episode Plot Worse
Ghosts season 4 episode 4 left out of one of the show’s lineup, and this was doubly insulting after the character was already absent in season 3.
While season 4, episode 5, “A Star Is Dead,” highlighted the camaraderie between the show’s ghostly characters, the outing also missed out on a major sitcom tradition. “A Star Is Dead” aired on November 14, and it is the last new episode ofGhostsuntil the show returns on December 5.Ghostsseason 4’s mid-season breakis shared by other network sitcoms, such asGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. However, that hit managed to mention one major holiday before the series went off the air.Ghostsignored the event, which is somewhat surprising given the show’s themes.
Ghosts Season 4 Missed Its Opportunity For A Thanksgiving Episode
The CBS Sitcom’s First Four Outings Have Ignored Thanksgiving
Four seasons into the show’s run,CBS’sGhostshas 4 Halloween episodes and 2 two-part Christmas specials but no Thanksgiving episodes. What makes this all the more surprising is the fact thatGhostsis uniquely well-suited to Thanksgiving episodes, and season 4 seems particularly reflective of this.Ghostsseason 4’s premiere and the ensuing two episodes focused on the ghosts saving Holland’s Patience from the dirt beneath the mansion, and they realized that they were lucky to have each other when faced with the prospect of existing alone under the Woodstone B&B for decades.
Devon Chandler Long
Thor
Meanwhile,Ghostsseason 4’s Sass storylinegave a long-awaited spotlight to Román Zarazoga’s Sardonic Native American character. Sass’s storytelling skills have been largely forgotten in the series and his power to invade the dreams of other people was dropped until “A Star Is Dead.” Sass’s background could have made a Thanksgiving episode compelling if the show had delved into the holiday’s real-life history, but a Thanksgiving-centric outing could also have highlighted how the relationships shared between the mansion’s ghosts make them something of a found family for each other.
Why A Ghosts Thanksgiving Special Would Make Sense
Ghosts Is A Perfect Example Of The Found Family Trope
The ghosts ofGhostsmake up a found family, which means a “Friendsgiving” episode would be a sweet spin on the traditional Thanksgiving special. The many Thanksgiving episodes ofFriendsprove thatsitcoms about dysfunctional friend groups are perfectly suited to Thanksgiving stories, thanks to the elaborate preparation required by the occasion and the inevitable feuds that break out when everyone is assembled.Isaac’sGhostsseason 4 breakuprecently saw him rely on the other ghosts for emotional support, so a Thanksgiving episode where the found family plans a celebration would have made perfect sense.
Shows likeHappy EndingsandThe Mindy Project, both of which also boasted large ensemble casts who constantly sniped at and supported each other in equal measure, proved that a Thanksgiving episode ofGhostswould work perfectly. After all, none of the ghosts can leave the Woodsmen B&B other than Pete. This means only Pete could possibly see his living family on Thanksgiving, and only Thor could actually communicate with his son Bjorn for the occasion. This bittersweet reality could give the ghosts’ attempts to prepare Friendsgiving celebrations emotional weight and complexity.
Ghosts’ Source Material May Explain Its Lack of Thanksgiving Episodes
The CBS Sitcom Is Based On A British Show Of The Same Name
Although it is a shame thatGhostsseason 4 missed out on the opportunity for a Thanksgiving episode, there could be a justification for this.Ghostsis based on the British show of the same name, which aired annual Christmas episodes but never mentioned Thanksgiving throughout its five seasons.Ghostsseason 4’s ghost powersprove that the show does diverge from its inspiration at times, but the show still owes a lot to the original BBC series. The show’s approach to Christmas episodes underlines this.
Ghosts had a two-part Christmas special in season 2 and has another two-part special forthcoming in season 4.
Ghostsdidn’t bring up Thanksgiving since the holiday isn’t celebrated in the UK, and the creative debt that the CBS show owes to its British predecessor might explain its lack of Thanksgiving episodes. Like the British show, CBS’sGhostsdoes take its Christmas specials seriously. The show had a two-part Christmas special in season 2 and has another two-part special forthcoming in season 4, and these could be seen as an alternative to a potentially US-centric Friendsgiving episode. Thus,Ghostsseason 4’s missing Thanksgiving episode, while disappointing, makes sense given the show’s origins.
Ghostsseason 4, episode 6, “The Primary Source,” will air on December 5.
