Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Ghosts season 4, episode 3, “Halloween IV: The Witch”
Although the ghosts of CBS’sGhostshave always had some powers, season 4 has improved the sitcom’s setup by upping the ante on these abilities.Ghostsseason 4’s cast of charactersincludes Mary Holland’s Patience the Puritan, who kidnapped Isaac after he left Nigel at the altar in season 3’s finale.Ghostsseason 4’s new character Patienceseemed destined to become a regular fixture in the Woostone Mansion when Isaac and the ghosts banded together to drag her out of “The dirt”in the premiere, but she eventually returned there only a few episodes later.
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This was no bad thing, since Patience was a disruptive new addition to the show’s gallery of ghosts. WhenSam’s father Frank visited inGhostsseason 4, Patience made the mansion’s walls bleed human blood since she was so angry about him sleeping in the same bed as his girlfriend. This alone didn’t get Patience banished, but it was a wild power compared to what most of the ghosts can achieve. Patience exaggerated her abilities in season 4, episode 3, “Halloween IV: The Witch,” but eventually decided to return underground when Isaac publicly shamed her for watching TV.
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Although Holland’s character did go back to “The dirt” to avoid the sins of the mansion,Patience’s role inGhostsseason 4 proves just how much more impressive the show’s ghost powers have gotten. Sam’s statue transformation epitomized this phenomenon, since viewers had no idea whether Patience was telling the truth when she implied she had turned Sam to stone. Even the ghosts themselves don’t know what powers ghosts can potentially have until they are revealed, so the idea that something outright fantastical could happen (like Patience turning a human into a stone statue) seems reasonable.
Thanks to Patience’s powers, it is no longer clear what is and isn’t possible inGhostsseason 4 and this is a good thing. Ghost powers have been around since season 1, episode 1, but they were initially more low-key. Alberta can hum quietly, Trevor can just about move small items, and Isaac can create a bad smell. Season 3 revealed that Pete can leave the grounds of the mansion and go anywhere, while season 4 revealed Patience can make the walls bleed human blood, so it is fair to sayGhostsis rapidly raising the stakes in terms of what constitutes a “Power.”
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As if to underline this point,the ghosts and even Jay have been mocking Aberta’s humming power even though it was comparatively impressive until season 3. WhilePatience’s tragicGhostsseason 4 backstorymade it easier to feel sorry for her, seeing how much more powerful she was than the rest of the ghosts was a striking surprise. Even though actor Richie Moriarty toldTVLinePatience’s power was “Intense,” the jump from moving small objects tiny distances to making walls bleed was pretty major. Luckily, this improved the series, something that is proven by comparison with its 2019 predecessor.
Thor
The British series of the same name thatGhostsis based on is more grounded and features fewer supernatural elements (other than, obviously, the eponymous ghosts). As such, any “Powers” are pretty minimal and mostly just running gags. In contrast, CBS’Ghostsquickly made the powers of the ghosts central to the series. Trevor moved things in the pilot and Thor had accidentally used his electricity manipulation powers to burn down a brand-new gazebo in the show’s first Halloween episode. The powers drive the plot in this version ofGhosts, so more more impactful powers mean wilder stories.
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Patience and Pete’s Powers Prove Hetty’s Abilities Could Be Anything
WhileGhostsseason 4’s promised Alexander Hamiltonappearance is exciting,the unknown ghost powers are now one of the most interesting mysteries in the sitcom. Characters like Hetty still don’t know their abilities, and the increasing complexity of new ghost powers means they could be anything. Whether it is Patience making the walls bleed, Pete leaving the grounds of the mansion, or Sass entering the dreams of the living, ghosts can seemingly find out that their powers are pretty much anything.
Ghostshas a perfect opportunity to give Hetty an ability that is equal parts unexpected and impressive.
This means that the revelation of Hetty’s powers can be more than a neat running gag. Especially after she tried to summon powers in “Halloween IV: The Witch” and got nowhere,Ghostshas a perfect opportunity to give her an ability that is equal parts unexpected and impressive. This would serve to reiterate just how much the sitcom’s characters don’t know the extent of their own abilities, and may even do something to bridge the gap between the show’s human characters and the ghosts ofGhosts.
