PaulE

I think they had two strategies to choose from. In the first, they wouldn't specify what the power was, so the audience will think, "Ooooh, I wonder what it is." In the second, which is what they chose, they'd reveal the power so the audience thinks, "Ooooh, I want to see that."

I agree in principle, but I just saw an ad for the upcoming episode during 60 Minutes that gave away what the ghost power is. So you’d pretty much have to avoid CBS entirely to avoid that kind of spoiler. But you have a good point - we have a Spoiler & Speculation thread, and we have an episode thread for that future episode, so IMO there’s no need for people to be discussing it here. I agree. I had seen the ad also, but shouldn't have assumed everyone had seen it. And since we do have a spoiler thread we need to be more careful about posting for episodes that haven't aired yet--I certainly will from now on.

All that, plus the fact that he died so young. I don't remember if his age was ever mentioned but I've always placed him around 20, even though Roman Zaragosa is older. He never really had a chance to start living his life--or, rather, he was just beginning to when it was snatched from him--whereas the other ghosts did, even if those lives weren't necessarily always happy. I'd imagine the yearning for what he can never know is bound to create a sense of loneliness and isolation, especially because the other ghosts really wouldn't be able to relate to that personally, though I'm sure they'd be sympathetic. Given that we've seen he was a decent person at heart, it's likely that he did. The kind of life he was living is bound to become exhausting after awhile, and I think more and more he'd have been starting to recognize how empty and meaningless and futile it was. Had he lived longer, he'd probably have started to realize he had to shed some aspects of that life or it would destroy him, which is what happened to some of the real-life finance bros (and women, for that matter) from the early 2000s. Deep down, he might be starting to regret not being able to find someone, settle down, and have a family. I don't see him as the sort to despair and take his own life, but there certainly might have been occasional thoughts about that. It would be especially poignant if the writers created a story line like that for Trevor, because Asher Grodman has mentioned in interviews that he's suffered from serious depression in the past--can't remember if he had to go on meds but psychotherapy was involved.

It would be nice if she could come down for the wedding and give them her blessing so that Isaac would know she truly forgave him and wants to see him happy.

I loved this, because it shows that Isaac does have a compassionate side even though he's usually too self-absorbed to bother showing it. We need a little more of that--not all the time, because Isaac's cluelessness is partly what makes him funny, but every now and then so he doesn't become obnoxious. I actually did think we were in for another "it's all about me" session toward the beginning of the episode when he told Stephanie that having her boyfriend sucked off wasn't nearly as important as planning his dinosaur-themed wedding, but fortunately he stepped up to the plate with Hetty. Speaking of Hetty, this episode made me think that, in one aspect, she has the most nightmarish existence of all the ghosts. It's true that she's at home in familiar surroundings, which none of the other ghosts have (except partly for Sass), but think about it: This is the house in which she was coerced into a loveless marriage and lived out the misery and frustration of that marriage, and where she committed suicide. Later, she had to watch helplessly as her son became a murderer, and since then has had the constant reminder of that because of Alberta's presence, as well as the guilt of knowing Alberta didn't know the truth for so long. This wasn't a happy house for Hetty. Most of us, if alive, would probably want to move as far away as possible from those bad vibes, but she can't even do that. She's got to be under a lot of emotional stress because of all this--I know I would be.

We finally learned the answers to two of our long-standing questions in this episode: when and how Hetty died. They fooled us with her story about overdosing and then hit us with the shocker of how she really died--that was intense. I didn't expect the episode to turn so dark, especially after that hilarious conversation between Hetty and her lawyer at the beginning when she congratulates him on his wife becoming the governor's mistress and he replies that it's a step up for his family. Plus regretting that the state wants children to go to school during their most productive years when their tiny fingers can still fit inside the nooks and crannies of the machinery. Oh Hetty, you're lucky you're not in hell with Elias. I also liked the writers' nod to viewers' confusion about some of the illogical aspects of ghostly existence, such as their not knowing why they can go through walls but not floors--maybe some of them read the posts on this forum! Nigel wasn't there, either, and I'd consider him more important than Carol. I think we just have to accept that the secondary ghosts--Carol, Nancy, Nigel, Stephanie--aren't always going to be present in every episode. Maybe the writers feel the group would become too large and unwieldy to write for otherwise.

Exactly. I'd like to see the ghosts doing something to help Jay out in some way. Yes to this. And it then becomes an issue: why would he keep putting up with this? I think his character has been well developed and he deserves better than wearing a virtual "kick me" sign all the time. I also like the theory that the reason this season has been a bit more mean-spirited is because of Flower's absence. When you think about it, it's in the ghosts' best interests to see that they don't inconvenience Jay and Sam too much. After all, they could get so fed up they sell the property (I'm sure they'd get a good price for it, enough to start over elsewhere), and then the ghosts would lose all their agency unless the new owner also has an accident that allows them to see the ghosts as Sam did. And what if the new owner decided to tear down the house and, say, use the property as farmland? Now you've got a bunch of ghosts forced to live in the open, essentially homeless. Thor and Sass might be able to cope with that but I'm not sure about the others. Just sayin'.

That's exactly what I assumed too! Only I was too chicken to write it and you weren't.

This comment made me think about how I whipsaw from harshly criticizing the ghosts for their selfishness to having a certain amount of sympathy for them. It really must be awful for these guys, who were once alive, to no longer have any agency. Can't enjoy food, can't change clothes, can't travel, can't pick up a book and read, can't even completely have sex (I think Sass said that about sex once, right?). And yet they can remember what they're now missing, which makes it even worse. I honestly can understand how desperation and privation--even a certain amount of bewilderment--might make them selfish. But then I go back to thinking they need to be smacked. I guess that says something about the humanity with which the writers have invested these characters.

That’s an interesting thought. I am not sure I can remember Sam having a personal interaction with them, of the kind where you are just chatting with a friend because you find it rewarding. Has she done that? She seems to always just react to their demands and situations. Yes, the ghosts really are not Sam’s friends, are they? They are a burden she has to deal with, that’s pretty much it. I am not sure that understanding Sam’s situation and feeling for her means that what she is doing to Jay is OK. She may be miserable, yes, but should she be spreading this misery onto Jay or should she be making an effort to shield him from it? What might've worked would have been if Jay had agreed to, say, go to his bedroom for one or two hours at a stated time each day to allow Alberta and Saul to have their alone time, but beyond that it's catch as catch can. An arrangement like that could actually be funny if the guests asked Sam why he always did that every day and she'd have to make up an excuse, like he's really into meditation and is militant about never missing a day. Something like that would at least have been a compromise. As for Sam's ghostly interactions, i do get the feeling that, although much of it is about satisfying their demands, she's gotten to know them as personalities over time and has a certain affection for them as a result--she might not like all of them all the time but they're still real to her and perhaps she's grown to appreciate their good qualities and maybe put up with some of their faults and foibles or at least understand why they have them. As we all do in real life with our relationships, right? Jay, however, can't do this; he doesn't really "know" them the way Sam does. That's what I meant by interacting. It would be nice to see her just chatting with a ghost now and then--maybe asking Sass about what daily life was like for his tribe or Nigel about his life in England. But I suppose that wouldn't make for much of a comedy plot. And, yes, as much as I criticize Sam for being an unsupportive wife, I can't imagine what it must be like to never be free of ghosts no matter where you go. Why she hasn't gone completely starkers is, I suppose, a testimony to some kind of inner strength, doormat though she might be.

Although Jay's never said this in so many words, it's been very clear from the beginning, through other things he's said and done, that he thinks having the ghosts around is cool and that he wishes more than anything he could see and hear them as Sam does. He's been inconvenienced and embarrassed countless times because of them and yet he shows no lasting hard feelings. It's hard to imagine how else he could prove his affection for the ghosts, especially since Sam at least has the reward of personal interaction with them while he essentially has nothing. A less generous and good-hearted man would have gotten the hell out of Dodge long ago. I also think that those who feel Jay was being unsympathetic to Alberta in this episode really need to consider the implications of what she wanted him to do, which is essentially to cede all control over himself to spirits he can't see or hear. I mean, think of it: he's supposed to sit in a silent empty room while Alberta and Saul canoodle. Gotta go to the bathroom? Sorry, you'll just have to hold it so as not to interrupt the lovers in a clinch. Bored and want to get a book or something, or maybe, as a bed-and-breakfast owner, you actually have business you must attend to? Sorry, you've gotta wait. Though unless and until Sam comes in he'll have no idea whether it's alright for him to leave, so he could be sitting there long after they've finished and Alberta's left the room. Also, sorry your own wife can't always sleep in the same bed as you and, oh, yes, good luck falling asleep knowing two ghosts are getting it on right then and there. Jay might as well be a robot. We all agree that Jay's inability to communicate with the ghosts contributes to the comedy, but I hope the show isn't going to rely completely on how many ways Jay can be humiliated and crapped on, as happened with Darren in the last season or two of that old sitcom Bewitched. When, during their whispered argument, Jay said to Sam that he was a person who mattered, he was spot on, but I think it went over her head. That said, I think kathy2 made an important point about considering how Sam's ability to interact with the ghosts has affected her and maybe turned her into something of a doormat for the ghosts. If Jay doesn't fulfill their wishes he can just carry on with his day, but in her case, she'll have to deal with arguing, nagging, resentment, hurt feelings, and anger that she can't ignore or escape as long as she's in that house. That's an instance where being able to communicate with the ghosts is actually a minus for her and a plus for Jay. But even so, she ought to develop the backbone to stick up for her husband a little more.

Yeah, how exactly will they get her out? Could she even grab a robe or climb a ladder? It'll be interesting to see what they do with this.

It seems like the dinosaur thing (I'd say it's approaching more of a fetish than an obsession at this point) is already a bit of a sore subject with Nigel. Remember, he told Isaac that dinosaurs were his thing but the wedding was supposed to be about both of them. However, Nigel shouldn't complain too much, given his devotion to ants (though I doubt Kevin and the McGregor clan will be invited to the ceremony). As for Jenkins's lap dance (I shudder, horses neigh), I did notice that, for a supposed beginner, Jenkins wasn't exactly clueless about what to do. If someone were to say, "This is his first time," I'd respond, "This is his first time today." Isaac's interest in the stripper-and-fellow-dinosaur-enthusiast got me to thinking about the sexual dynamics of our two soldiers. You'd think that Nigel, having accepted and been comfortable with himself much longer and more easily than Isaac, would be the more uninhibited and adventurous, yet I'm getting the sense that he's pretty conventional and downright vanilla (though, in fairness, we don't know how he'd have reacted if he'd been presented with Isaac's stripper instead of Jenkins). Isaac, however, who has only just come out, is already showing some mildly kinky tendencies. He's going to be the proverbial kid in the candy store. I just hope that on their wedding night he doesn't ask Nigel to make clicking noises.

I'm not sure my eyes will ever recover from the sight of Jenkins's lap dance. The horror was worthy of an Eli Roth movie. Isaac definitely had the better bachelor party. I was, though, at least glad that the Brits came to Nigel's party as I'd hoped they would, and also glad that we heard Baxter playing something other than "The Grenadiers March." However, we've still never heard him speak--I'm starting to think maybe he can't. Poor Jay was pushed to his limits with that poltergeist. I was happy he stood up for himself. Knowing you're not alone even when going to the bathroom . . . That's a bad scene (not so great for the poltergeist, either).

Carole comes across as a sex addict, willing to get it on with any guy who crosses her path. Even Thor's wolf-urine cologne evidently didn't phase her. As a ghost she's thoroughly unpleasant and I hope she's not around too much or for too long. Did not like Jeremy at all. I know I've called Trevor a prick, but I do recognize that he does have a more caring and sensitive side that he occasionally shows. Whereas his brother was completely charmless without a single redeeming quality. Some freeloaders can be sort of endearing, but not this guy. His comment about being the only guest was on point, though. I've always wondered how Sam and Jay survive with as few guests as they seem to have. I know the show isn't supposed to focus on those but you'd think we'd see a few people strolling about now and again to demonstrate that there's a regular stream of customers and that the bed & breakfast is a viable business.