S01.E11: Sam’s Mom

[Whimsy]

Quote

Sam and Jay travel to where Sam's mother, Sheryl, died to see if she's now a ghost. Also, Sasappis divulges a secret to his fellow ghosts that he overheard Sam and Jay discussing,

Original air date 1/6/22 

[AnimeMania]

GUEST CAST:
Rachael Harris (Sam's Mom Sheryl)
Nadine Djoury (Peggy Sue)
Rodrigues A. Williams (Dennis)
Betsy Sodaro (Nancy)
Stuart Fink (Stuart- Cholera Victim)
Nigel Downer (Nigel – Cholera Victim)
Arthur Holden (Creepy Dirk – Cholera Victim)
K.C. Coombs (Sondra – Patron)

[Annber03]

Oh, my god, Sam yelling at her mom about saying the right thing to get sucked off right as the waiter came by...XD. I had a feeling her mom would leave, but it was still a bittersweet moment all the same. I liked Jay trying to be supportive throughout. And that restaurant sounds like an interesting place :p. The ending with Hetty talking to Sam was sweet. 

So Pete's got a thing for Alberta, huh? Aw. Shame things got all messed up in his attempt to tell her that, but everyone's reactions to Nancy's wild stories were entertaining :p. I loved that he picked someone from the cholera group to be his fake girlfriend. Hopefully Pete can sort things out and finally tell Alberta how he feels about her eventually, though. 

[Sakura12]

I don't think I want Jay to be able to see the ghosts. Since I love him having to deal with every one else reacting to Sam talking to air or saying things like you just said the right things to get sucked off. Lol

Seeing Rachel Harris as Sam's mom was weird since I'm used to her playing the Devil's therapist on Lucifer. I also like that Sam's got a new mom figure in Hetty. I wonder if she told her mom one of the ghosts is their ancestor. 

I figured cholera woman wouldn't want to go back to the basement, she's got an audience now and doesn't have to talk about the water heater all time. 

Why would Sam hide the remote? She knows only Trevor can change the channel or at least say Yes to the are you still watching question. 

[emma675]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

Why would Sam hide the remote? 

I think the ghosts said Jay put the remote in a drawer. Trevor was saying something about how he could push the buttons but opening a drawer was beyond him.

I hope Sam realizes how lucky she is. Jay is a delight and I love that he thinks it's great that Sam can see ghosts. And he actually goes with the flow of all the weirdness. His forever calling Pete "arrow guy" cracks me up.

Sassapis being so sweet to Sam before they left as a way to constantly remind her to leave the TV on cracked me up. And blurting out that Pete has a crush on Alberta was so him. He just can't keep a secret. And damn, that actor is hot.

I think I rewatched the scene of the ghosts reacting to Pete and his new cholera pit girlfriend at least three times. Everyone's faces and reactions were hysterical. This cast is SO GOOD.

[Driad]

Could the ghosts change their clothes if they wanted to?  (I don't know whether Trevor would prefer to wear pants.)

[AnimeMania]

The major cholera epidemics in the US were around 1830 to 1860. To let you know how long ago that was, this is when the setters were fighting the Native Americans for their land. Nancy was played as a modern woman with modern morals, not a woman from the same era as Hetty.

[Snow Apple]

7 hours ago, Driad said:

Could the ghosts change their clothes if they wanted to?  (I don't know whether Trevor would prefer to wear pants.)

Probably not or the basement ghosts would put on clean clothes so they don't stink, and Pete would have removed that arrow by now.

[DanielleBowden]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Could the ghosts change their clothes if they wanted to?

I don't think so. In the original series, one of ghosts tries to remove something from his pocket and it keeps reappearing..

[DavidWeis1]

On an unrelated note: How do you think they keep the actor who plays Pete from poking someone’s eyes out with they arrow? I watch him when he’s walking, especially when he turns quickly, and he seems to come close from time-to-time? Think they use a stunt-double?

[shapeshifter]

I loved the end when Sam realized Hetty was a mother figure who wouldn't ever leave. 
But now that I've typed that, I'm hoping they don't have to deal too seriously with Sam being worried about Hetty being "sucked off" [giggle] / "ascending."

[shura]

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

The major cholera epidemics in the US were around 1830 to 1860. To let you know how long ago that was, this is when the setters were fighting the Native Americans for their land. Nancy was played as a modern woman with modern morals, not a woman from the same era as Hetty.

Maybe they died in a minor local outbreak that happened more recently.  Either way, I love how the cholera ghosta are all docile and resigned to just standing in the dark forever talking about the water heater, and then Nancy is like, enough of this, I am taking matters into my own hands! Nancy is awesome, isn't she? Such a powerful presence, so much energy, just fun to watch.  I loved her improv skills too, the bit about grabbing the arrow and steering Pete came absolutely out of the blue.

Do we know exactly how Hetty is related to Sam? Just wondering if she is related to Sam's mom too.

[DanaK]

Pretty good, though I think I enjoyed Pete’s girlfriend subplot the best

Terrible that the ghosts have to forever put up with the state in which they died, especially the cholera group

[Katy M]

12 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

she's got an audience now and doesn't have to talk about the water heater all time. 

Yet what was the first thing she talked about?  The water heater.

 

10 hours ago, Driad said:

Could the ghosts change their clothes if they wanted to?  (I don't know whether Trevor would prefer to wear pants.)

They don't seem to be able to really manipulate solid objects (except for what little Trevor can do), but the can touch each other. So, maybe they could wear each other's clothes?  Don't know how that would help.

[tennisgurl]

I loved seeing Rachel Harris as Sam's mom, she's always a delight whenever she pops up. The ending was very bittersweet, its great that Sam got to get closure with her mom and that her mom got sucked off (heh) but its also sad that she's gone. Luckily Sam has a constantly critical mother figure in Hetty now! "Be careful with those Buckeyes, Rutherford B. Hayes was from Ohio so you know..."

Its so sweet how supportive Jay is of Sam and how cool he thinks it is that she sees ghost. It would have been so easy to make a conflict over Sam being able to see ghosts and her husband thinking that its weird, but instead he is totally down with having a bunch of ghost friends that he cant see and that his wife has an awesome superpower. 

Isn't one of the ghosts shoving Sam down the stairs how she got her powers in the British version? 

I think this is the first time in awhile that all of the main ghosts were in an episode, I am so so glad because I wouldn't have wanted to miss anyone's expressions as Nancy the cholera ghost talked in increasing detail about her torrid love affair with Pete. Damn you sleep mode.  

Edited January 7, 2022 by tennisgurl

[iMonrey]

Quote

Could the ghosts change their clothes if they wanted to?  (I don't know whether Trevor would prefer to wear pants.)

It's funny to debate such silly things, but as a practical matter, where would they get new "ghost clothes" anyway? They've shown no ability to materialize ghostly objects. It's been established they have to appear exactly as they did at the moment they died. Hence, Pete's arrow and Trevor's no pants. 🙂

I can't believe the show got past the censors with that line about getting sucked off. I mean, even in context, it's a pretty racy thing to say on network TV. It was probably the most hilarious moment of the episode IMO but I was also kind of shocked.

I've seen that actress who plays Nancy in other things and I think she's really funny. I hope they keep her around.

Quote

The major cholera epidemics in the US were around 1830 to 1860. To let you know how long ago that was, this is when the setters were fighting the Native Americans for their land. Nancy was played as a modern woman with modern morals, not a woman from the same era as Hetty.

Sasappis comes from an even earlier era and speaks modern English too. In his case I think it's just because the show is afraid of offending Native Americans by having him talk like Tonto. But also, it's kind of funny that way. Same with Nancy. And even if she is from the same era as Hetty, she is clearly not in the same class. She might have been a prostitute or something.

[meatball77]

43 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I've seen that actress who plays Nancy in other things and I think she's really funny. I hope they keep her around.

Sasappis comes from an even earlier era and speaks modern English too. In his case I think it's just because the show is afraid of offending Native Americans by having him talk like Tonto. But also, it's kind of funny that way. Same with Nancy. And even if she is from the same era as Hetty, she is clearly not in the same class. She might have been a prostitute or something.

I figure it's like immigrants.  Some speak English like they were born here, some have a heavy accent and some struggle to be fluent or don't learn at all.

[HurricaneVal]

For some reason, I really liked it that Sam called Sasappis "Sass"--it just seemed so familiar and like how you'd breezily interact with your best friend.  The ghost's obsession with the TV really cracked me up as well. 

Poor Pete.  Stuck with Nancy now, even though at the end Alberta indicated she actually would have been open to an overture from Pete.  I love how Nancy just horrifies him, but he's way too polite to just ditch her.  He also recognizes that she's loving her life out of the basement, and he's just too nice a guy to ruin that for him.  So he's resigned himself to an afterlife of tolerating her.

[Daff]

5 hours ago, DavidWeis1 said:

How do you think they keep the actor who plays Pete from poking someone’s eyes out with they arrow?

It’s probably made of very flexible material that only looks wooden (and “stabby”). Otherwise, running into something would not only be a hazard to the others, it would have the potential to pierce the neck (ach!) of the actor wearing it. Wow! That’s love, for Jay to take the rap for Sam’s outburst in front of the waiter. 

[Daff]

Al (as in, you can call me “Al”) bany???????????

[kwnyc]

14 hours ago, emma675 said:

Jay is a delight and I love that he thinks it's great that Sam can see ghosts.

He's no Darren Stevens, that's for sure! And, he's delightfully weird. (And also, maybe having parents who were very supportive of him gave him a healthy self-esteem.)

It goes against the trope you sometimes see in extra-sensory shows, where one partner is ashamed (or made to feel shame) for being "different." 

[Daff]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It was probably the most hilarious moment of the episode IMO but I was also kind of shocked.

I think that’s what makes it so funny. Didn’t Hetty say it first? She would be so very mortified (ha!) to understand the vernacular, but it sounds so innocent if you imagine her finishing the statement: “…sucked off to the great beyond.” 

[Driad]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It's been established they have to appear exactly as they did at the moment they died. Hence, Pete's arrow and Trevor's no pants. 🙂

Maybe in a future episode, Sam is sick or injured and might die, and her main concern is avoiding the standard hospital gown that shows her backside.

In the current episode, I hope they gave the waiter a generous tip.

[Blakeston]

As much as I enjoy this show, the concept is pure nightmare fuel.

The thought of being stuck forever in the place you died, with no way to communicate with anyone unless they also happened to die there, is utterly horrifying. The caveman character on the British show spent many, many thousands of years by himself, with no company besides the sun and moon. ::shudders::

Sam and Jay should be devoting every moment of their lives to ensuring that a) they have no unfinished business, and b) they never set foot anywhere they don't want to spend eternity.

[chaifan]

5 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Sam and Jay should be devoting every moment of their lives to ensuring that a) they have no unfinished business, and b) they never set foot anywhere they don't want to spend eternity.

I think I'd also invest in a contraption that turns the pages of books or magazines at set intervals.  And, of course, TV's without "sleep" functions.  Both with strict instructions to keep them functioning in perpetuity, for however long the house stands, and then some.

A good episode, over all.  I like how they separated story lines between Jay/Sam and the house ghosts.  I do wonder if we'll continue to see Nancy, and if so, if other cholera ghosts will follow her upstairs.  Maybe Sam will set up a TV in the basement? 

 

 

[gerdialiaVA]

12 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Isn't one of the ghosts shoving Sam down the stairs how she got her powers in the British version? 

No, in the British version Alison (aka Sam) falls out a window. Can't remember if it's an accident or a push/scare. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by gerdialiaVA

[The Crazed Spruce]

23 minutes ago, gerdialiaVA said:

No, in the British version Alison (aka Sam) falls out a window. Can't remember if it's an accident or a push/scare. 

They conveniently cut away at that moment to her landing outside.

Spoiler

My pet theory is that the bird she was shooing away landed on her, and knocked her off balance, and Julian just took credit for it.

 

[shura]

13 hours ago, Blakeston said:

As much as I enjoy this show, the concept is pure nightmare fuel.

The thought of being stuck forever in the place you died, with no way to communicate with anyone unless they also happened to die there, is utterly horrifying. The caveman character on the British show spent many, many thousands of years by himself, with no company besides the sun and moon. ::shudders::

Sam and Jay should be devoting every moment of their lives to ensuring that a) they have no unfinished business, and b) they never set foot anywhere they don't want to spend eternity.

This also brings up the question of where they go when they ascend.  The show has steered clear of any religious aspects of this, understandably, at least so far.  But the whole idea of the afterlife has to do with religion.  Do they ascend somewhere according to their respective religions?  Sam and Jay could potentially be of different faiths, or one of them could be an atheist, in which case they would have to split up after death and might actually prefer the chance to be stuck together as ghosts for some time.  Or, if the choice is between Christian heaven and hell, for example, then non-Christians (Thorfinn? Sassapis?) could be better off as ghosts as well.

[emma675]

I feel like the show will stay away from religion or where the ghosts go after they get sucked off (heh) in the first season, but maybe they'll broach the subject in later seasons. At some point, I feel like one of the ghosts will get sucked off (seriously, Trevor, heh). It seems only natural now that Sam is involved and helping them research and resolve their outstanding life issues. I hope it's a random cholera pit ghost and not one of the upstairs ghosts, I love them all too much at this point.

BTW, do we have a quotes threads for this topic? I'm having site issues and can't get into threads unless I've posted in them before, it's super fun. There are so many great lines.

Edited January 9, 2022 by emma675d

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, emma675 said:

At some point, I feel like one of the ghosts will get sucked off (seriously, Trevor, heh). It seems only natural now that Sam is involved and helping them research and resolve their outstanding life issues. I hope it's a random cholera pit ghost and not only of the upstairs ghosts, I love them all too much at this point.

I'm hoping Nancy gets "sucked off" because being topside fulfills her desires. She's a little much for me, and since Pete/"Arrow Guy" is one of my favorites, I don't want her stealing all of his scenes.

But I'd also be okay with her finding real love with another downstairs ghost--maybe a woman? She was pretty quick to draw the line with Pete. Then Betsy Sodaro could just occasionally guest ghost.

[possibilities]

It's weird that the cholera ghosts are all standing up all the time. 

[Katy M]

50 minutes ago, possibilities said:

It's weird that the cholera ghosts are all standing up all the time. 

You get the best view of the water heater that way.

[bobby2018]

Maybe the "sucked off" is the same as "walk through the door" in The Good Place finale. 

[possibilities]

6 hours ago, bobby2018 said:

Maybe the "sucked off" is the same as "walk through the door" in The Good Place finale. 

It did look like that, when Sam's mom did it. I can't remember what it looked like in the pilot.

Edited January 9, 2022 by possibilities

[iMonrey]

Quote

At some point, I feel like one of the ghosts will get sucked off (seriously, Trevor, heh). It seems only natural now that Sam is involved and helping them research and resolve their outstanding life issues. 

Yeah, it seems like Sam should be spending more time helping these ghosts resolve whatever their unfinished business is so they can move on. And it seems like Pete should already have done so, after the closure he got finding out his wife had married his best friend, and getting to see his kids and grandkids. That would have been the perfect opportunity for him to go. The show just doesn't want to lose that character, though. Same with Isaac, after confessing he shot that soldier, although maybe now that he's made a new "friend" he doesn't want to leave.

I think Hetty is just too attached to her house to leave it, and I think Flower is just too stoned to care. We know Alberta wants her murder solved. I don't know what unfinished business Thor, Sasappis or Trevor have though.

[possibilities]

The show does have a bit of a problem in that if they start resolving unfinished business, they lose the characters. And replacing them by having new people die on site will get really creepy and would also kill the B&B.

I guess having Sam travel, like they did this week,  is another option. It dovetails with her writing career, also.

Edited January 9, 2022 by possibilities

[Sakura12]

I think they would have to ask her to help them move on. None of them have.

And I still don't think Pete's unfinished business was with his wife. He didn't find about the affair until they visited. So why would they have kept him around? I think it's forgiving the girl who shot him with the arrow. Some may not even want to leave. Sam's mom wanted to leave. She was stuck at a mediocre restaurant. Our ghosts have a giant house with lots property for them to roam around on and now they have Sam to things for them. 

 

[emma675]

36 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I think it's forgiving the girl who shot him with the arrow. 

This is totally what I think! And I believe Pete doesn't even realize he's holding a grudge against the little girl who accidentally shot him.

We need more backstory on Hetty, Trevor, and Sasappis. I want to know how each of them died at the manor or on the grounds. Aside from Flower, Pete, the cholera pit ghosts, and the headless guy, no one else has visible injuries. 

[Katy M]

10 minutes ago, emma675 said:

This is totally what I think! And I believe Pete doesn't even realize he's holding a grudge against the little girl who accidentally shot him.

We need more backstory on Hetty, Trevor, and Sasappis. I want to know how each of them died at the manor or on the grounds. Aside from Flower, Pete, the cholera pit ghosts, and the headless guy, no one else has visible injuries. 

Trevor probably died of alcohol poisoning.  Or a drug OD.

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Trevor probably died of alcohol poisoning.  Or a drug OD.

I assumed Trevor was "caught in the act" and was killed by a jealous spouse or partner. But he doesn't seem to have any obvious signs of violence.

[chitowngirl]

On 1/8/2022 at 10:10 AM, emma675 said:

BTW, do we have a quotes threads for this topic? I'm having site issues and can't get into threads unless I've posted in them before, it's super fun. There are so many great lines.

You can easily start one-at the Ghosts Topic Listing, click the green button on the right “Start Topic”

[emma675]

49 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

You can easily start one-at the Ghosts Topic Listing, click the green button on the right “Start Topic”

Thanks, but I can't. I'm having site issues on all of my devices and can't start new threads or get into ones I haven't posted in before. The site owners are aware, there are quite a few of us having issues. 

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

You can easily start one-at the Ghosts Topic Listing, click the green button on the right “Start Topic”

 

16 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Thanks, but I can't. I'm having site issues on all of my devices and can't start new threads or get into ones I haven't posted in before. The site owners are aware, there are quite a few of us having issues. 

I would be happy to start one but I can’t think of an appropriately clever title. Surely it should somehow include the phrase “sucked off”, right?  Any suggestions?

[madmax]

6 hours ago, Katy M said:

Trevor probably died of alcohol poisoning.  Or a drug OD.

It was the '80s, right?  Probably coke...

[Sakura12]

Pete died in the 80's, I think Trevor died in the early 2000's. Because he said texting just became a thing.

[shapeshifter]

9 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I think Trevor died in the early 2000's. Because he said texting just became a thing.

Trevor said he had Enron stock, right? Enron went bankrupt December 2, 2001, so I’m guessing Trevor died between the late 90s and November 2001. Anyway. Very early 2000s.

[possibilities]

Maybe Sassapis and Hetty died of old age. 

 

For the quotes thread, how about:

Let Me Have This 

or

Ben Franklin Used to Do That All the Time for Attention

or

... now I can't think of any of the other funny moments, but hopefully someone else will toss some into the pot.

[SoMuchTV]

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

Thanks, but I can't. I'm having site issues on all of my devices and can't start new threads or get into ones I haven't posted in before. The site owners are aware, there are quite a few of us having issues. 

I feel for you. I’ve been having the same issue but managed to find a browser that works. 

I started a thread here: 

 

[madmax]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

Pete died in the 80's, I think Trevor died in the early 2000's. Because he said texting just became a thing.

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Trevor said he had Enron stock, right? Enron went bankrupt December 2, 2001, so I’m guessing Trevor died between the late 90s and November 2001. Anyway. Very early 2000s.

Thanks for the clarification!  I always thought he died in the 80s and Pete died in the 90s, but now that I think about it (and check the internets to see that I'm right), Newhart ended in 1990 and Pete didn't see the end, so he had to have died in the 80s.

I don't think they'd make Trevor's death a straight OD anyway.  Not the right message.  Maybe a heart attack from an unknown source (hint, hint).

[Blakeston]

When we saw Pete's death scene, it said 1985 at the bottom of the screen.

Somewhere along the line I got the impression that Trevor died in 1999, although I don't know if they've officially told us that.