S01.E13: The Vault

[Whimsy]

Quote

Just as Sam and Jay are set to host a friend’s wedding that could get their B&B business off the ground, the ghost of Hetty’s husband, Elias Woodstone, tries to ruin it.

Original air date 1/20/22 

[AnimeMania]

GUEST CAST:
Matt Walsh (Elias Woodstone)
Tristan D. Lalla (Mark, Contractor)
Katharine Isabelle (Liz)
Chris Sandiford (Kenny)
Madison Hayes-Crook (Paige, Flower Vendor)

 

[meatball77]

So, you can either be sucked off or go down on us lol

That was an excellent episode and a nice way to acknowledge that there are money issues and draw them out a bit.  Are they going to call the authorities or the news or a university or something about the corpse in their vault?

 

[shapeshifter]

I floved Trevor freaking out at Hetty.

[Snow Apple]

I wondered how they were going to get rid of Hetty's husband, but woah, harsh.

A small but fun moment was when Trevor asked if the maid was really hot and Thorfinn and Sas confirmed she was. 

 

[Sakura12]

Of course Hetty would try her new "power" on Trevor first. And now the ghosts think she might have that power. Lol. 

At least everyone is covered, you can either get sucked off or go down on someone. 

I'm glad Hetty's husband didn't stick around. Although I did like that Sassapis and Thorfin confirmed that the maid was hot. 

Did they say how much that watch was worth? There is probably other stuff in the house they could sell too. Also are they going to get rid of the body? 

 

[Annber03]

Trevor explaining the whole thing about Geraldo and Capone's vault was great :D. "Okay, now imagine Geraldo having to vamp for two hours." And I loved Alberta's response to that, too, complaining about Capone being "clingy". Now there's a story I'd like to hear more about! And then later, him suggesting to Sam and Jay that they turn to Bernie Madoff for financial help, was a good touch, too. 

Also loved the awe at the concept of a factory all about cheesecake, and Pete confirming how great it is. I really love those little moments that give a nod to the respective time periods the ghosts lived in. 

Everything with Hetty and her husband was so fun. I love that his power was making everyone horny whenever he walked through them - Sam and Jay both propositioning Kenny in the kitchen was hysterical. I especially loved that we got to see Sam and Alberta's more modern influence rubbing off on Hetty, and that she acknowledged how much they'd helped to change her worldview regarding a woman's role in life. I love that she admires the respectful relationship that Jay and Sam share, and it was great to see her having zero patience for Elias' BS and calling him out as she did. Go, Hetty! And yes, that was quite a shocking way to dispose of him - I loved all the ghosts getting freaked out at the idea that that could happen to them, too :p. 

Also loved, "He is literally twirling his moustache...". 

26 minutes ago, meatball77 said:

So, you can either be sucked off or go down on us lol

I love Trevor's total glee and amusement regarding those particular terms :D. Hee. 

So yeah, hopefully they'll be able to find a solution to their money woes soon. And I do hope they get rid of the body in the vault. I sure would. 

[Snow Apple]

The suggestion that Sam and Jay kill themselves so they all can stay together forever is oddly sweet.

[emma675]

I adored this episode, I think I giggled continuously throughout the whole thing. 

Hetty realizing she's grown and changed and thanking Alberta and Sam for helping was a nice moment. Elias was a right bastard and I loved that we got to see him go down on us, hee. I didn't realize we've never seen or heard of Hetty's ghost power. Who else doesn't have a power we've seen yet? Sass, Pete, and Trevor? I also wonder why the ghosts couldn't go through the vault wall?

I loved how awkward Sam and Jay flirting with Kenny was. I'm glad the wedding story wasn't dragged out, I hated Liz on sight. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by emma675d

[Annber03]

3 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

The suggestion that Sam and Jay kill themselves so they all can stay together forever is oddly sweet.

I loved Sam's reaction to everyone talking about the logistical issues with that. "Yeah, that's the problem with that plan." 

[Kiddvideo]

13 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Who else doesn't have a power we've seen yet? Sass, Pete, and Trevor?

Trevor can touch/move objects! I laugh at the CBS promo showing Jay getting out of the shower and reading, “Make Pizza” on the mirror, and him shouting into empty space that it’s not the new system.

I think Pete’s explanation that Elias had recommitted to evil and thumbed his nose at the universe was probably more at cause than Hetty’s well-timed damning. Though it was funny to use it to her advantage. 

I need to watch again. I completely missed Sass and Thorfin agreeing about the maid!

[Packerbrewerbadger]

This show just keeps getting better and better!  
 

I think the ghosts couldn’t go thru the vault door to show why Heddy’s husband had been trapped all this time. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Packerbrewerbadger

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, Kiddvideo said:

I think Pete’s explanation that Elias had recommitted to evil and thumbed his nose at the universe was probably more at cause than Hetty’s well-timed damning. Though it was funny to use it to her advantage. 

Yes. I think we could use a little more "proof" that this is the case in another episode (that Hetty doesn't really have the power to send ghosts to Hades), but I'm not sure how it would be worked into the show's unique, clever humor.

[Cress]

omigod! Just when I was wondering how to get rid of Elias--I thought the ghosts would find some way to lure him back to the vault and lock him in--he went to Hell. I was screaming along with the ghosts! Wow.

What a fun episode.

[jewel21]

This show is one of the few things that makes me happy and this episode was no exception. 

Trevor is really growing on me and I loved every scene with him. 

Elias getting sucked down into hell made me gasp in shock. I so wasn't expecting that and seeing everyone's reactions was great. 

And poor Trevor when Hetty tried to banish him, heh. 

 

[CrazyDog]

Same here, this show is just delightful.

Trevor's soft "that was so scary" was aww.

Thorfinn just want Sam and Jay as friends forever, and is also open to change, lol. 

Alberta must have the best stories.

I'm glad Hetty's husband is gone. He was mustache-twirling entertaining for a bit, but I want their B&B to take off.

I love the contractor. "I've got your credit card on file."

Were all the ghosts in this episode? I don't know if I'm forgetting anyone.

Edited January 21, 2022 by CrazyDog

[redpencil]

Well, that was a highly enjoyable episode. There were two moments that I replayed multiple times before continuing. The first was Sass and Thorfinn confirming the maid's hotness. No actual words spoken, but perfect in their subtlety. The second was everyone's reactions when Elias went down on us (lol). I rewatched at least 10 times, and focused on a different character's reaction each time. So great.

Edited January 22, 2022 by redpencil

[Bruinsfan]

Since Elias' death was tied to his precious secret money vault, I initially assumed that it was solid to the ghosts as a result of his ghostly power making it inviolate. Guess not. I wonder what the deal with it is.

I also wonder how the hell there are working electric lights in a secret passage no one has been in since the late 19th century. Can old light bulbs possibly remain in working order that long if they're never used?

Did the shenanigans with Kenny imply that Jay is bisexual? Hmm, he did wax pretty rhapsodic about Trevor's photo last week...

[CattyK]

I LOVED this episode!   This show just keeps getting better and better.  

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, CrazyDog said:

I love the contractor

The contractor (Mark/Tristan D. Lalla) seems to be getting used to weird stuff at The Mansion. 
I’m imagining when Sam and Jay finally have reason to tell him about the ghosts that he’s going to be like: “Yeah. I kind of figured it had to be something like that.”   
Maybe he has an aunt who “believes.”

[Phebemarie]

Back when I used to watch Supernatural, the good guys could use iron against ghosts.  I don’t know if that’s ghost lore or Supernatural lore. 

I think every ghost except the motorcycle ghost was in the episode.  It made the episode especially fun to have them all together.  
 
Found the answer:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_in_folklore

Edited January 21, 2022 by Phebemarie

[possibilities]

Ghost powers:

Thorfinn flickers the lights
Alberta's ethereal singing can be heard
Trevor can move things
Flower makes people high

Hetty-- ?
Sassapis-- ?
Pete-- ?

 

[UnknownK]

6 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Did they say how much that watch was worth? There is probably other stuff in the house they could sell too. Also are they going to get rid of the body? 

 

I think her husband said he paid $5000 for it (unless I misheard) which puzzled me since $5k in 1800's money is like crazy money. The internet inflation app only goes back to 1913 but $5K then is $140K now. He would not have been using today's money since he has no clue about its value.

Robber barons were from 1865 to 1914 period.

Edited January 21, 2022 by UnknownK

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, UnknownK said:

I think her husband said he paid $5000 for it (unless I misheard) which puzzled me since $5k in 1800's money is like crazy money. The internet inflation app only goes back to 1913 but $5K then is $140K now. He would not have been using today's money since he has no clue about its value.

Robber barons were from 1865 to 1914 period.

That $140K figure was, IIRC, similar to that of a watch featured for its high monetary value on Antiques Roadshow last year. So, although a watch that Elias paid $5K for in 1890-ish may not be highly valued by today’s standards, it looks to me like the writers chose that figure to allow "viewers like you[/us]" (™PBS) to plug that number into an inflation app and arrive at around $140K–$150K.  
However, it would not bother me if the plot required Jay and Sam to learn that Sam’s Robber Baron ancestor’s purchase was only worth $50 at auction today.

 

I hated Elias’ power. To me it seemed like a date rape drug. But since he went to hell in 20 minutes, I forgive the writers.   
Plus, Sam and Jay did not profit from this power.
And I did appreciate that Elias came with what amounted to a warning label with his literal mustache twirling. 
He also was identified as having hunted animals to extinction and being a misogynist, so, yes, I approve of the way the writers dealt with him.

ETA: In contrast, to me, although Trevor objectifies women, he seems to have really wanted to find a partner with whom to live Happily Ever After.

Edited January 21, 2022 by shapeshifter
verb conjugation and other editing typos

[nora1992]

If it was in the episode, I missed it: who died first, Hetty or Elias?

[reggiejax]

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

Ghost powers:

Thorfinn flickers the lights
Alberta's ethereal singing can be heard
Trevor can move things
Flower makes people high

Hetty-- ?
Sassapis-- ?
Pete-- ?

 

Don't forget Isaac's ability to stink up the joint. On that topic, I did notice that the ghost dust that appears when Isaac passes through people is brown, whereas everyone elses is the color of whatever they are wearing. Isaac's being brown is a nice, if gross, touch.

[Sakura12]

39 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

If it was in the episode, I missed it: who died first, Hetty or Elias?

I'm thinking Elias since he asked if she had anyone look for him and Hetty said she assumed he ran off with one of his mistresses.

[shapeshifter]

37 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

If it was in the episode, I missed it: who died first, Hetty or Elias?

Hetty assumed Elias had run off with the maid (or someone) and was surprised he was locked in the vault. 
So my guess would be that Hetty outlived Elias. 
If Hetty was a lot younger than Elias when they were married, since they appear to be of similar age in the episode, she may have outlived him by decades.

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, Cress said:

omigod! Just when I was wondering how to get rid of Elias--I thought the ghosts would find some way to lure him back to the vault and lock him in--he went to Hell. I was screaming along with the ghosts! Wow.

What a fun episode.

I kept being afraid when everyone was in the vault that he was going to come down and be able to lock all of them in.  I guess I've watched too many movies and TV shows, but all I could think was that Sam and Jay should have never both been int he vault at the same time.  Especially right after the ghost came out.  She had no idea if he could close the door.

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

 

ETA: In contrast, to me, although Trevor objectifies women, but seems to have really want to find a partner with whom to live Happily Ever After.

Trevor also wasn't married and hopefully only pursued consenting adults. Maids can have a difficult time nowadays, but maids in Heddy's era had almost no power and probably young. This was played for laughs which I did, but if you're someone who enjoys digging for subtext......

And Trevor had a dog 🐕 so that's a plus in my book.

[Snow Apple]

I forgot to ask what happened to the maid anyway? Heddy assumed they ran off together so that means she disappeared around the same time.

Maybe she ran off with the vault builder. dun Dun DUN

[shapeshifter]

9 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I forgot to ask what happened to the maid anyway? Heddy assumed they ran off together so that means she disappeared around the same time.

Maybe she ran off with the vault builder. dun Dun DUN

Oooo!  And maybe the vault builder was a transgendered wiccan who was well-versed in ghost-resistant building materials!
They and the maid lived Happily Ever After in western NY state.
Did Hetty and Elias have any children? If so, the maid may have been pregnant with a child who would have been the half-sibling of Sam's ancestor.

[Sakura12]

I think if it was the maid Hetty would said that. She assumed he ran someone else. When he asked about the maid later she said she wasn't around. To me that implies she knows what happened to her. 

Also did that couple just leave the day before their wedding? How are they expecting to find another place? 

[The Crazed Spruce]

Building the lore! Now we know that ghosts can't pass through iron! And the truly irredeemable ghosts go down on us! And the house has hidden passages! That's probably where all the missing ghosts have been! :)

7 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

The contractor (Mark/Tristan D. Lalla) seems to be getting used to weird stuff at The Mansion. 
I’m imagining when Sam and Jay finally have reason to tell him about the ghosts that he’s going to be like: “Yeah. I kind of figured it had to be something like that.”   
Maybe he has an aunt who “believes.”

Wasn't it his son who saw the ghosts a few episodes back? That would probably go a long way to getting him on board.

17 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Did Hetty and Elias have any children? If so, the maid may have been pregnant with a child who would have been the half-sibling of Sam's ancestor.

Sam is Hetty's distant relative, so I kinda doubt that. Sam's probably descended from one of Hetty's siblings or cousins or somesuch.

[Sakura12]

The woman who left Sam the house was her great aunt and Hetty's great granddaughter. 

[Katy M]

43 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I forgot to ask what happened to the maid anyway? Heddy assumed they ran off together so that means she disappeared around the same time.

I thought she said "one of his floozies" not the maid.

 

31 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Did Hetty and Elias have any children? If so, the maid may have been pregnant with a child who would have been the half-sibling of Sam's ancestor.

Didn't you just answer your own question?  If Hetty is Samantha's great great whatever grandmother, she would have had to have at least one child, and I would assume Elias would be the father.  I can't see Hetty sleeping around.

 

16 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

Also did that couple just leave the day before their wedding? How are they expecting to find another place? 

That's what I was wondering.  I would have just avoided Jay and Samantha as much as possible, got through the wedding and left as quickly as possible afterward.  Also, Jay and the groom were friends, right?  If nothing like this had ever happened before, I would be more inclined to brush it off than make that big of a deal of it.  Especially when offered an explanation (albeit a weird one).

[peachmangosteen]

Does anyone know who played Liz? The actress looked SO familiar but I can't figure out why and she's not on IMDb.

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, peachmangosteen said:

Does anyone know who played Liz? The actress looked SO familiar but I can't figure out why and she's not on IMDb.

I guess it was Katherine Isabelle.  I did not catch that at all.

[Snow Apple]

13 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I guess it was Katherine Isabelle.  I did not catch that at all.

I was trying to figure out where I've seen her before and then saw the credits in the end. Ginger Snaps!

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Sakura12 said:

Also did that couple just leave the day before their wedding? How are they expecting to find another place? 

Maybe the lucky groom just dodged that marital bullet. The bride was pretty insufferable. 

[iMonrey]

I love Matt Walsh so it was great seeing him as a guest star. I love the running gag that the ghosts use sexual euphemisms for moving on, even though they don't realize it (except for Trevor). 

I guess we've sort of solved it here but they never explained on the show why ghosts couldn't walk through the vault. I think Elias implied he was purposely locked inside the vault, so it seems like whoever did that knew his spirit would be trapped there. I'm also wondering if they will address how they plan to dispose of the body, assuming they intend to do so, instead of just shutting the vault and leaving it in there.

I've been wondering exactly when Hetty died - Elias said he died 130 years ago, and judging by her costume Hetty probably died a short time afterwards. Certainly not much later than 1900. 

We still have a lot of backstory to cover for these ghosts, but I guess that's fodder for future episodes. We still don't know how Hetty, Sass, or Trevor died.

Quote

Ghost powers:

Thorfinn flickers the lights
Alberta's ethereal singing can be heard
Trevor can move things
Flower makes people high

Hetty-- ?
Sassapis-- ?
Pete-- ?

I'm not clear on whether all ghosts have a special power and some of them just haven't discovered it yet, or whether only some ghosts have a special power. It seems unlikely that for as long as Sass has been around he still hasn't figured out what his power is, if he has one. 

Quote

The woman who left Sam the house was her great aunt and Hetty's great granddaughter. 

That would mean Sam is also a descendant of Elias. Strange that didn't come up since he was so determined she and Jay should leave.

[Bruinsfan]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

ETA: In contrast, to me, although Trevor objectifies women, he seems to have really wanted to find a partner with whom to live Happily Ever After.

Trevor is also pretty sweet in general apart from being a horndog. Elias treated everyone he met with contempt (with the possible exception of his hot maid mistress).

[chaifan]

This show is the best!  They just keep coming up with new little twists and turns.  All the writers on this show deserve a massive bonus!

I was also figuring they'd find a way to lure Elias back down into the vault.  The "going down" took me totally by surprise.  I honestly hadn't even thought about there being a hell version of getting sucked off. 

We at least got a little more background on Hetty, even if it was a really short one liner.  She got married off to Elias as part of a land deal.  So, as mentioned above, she probably was much younger than him and outlived him by several years putting them at approximately the same death age.  I loved every bit about Hetty in this episode.  (I'll post more about this in the UK show comparison thread.)

I also thought Elias' instant horniness power was creepy, but seeing it wear off in just a few seconds made it ok for me.  Just not enough time for anything to really happen.  I also can't figure out how the couple could just cancel their wedding at the last minute - this would have made more sense if they were there a few weeks early for a walk through or something. 

I'm glad they have finally given Sam & Jay an income stream from the house, even if it's just in "found treasures".  I've been hoping the ghosts would lead them to things that would have been meaningless trinkets to the ghosts, but are now priceless antiques that can be sold to finance the renovations.  Even if Elias' watch was just a normally expensive watch for the day (not $5,000, which is ridiculous) it could be worth well into the 6 figures today, as it would be in pristine condition. 

Someone mentioned above Mark the contractor learning about the ghosts some day.  I'd love that, and here's how I'd like that to play out...  Sam & Jay get into some sort of trouble.  Maybe they're locked in the vault, or something of the sort.  Mark's son is at the house.  The ghosts get to the son, since he can see the ghosts, and get him to get his dad to help.  The son doesn't realize he's interacting with ghosts, but Mark goes along with it, just sensing something's off and he needs to trust his son.  They save Sam & Jay.  At that point, Mark makes a comment along the lines of, "you know, I've never mentioned this because I didn't want you to feel weird, but my great great Aunt Alberta died in this house in 1922.  I've always thought she was watching over me while I work here." 

 

[Snow Apple]

22 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

 

I guess we've sort of solved it here but they never explained on the show why ghosts couldn't walk through the vault. I think Elias implied he was purposely locked inside the vault, so it seems like whoever did that knew his spirit would be trapped there.

I don't know if the builder know about ghosts. I thought they just wanted Elias dead for his money. But since ghosts can't walk though the vault, who knows? Unless it's just as simple as ghosts can't walk through iron.

Elias is a creep, but how horrible to be trapped in there for over a 100 years. Even the basement ghosts have each other and the water heater.

[emma675]

2 hours ago, The Crazed Spruce said:

Wasn't it his son who saw the ghosts a few episodes back? That would probably go a long way to getting him on board.

Yep, his young son kept calling Isaac a pirate and fell asleep while Thorfinn sang to him. 

[lilabennet]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

I'm glad they have finally given Sam & Jay an income stream from the house, even if it's just in "found treasures".  I've been hoping the ghosts would lead them to things that would have been meaningless trinkets to the ghosts, but are now priceless antiques that can be sold to finance the renovations.  Even if Elias' watch was just a normally expensive watch for the day (not $5,000, which is ridiculous) it could be worth well into the 6 figures today, as it would be in pristine condition. 

Someone mentioned above Mark the contractor learning about the ghosts some day.  I'd love that, and here's how I'd like that to play out...  Sam & Jay get into some sort of trouble.  Maybe they're locked in the vault, or something of the sort.  Mark's son is at the house.  The ghosts get to the son, since he can see the ghosts, and get him to get his dad to help.  The son doesn't realize he's interacting with ghosts, but Mark goes along with it, just sensing something's off and he needs to trust his son.  They save Sam & Jay.  At that point, Mark makes a comment along the lines of, "you know, I've never mentioned this because I didn't want you to feel weird, but my great great Aunt Alberta died in this house in 1922.  I've always thought she was watching over me while I work here." 

 

Don't they have a library full of books?  My first move would have been to inventory the contents (and seal that room up tight against water damage).  Some first editions are worth bank.  An Audubon would finance the renovations and then some.  They definitely should do an inventory before they start having guests.

I love your fanfiction and I hope they do go with something similar.

[Sakura12]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

Elias is a creep, but how horrible to be trapped in there for over a 100 years. Even the basement ghosts have each other and the water heater.

You'd think he'd be grateful to talk to people again. But nope. He just wanted to be a creep. No wonder he was taken down. 

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

Even if Elias' watch was just a normally expensive watch for the day (not $5,000, which is ridiculous) it could be worth well into the 6 figures today, as it would be in pristine condition. 

Robber baron types in his day could spend a ridiculous amount on money on things, so I didn't find a $5000 watch to be out of the realm of possibility.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 1/20/2022 at 9:48 PM, Snow Apple said:

I wondered how they were going to get rid of Hetty's husband, but woah, harsh.

 

On 1/20/2022 at 11:09 PM, Cress said:

omigod! Just when I was wondering how to get rid of Elias--I thought the ghosts would find some way to lure him back to the vault and lock him in-

No need to lure him. I thought the ghosts might ask Thorfinn to force him back into the vault. Maybe let him out once a year to see if he was ready to change.

On 1/21/2022 at 11:30 AM, iMonrey said:

That would mean Sam is also a descendant of Elias. Strange that didn't come up since he was so determined she and Jay should leave.

Not really. Hetty's great, great, great grandniece would be biologically related to her, not her husband (just like one's sister or brother's child wouldn't be biologically related to one's spouse), but it could have been pointed out to him that whoever took over the house next might be even worse than Sam; maybe a bunch of modern-day suffragettes! Or the house could even be torn down. Safer to stick with what you know.

ETA: I forgot Hetty and Elias were cousins, so yes, he is more distantly related to Sam than Hetty is, but he is related. I doubt it would mean anything to to him, though, and if he could have hit on Sam, I'm sure he would have.

Edited January 24, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[chaifan]

Damn damn damn.  My brain is now in a loop of totally overthinking the "ghosts can't walk through iron" issue.  (Or, as Jay put it, ghost mythology.)  You think that by now one of those ghosts would have stubbed their toe on a cast iron tub, or tripped over an iron door stop, or a kid's toy truck, or somehow run into something made out of iron.  When they walk through a door, what about the doorknob?  When they walk through a wall, what about nails?  What about leaded glass windows - can they go through those?  We've seen ghosts in Jay's car - steel is made from iron, so how did they get in the car?  How did Hetty get expelled from the car?  So. Many. Questions.

I really want there to be an iron montage in next week's episode, or them testing all other things to see if they can or can't pass through them.  Just please, don't let this fun tidbit drop. 

I also want to see Jay turning the vault into his private bathroom.  😁