S02.E03: Jay’s Friends

[Neptune]

"Jay's Friends" - Sam becomes alarmed when the ghosts suggest Jay's new friends may be part of a cult run by a charismatic leader named Micah (Drew Tarver) . Also, Pete changes his attitude after Sasappis criticizes his unceasing cheeriness

[Neptune]

[AnimeMania]

Drew Tarver (Micah)
Caroline Day (Alana)
Izad Etemadi (Norm)
Lou Mauro (Dan)
Maria Herrera (Megan)

[Annber03]

"Oh, good. I thought they were going to be here forever."

The way Alberta said that, along with her reaction to Flower saying, "Nobody ever talks about how cults are bad!" ,gave me a really good laugh :p. As did Trevor hoping the cult would get all Heaven's Gate on itself XD. And Dark Pete! Oh, my god. What was his greeting to Sasappis? "Welcome to another day in hell, bitch." Good lord. 

Everyone's reactions to the cult were great in general, though, really. I do feel bad for Jay, though - poor guy thought he'd finally made a group of friends only for them to be total kooks. Hopefully someday he can find a few more normal people to hang out with. Him and Sam both - yes, she's got the ghosts, but it would be nice for her to have some living friends, too. 

But awwwwwwwww, Flower! That ending actually got me all misty-eyed. Sasappis looked like he was getting choked up, too, as she read that e-mail. This was a good way for us to continue to learn more about Flower's past, and I like how Alberta secretly managed to get her to open up more about her brother. I'm glad Sam reached out and brought Robbie some comfort and peace, and I'm glad Flower got to read that message, too. Obviously Robbie won't be able to interact with Flower directly, but it'd be cool if he came to the mansion someday and got to pay some final respects to her or something. I'm glad that her experience with cults proved helpful here, along with Hetty's secret admiration for MIcah! Her experience with the washing machine has clearly had an impact on her :D!

So Thor clearly likes sitcoms, then, apparently. First "Frasier", now "Friends"...

[ams1001]

Don't hug the bears!

"Oh, wait, I don't have to pretend anymore. That's nice." Good for Isaac.

Guess Ross Jay should have read the letter contract.

[phalange]

“Welcome to another day in hell, bitch.” Lmao. 

Micah was crazy, whew. Poor Jay, he can’t see the ghosts and the first friends he makes are actually a cult. I liked Flower recognizing the signs and how her advice ultimately ended up working, in a manner of speaking.

It was so nice of Alberta, Sam, and Trevor to help Flower find out about her brother. It’s sad she spent all these years thinking he was gone and feeling like she’d failed him, but getting to read that email from him gave her some closure. Flower trying to hug Mooncow Sam was really sweet. “And I’m stoned.” 

[Kiddvideo]

I couldn’t focus on much except Micah’s bad wig. A few good lines, happy for Flower. Otherwise, meh.

[callie lee 29]

Flower tends to get on my nerves but I really liked her in this episode. And the ending made me tear up. 

Thor likes 90's sitcoms. That's adorable.

Poor Jay needs some friends. Can we bring back the construction guy from last season?

[edhopper]

Baby that's a cult. What you're describing is a cult. 😄

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Not a fan of the cult storyline, thankfully Flower’s letter from her brother,   received because of the ghosts caring , saved the episode. 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Packerbrewerbadger

[AnimeMania]

You're a total Moon Cow.

[Snow Apple]

Was Flower this forgetful last season? I don't remember (no pun intended) this quirk; just that she was flaky. But not remembering who Jay and Sam are seems weird.

[nora1992]

When I first saw Norm on the couch, I thought it was Todd.

Liked Alberta’s approach to Flower.

Trevor and his delight in Alana’s “comfort” was gross, but amusing.

[Beden]

OK...confused. Major storm where I live last night so I missed parts of the show; did they get rid of the cult or are they an ongoing subplot?

[callie lee 29]

14 minutes ago, Beden said:

OK...confused. Major storm where I live last night so I missed parts of the show; did they get rid of the cult or are they an ongoing subplot?

They got rid of them.

[cardigirl]

I wonder if being "sucked off" is going to be part of the storyline going forward, or if that is reserved for visiting cast members only. I like the core of ghosts on the show now, but I thought resolving something about their death could lead to being "released" from ghost life?

I enjoyed this show, I liked that they showed more of Jay's point of view. The shot of him watching his wife at the front desk talk to the ghosts (and from his point of view she was talking to empty space) was pretty great. 

I guess Flower was high when she died, as Sam was high after Flower "hugged" her. 

[Good Queen Jane]

17 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

I wonder if being "sucked off" is going to be part of the storyline going forward, or if that is reserved for visiting cast members only. I like the core of ghosts on the show now, but I thought resolving something about their death could lead to being "released" from ghost life?

One way they could get around the "sucked off when one gets closure" is that the core group has developed such a bond with each other that they won't leave until they all are ready to go. That includes Sam and Jay. 

[Snow Apple]

2 hours ago, Beden said:

OK...confused. Major storm where I live last night so I missed parts of the show; did they get rid of the cult or are they an ongoing subplot?

Sam lied and said she slept with the leader which lead the members to be upset since he's not supposed to that with outsiders. He said Sam lied but Hetty told Sam about the moles on his butt cheek so Sam has "proof." The leader was confused but bulls*** his way out of it and left with the members. Trever was sad the hot girls left. 

[tennisgurl]

Awww the ending with Flower was really sweet, its so sad that Flower spent so much time feeling guilty about her brothers death and Robby spent so much time thinking that his sister died angry at him, at least now they both have some closure. Love how Alberta managed to get Flower to talk about her brother, thank goodness for her at times Dory-like memory. It was also a nice to way wrap all of the subplots together, if your going to be around for all of eternity, it can be easy to get jaded but if you keep looking you can still find the beauty in existence. 

"Sure, because cults are famously reasonable." Man, as much as I love sunny happy Pete, dark Pete is pretty amazing. 

Everyone's reactions to the cult were hilarious, Hetty being impressed by the cult leaders ruthlessness and ass, Flower being super excited for Jay getting to join a cult, and Trever really hoping for a Heavens Gate scenario to get some hot ghosts around. All of the actors are so good and all of the characters are so developed and well done, its great just seeing everyone reaction to all of the wacky things going on. Poor Jay though, he really does need some friends he can actually talk to without Sam. She could probably use some living friends too, as great as the ghosts are. 

[Neptune]

https://www.tvinsider.com/1065384/ghosts-season-2-episode-3-sheila-carrasco-flower-cult-brother/

https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2022/10/13/ghosts-flower-brother-sheila-carrasco/

[iMonrey]

Quote

I guess Flower was high when she died, as Sam was high after Flower "hugged" her. 

She also did that to the food critic last season, when they were trying to stall him while Jay was possessed by Hettie. So that's her power. Which is weird - imagine being stoned for all eternity. And I don't think she's just high on marijuana either, some of the early episodes made it sound like she was tripping on acid. 

"Flower? The one who asked what your name was yesterday? After we've lived here for a year?"

"That's not nice to point out. I want to say . . .  Larry?"

[appositival]

I liked the fact that even Norm(?) knew about the "Dots of Destiny".

[ams1001]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Hetty being impressed by the cult leaders ruthlessness and ass

Also her thinking "snake oil" is a good thing to invest in.

[Mabinogia]

11 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I enjoyed this show, I liked that they showed more of Jay's point of view. The shot of him watching his wife at the front desk talk to the ghosts (and from his point of view she was talking to empty space) was pretty great. 

That was a really effective scene because I felt Jay's frustration as I am dying to know who said what to Sam in that moment! 

Poor Jay. What is even worse than the fact that he can't see/hear the ghosts is the fact that if he could, he and Flower could talk basketball and he and Pete would be BFFs. 

I was very distracted by Cult Leader's bad wig, so much so that I totally missed out on the great ass Hetty clearly noticed. 

Confession time. When Alana kind of made passage for her wind (lifted half up to fart), that is exactly what I've been doing ever since Covid hit and I stopped having to be in polite society and now I'm worried that there might be a ghost in my place who now thinks I'm super comfortable around him and we're soulmates. I've been doing it because I thought I was alone. 😳

[kathyk24]

Flower was the MVP of this episode. I loved her advice to the guests not to hug the bears. Trevor was sweet when he explained what MIA meant. Flower's brothers would be elderly if they are alive since she died over fifty years ago. I think she might have nephews and nieces.

[shapeshifter]

28 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

That was a really effective scene because I felt Jay's frustration as I am dying to know who said what to Sam in that moment! 

Poor Jay. What is even worse than the fact that he can't see/hear the ghosts is the fact that if he could, he and Flower could talk basketball and he and Pete would be BFFs. 

There was a show a few years ago that was (I think?) a remake of a movie in which a daughter communicates with her dead father's ghost through a ham radio. 
Your post, @Mabinogia, makes me want Jay to at least be able to talk to a ghost or 2 through an old ham radio he finds in the basement or something similar.

[Kiddvideo]

14 hours ago, cardigirl said:

I guess Flower was high when she died, as Sam was high after Flower "hugged" her. 

Yep! Last season Flower described how she died. She said she’d wandered over from a music festival and was killed when she tried to hug the bear. “Drugs were involved,” is how she worded it I believe.

[South]

 I’d like for Flower’s brother to come visit.  Then, maybe he’d need to climb a fence, perhaps to pluck a perfect apple from the snooty neighbor’s yard.  Being of a certain age, he could suffer a fatal fall.  Then he and Flower could visit and catch up across the fence.  That way we wont have so many ghosts for the indoor scenes that it becomes chaotic.  I’ve also thought of Todd being hit by a vehicle while checking the B&Bs mailbox at the curb or something.  He could pine away into eternity, being so close and yet so far from Alberta.  We’d be able to see him pacing at the curb, hoping for a glimpse off her in the background of any scenes filmed in the front court.

[South]

19 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Was Flower this forgetful last season? I don't remember (no pun intended) this quirk; just that she was flaky. But not remembering who Jay and Sam are seems weird.

It seems they are featuring her more this season.  She was a bit peripheral previously, so maybe they are attempting to solidify her persona.

[South]

6 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

Flower was the MVP of this episode. I loved her advice to the guests not to hug the bears. Trevor was sweet when he explained what MIA meant. Flower's brothers would be elderly if they are alive since she died over fifty years ago. I think she might have nephews and nieces.

She WAS the MVP, wasn’t she?  Two solid weeks in a row!  I appreciate her insight and understanding of life…then she calls somebody Larry!

[bad things are bad]

Thorfinn very eloquent 

[Cress]

I'm a little confused. At one point, Flower says, "when I got out of the cult, I found out my brother was MIA". Does she mean after she and her boyfriend ran away with the bank money?  I thought they encountered the bear almost immediately after. When did Flower have time "out of the cult" to ask about her brother and find out he was MIA? Did I just remember the backstory wrong?

Edited October 15, 2022 by Cress

[shura]

2 hours ago, Cress said:

I'm a little confused. At one point, Flower says, "when I got out of the cult, I found out my brother was MIA". Does she mean after she and her boyfriend ran away with the bank money?  I thought they encountered the bear almost immediately after. When did Flower have time "out of the cult" to ask about her brother and find out he was MIA? Did I just remember the backstory wrong?

They robbed the bank when she was in a hippie commune, not a cult. At least Flower insisted it was not a cult because they let you wear shoes. She must have been in a cult before the commune.

UPD: Ooh, here is the direct quote: “This was the commune, not the cult. They're very similar, but the commune let you wear your shoes and you could still talk to your family.”  Fits perfectly with what she said in this episode. Nice job with continuity, writers.

Edited October 15, 2022 by shura

[Cress]

Okay thanks. I should have remembered it was the commune. A cult wouldn't let you sit and argue about what to spend the stolen money on. The cult leader would decide for you.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Cress

[Check Sanity]

On 10/14/2022 at 7:19 AM, Snow Apple said:

Was Flower this forgetful last season? I don't remember (no pun intended) this quirk; just that she was flaky. But not remembering who Jay and Sam are seems weird.

As someone else mentioned, Flower was more peripheral last season. One of the episodes showed her get distracted by a butterfly and wander off to chase it for most of the episode. Also, the way Alberta played Flower's memory was the same trick Alberta and Isaac used to find out her secret regarding the bank robbery and the commune. She almost caught them but her lucid time, which she does also get, came to an end.

On 10/14/2022 at 11:04 AM, iMonrey said:

She also did that to the food critic last season, when they were trying to stall him while Jay was possessed by Hettie. So that's her power. Which is weird - imagine being stoned for all eternity. And I don't think she's just high on marijuana either, some of the early episodes made it sound like she was tripping on acid.

Oh definitely, especially considering how the critic, Sam and Flower behave when the wave of being stoned freshly hits. I think Flower may have built up a bit of a tolerance and/or possibly sobered up while dying, because she does still have her lucid moments.

On 10/14/2022 at 8:53 AM, cardigirl said:

I wonder if being "sucked off" is going to be part of the storyline going forward, or if that is reserved for visiting cast members only. I like the core of ghosts on the show now, but I thought resolving something about their death could lead to being "released" from ghost life?

I don't think it's necessarily "something" about their death, but more about them feeling a strong sense of resolve and revelation--positive or negative. For Sam's mom, it was related to feeling at peace about her relationship with Sam by becoming more open and let go of her worries. For Elias, well, he declared never to change and to remain terrible. All the ghosts are still figuring themselves out.

It makes me wonder about that elderly ghost couple Sam saw crossing the street, other than them all the ghosts we've seen have been relatively young when they died.

Anyways, with this episode I really enjoyed the reactions from everyone in the background. The fact that Trevor picked up on the business pyramid scheme element, Flower the cult, and Isaac on everything that annoyed him about NotTodd(Norm?).

I was also highly amused by Hetty's neck/chin jut after Sam shot down the snake oil idea. I'm happy to see Hetty embracing her sexual side, and that it came in handy to solve this week's cult problem. Though it does prove Jay was spot on with his concerns about the shower/bathroom.

[Skooma]

On 10/14/2022 at 9:26 PM, shapeshifter said:

There was a show a few years ago that was (I think?) a remake of a movie in which a daughter communicates with her dead father's ghost through a ham radio. 
Your post, @Mabinogia, makes me want Jay to at least be able to talk to a ghost or 2 through an old ham radio he finds in the basement or something similar.

Well he should be able to communicate directly with Trevor since Trevor can write stuff on steamed up mirrors though an old fashioned Ouija board might respect Jay's bathroom privacy more.

[jewel21]

On 10/14/2022 at 9:26 PM, shapeshifter said:

There was a show a few years ago that was (I think?) a remake of a movie in which a daughter communicates with her dead father's ghost through a ham radio. 
Your post, @Mabinogia, makes me want Jay to at least be able to talk to a ghost or 2 through an old ham radio he finds in the basement or something similar.

It was called Frequency. 

[North of Eden]

Flower's story was heartfelt and I enjoyed it.

Sympathized with the couple. I had bums in a rental unit who wouldn't pay rent during the pandemic but could buy cars and new tv's and I was stuck with them. Selling the property was one of the happiest days of my life.

"Oh wait,I don't have to pretend anymore." Issac can be counted on to deliver the best lines. RIght up there with that was Trevor's "We could be looking at a Heaven's Gate scenario" damn this show can make me laugh.

Happy so far the headless ghost has not returned...I just don't like him.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Happy so far the headless ghost has not returned...I just don't like him.

Just curious, but why not? We literally never saw his head after the pilot, and he wasn't even around then long enough to make an impression. I don't know why they even included him in the pilot if they didn't plan to feature him with the rest of the ghosts. Maybe they changed their minds after they made the pilot and realized it would be too expensive with the CGI to have him on all the time. But then they did brink back his body in a later episode last season, so that's even more problematic. It means that there's a headless ghost wandering around the house all the time, and nobody helps him find his head and put it back on. That's kind of shitty on the part of the other ghosts.

[shapeshifter]

Quote

Happy so far the headless ghost has not returned...I just don't like him.

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Just curious, but why not?

I too am glad we don't have the headless ghost regularly. His severed neck is gross.

[Mabinogia]

I assume they included him because he was a part of the original UK show but other than him crashing into stuff 

Spoiler

and being used as a sex toy

I put that in spoiler because I can't remember which show it was US or UK, there isn't much they can do with him. I don't miss him nor do I care if we ever see him again. I'm happy to believe that he resolved his issues off screen and got sucked off. But if he does show up again, I hope they come up with a decent reason and don't just use his head as a ball or other such obvious jokes. 

The one I hope we never see again is the prom ghost. She was fine for a one off but I just didn't like the character at all so I have no desire to catch up with her next year. She had her prom so she should have gotten sucked off as well. 

I am clearly a Trevor because the ghosts being sucked off still makes me giggle. lol

[BellaBabe2022]

I loved everything about this show, but especially the ending to Flower's storyline. Some people complain about the US version being too nice, but that is one of the main reasons why I love it.

[North of Eden]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Just curious, but why not? We literally never saw his head after the pilot, and he wasn't even around then long enough to make an impression. I don't know why they even included him in the pilot if they didn't plan to feature him with the rest of the ghosts. Maybe they changed their minds after they made the pilot and realized it would be too expensive with the CGI to have him on all the time. But then they did brink back his body in a later episode last season, so that's even more problematic. It means that there's a headless ghost wandering around the house all the time, and nobody helps him find his head and put it back on. That's kind of shitty on the part of the other ghosts.

50's stereotype greaser biker...not very imaginative like say a Revolutionary War officer or a bootleg era jazz singer.

I want that I can rewatch HAPPY DAYS.

[jewel21]

Funny because Crash is the one I was most interested in and I'm bummed we never got more of him. I think he could have been fun. Oh, well. At least I have Trevor, lol. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Funny because Crash is the one I was most interested in and I'm bummed we never got more of him. I think he could have been fun.

Me too. They have a lot of great gags with the headless ghost in the UK version of the show. And his backstory was hilarious. 

[possibilities]

The physical comedy and the thumbs up communications were working for me, the few times they showed him. 

[BellaBabe2022]

On 10/14/2022 at 7:19 AM, Snow Apple said:

Was Flower this forgetful last season? I don't remember (no pun intended) this quirk; just that she was flaky. But not remembering who Jay and Sam are seems weird.

I'm not crazy about her forgetting Sam and Jay's names, but during the first season, one thing that she kept forgetting is that she told everyone about robbing a bank.

[seacliffsal]

I really liked many elements of this episode but I was really hoping that Flower finding out that her brother was alive would resolve her issues and that she would be sucked up.  Not a fan of the character.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

I really liked many elements of this episode but I was really hoping that Flower finding out that her brother was alive would resolve her issues and that she would be sucked up.  Not a fan of the character.

But then Thor be sad.

[KarenX]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But then Thor be sad.

But then THOR… be saaad

(FIFY)