S02.E16: Isaac’s Book

[Neptune]

“Isaac’s Book” – Sam struggles to keep Isaac’s spirits up after she hits a wall trying to publish a biography about him. Also, Trevor and Hetty conspire to keep their relationship hidden and Thor tries to prove to Flower that he can control his anger.

[Neptune]

 

[enduringforce]

On 2/13/2023 at 11:56 AM, Neptune said:

“Isaac’s Book”

This seems to be a setting up a great episode considering that Issac and Nigel have agreed to disagree about the war and the book Sam writes may put their truce at risk. There there is Hetty trying to keep her Dec/May relationship with 'No Pants' a secret in a house with ghost that thrive on knowing all secrets. But I think Thor and Flower are so cute together, so these relationship building scenes are cute. Looking forward to this episode. 

[Driad]

Hoping someone can correct the spelling of Isaac in the episode title. adTHANKSvance!

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2023/03/02/ghosts-thor-anger-devan-chandler-long-sheila-carrasco/

[Skooma]

Fantastic episode.  One of the best of the series which is saying a lot. 

The main story line was great and the two minor ones were too.  Loved this episode.

So Trevor's mucking about on Facebook accidentally saved the day ... errr ... book.  Now his day is NOT saved by the tour of the basement at the end, lol.

And next week Hetty's husband pops back UP for a visit .. this series keeps getting better and it already was the best comedy on TV!

[Annber03]

LOL, leave it to Sam and Isaac to bond over having their own respective Hamltons. "I may have a chip on my shoulder about Hamilton..." Gee, really, Isaac, we hadn't noticed :p.

But oh, god, everything with Sam's lies building and building and building. I was just bracing for the moment when it would all finally implode. And it did, but not quite as horribly as I feared it would be. I LOVED Jay slapping Isobel's phone out of her hand to try and stop her from contacting that guy, and I loved him trying, as always, to be the voice of reason to Sam's craziness. 

And I felt for Isaac when he learned the book wasn't getting published :(. Something about him celebrating that news with Nigel when it wasn't true made it all the sadder, too - here he thought he was going to get to enjoy this big moment with someone he cares about, but nope. 

Thank goodness things ultimately did wind up working out in the end, though - Isaac's book will be a reality! Hooray! "I'm going to live forever! But in a FUN way this time!" LMAO. I hope we get to see some further glimpses of what it's like, and that those glimpses continue to help reveal more about Isaac's life in general along the way.

As for Thor and Flower, aw, I liked Thor coming to Pete for advice for a change :). I could relate WAY too well to Pete's "take it" mentality. I'm not surprised Thor struggled with it, but I think he will continue to learn to find that healthy balance between controlling his anger and letting it go at appropriate moments. 

As for Hetty and Trevor...holy shit, those two are NOT subtle, LOL. AND THAT ENDING! I was suspecting that Nigel might be the one to discover their secret thing, but to have Nancy there, too...that's just icing on the cake XD. I am here for Nigel and Nancy figuring out how to respond to this and possibly doing some scheming of their own in the process :p. And now the remaining questions, of course...who among the other ghosts (or Sam, for that matter) will be the next one to learn about those two :D? And how? And what will they say/do about it? 

[phalange]

Sam and Jay sitting in the car outside the ghost boundary to talk when they don't want the ghosts overhearing is smart. I like the mention of Sam not being able to go to Starbucks because of all the ghosts there. That probably happens frequently, with old buildings being torn down and new ones built on top of them.

I understand why Sam lied to Isaac. She wanted to protect his feelings and also her own, because frankly her "friend" Isabel was irritating. Lol at Isaac saying Isabel is Sam's Hamilton. I'll never get tired of Isaac's ongoing one-sided feud with Hamilton. The scene with Sam and Isaac deciding that they didn't need fame to know people care about them was sweet. Can't blame them for being excited about the book actually being published though. Everyone loves validation, even when they pretend otherwise.

Thor shorting out the TV because of a cliffhanger is all too relatable. If I could harness electricity, I also would've shorted out my TV multiple times over the years. Sass and Alberta testing Thor's ability to stay calm was funny. No surprise that the Danish guy insulting Norway pushed him over the edge. It was sweet when Flower realized it's not bad for the two of them to be a bit different. "Watching you act like Pete was a real turn-off." lmao Poor Pete, good thing he knows how to "take it."

Oh shit, Hetty and Trevor are busted. Nancy and Nigel are probably going to have a great time lording this over them, especially with Hetty and Nigel still secretly fighting. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by phalange

[nora1992]

Nancy can keep a secret, and I don’t think Nigel is above blackmail.  Next week will be interesting.

I would add more, but I don’t want to annoy Jay and spend more time on my phone…..

We all need someone to provide Jay-like support in our lives.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, Skooma said:

And next week Hetty's husband pops back UP for a visit ..

I can't wait to see what hell is like!!  Should be a fun one!

[shapeshifter]

9 minutes ago, Skooma said:

Fantastic episode.  One of the best of the series which is saying a lot. 

The main story line was great and the two minor ones were too.  Loved this episode.

So Trevor's mucking about on Facebook accidentally saved the day ... errr ... book.  Now his day is NOT saved by the tour of the basement at the end, lol.

And next week Hetty's husband pops back UP for a visit .. this series keeps getting better and it already was the best comedy on TV!

Yes! Maybe even the best episode!
Different writers?
Or maybe just the perfect moment of the accumulated plot arcs and character developments coalescing into a masterpiece?

1 hour ago, phalange said:

It was sweet when Flower realized it's not bad for the two of them to be a bit different. "Watching you act like Pete was a real turn-off." lmao Poor Pete, good thing he knows how to "take it."

One thing I really floved about Pete was when Thor admitted that he couldn't stop being angry, and then Flower was telling Thor she didn't like him being like Pete anyway, Pete just saw Thor and Flower as having come to accept each other and said, "I call that a win." Pete saw the bigger picture: His goal of helping his friends.
Pete's arc in this episode ran parallel to Sam and Isaac's.

And, really, I think all the episodes demonstrate the value to oneself in helping others.

This show could be the template to f'in' World Peace.  

 

 

[kathyk24]

The scene where Sass and Alberta tried to make Thorfin angry was hilarious. I think the Ghosts need to find a middle ground. Pete shouldn't be passive all the time and Thorfin shouldn't always be angry.  I think Hetty will admit to her affair with Trevor when Elias reappears. Sam is too impulsive for her own good. I think a biography about Isaac would work if it focused on Isaac hiding that he was gay.

[appositival]

I was not a fan of the Sam lies again story line, but I thought they resolved it well. It was funny that the Facebook post saved them instead of destroying Sam.

[DanaK]

2 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I think a biography about Isaac would work if it focused on Isaac hiding that he was gay.

I’m not sure she can prove that though, even by inference, since it appears Isaac was deeply closeted during his life

[nora1992]

19 minutes ago, DanaK said:

I’m not sure she can prove that though, even by inference, since it appears Isaac was deeply closeted during his life

But will it be a novel or history?  If non-fiction, how will Sam refer to her “evidence” ?

[Katy M]

53 minutes ago, nora1992 said:

But will it be a novel or history?  If non-fiction, how will Sam refer to her “evidence” ?

I'm pretty sure her book is non-fiction.

I wasn't crazy about this episode.  I do get Sam's reasoning for lying and had it not been for Trevor, she would have gotten away with it.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I think a biography about Isaac would work if it focused on Isaac hiding that he was gay.

Probably Isaac’s closeted life would have to be presented as Historical Fiction. 
And Isaac might not want that?  

[shura]

2 hours ago, appositival said:

I was not a fan of the Sam lies again story line, but I thought they resolved it well. It was funny that the Facebook post saved them instead of destroying Sam.

It made the publisher look like they don't know what they are doing though.  They passed, presumably, because they analyzed things and concluded that the book was not going to be successful and profitable.  Then they see that someone else has a different opinion and just because of that totally abandon their own.  Although, I am not sure what to make of Isabel's line that they only publish three books a year and so they should make a fuss.  Does it mean that they are very exclusive and have a high rejection rate?  Or does it mean that they just don't publish books and may not have many manuscript submissions?

Alberta was so much into testing Thor.  "Let's talk about cod.  It's a very bland fish."  She was enjoying it!  I also liked her quip "Is it too late to put this on his tombstone?" about the editor's "so the book is about a regular guy who was near some things and then crapped himself to death?"

[Chit Chat]

15 minutes ago, shura said:

Alberta was so much into testing Thor.  "Let's talk about cod.  It's a very bland fish." 

That was hilarious!  Even funnier that something as simple as a food choice could send Thor into a rage!  

Sam should've taken Jay's advice about breaking the bad news to Isaac, but I understand how bad she felt seeing Isaac so excited and then having to give him the bad news.  She didn't think that things would snowball out of control like that, although, at some point, Isaac would've wanted to see the actual book.  At least it ended happily!

[Katy M]

21 minutes ago, shura said:

It made the publisher look like they don't know what they are doing though.  They passed, presumably, because they analyzed things and concluded that the book was not going to be successful and profitable.  Then they see that someone else has a different opinion and just because of that totally abandon their own.  Although, I am not sure what to make of Isabel's line that they only publish three books a year and so they should make a fuss.  Does it mean that they are very exclusive and have a high rejection rate?  Or does it mean that they just don't publish books and may not have many manuscript submissions?

This is part of why I wasn't crazy about the episode.  Why would a publisher who already passed on a book that they read and didn't want, want it just because another publisher was going to publish it?  And why would they think they could have it?  If Sam's posting about it, shouldn't it be a done deal?  And, why would they just assume this book deal was true?  People lie.  On the flip side, she d (or Trevor) didn't actually post the name of the publisher.  Since Trevor would have thought it was that publisher and they knew it wasn't true.  So, it very well could be self-publishing or a vanity press. And how does a publisher stay in business only publishing 3 books a year?  This isn't like the fashion industry where you have high end fashion and only make one of something and charge a lot for it.  With the exception of antique books, there's not a lot of price differential (I didn't say none, I said a lot) for specific books.

[NoReally]

15 minutes ago, Katy M said:

So, it very well could be self-publishing or a vanity press.

I kept thinking this throughout the episode. Why didn't Sam write the book, self-publish it, and put it up for sale on Amazon? Easy enough to do these days, and it might've satisfied Isaac. 

[Driad]

If Sam wants to publish the book as non-fiction, wouldn't most publishers reject it because she does not have credentials as a historian?

[iMonrey]

Quote

She didn't think that things would snowball out of control like that, although, at some point, Isaac would've wanted to see the actual book.  

She told Jay they might have to mock up a few fake books. 

Quote

And how does a publisher stay in business only publishing 3 books a year?

They might publish other things like magazines.

Flula, who played Soren, is one of my favorite comics. He was a frequent guest on @midnight. I loved the whole bit with him insulting Norway. "You've seen one fjord, you've seen them all. More like No-Way!" And Alberta and Sass trying to make Thor mad was hysterical too. This is the first time they've ever explained that there was any particular meaning to Thor's beard braids.

It doesn't sound like the book about Isaac would be very interesting. She's trying to make a story out of someone who was more or less a nobody. She did have an interesting spin on it, trying to promote it as a story of how the war was won on the backs of those nobodies. But I'd have to read it myself to judge, LOL. 

Trevor slapping the phone out of Isabel's hand was everything.

[Phebemarie]

On a completely different note, I like that Nigel and Nancy seem to be friends.  Nigel does have a certain Frasier/Niles-like fussiness, but he invited Nancy to his tea, and seemingly spends time with her.  I think that's an interesting layer to his character.  Hetty calls her a creature and barely acknowledges her; Nigel's accent and military position suggest he's from an upper class background, yet he spends time with a basement ghost.  Maybe spending centuries in the shed gave Nigel some humility.  

I also realize the writers had to reveal the Hetty/Trevor liaison to character(s) who were easier to manipulate than the core ghosts and that may have been why Nancy and Nigel were together.  

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Why would a publisher who already passed on a book that they read and didn't want, want it just because another publisher was going to publish it? 

At first, I thought that Sam's friend called in a favor for her, but she seemed too competitive to actually help Sam.  

[eel21788]

13 hours ago, nora1992 said:

Nancy can keep a secret, and I don’t think Nigel is above blackmail.

Nigel will use any opportunity to stick it to Hetty. 

[nora1992]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

If Sam wants to publish the book as non-fiction, wouldn't most publishers reject it because she does not have credentials as a historian?

Bigger issue: where is the documentary evidence to back up the narrative?

The credentials are important, but not the biggest obstacle at play.  This is Sass’s tree story revisited, on a grander scale.

[HurricaneVal]

I thought Alberta was going to waver when Thor explained about his beard braids, but then she found her footing and doubled down with one last "Well, they look stupid!"  I wonder how long she's been holding that in....

I appreciated the "out of the house" perspective, with Jay and Sam driving past the ghost boundary to have a private chat.  I also liked that Sam's town routine involves avoiding businesses with difficult ghosts.  The look of distaste when speaking of the coffee place built on the grounds of an old hospital for the criminally insane was perfect.  Is "Daisy Coffee" a callback to Flower's boyfriend's business built from their ill-gotten gains, or did I dream that?

[quirkygal]

1 hour ago, Phebemarie said:

Nigel's accent and military position suggest he's from an upper class background, yet he spends time with a basement ghost.  Maybe spending centuries in the shed gave Nigel some humility.  
 

Younger son of the younger son and/or maybe his father was clergy or a physician and he was exposed to a lot of different people.

Or he could have been "born on the wrong side of the blanket."  If the monied father had any kind of honor he'd essentially pay child support and buying male children military commissions was common.

 

I could see a book about two such nobodies on opposite sides being interesting especially if Nigel fought on behalf of his men against some of the British military's traditions (i.e., let's march through dense green woods while wearing bright red and marching in rows).

 

[chaifan]

I'd love to have a montage scene of Sam navigating "normal" places and all the ghosts she encounters.  Going to the bank, grocery store, the mall, restaurants/bars, other people's houses, etc.  We've seen her workplace ghosts and ghosts on the street.  I still want to see her have to attend a funeral in a graveyard.  I mean, I love the house ghosts, but I'd just like a little more "outside the Manor" perspective on how Sam gets through day to day life seeing ghosts. 

 

[Browncoat]

If ghosts haunt where they die, there might not be very many in a graveyard.

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

I'd love to have a montage scene of Sam navigating "normal" places and all the ghosts she encounters.  Going to the bank, grocery store, the mall, restaurants/bars, other people's houses, etc.  

I don't want to see her turn into Theresa Caputo.

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, nora1992 said:

Bigger issue: where is the documentary evidence to back up the narrative?

She's a journalist. She doesn't have to give up her source, and somehow I doubt it would end up in a court case where she could be threatened with a contempt charge.

[mansonlamps]

6 hours ago, Katy M said:

This is part of why I wasn't crazy about the episode.  Why would a publisher who already passed on a book that they read and didn't want, want it just because another publisher was going to publish it?

Weirdly, they did practically the same storyline on American Auto this week with the sand battery company.

Favorite part of this episode was Alberta and Sass trying to anger Thor with an honorary mention to Jay knocking the phone out of Sam's friend's hand.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 Is "Daisy Coffee" a callback to Flower's boyfriend's business built from their ill-gotten gains, or did I dream that?

Good catch! I missed that. 

I hate to think that there were so many patients at the hospital for the criminally insane that became ghosts (instead of moving on). What a horrible fate. Some of the questions and ideas raised by this show can be more profound than they maybe intended.

[nora1992]

35 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

She's a journalist. She doesn't have to give up her source, and somehow I doubt it would end up in a court case where she could be threatened with a contempt charge.

Historic sources provide the evidence that support the stories.  These are either written or physical/artifacts that can be evaluated by people interested in the topic.  Without evidence, what is it?  Not history, even though the book is, ironically, based more in facts than the musical Hamilton.

[tennisgurl]

Another great episode, I love that Isaac is finally getting his book published and that Sam got to show up her very own Hamilton! Sam's most recent lie really got out of control this time, even if the ghosts meddling also had something to do with it, but it actually did end up working out. He was so excited Huzzahing with Sam and Nigel, I was dreading him being disappointed. 

Alberta flexing with that creepy book her super fan wrote about her was great. "It got published!" 

I just knew that as soon they started running through things that would upset Thor that his greatest challenge would be Danes, and then right away, here comes the most Danish man in the world. Awww it really is sweet that Thor is trying to be the person that Flower wants and that Pete was trying so hard to help, even if Thor just cant help himself when it comes to Danes. They could I think find a compromise between Pete and Thor one day, Thor learns not to be as angry and Pete learned to be more assertive, which has already been happening slowly throughout the show. 

Nice reference to Daisy Coffee, the coffee chain that Flower's boyfriend founded and named after her. 

I cant blame Thor at all for making the TV bust due to cliffhangers. I would have blown up my TV several times over those if I had electricity powers. 

"You want me to hit on your great great great great grandniece in front of you?" Looks like Trevor and Hetty, even after their brilliant attempts at hiding their secret relationship, are busted! By Nigel and Nancy! Oh yeah, this is going to be juice. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by tennisgurl

[shura]

1 hour ago, nora1992 said:

Historic sources provide the evidence that support the stories.  These are either written or physical/artifacts that can be evaluated by people interested in the topic.  Without evidence, what is it?  Not history, even though the book is, ironically, based more in facts than the musical Hamilton.

Well, the book, dictated by Isaac Higgintoot, is called “The Other Founding Father: The Story of Isaac Higgintoot”, so it’s hard to know how factual it actually is.  Is he really a Founding Father?  He seems to think he is.  Who knows what else is in there.

I agree though that Sam should provide sources of some kind for her research, if only to give her readers a reason to believe that what she is writing in this nonfiction book actually happened.  Why would they buy the book if it’s just some stuff written by an unknown author (or, even worse, known from the 13 dialects of the Lenape fiasco)?

[Driad]

20 minutes ago, shura said:

Why would they buy the book if it’s just some stuff written by an unknown author (or, even worse, known from the 13 dialects of the Lenape fiasco)?

If it gets any reviews, some of them may be scathing.

[Annber03]

I do wonder if we'll get more references to her book about Isaac down the line. I was surprised that they'd have a plot about it being published this early in the show's run - I figured that would be something that would only ever happen whenever the show has its final season (hopefully a long time from now!). But if she does manage to get it published now, will that be a stepping stone to bigger things, for both her and for Isaac? Will we get to see snippets of the book, both to see how she wrote about him and as a way to delve further into Isaac's past when possible? That'd be nice, I'd be very interested to see how all of that would play out. 

I too think there could be a genuinely interesting story to be told about someone like Isaac, who lingered just outside the "in crowd" - some of the most interesting stories in history came from people who weren't the "who's who" of their time. But yes, I can see where there will be some issues in regards to Sam trying to explain her sources and find documents and such to help back up the stuff she's writing about and all that. 

7 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

On a completely different note, I like that Nigel and Nancy seem to be friends.  Nigel does have a certain Frasier/Niles-like fussiness, but he invited Nancy to his tea, and seemingly spends time with her.  I think that's an interesting layer to his character.  Hetty calls her a creature and barely acknowledges her; Nigel's accent and military position suggest he's from an upper class background, yet he spends time with a basement ghost.  Maybe spending centuries in the shed gave Nigel some humility.  

Yeah, he was stuck in a tiny little shed for centuries, and with his ex-boyfriend and Baxter to boot. Meanwhile, Nancy's spent all her time down in the basement with a bunch of other ghosts, all whom died of cholera like her. I can see them finding some common ground as a result of all of that and bonding further as a result. Plus, Nancy's the sort who just seems to know how to worm her way into getting to know and befriend people, whether they wanted her to or not :p. 

But yeah, I'm all for seeing more of their friendship, too, both in terms of what it means for them discovering Trevor and Hetty's thing and just in general. I don't know how far Nancy's ghost boundary goes, if she's allowed to leave the mansion at all, but if she is, maybe she'll be the latest one to join Nigel's little ant-watching club :p. Or maybe she'll invite Nigel and Thor down to the basement so they can watch ants together more often :D. 

6 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

I thought Alberta was going to waver when Thor explained about his beard braids, but then she found her footing and doubled down with one last "Well, they look stupid!"  I wonder how long she's been holding that in....

I appreciated the "out of the house" perspective, with Jay and Sam driving past the ghost boundary to have a private chat.  I also liked that Sam's town routine involves avoiding businesses with difficult ghosts.  The look of distaste when speaking of the coffee place built on the grounds of an old hospital for the criminally insane was perfect.  Is "Daisy Coffee" a callback to Flower's boyfriend's business built from their ill-gotten gains, or did I dream that?

I feel like Alberta's comments about Thor's braids were her payback for the times Thor's made a point of mentioning how much he doesn't like her hat XD. I loved that whole scene, too, she was ruthless. LOL.

I liked Jay and Sam finding a space to talk privately, too. I can just see the ghosts noticing them sneaking off past the ghost boundary and speculating as to what they might be talking about...and naturally going to the worst-case scenarios at that :p. 

And yes! That was indeed a nod to that particular coffee shop. I love those little nods of continuity within this show. 

[iMonrey]

Assuming Sam's book does eventually get published it would be interesting to see if any descendants of the Higgintoot family come out of the woodwork. I know Isaac didn't have any children but he might have had siblings who have modern descendants. 

[Mabinogia]

11 hours ago, Katy M said:

Why would a publisher who already passed on a book that they read and didn't want, want it just because another publisher was going to publish it?  And why would they think they could have it?  If Sam's posting about it, shouldn't it be a done deal?  And, why would they just assume this book deal was true? 

Yeah, that whole thing felt poorly thought out on a show that is otherwise very well thought out. It would have made more sense if they could have figured out a way to make her post go viral. I could see a publisher changing their mind if a post about the book they thought had no value went viral. They might think "well, clearly there is a market for this". Look at all these pop stars who got discovered because their youtube video went viral. It's the new way to success in this world. 

I did love this ep, as I love all eps (except the one with the cult. That was my least favorite as I didn't like seeing Jay made a fool of), but that magical save kind of brought it down just a tad...unless Sam is lying again. She seems to do that a lot. 

I know that Isaac had his heart set on his place in history being immortalized, but I think Sam writing a "fictional" story about an American officer and British officer who fall in love amidst the Revolutionary War would sell like crazy. Then she can write the "fictional" story of a jazz singer who is murdered by her bootlegging boyfriend, or musical rival. Or a "fictional" story about a Viking abandoned in a new world who has to fend for himself by befriending a squirrel. 

Basically, tell the ghosts' stories as fiction. Also, I'd love the writers of the show to do just that, and sell the book series as a companion peice to the show. I'd buy them. 

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I know that Isaac had his heart set on his place in history being immortalized, but I think Sam writing a "fictional" story about an American officer and British officer who fall in love amidst the Revolutionary War would sell like crazy. Then she can write the "fictional" story of a jazz singer who is murdered by her bootlegging boyfriend, or musical rival. Or a "fictional" story about a Viking abandoned in a new world who has to fend for himself by befriending a squirrel. 

That's a great idea! I'd read it!

[enduringforce]

Does anyone remember what happened to Baxter? He was the Britsh fifer, and he was in the first episode when we met the garden shed ghosts, but now only the creepy ex-lover of Nigel is in the shed. 

[Chit Chat]

1 minute ago, enduringforce said:

He was the Britsh fifer, and he was in the first episode when we met the garden shed ghosts, but now only the creepy ex-lover of Nigel is in the shed. 

He probably disappeared much like the headless guy that was walking around.  I think that he was intact, but then his head fell off and he wandered off, IIRC!

[PaulE]

I've wondered about his absence, too, especially since Nigel never seemed to be able to go anywhere without him and his fife.  It would be interesting to see how he and Jenkins deal with Nigel's traitorous (to them) decision to move in with the colonials.  Given that he's only a recurring character, the actor who plays him probably has other gigs, and it might be that he's been unavailable so Baxter has to be temporarily written out of the scripts.

 

Speaking of Baxter, I'm amazed at how long it took me to realize he has a bayonet sticking out of his chest!  Guess I was distracted by the fife.