S02.E21: Whodunnit

[Neptune]

“Whodunnit” – Sam, Jay and the ghosts go into detective mode when Sam’s podcast editor gives her one last episode to wrap up Alberta’s murder. Also, Trevor, Flower and Pete discover an email from a Nigerian prince asking for help. May 4

[Neptune]

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

Spoiler

For my last question, because we're also heading up to the season finale, was there anything you'd love to tease for all the Ghosts fans out there?

What I would like to tease is that we will finally solve Alberta's murder, but the solving of the murder will be at the cost of a friendship. And that's all I will say. [Laughs] That's all I will say!

Ghosts' Danielle Pinnock on Alberta's Murder Mystery and Her Hopes For Season 3

https://www.tvfanatic.com/2023/05/ghosts-danielle-pinnock-on-albertas-murder-mystery-and-her-hopes/

Edited May 4, 2023 by Neptune

[Annber03]

Such a fun interview, thanks for sharing. Her excitement is so infectious, I was smiling just reading this :D. I fully agree with her mention of what else she wants to learn about the characters and their backstories and such. Yes. Yes to all of that. 

Can't wait for tomorrow night, this episode sounds so good. 

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

 

[Snow Apple]

Wow. A twist in the plot, as Thor would say.

I loved seeing the ghosts observing the party. 

I hope Alberta forgives Hetty and make up soon. 

[Annber03]

Oh, my god. This was SUCH a great episode. 

Everything with Alberta's murder. So well done. Jay with the murder board (any other "Trial & Error" fans here who kept wanting to shout, "Mur-der board! Mur-der board!" the whole time :p?), Thor, Isaac, and Sasappis all chiming in with their memories - and even Nigel got in on the mystery as well! I also loved how they brought in the cholera ghosts. 

The nods to that time period were great, too, with the costuming and the party vibe and Al freaking Capone showing up. I LOVE that Alberta facepalmed him, hee. Also, her boyfriend Earl was cute! 

That reveal, though. Believe it or not, someone had actually posited that theory on another site a while back...and I cannot believe that it actually panned out to be the case! It's a very unexpected reveal, but I actually really like this twist, both because, well, anyone who's watched true crime shows knows that sometimes it really is the person you least suspect and also because I really like the drama it's setting up for Hetty and Alberta here. That scene with Alberta confronting her over keeping this secret for so long, for letting her believe she hadn't been murdered, was extremely powerful and heartbreaking. And I also sympathize with Hetty's guilt and reasoning for keeping the secret for so long. I also like what it reveals about Hetty's family life - if Thomas was hiding his sexuality like that, that had to cause some strife within the family in general, so it'd be interesting to see that explored further next season. 

I'm also really glad that Alberta's sister didn't wind up being the killer, because her reaction to the very idea broke my heart. I'm glad she got that peace of mind, at least. 

As for the Trevor/Flower/Pete plot, oh, my god, Sam's right, they really are idiots :p. I would've thought Pete, at least, might be a little bit more wary after the whole situation with that fake email about Little Pete a few episodes back, but I can also see him getting totally sucked in by Trevor and Flower's enthusiasm. I liked the references to their time periods, with the mention of Morley Safer and whatnot, and the ending, with them seeing that ad...fantastic XD. 

Yeah. I really loved this episode. I can't believe next week's the season finale already! I can't wait to see what they've got planned. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1) Jay & Sam need to create a password for logging in to the laptop, and find a way to hide their fingers whenever they log in.

2) Has Alberta ever complained about being stuck in uncomfortable shoes the way Hetty complains about her corseted dress? Could she take her shoes off (or her wig) and hold them without them reverting to their original position the way cholera teenager did with his glasses?

3) I was wondering why Stephanie did not recoil from the stench of teenage cholera ghost the way everyone did from the cholera ghosts in this episode.  Inconsistent.

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[SoMuchTV]

I was a little surprised that Trevor wasn’t more savvy to scams, even though he was on the early end of the internet. But other than that, good episode. 

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, SoMuchTV said:

I was a little surprised that Trevor wasn’t more savvy to scams, even though he was on the early end of the internet. But other than that, good episode. 

He did mention Bernie Madoff in an episode last season when suggesting ways to help Sam and Jay with their finances, and given the kind of work he did, his job may have ultimately wound up playing a role in the 2008 economic crisis, so...on that level, I think it tracks. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

How are they going to present the solution to Alberta's murder in their final podcast?  The solution sounds like a fantasy, as there's no possible way any of them could know any of this.

 

[phalange]

I love Jay and his murder board and his enthusiasm for being involved in the ghostly happenings. 

Ohh, I was right about Hetty hiding the truth about the murderer because it was her son, Thomas. I can understand why Hetty wanted to hide it because it hurt her to think her son did that to Alberta, one of her best friends, but it must hurt Alberta far more to know Hetty has been hiding this from her for almost a century. When Alberta said she was glad her sister didn't betray her but someone who has come to be like a sister did...oh man. I did laugh at Sas, Thor, and Isaac sticking their heads through the wall while trying to eavesdrop. 

Good thing Sam had her bank account protected with fraud alerts, but Trevor, Pete, and Flower should definitely not be allowed to use the internet ever again. Maybe keep them away from commercials, too. I like this storyline with the three of them, because they're the three most recently dead, so the technology isn't completely crazy to them, but they don't have the awareness of internet scams.

[SoMuchTV]

13 minutes ago, phalange said:

Good thing Sam had her bank account protected with fraud alerts, but Trevor, Pete, and Flower should definitely not be allowed to use the internet ever again. Maybe keep them away from commercials, too. I like this storyline with the three of them, because they're the three most recently dead, so the technology isn't completely crazy to them, but they don't have the awareness of internet scams.

Really - can’t Sam set them up with a gmail account that’s not connected to any monetary stuff, but still lets them get the joke of the day?

[DanaK]

25 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

How are they going to present the solution to Alberta's murder in their final podcast?  The solution sounds like a fantasy, as there's no possible way any of them could know any of this.

 

Maybe bring up Capone’s name as someone who was there and is a celebrity and then insinuate various things, including that Thomas could be the “T” in the note

[ItCouldBeWorse]

8 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Really - can’t Sam set them up with a gmail account that’s not connected to any monetary stuff, but still lets them get the joke of the day?

The email wasn't connected to any monetary stuff.  They went into the bank account and likely tried to send a wire transfer straight from the account.  Sam and Jay need a stronger password and 2-step verification, at the very least. 

[shapeshifter]

23 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

How are they going to present the solution to Alberta's murder in their final podcast?  The solution sounds like a fantasy, as there's no possible way any of them could know any of this.

I thought the look on Sam's face when they thought Al Capone was the murderer was because she knew there was no way she could put that in the podcast without looking like a luny conspiracy theorist. 
Then I told myself that at least a gay/bi jealous lover triangle plot is a bit less far-fetched.
But not so much. And it still has an Al Capone involvement, with an attempted suicide attached to the story to boot.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

6 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Maybe bring up Capone’s name as someone who was there and is a celebrity and then insinuate various things, including that Thomas could be the “T” in the note

How can they prove that Al Capone was there?  His presence didn't turn up in any previous research.

Edited May 5, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

How can they prove that Al Capone was there?  His presence didn't turn up in any previous research.

Maybe Sam will explain to the new boss that it's too bad that she doesn't have enough proof *yet* to prove Capone was there, so she's just going to leave it out since she only has one podcast left, but then the new boss will be boht intrigued and see it as a potential ratings winner, and so let Sam have a few more podcasts to finish it up. 

[Chit Chat]

Why haven't the ghosts told what they knew about the party before now?  I understand Hetty's reason, but the others have remained silent about it (or did I miss something?) 

[Irlandesa]

55 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

1) Jay & Sam need to create a password for logging in to the laptop, and find a way to hide their fingers whenever they log in.

A lot of computers now have fingerprint unlocking.  That'd prevent them from being able to log in.

This was a fun episode, although I wish I had paid closer attention to the party when Alberta died because I didn't remember Thomas at all.

[SoMuchTV]

18 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

The email wasn't connected to any monetary stuff.  They went into the bank account and likely tried to send a wire transfer straight from the account.  Sam and Jay need a stronger password and 2-step verification, at the very least. 

Yeah, I guess what I was trying to say was, set them up with something that wasn’t connected with any of their monetary stuff. Which would probably involve charging their existing passwords. 

And to be fair, good on Sam for setting up alerts!

[Skooma]

5 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

Why haven't the ghosts told what they knew about the party before now?  I understand Hetty's reason, but the others have remained silent about it (or did I miss something?) 

If the writers wrote them doing this in drips and drabs earlier we wouldn't get this really cool "Whodunit" episode with all the plot twists and turns.  These writers know best.

[possibilities]

I don't know how Sam would prove to her listeners that ANY of the suspects actually did it. She's relied entirely on the testimony of ghosts, so anything she says will be total speculation as far as her listeners are concerned. 

[Neptune]

https://www.etonline.com/ghosts-danielle-pinnock-on-finally-solving-albertas-murder-and-that-surprising-twist-exclusive

[DanaK]

5 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I don't know how Sam would prove to her listeners that ANY of the suspects actually did it. She's relied entirely on the testimony of ghosts, so anything she says will be total speculation as far as her listeners are concerned. 

I’m sure that doesn’t stop some podcasters

[TruffleHog]

Ahead of this episode, I said to myself "They better not make this an end of season cliffhanger..."  But now I wish they had.  There was definitely enough material for 2 episodes.  And we haven't seen how Sam plans to present the 'solution' to her new boss.

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

52 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

A lot of computers now have fingerprint unlocking.  That'd prevent them from being able to log in.

Best solution! (And when Jay creates his backup password, do it very carefully!)

[incandescent]

Incredible episode! While this show has diverged a lot from following plots and structures from the original, Ghosts UK used this format as well for an episode unravelling the death of the romantic poet, but I liked the execution here much better, because the plot twist betrayal has ramifications on the characters' un-lives today.

The B-plot was also hilarious, which it didn't even need to be when the A-plot was so juicy! Thigh Guys forever! If guns are arms, then legs can be cannons.

And I loved the continuity of Sas's crush sitting in on the interview to give Sam the dirt — I'd love for her to make friends all over town.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Best solution! (And when Jay creates his backup password, do it very carefully!)

He could take it out of the house and set it up where the ghosts can't go.

[PaulE]

This was so well done.  I liked the fact that all the ghosts who were at the party had something to contribute to solving the mystery--we even got to hear from some of the other cholera ghosts instead of only Nancy.  Once again we see how special Jay is, going through all that trouble from buying yarn to creating a murder board, while his only reward is to stand in a silent and empty room except for Samantha, depending on her to tell him what's going on.  The ghosts really lucked out with him.

I love seeing flashbacks when some of the ghosts are observing the livings who'll be ghosts themselves one day.  I was surprised to see Nigel at the party since I had the impression the Brits only came over to discuss the truce once a year or so.

I felt sorry for Hetty.  I know she should have told Alberta, but imagine how difficult it must have been for her to acknowledge even to herself that her son was a murderer.  Seems like, morally, he took after his dad.  Hetty put herself in the same position as Isaac with killing Nigel: each of them kept a secret they shouldn't have, and the more time that passed, the more difficult it became to reveal it.

[Annber03]

4 minutes ago, PaulE said:

Hetty put herself in the same position as Isaac with killing Nigel: each of them kept a secret they shouldn't have, and the more time that passed, the more difficult it became to reveal it.

Ooooooh. That's a good point. There are so many reasons why Isaac and Hetty seem to get along especially well - this can be another one to add to the list. 

Wow. I hadn't even thought about that, but yeah, that's a great observation. 

[kathyk24]

This was a great episode. I felt sorry for both women. Hetty must have felt so ashamed regarding Thomas' actions. At that time being gay was a crime so Hetty wouldn't have accepted Thomas being gay. That could explain why she's so close to Isaac. I understand why Pete fell for the Nigerian Prince scam most people didn't have home computers when he died. Trevor should have been more aware but most people didn't have the internet when he died.

[kathyk24]

2 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Best solution! (And when Jay creates his backup password, do it very carefully!)

Sam and Jay should have Microsoft create passwords for their personal and business accounts.

[BellaBabe2022]

5 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

 

3) I was wondering why Stephanie did not recoil from the stench of teenage cholera ghost the way everyone did from the cholera ghosts in this episode.  Inconsistent.

 

Or, to put it in a direct way, she is a 16 year old girl in heat. She really wanted a boyfriend, and to connect with a male. She was not too concerned about the smell.

 

This was a great episode. I love the pacing, and the editing between the two storylines. I also love the drama that will ensue between Hetty and Alberta.

I am sad that the mystery is over, but in some ways it was very kind of the writers to wrap this up before the season ended.

[BellaBabe2022]

3 hours ago, DanaK said:

I’m sure that doesn’t stop some podcasters

This is what I was about to say. Unfortunately, a lot of true crime podcasts are mostly speculation, but they are still incredibly popular. They are some of the most listened to podcasts in the country,a nd they are also incredibly dangerous.

[South]

I expected Todd would blow through the front door as soon as he caught wind of the goings-on.  Never mind that he had been on a cruise.  I figured he’d hire a helicopter to fetch and deliver him to the inn, and maybe pay for it by stealing his mother’s winnings from the onboard roulette table.  

[Katy M]

3 hours ago, BellaBabe2022 said:

This is what I was about to say. Unfortunately, a lot of true crime podcasts are mostly speculation, but they are still incredibly popular. They are some of the most listened to podcasts in the country,a nd they are also incredibly dangerous.

Don't really see how speculating about Lizzie Borden or other old crimes is dangerous, but OK.

Sass's friend watches people in the bathroom.

they must have really been catching up on stuff because Isaac and Hetty knew who Al Capone was.  And, I knew something was off when Hetty was pushing him as the killer.  i was beginning to think that she had killed her somehow.

[shura]

Meh, the episode didn’t work for me. It felt like the writers themselves were forced at the last moment to wrap up the storyline in one single episode, so they had to cram everything in.  Including things completely out of left field like Al Capone being in love with Alberta and wanting to kill himself, or Hetty’s son’s ending relationship with Alberta’s manager who was not gay.

And then we find out that Alberta has been suffering so much from not knowing who murdered her that she absolutely cannot forgive Hetty for not telling her earlier.  While it is in Alberta’s character to react to something this way, I don’t think we have seen any sign that this has been such a burden for her.  She didn’t even know she had been murdered up until a year ago and then she kept waltzing around all excited about it (like when Nancy congratulated her on the Al Capone revelation). 

[callie lee 29]

Really even if Jay changes his password it won't matter without fingerprint or 2 factor authorization. Wherever he is he has no idea if the ghosts are there or not so do all he knows he may be alone when in fact a couple are just there standing over his shoulder and watching the new password go in.  And he really shouldn't have to cup one hand over the other or hunch over the computer keyboard every time he wants to log in while he's in his own home.

[appositival]

So why isn't Thor wearing a blasted metal helmet? Sounds like he was wearing one when he was struck by lightning and died.

7 hours ago, incandescent said:

I loved the continuity of Sas's crush sitting in on the interview to give Sam the dirt

I was hoping that Sam would hear something that she could use to gain a bargaining chip, but she seemed to be just ignoring the extra information. Of course, the plot demanded that she do this in one episode.

[Katy M]

36 minutes ago, appositival said:

So why isn't Thor wearing a blasted metal helmet? Sounds like he was wearing one when he was struck by lightning and died.

It flew off his head the moment before he died, so he wasn't wearing it at point of death.

And why was Al Capone even there? 

[basil]

4 hours ago, shura said:

 Including things completely out of left field like Al Capone being in love with Alberta and wanting to kill himself, or Hetty’s son’s ending relationship with Alberta’s manager who was not gay.

I'm not sure I'm following you. If Hetty is to be believed, Hetty's son Thomas didn't end the relationship with Alberta's "bootlegger boyfriend", Earl. Earl ended the relationship, and that's why Thomas killed Alberta.

 Was Earl Alberta's manager? Also? Earl is "not gay"? He is at the very least bisexual.

I don't understand Alberta's outrage. She's incredibly capricious. She goes from being distressed and unbelieving at the idea that her sister Teresa might have killed her, to being thrilled that Capone did it - then deeply depressed and resigned when she believed her sister had murdered her after all. Then incredibly angry at Hetty for telling the truth - all in the space of, what - ten minutes?

 I'd have been more relieved at the revelation that my beloved sister hadn't done me in than that it was a long time in coming. Alberta just looks petty being so upset by this. She wants to be mad at someone, let it be Earl, who cheated on her and knew his boyfriend was plotting to kill her. 

Loved Alberta's cornrows!

[PaulE]

8 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Ooooooh. That's a good point. There are so many reasons why Isaac and Hetty seem to get along especially well - this can be another one to add to the list. 

It also got me to thinking that Nigel could be the one to convince Alberta to forgive Hetty, since he had to do that himself with Isaac, and knows what it’s like to feel betrayed by someone you care about.  Doing that might also help him reconcile with Hetty (assuming their feud is still going on).

[shura]

25 minutes ago, basil said:

I'm not sure I'm following you. If Hetty is to be believed, Hetty's son Thomas didn't end the relationship with Alberta's "bootlegger boyfriend", Earl. Earl ended the relationship, and that's why Thomas killed Alberta.

 Was Earl Alberta's manager? Also? Earl is "not gay"? He is at the very least bisexual.

Sorry, I didn't phase that clearly.  I meant that Hetty's son's relationship with Earl was ending, not that he was the one ending it.  I guess Earl (he wasn't her manager, just her boyfriend? my mistake) must be bisexual if both Thomas and Alberta had a relashionship with him.  It's just that none of this - Earl's bisexuality, Thomas' relationship with him, etc. - had been introduced previously, so I didn't find it gasp-worthy.  It felt like a totally random resolution of Alberta's murder that we had no way of figuring out for ourselves.

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

And why was Al Capone even there?

So that Alberta's sister could tell him to pay his taxes.

If you think about Al Capone's story in this episode, it's going to fall apart.  Ok, fine, it's not completely impossible that a drunk Al Capone would decide to off himself right then and there when a woman rejected him.  But deciding to do it by going to the basement and getting rat poison there?  How does he know where to look for the rat poison at a mansion where he is attending a party?  Was he Thomas' close friend and knew what's where at the mansion?  Would Thomas himself even know where his staff keeps rat poison?  I don't know, I would have enjoyed it more if they had written something more thought-out.

[proserpina65]

3 hours ago, shura said:

Including things completely out of left field like Al Capone being in love with Alberta and wanting to kill himself,

Alberta's mentioned being pursued by Al Capone multiple times so that wasn't from completely out of left field.  Apparently there was just more to his interest than we knew.  And obviously he was at the party to see her.  As for the rat poison, if it was me, I'd look in the kitchen first and if I didn't find it there, I'd look in the basement.

[Snow Apple]

It's interesting how time goes so fast. Hetty was wearing a formal dress with bustle that cover from neck to toe when she passed but in the short time that her son became an adult, the fashion is flapper dresses and zoot suits which must seem scandalous to her.