S04.E04: The Work Retreat

[Neptune]

“The Work Retreat” – Trevor, who has catfished his way into a remote financial analyst job, is in hot water when he’s summoned to a mandatory in-person work retreat. Also, Hetty and Sass start a rumor about Pete. November 7

WRITTEN BY: Sophia Lear

DIRECTED BY: Katie Locke O’Brien
 

 

 

Edited October 31 by Neptune

[Neptune]

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/asher-grodman-talks-ghosts-season-four-and-his-characters-new-role-in-the-real-world/

[Neptune]

 

[DanaK]

Wait, how does Isaac have a different length of hair?

[Annber03]

I am way too excited to see what all is going on with this whole storyline with Isaac's hair, LOL. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, DanaK said:

Wait, how does Isaac have a different length of hair?

I don't know, but I'm amused that such a thing is the teaser for an episode.  It could be a wig, but who would put it on -- we know if they try to take off anything they had upon them at the time of death it will just snap right back into place, but maybe they can add things, but who would do it?  Only Trevor can touch things in the real world, but he can't grasp (like how he couldn't pull open a drawer, just press buttons).  Sam being able to see them has never meant she's able to touch them, and she looks just as "Huh?" as the rest of them in that clip, so that doesn't seem likely.  Maybe it's a dream/fantasy.  We'll find out, and I hope it's funny.

[Neptune]

4 hours ago, DanaK said:

Wait, how does Isaac have a different length of hair?

It’s the same length. It’s just untied. 

[Harvey]

12 hours ago, DanaK said:

Wait, how does Isaac have a different length of hair?

Look at the teaser again. Look at his hands. As long as he is holding the hair thingy in his hand as he does there, it stays.

Edited November 1 by Harvey

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

[Neptune]

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/ghosts-season-4-episode-4-sneak-peeks-trevors-work-retreat-crisis/

[ams1001]

lol...Thor's "private yellings."

[chitowngirl]

Aww! 🥰

[edhopper]

Who would have thought the most heartwarming episode would be about Trevor?

[callie lee 29]

Ok Trevor may be my favorite ghost so I loved that! His happy smile run at the end... ❤️❤️

[kathyk2]

This episode was a perfect ten. So funny and heartwarming at the end. The episode was written by Sophia Lear who wrote Holes are Bad she's great.

[phalange]

I love that Trevor became a legend, not for being a Wall Street dude bro, but for his kindness to Pinkus. The Run of Fun was hilarious. Nice that both Trevor and Isaac got in on it. 

Looks like Pete needs to stay away from Donna, yikes. 

[DanaK]

That ending was such much fun. Good episode 

[chaifan]

OK, I take back everything I said for earlier episodes...  I loved this episode!  My Ghosts are back!  Seriously, this is the first one that really clicked for me this season.  Maybe I just missed Sass.  Maybe it was them being up to good old ghost hijinks again.  Doesn't matter.  I loved this episode.  T-Money is a legend.  Of course he is! 

 

[Skooma]

Excellent episode.  I missed Flower.  I wonder if they went back to rotating the ghosts actors out one per episode.  I hope not.

But aside from that a near perfect one tonight. 

Let's see.  Pete now realizes that rubbing in that he is a "free ranging" ghost has made him a real prick to his pals and gets some comeuppance finding out what his girlfriend Donna really is like.

Issac is all "long hair, don't care."  Flower should have been around for that one.

And of course the main story line where Jay saves the day and we find out that Trevor's ultimate legacy isn't his shady stock deals or sleazy life style but arguably the one good and noble action we know about him.

Also I liked Sam's twin, Daisy Mae.

This was hitting on all cylinders.

[Annber03]

"Michael Jackson" took me out XD. As did Sam's attempt at a southern accent and her elaborate backstory, LMAO. 

But yeah, echoing everyone else, this episode was fantastic. I LOVED the way Jay rolled with Trevor's plan for the work retreat, and the way he praised him at the end was so sweet. As was the reveal that everyone knew about Trevor and his whole history with Pinkus. I LOVE that Trevor's legacy is him being remembered as a good man who did a good deed for a friend <3. That's beautiful. 

Also loved that we got to learn more about what became of Pinkus, too, that he paid it forward with his kindness by ending hazing, and went on to have a successful career as well. 

The whole rumor with Pete and his girlfriend spiralling so out of control was fantastic, too. Not only did it allow Pete to realize how the others feel about him braginig on his power so much (though, I mean, hey, in his defense, if I had that ability I'd have a hard time shutting up about it, too), but I also love it allowed Hetty and Sasappis to have some fun together. 

Plus, the commentary was great: "That's his kink, he likes 'em fake", and Pete calling himself "free range" and the other ghosts "house bound" (and Sasappis just being like, "Cool." in response to the latter). 

That twist regarding Donna, though. OMG. It fits, though. I can see it. 

As for Isaac, I LOVED him with the long hair, and that he got the idea from a magazine article, of all things. AND THE SLAP HE GAVE PETE! I actually gasped! 

But I also really loved that moment, because it is so clear Isaac is not dealing with this breakup as well as he likes to think he is and he is regretting leaving Nigel and that sounds VERY promising and I'm excited and curious to see what that could mean for those two going forward as the season goes on.

Given the way this week has been, I needed a good laugh, and this episode delivered in spades. This was just so fun. 

[kathyk2]

10 minutes ago, Skooma said:

Excellent episode.  I missed Flower.  I wonder if they went back to rotating the ghosts actors out one per episode.  I hope not.

But aside from that a near perfect one tonight. 

Let's see.  Pete now realizes that rubbing in that he is a "free ranging" ghost has made him a real prick to his pals and gets some comeuppance finding out what his girlfriend Donna really is like.

Issac is all "long hair, don't care."  Flower should have been around for that one.

And of course the main story line where Jay saves the day and we find out that Trevor's ultimate legacy isn't his shady stock deals or sleazy life style but arguably the one good and noble action we know about him.

Also I liked Sam's twin, Daisy Mae.

This was hitting on all cylinders.

We know from Trevor's Body that he was close to his parents. He may have done great things if his "friends" had been decent people. Pete's being a real jerk maybe we're seeing some of his true personality.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1) Could Hetty (literally) let her hair down if she wanted?

2) I presume Alberta could hold onto the "little hat" that Thor likes to make fun of, instead of wearing it. Or perhaps hold it between her legs, out of sight.

3) Could Trevor remove his jacket and tie it around his waist if he wanted to?  Or fashion underpants out of his undershirt if he's wearing one?

More importantly:

4) How has Michael Jackson/Trevor been paid up to now?

5) And how fast must Trevor be with the computer to be able to effect trades?  How had Jay not noticed the computer being used for hours at a time?

 

Edited November 8 by ItCouldBeWorse

[kathyk2]

1 minute ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

1) Could Hetty (literally) let her hair down if she wanted?

2) I presume Alberta could hold onto the "little hat" that Thor likes to make fun of , instead of wearing it. Or perhaps hold it between her legs, out of sight.

3) Could Trevor remove his jacket and tie it around his waist if he wanted to? Or fashion underpants out of his undershirt if he's wearing one?

Most importantly:

4) How has Michael Jackson/Trevor been paid up to now?

5) And how fast must Trevor be with the computer to be able to effect trades?  How had Jay not noticed the computer being used for hours at a time?

 

Trevor could use direct deposit you don't need to go to a bank branch to create an account. He could work at night while everyone is asleep. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

5 minutes ago, kathyk2 said:

Trevor could use direct deposit you don't need to go to a bank branch to create an account. He could work at night while everyone is asleep. 

In order to get paid, he needs a social security #.

To be honest, he would also have needed a resumé, with verifiable recommendations and education info.

But no legitimate business is paying him without reporting it to the IRS, so they'd need his ss #, at the very least.

That's why, before he said he was using a fake name, I was surprised that the company hadn't been informed that his ss # belonged to a dead man.

You also can't work solely at night unless you're only trading in companies in opposite time zones, unless I misunderstand how the business works or what he was actually doing.

Edited November 8 by ItCouldBeWorse

[PaulE]

This was a heartwarming episode, but I think we have to overlook a lot of improbabilities regarding Trevor's employment, some of which have already been mentioned.  I'm also wondering when Trevor's power amped up.  Remember, he used to have to strain for minutes just to hit a single computer key, but now he seems to be able to work fast enough to perform job duties successfully.

I think Pete's insufferability about his power was a reaction to his status in life.  He would've been considered just a colorless, ordinary Joe, and it's possible that's what he thought of himself as well.  I doubt Carol ever made him feel important, so having a power like his would make him feel that, finally, he was a big deal.  To his credit, though, at the end of the episode he did realize he was being obnoxious.

[shura]

Gone With The Wind, Sam?  Where did this come from?

“Thor told a relevant sphincter story” 😃

35 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That's why, before he said he was using a fake name, I was surprised that the company hadn't been informed that his ss # belonged to a dead man.

How does this work?  When I die, how will the Social Security Administration know that my number is no longer active?  Is there a form someone will have to fill out about that?  And if I were to get Michael Jackson’s SSN somehow and give it to HR at my new job, would the SSA really get back to them and say “wait a minute, this is Michael Jackson’s number…”?  

[kathyk2]

1 minute ago, shura said:

Gone With The Wind, Sam?  Where did this come from?

“Thor told a relevant sphincter story” 😃

How does this work?  When I die, how will the Social Security Administration know that my number is no longer active?  Is there a form someone will have to fill out about that?  And if I were to get Michael Jackson’s SSN somehow and give it to HR at my new job, would the SSA really get back to them and say “wait a minute, this is Michael Jackson’s number…”?  

When you die the Funeral Home is supposed to inform Social Security that you are dead that is what happened when my dad died last year. 

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, kathyk2 said:

When you die the Funeral Home is supposed to inform Social Security that you are dead that is what happened when my dad died last year. 

I just googled and found this info, and also that when the death certificate is processed by the state's office of Vital Statistics they will report it to the Social Security Administration.

[BellaR]

The best episode of the season. I love when Ghosts tugs on my heart strings.  

[Quickbeam]

M favorite episode so far this season. Trevor is such a great character. I’m enjoying the show most when it focuses on the “originals”. 

[kathyk2]

1 minute ago, Quickbeam said:

M favorite episode so far this season. Trevor is such a great character. I’m enjoying the show most when it focuses on the “originals”. 

I'm glad they toned down Trevor's flirting and made him more focused on business.  I didn't like him very much until Trevor's Pants now I love him.

[PaulE]

I love the fact that Thor speaks broken English yet knows the word "sphincter"!  And curious about the circumstances under which he would have added it to his vocabulary.  He must have eavesdropped on some interesting conversations during the past millenium.

[shura]

16 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I just googled and found this info, and also that when the death certificate is processed by the state's office of Vital Statistics they will report it to the Social Security Administration.

Did Trevor have a death certificate?  Considering that he disappeared and his remains were not found until modern times, right?  Sorry, I don’t mean to be morbid, I’ve just never thought about these things, so I am genuinely interested.

[BellaR]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

In order to get paid, he needs a social security #.

To be honest, he would also have needed a resumé, with verifiable recommendations and education info.

But no legitimate business is paying him without reporting it to the IRS, so they'd need his ss #, at the very least.

That's why, before he said he was using a fake name, I was surprised that the company hadn't been informed that his ss # belonged to a dead man.

You also can't work solely at night unless you're only trading in companies in opposite time zones, unless I misunderstand how the business works or what he was actually doing.

He used “the dark web” to get past a lot of this. That’s what he told Sam and the other ghosts. He stole someone’s identity.

Just now, shura said:

Did Trevor have a death certificate?  Considering that he disappeared and his remains were not found until modern times, right?  Sorry, I don’t mean to be morbid, I’ve just never thought about these things, so I am genuinely interested.

Eventually his family would have reported him as being dead, so they would receive a certificate.  

[iMonrey]

Maybe I was just in the mood for it but I thought this was one of the funniest episodes of the whole series. I was worried there for a minute the show was losing its touch, because the first three episodes of this season were rather weak IMO. But I laughed through this whole thing. 

"You won't be pretending to be a ghost! You'll be pretending to be someone a ghost is pretending to be!"

The whole scene with Jay trying to repeat what Sam was saying in his ear while all the chaos was going on around him and then blurting out that Pete's girlfriend wasn't real had me in stitches. This was some masterful writing, directing and acting. 

I am curious to know why Flower was absent in this episode after Sass was missing last week. It does still feel like budgetary issues. We got two of the Farnsby ghosts in addition to the guests. 

And yeah, bringing it back to a rather poignant moment with Trevor was actually quite moving. There's an inherent sadness buried down within the premise the show isn't afraid to go to once in awhile. 

2 hours ago, kathyk2 said:

This episode was a perfect ten. So funny and heartwarming at the end. The episode was written by Sophia Lear who wrote Holes are Bad she's great.

That tracks. We need more episodes by this writer.

My only qualm is why Trevor would choose Michael Jackson as his fake name. He would surely have known the state of Jackson's reputation back in 2000.

[kathyk2]

9 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Maybe I was just in the mood for it but I thought this was one of the funniest episodes of the whole series. I was worried there for a minute the show was losing its touch, because the first three episodes of this season were rather weak IMO. But I laughed through this whole thing. 

"You won't be pretending to be a ghost! You'll be pretending to be someone a ghost is pretending to be!"

The whole scene with Jay trying to repeat what Sam was saying in his ear while all the chaos was going on around him and then blurting out that Pete's girlfriend wasn't real had me in stitches. This was some masterful writing, directing and acting. 

I am curious to know why Flower was absent in this episode after Sass was missing last week. It does still feel like budgetary issues. We got two of the Farnsby ghosts in addition to the guests. 

And yeah, bringing it back to a rather poignant moment with Trevor was actually quite moving. There's an inherent sadness buried down within the premise the show isn't afraid to go to once in awhile. 

That tracks. We need more episodes by this writer.

My only qualm is why Trevor would choose Michael Jackson as his fake name. He would surely have known the state of Jackson's reputation back in 2000.

Michael is a common first name and Jackson is a common last name so nobody would think that it was strange. I think the accusations against the King of Pop happened after that date. It is sad when the ghosts talk about their deaths because they died so young.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Annber03 said:

As for Isaac, I LOVED him with the long hair, and that he got the idea from a magazine article, of all things. AND THE SLAP HE GAVE PETE! I actually gasped! 

Isaac would be proud, as he loves a good gasp.

2 hours ago, PaulE said:

This was a heartwarming episode, but I think we have to overlook a lot of improbabilities regarding Trevor's employment, some of which have already been mentioned.  I'm also wondering when Trevor's power amped up.  Remember, he used to have to strain for minutes just to hit a single computer key, but now he seems to be able to work fast enough to perform job duties successfully.

Yeah, I'll let the identity issues go, with a dark web handwave, but how Trevor can suddenly type fast enough to participate in a chat was a distraction.  Extra time to turn in assignments because of ADHD, okay, but how is he typing remotely fast enough in real time?

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

My only qualm is why Trevor would choose Michael Jackson as his fake name. He would surely have known the state of Jackson's reputation back in 2000.

Because anyone looking up the name would never get past all the articles about THE Michael Jackson, because of his fame and his infamy, to find anything about this fake finance bro Michael Jackson, and thus not think anything of that lack of information, because of course anyone with that name would be drowned out.  That was his theory, but I forget how he shorthanded the explanation.

Two great episodes in a row -- I can only hope this means the quality of the first two seasons is back!

Pete has apparently gotten over with a quickness his silly guilt about taking "free" plane trips, and is now flitting about.  I love that him being so obnoxious about it caused Sass and  Hetty to choose him for their latest gossip project.  And appreciate that Pete - who's been annoying me more than usual lately - had the "Oh, yeah, now I'm hearing it" realization that, yeah, he's obnoxious.  His making up a girlfriend is certainly not without precedent, so I love that Nancy called that his kink.  And LOL at the Donna revelation.  And the Lego hair theory.

"Biased living media" and "This has escalated" were both perfectly delivered, as was "You're dead" in response to Trevor complaining about a work thing on the weekend, because people have lives.  These actors kill it (no pun intended).

It was a surprisingly emotional episode, and I love that Pinkus started his own firm and banned hazing, spreading the tale of Trevor's good deed and making that his legacy.  The revised Run of Fun was joyful.

Finally, The Cutting Edge is indeed an underrated gem.  "Toe pick"

[Annber03]

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Finally, The Cutting Edge is indeed an underrated gem.  "Toe pick"

I feel like I need to see this movie at some point now, given this show's references to it :p. 

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, kathyk2 said:

... Pete's being a real jerk maybe we're seeing some of his true personality.

Nay.  What we were seeing was a set-up earlier to the payoff this episode as Pete finally realizes his mistake (redemption) and gets some comeuppance (what Donna is really like).

4 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

In order to get paid, he needs a social security #.

And there are thousands upon thousands available out on the dark web that will pass scrutiny.

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

My only qualm is why Trevor would choose Michael Jackson as his fake name. He would surely have known the state of Jackson's reputation back in 2000.

Like Bastet said above, it was the perfect choice of a name to hide a fake person in the weeds with.  Not only would THE Michael Jackson hide him pretty completely but even if some HR person checking him out got past the famous one's about a zillion hits listed on Google they would still be left with Plan B, a very common name with tons of other Michael Jacksons out there to wade through.

[Tachi Rocinante]

Connie Shi was funny, too.  I miss her on Law and Order.

[Harvey]

The Budapest thing Pete mentioned at the start of the episode is actually true. I was surprised the show got it right since English speaking media usually doesn't.

[appositival]

I'm not sure if Pete's girlfriend being a murderer should be a deal breaker.

• She wasn't a mass murderer
• We haven't heard her end of the story
• She can't murder Pete

[iMonrey]

I have to praise this show's dedication to continuity. It's already been established that:

Thor spoils future episodes of TV shows - he did the same thing with Sass when he watched ahead on It's Getting Hot In Here.

Sam is a frustrated actress. She made Dumb Deaths use her in the Flower re-enactment and claimed she had been in a play. Jay reminded her she only built the sets and she replied "Only because of politics!"

{Spoiler alert! It looks like Sam's getting another chance to act next week!}

Trevor's love of The Cutting Edge.

And of course, the flashback to Trevor giving Pinkus his pants, coming full circle to a big payoff for him this episode.

I dunno - it seems like such a silly little show on its surface but it's really quite impressive what the show runners are able to do with it. It's easy to see they are taking this all very seriously and care about the audience.

[ajsnaves]

10 hours ago, Skooma said:

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

My only qualm is why Trevor would choose Michael Jackson as his fake name. He would surely have known the state of Jackson's reputation back in 2000.

Like Bastet said above, it was the perfect choice of a name to hide a fake person in the weeds with.  Not only would THE Michael Jackson hide him pretty completely but even if some HR person checking him out got past the famous one's about a zillion hits listed on Google they would still be left with Plan B, a very common name with tons of other Michael Jacksons out there to wade through

This made me a laugh. I had just finished listening to a book where someone had faked their own death, and was using the name Alice Cooper for that very reason. It’s impossible to Google.

i love that the rumor that Pete has snap on Lego hair gained traction. I’m pretty sure over thought before. 

[Daff]

14 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

In order to get paid, he needs a social security #.

To be honest, he would also have needed a resumé, with verifiable recommendations and education info.

But no legitimate business is paying him without reporting it to the IRS, so they'd need his ss #, at the very least.

That's why, before he said he was using a fake name, I was surprised that the company hadn't been informed that his ss # belonged to a dead man.

You also can't work solely at night unless you're only trading in companies in opposite time zones, unless I misunderstand how the business works or what he was actually doing.

You give the federal government waaay too much credit.

[PaulE]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And yeah, bringing it back to a rather poignant moment with Trevor was actually quite moving. There's an inherent sadness buried down within the premise the show isn't afraid to go to once in awhile. 

15 hours ago, kathyk2 said:

I think Trevor's situation was especially poignant because he's the youngest and most recently deceased of the ghosts and probably considers himself still belonging to the modern society he's now observing.  But he died in, I think, 2000 and he was, what, in his early thirties?  If he were alive now he'd be well into middle age, and the things he thought were cutting edge then are now quaint.  I'd guess that somewhere in the back of his mind he already knew this, but what happened in this episode kind of rubbed it in his face.  I think he had a mini-mid-life crisis.  Even the fact that he was a legend for helping PInkus was bittersweet: after all, you become a legend long after the fact.  At that point, you've made history but you're no longer making it.

I think we've discussed before that there's a certain sadness about all the ghosts' circumstances and it was nice to see the writers bringing that out specifically for Trevor, since he's the one with the most bravado and the one most likely to be considered shallow.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, appositival said:

I'm not sure if Pete's girlfriend being a murderer should be a deal breaker.

• She wasn't a mass murderer
• We haven't heard her end of the story
• She can't murder Pete

I expect this will come up in a future episode. 
Pete is a stickler for rules and doing the right thing, which would complicate things a bit, but also give an opportunity to explore the moral issues for ghosts.

Edited November 8 by shapeshifter

[shura]

3 hours ago, appositival said:

I'm not sure if Pete's girlfriend being a murderer should be a deal breaker.

• She wasn't a mass murderer
• We haven't heard her end of the story
• She can't murder Pete

Well, it’s not about his personal safety for Pete, I don’t think.  The fact that your girlfriend murdered someone (with a pitchfork, was it?) just might make you question her moral character, and that is important for some people.  But I like the idea that not being a mass murderer makes it not a big deal.  “But I’m not a mass murderer! It was one time!” 🤷‍♂️

19 minutes ago, PaulE said:

I think Trevor's situation was especially poignant because he's the youngest and most recently deceased of the ghosts and probably considers himself still belonging to the modern society he's now observing.  But he died in, I think, 2000 and he was, what, in his early thirties?  If he were alive now he'd be well into middle age, and the things he thought were cutting edge then are now quaint.  I'd guess that somewhere in the back of his mind he already knew this, but what happened in this episode kind of rubbed it in his face.  I think he had a mini-mid-life crisis.

Don’t we all see ourselves younger than we actually are and belonging to the modern society?  I know I do.  There are a lot of young adults where I work, and one of them commented once that I am just like her father in how I drink my coffee.  I was thinking, “whoa, your father?  Oh yeah, I am old enough, aren’t I…”

[Badsamaritan]

Aw, T-money! I'm so happy for you. 🥹

Roberta's comments were killing me. She had so many great lines in response to the shenanigans around her. All appropriate and hilarious. 

The Plan B 'Lego hair' rumor making its way to the neighbors via Nancy? Priceless. I'd like to see Pete actually visit there, it would be a good opportunity to show some more new ghosts but in a recurring fashion. He could even take up with that Farnsley matriarch ghost, if they wanted to really give him a girlfriend. 

Considering every cop/FBI/Law something show almost always have stories about some suspect that's found to be living under an assumed identity with credentials they bought off the dark web with bitcoin, and said suspect has a Very Important Job inside a government agency or corporation and no one knew until just now, I have no trouble believing Trevor bought a full package identity, with SSN, work history, etc and set up his own Chime account to get his checks direct deposited lol.