S04.E05: A Star Is Dead

[Neptune]

“A Star Is Dead” – Alberta offers to help Sam prepare for an audition for a community theater production. Also, Sass finds a new reason to interfere in Jay’s dreams. November 14

WRITTEN BY: Liz Alexander

DIRECTED BY: Kabir Akhtar
 

 

 

 

Edited October 31 by Neptune

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

 

[Neptune]

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/ghosts-season-4-ep-5-a-star-is-dead-clips-the-plays-the-thing/

[Annber03]

Oh, that was realy cute and really fun. 

I LOVED the whole training montage with Alberta motivating Sam and getting her all pumped up. Isaac and Hetty's running commentary throughout was fun, too (the "hippopotaman" line... These two XD).  I also loved Alberta imitating an alarm clock, LOL. 

And I really loved the talk between Alberta and Sam in the kitchen when Alberta was apologizing to her. That was a really sweet bonding moment between them. It was nice to see them get a proper heart to heart moment, and find common ground in their shared love of performing and wanting to be a star. 

And of course, the actual performance itself was great, too. Sam sounded lovely (and she looked so cute! That hairstyle really works on her!) and it was fun to see Alberta get involved as she did, and how she helped keep Sam's nerves at bay. Such a good storyline for these two, I really enjoyed it. 

As for Sasappis, first off, what does it say about how weird and out there Sam's life has become that she doesn't even blink when Sasappis tells her he fell in love with a woman that was in Jay's dream :p? I love that Jay lampshaded that as he did, too, with his, "We're in WEIRD territory here" comment :D. 

But the realization that Marissa was basically the female version of Jay! And the idea that it was Jay Sasappis was attracted to! And his reaction when Flower asked him if he was refering to Marrissa or Jay at the end! Hmmmmmm. That is intriguing and I'm curious to see what that's all about. 

Also liked Pete offering to use his power to try and find a special someone for Sasappis. Even if he's still referring to the other ghosts as "house bounds" :p. 

Yeah. This was a really fun episode. 

[ams1001]

Hippopottoman 😄

Yes, I'm a sucker for a terrible pun. 🦛

I loved how proud Jay was seeing Sam on stage. :)

[phalange]

Alberta making alarm clock noises to wake Sam up was hilarious. She got a bit too overzealous and her plan to take out the competition understandably hurt Sam’s feelings, but I also get why it meant so much to her. Sam and Alberta performing together at the end was awesome. They both looked so happy. And I love how proud Jay was of her.

Sass realizing he wasn’t dating Marissa but rather Jay, and Pete being jealous cracked me up. 

Pete using his powers to be a matchmaker (or a spectral pimp, according to Flower 😂) isn’t a bad idea. There’s sure to be other ghosts who can travel. 

[kathyk2]

Rose McIver is so talented. I felt so bad for teen Sam. It was nice to see Alberta and Sam have a fun plot after focusing on her murder. I was glad Sam got angry with the ghosts she can be a pushover. Isaac is still jealous of Alberta she was actually a success in her life. I was happily surprised that Alberta didn't try to possess Sam in order to be on stage herself. Pete's really obnoxious this season I don't like him.

[chitowngirl]

No Thor this episode, or any “extras” (Patience, Carol, Nigel, basement ghosts…).

[edhopper]

Very cute, in the most positive way.

[Quickbeam]

I loved the jabs at community theatre. It can be quite a lot. I was a docent at the Lunt Fontanne home in WI and good God some of the staff took it to the extreme. 
 

Rose/Sam has a lovely voice. 

[Chit Chat]

34 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I loved how proud Jay was seeing Sam on stage.

He's always so thoughtful and loving towards Sam!  I love his character for that.

26 minutes ago, kathyk2 said:

Pete's really obnoxious this season I don't like him.

I think it's supposed to a running theme for him this season, but maybe he'll calm down soon!  He's doing a great job playing an obnoxious ghost!

[shura]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

(the "hippopotaman" line... These two XD).

It dries to a purplish hue… I died 😄.

Yeah, Pete, “everybody should have carrots at dinner”?  They warned us about people like you!

1 hour ago, phalange said:

Pete using his powers to be a matchmaker (or a spectral pimp, according to Flower 😂) isn’t a bad idea. There’s sure to be other ghosts who can travel.

There’s sure to be extraterrestrials too, but we haven’t met any so far.  But yes, it makes total sense for the show to use Pete’s “spectral pimping” to find someone for Sass.  Although, if you can travel to Budapesht, would you go to the middle of nowhere in Upstate NY?

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

But the realization that Marissa was basically the female version of Jay! And the idea that it was Jay Sasappis was attracted to! And his reaction when Flower asked him if he was refering to Marrissa or Jay at the end! Hmmmmmm. That is intriguing and I'm curious to see what that's all about. 

Are they suggesting Sass is possibly bisexual?

[Annber03]

That's the implication I was getting, yeah! And if they are going that way, I'm all for it :). 

(Also, on the topic of Sasappis, can we talk about him in that tux in Jay's dream, because damn.)

[PaulE]

Poor Jay--even his dreams aren't his own.  I couldn't believe Sam was so matter-of-fact about asking him to dream about Sass's crush, and then got weirded out when Jay, in an effort to comply (the man's a saint), started looking at pictures of her before going to sleep.  (Sam, honey, the time to get weirded out was when Sass made his request in the first place.)  The poor guy just can't win.  So I was pleased when it backfired and Sass realized he was actually attracted to Jay's personal attributes.  Which I don't think is going to turn into any kind of gay subtext or anything, but it'd be nice if, maybe, it makes Sass value Jay a little more. 

But I also did feel for Sass when he finally realized that he was desperate to have a romantic connection with someone.  After all, of all the ghosts, he's the one who had the shortest life and he was robbed of many of the experiences the others had when alive, even if not all of those experiences were positive.  He must feel that, in many ways, he never got a chance to live his life, and that it was over before it had scarcely begun.  It's quite poignant, really--another nod to the inherent sadness of the ghosts' situation.

In addition to the running commentaries of Hetty and Isaac, as well as Flower's loopy observations, I also enjoyed Trevor's snarky interjections.

But no Thor!  This is now the third episode in which one of the major ghosts isn't featured, isn't it?  I wonder what's up with that.  By now it almost seems deliberate yet I can't guess what they writers have in mind by doing it.

 

[DanaK]

18 minutes ago, PaulE said:

But no Thor!  This is now the third episode in which one of the major ghosts isn't featured, isn't it?  I wonder what's up with that.  By now it almost seems deliberate yet I can't guess what they writers have in mind by doing it.

 

My guess is budget

[Phebemarie]

I think I remember the same thing happening in the first season, at least occasionally:  one of the main ghosts would miss an episode.  

This was a charming episode.  I'm glad Pete is going to use his power for good.  He is one of my favorites, but I agree, he has been getting a little too full of himself.

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

But the realization that Marissa was basically the female version of Jay! And the idea that it was Jay Sasappis was attracted to! And his reaction when Flower asked him if he was refering to Marrissa or Jay at the end! Hmmmmmm. That is intriguing and I'm curious to see what that's all about.

I don't think this is that complicated.  Sas THOUGHT it was the real Marissa but since it was Jay's subconscious who created an image of "Marissa" of course that "Marissa" would like the things Jay liked in real life.

In other words anything in Jay's dream will be his images and likes etc.  Not the real deal.  But Sas was so smitten by Real Marissa he didn't realize that logic and totally thought he was talking to real Marissa instead of Jay's Construct Marissa.

2 hours ago, DanaK said:

Are they suggesting Sass is possibly bisexual?

No.

[Bastet]

The return to rotating out cast members to protect the budget is annoying, but the lack of Thor means I don't have to endure his nonsensical relationship with Flower, so I'll go with it this week.

And Pete as a spectral pimp continues the trend of him being rather unbearable this season, but I'll go with that flow, too, for now.

That the ghosts are suddenly and repeatedly teasing Hetty about her lack of a ghost power indicates we're going to soon find out what that is, and I am here for it when it comes!

Speaking of Hetty, I love her "It's going to look like a crime scene in here" about Sam puking after stress eating a shit ton of Twizzlers.

Alberta joining Sam on stage was lovely.  "We're bored.  And we believe in you and stuff" about why Isaac and Hetty hung out while Alberta was training Sam was spot on.

Sass realizing he was dating Jay was hilarious.  I particularly liked dating someone in another someone's subconscious being too trippy even for Flower.

Great episode for '80s soundtrack music - bringing back "If You Were Here" yet again, and then "You're the Best" (Karate Kid) for the training montage.

"She's insufferable -- I'm so proud".  Line of the night.  Nowhere near as good an episode as last week's, but still fun.

Edited November 15 by Bastet

[AnimeMania]

(Possibly, Next New Episode: December 5, 2024)

[Harvey]

I like bisexual Sassapis. At least it adds something unique to his character.

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

(Possibly, Next New Episode: December 5, 2024)

We have to wait that long?  I hate breaking up a series in the middle of it's season run.

[DanaK]

18 minutes ago, Skooma said:

We have to wait that long?  I hate breaking up a series in the middle of it's season run.

And especially before a holiday break of a few weeks

[shura]

5 hours ago, Skooma said:

I don't think this is that complicated.  Sas THOUGHT it was the real Marissa but since it was Jay's subconscious who created an image of "Marissa" of course that "Marissa" would like the things Jay liked in real life.

In other words anything in Jay's dream will be his images and likes etc.  Not the real deal.  But Sas was so smitten by Real Marissa he didn't realize that logic and totally thought he was talking to real Marissa instead of Jay's Construct Marissa.

Yeah, I didn’t see any realization on Sass’s part that he is attracted to Jay.  I only saw the realization that he wasn’t actually dating Marissa and the disappointment at that.  This is why he immediately jumped at Pete’s offer.  (I loved how Trevor was all over it too and was trying to “put in an order” for a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and calling Sass selfish when Sass wanted to keep Pete’s services for himself only.)

7 hours ago, DanaK said:

8 hours ago, PaulE said:

But no Thor!  This is now the third episode in which one of the major ghosts isn't featured, isn't it?  I wonder what's up with that.  By now it almost seems deliberate yet I can't guess what they writers have in mind by doing it.

My guess is budget

Interestingly, while they are saving money not paying their stars, at the same time they are collecting what I assume is extra money prominently plugging things like Amazon Prime and Paramount+.  I didn’t notice product placement in this episode, but it’s possible there was something in it, too.  Or maybe it was Davenport Chevrolet…

“I was dating a saguaro cactus for a week.  He was sweet.  Great listener.”

[AConspiracy]

Don't be like Jay
https://www.instagram.com/samanthaboscarino/

 

[Browncoat]

Didn't Sam run into an old girlfriend of Sass' somewhere?  Maybe Pete could find her?

[Annber03]

2 hours ago, Skooma said:

We have to wait that long?  I hate breaking up a series in the middle of it's season run.

I don't know what the reason for not showing a new episode next week is, but the week after that is Thanksgiving. 

14 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Didn't Sam run into an old girlfriend of Sass' somewhere?  Maybe Pete could find her?

She did! The question, though, is if Shik cani travel outside where she resides. If she can't, that's going to make for an issue there. 

6 hours ago, Skooma said:

I don't think this is that complicated.  Sas THOUGHT it was the real Marissa but since it was Jay's subconscious who created an image of "Marissa" of course that "Marissa" would like the things Jay liked in real life.

In other words anything in Jay's dream will be his images and likes etc.  Not the real deal.  But Sas was so smitten by Real Marissa he didn't realize that logic and totally thought he was talking to real Marissa instead of Jay's Construct Marissa.

Yes, but once her realized Marissa was the female version of Jay, he still seemed interested in her, and then there was his reaction when Flower jokingly asked if he was referring to Marissa or Jay when he was talking about "seeing his ex" at the end of the episode. The way he said, "I..don't know..." just  seems like a hint to something going on there. 

[Starchild]

7 hours ago, Skooma said:

Sas THOUGHT it was the real Marissa

Why though? This is inside Jay's head, Marissa isn't dead, she can't project into dreams, and Sass is a smart guy. How could he possibly think he was talking to the real Marissa? I kept thinking he would come to that realization but he never did, at least not in any way that was verbalized.

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, shura said:

Yeah, I didn’t see any realization on Sass’s part that he is attracted to Jay.  I only saw the realization that he wasn’t actually dating Marissa and the disappointment at that.  

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

Yes, but once her realized Marissa was the female version of Jay, he still seemed interested in her, and then there was his reaction when Flower jokingly asked if he was referring to Marissa or Jay when he was talking about "seeing his ex" at the end of the episode. The way he said, "I..don't know..." just  seems like a hint to something going on there. 

I was just glad they didn't go the route of him being horrified by the very idea. 

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

I don't know what the reason for not showing a new episode next week is, but the week after that is Thanksgiving. 

There's some terrible-looking Christmas movie called "Nugget is Dead?" on next Thursday (followed by reruns of Georgie & Mandy and Ghosts)...

[Daff]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

Didn't Sam run into an old girlfriend of Sass' somewhere?  Maybe Pete could find her?

His first infatuation, yes, but she’s locked on a site (now an office building).

[Daff]

I actually like fewer ghosts per scene better. The scenes make more sense, allow for better dialogue, and tend not to overwhelm Sam. The entire crowd crammed in a room (especially the kitchen) is awkward.

[appositival]

I was wondering if Marissa would say to Jay, "I had the oddest dream last night", but their solution made more sense.

I liked the director's dramatic persona, but it would probably get old rather quickly.

 

[iMonrey]

I thought this one was just OK. Out of the first five episodes this season I've only really loved last week's. It's disappointing to see the show dropping various ghosts each week. I understand in theory they don't necessarily need every ghost in every episode, but how do they decide which one to leave out? I mean, did this episode really need Hetty, Isaac or Trevor? Thor could have been subbed in for any of those three. 

And where the hell is Carol? We've been to the shed already once and she was nowhere to be found. Nor has there been any mention of her. For now I will keep the faith they will eventually address this but it's been bugging me.

I can't believe all Sam said was "Oh, sorry" when Alberta woke her up and Sass was there trying to enter Jay's dream. That's before she knew what was going on, specifically. You'd think she'd tell him to stop doing that. It was funny but it felt out of character.

The song and dance number at the end was cute though. 

And sue me, but I thought sabotaging Marissa by having Flower walk through her was a solid plan. {shrugs}

[Chit Chat]

13 hours ago, Annber03 said:

(Also, on the topic of Sasappis, can we talk about him in that tux in Jay's dream, because damn.)

Seems like he and the other actors mentioned how they enjoy those scenes where they can wear regular clothes.  

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

Seems like he and the other actors mentioned how they enjoy those scenes where they can wear regular clothes.  

Román probably likes to be able to let his fabulous hair down, too.

Also I just learned that Sasappis means "firefly."

[Maelstrom]

I know, between Roman's hair and Rebecca's it's hard to say whose hair is more glorious.

[tennisgurl]

That ending was so sweet, I'm glad that Sam finally got her moment to perform, and Alberta got to get back on stage as well. Sam/Rose has a lovely voice and she looked so cute in her Anything Goes outfit. The chat between them in the kitchen was really sweet and I am glad that they got to bond over their mutual love of performing. 

"This is Alberta not making it about herself?" Hetty and Isaac's snarky commentary was gold throughout. 

Sass realizing that he's basically dating Jay was a great punchline to that whole plot, only made better by how jealous Pete got that Sass got to date Pete. I'm glad that they revisited Sass's dream powers, plus he looked great wearing a suit. 

Jay was so excited for Sam, that was adorable.

[Bastet]

I like that the dream sequence confirms Sass understood how Jay felt about Sass using that power for manipulation, that now when he enters Jay's dreams, it's just to hang out.  Even once he wants to influence Jay's dreams so he can talk to Marissa again, he asks Sam to explain the scenario to Jay and ask him to think about Marissa before he goes to sleep.  Everything is above board now.

[chaifan]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And sue me, but I thought sabotaging Marissa by having Flower walk through her was a solid plan. {shrugs}

I'm with you on that one.  But I loved how Flower was telling Alberta it was a bad idea to entrust her with that plan. 

I liked this episode.  And I was apparently wrong about the ballroom, mentioned last week (or was it the week before?).  It is not on the attic level as I presumed.  I don't know if it's historically accurate for a ballroom to have a full stage, though.  I suppose the band/orchestra has to go somewhere, though.  (my apologies if they covered this, I missed the first 4-5 minutes of the show.)

I wish Pete well in his journey to find another traveling ghost.  With Sass' luck, it will be some 80 year old woman, or another tech bro.  I think my plan would be to go to a big antique store or flea market, and see if there are any ghosts attached to objects.  Then get Sam to go buy that object.  Or hang out at the airport, train or bus station. 

I really don't mind a ghost being missing for any particular episode.  In some situations two ghosts would make a bit more sense, or a line explaining where they are wouldn't hurt. 

I do think they missed an opportunity here, though.  I would have liked to have a small child in the audience, saying to their parents as they leave, "I really liked the lady in the red hat." 

I do wonder if they'll ever have a guest who can also see ghosts. 

[iMonrey]

15 minutes ago, chaifan said:

And I was apparently wrong about the ballroom, mentioned last week (or was it the week before?).  It is not on the attic level as I presumed.  I don't know if it's historically accurate for a ballroom to have a full stage, though.

I still don't understand where it's supposed to be, based on the exterior shots of the manor. The house is sort of an L-shape in front, and when the director came in through the front door he turned to the left toward that front facing west wing. I assume that's where it's supposed to be, although we've never seen any kind of doorway or entryway or hallway leading to that part of the house. The only thing we've ever seen opposite the staircase and front desk wall is the library/parlor and the kitchen entrance. 

[Starchild]

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

I know, between Roman's hair and Rebecca's it's hard to say whose hair is more glorious.

Isaac's of course

[Chit Chat]

58 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

The house is sort of an L-shape in front, and when the director came in through the front door he turned to the left toward that front facing west wing.

I would love to see the pretend blueprint for the manor!  I'm always trying to guess the layout from the views we're given.

4 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Román probably likes to be able to let his fabulous hair down, too.

In one interview with some of the actors, Brandon Scott Jones asked Roman about his haircare routine, and IIRC, he said that he doesn't do anything special to it.  Aw, the benefits of being young and having good genes!!  :)

[shapeshifter]

19 hours ago, Annber03 said:

And of course, the actual performance itself was great, too. Sam sounded lovely (and she looked so cute! That hairstyle really works on her!) and it was fun to see Alberta get involved as she did, and how she helped keep Sam's nerves at bay. Such a good storyline for these two, I really enjoyed it. 

19 hours ago, phalange said:

Sam and Alberta performing together at the end was awesome. They both looked so happy.

I too loved the performance; Sam looked great; Alberta was filled with joy.
And yet…
I wanted it to go from Sam's first moment of stage fright straight to Alberta rushing up on stage and making eye contact with Sam as they began to sing and dance together. 

 

 

17 hours ago, PaulE said:

But I also did feel for Sass when he finally realized that he was desperate to have a romantic connection with someone.  After all, of all the ghosts, he's the one who had the shortest life and he was robbed of many of the experiences the others had when alive, even if not all of those experiences were positive.  He must feel that, in many ways, he never got a chance to live his life, and that it was over before it had scarcely begun.  It's quite poignant, really--another nod to the inherent sadness of the ghosts' situation.

Good point about Sass having died at the peak of his physical virility. 
While I don't think the bi-subtext was unintended, I also think the main point was that Sass is emotionally lonely. 

[shapeshifter]

I had to rewatch because there are too many shows on Thursdays, and I get sleepy. One thing I just realized was that the episode title "A Star Is Dead" is a play on words for "A Star Is Born."

 

I guess every episode has to have a moment of dark overtones, but this made me sad for Flower, that she had been brainwashed by a cult leader (or 2 or 3) who took advantage of her (and others): 

• [FLOWER OBSERVING MARISA] Oh, yeah. In the cult, she would have been a top five wife for Bruce, for sure. Which means she would have gotten carrots with dinner.
• [PETE] Carrots should be for everybody.
• [FLOWER] Oh, Pete. Bruce warned us about people like you.

[Annber03]

9 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I was just glad they didn't go the route of him being horrified by the very idea. 

One of the things I love most about this show is how the ghosts are all so chill about stuff like that (look at the episode with Isaac's bachelor party and the stripper, for instance, all the guys were totally into the performance and there wasn't a second of gay panic among any of them). It makes sense they would be, partly because, well, their friendship with Isaac, obviously, and partly because, especially with ghosts like Sasappis or Thor, they've been around for SO LONG that I can't imagine there'd be much left that would faze them or make them uncomfortable anymore. It just makes sense they'd be more open to all sorts of things given all they've been witness to all this time. 

2 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

In one interview with some of the actors, Brandon Scott Jones asked Roman about his haircare routine, and IIRC, he said that he doesn't do anything special to it.  Aw, the benefits of being young and having good genes!!  :)

I saw that interview, too. Brandon Scott Jones out here sking the important questions :D. 

[Skooma]

On 11/15/2024 at 1:39 AM, Bastet said:

The return to rotating out cast members to protect the budget is annoying

Why would it have anything to do about the budget?  I believe actor contracts on TV shows are based on years (seasons).  Not the number of episodes they appear in.

When they skipped an actor in Season 1 episodes they said it was because it was hard to get all the cast in with enough lines for everybody.  They did promise they wouldn't do that rotating approach again but here we are with them doing it.  I hate it.  I like the whole "family" to be there.

 

17 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Didn't Sam run into an old girlfriend of Sass' somewhere?  Maybe Pete could find her?

She is not a "free ranging" ghost.

Edited Saturday at 07:10 AM by Skooma

[PaulE]

4 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

Aw, the benefits of being young and having good genes!!  :)

Hell, the benefits of being young and having hair, period!

 

 

Edited Saturday at 02:27 AM by PaulE

[PaulE]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

One of the things I love most about this show is how the ghosts are all so chill about stuff like that (look at the episode with Isaac's bachelor party and the stripper, for instance, all the guys were totally into the performance and there wasn't a second of gay panic among any of them). It makes sense they would be, partly because, well, their friendship with Isaac, obviously, and partly because, especially with ghosts like Sasappis or Thor, they've been around for SO LONG that I can't imagine there'd be much left that would faze them or make them uncomfortable anymore. It just makes sense they'd be more open to all sorts of things given all they've been witness to all this time. 

But also, regarding Sass and Thor, I've read that both Native Americans and (surprisingly) Vikings were tolerant of homosexuality.  I think gay people were considered a sort of third sex among Native Americans, and had roles in society that were a combination of male and female. And Viking men could have have male lovers as long as they also married women and produced children.  But the men weren't allowed to be the ones who were penetrated, as that was considered weak, which makes me wonder what men they did have sex with if so inclined.

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, PaulE said:

And Viking men could have have male lovers as long as they also married women and produced children.  But the men weren't allowed to be the ones who were penetrated, as that was considered weak, which makes me wonder what men they did have sex with if so inclined.

OT:  Slaves.  Vikings took lots of prisoners in their raids that were kept as slaves.

"Vikings" (which were the raider element of Norse society and not an ethnic term) were not very nice people in reality.  Even the really well-made TV series "Vikings" where they are the protagonists made that clear.

Edited Saturday at 07:21 AM by Skooma