I hope thatGhostsseason 4 brings back a trick that the sitcom used in earlier seasons, since this clever approach takes advantage of the show’s unique premise. Although Sam and Jay are both fun, theghosts of CBS’sGhostsare the real stars of the series. Based on the British series of the same name from 2019,Ghostsis a CBS sitcom that follows a young couple, Sam and Jay, as they relocate to an inherited mansion. After Sam suffers a near-death experience, she gains the ability to see and communicate with the mansion’s many ghostly residents.
Ghosts Hinted At Season 4’s Big Twist Nearly 2 Years Ago
While Ghosts season 4 promises a big twist involving Jay and the house’s ghosts, this revelation was hinted at way back in season 2 of the hit sitcom.
Soon,Ghostsbecomes a hang-out show likeNew GirlorThe Big Bang Theory, albeit with a cast who are mostly long-dead.Ghostsseason 4may change this format, but the first three seasons of the series centered on the house’s team of eponymous mismatched spirits as much as, if not more than, Sam and Jay. Unlike most hang-out shows, the unique premise ofGhostsmeans the show’s gang is collected from throughout history. There is an indigenous American from the 1500s, a Viking from the 1000s, a Revolutionary War veteran, and a Prohibition-era flapper.
Ghosts Has Brilliantly Used Real-Life Characters In The Past
Ghosts Incorporated Al Capone And Ben Franklin Perfectly
I love how oftenGhostsuses its titular characters to explore various eras of history, from the quintessentially ‘60s hippie Flower to the uptight and bigoted, but surprisingly sympathetic lady of the manor, Hetty. However, thanks to its flashbacks, the CBS series doesn’t stop there.Ghostshas used real-life historical figures as characters before, with both Benjamin Franklin and Al Capone playing roles on the show. Franklin appeared in season 2, episode 8, “The Liquor License,” and again during Isaac’s dream sequence from episodes 9 and 10, the two-part Christmas special “The Christmas Spirit.”
Jeremy Luke’s Al Capone was used perfectly in an episode that toyed with the audience’s expectations of the notorious gangster.
While I liked Franklin’s appearances, it was Capone’s role in season 2, episode 21, that highlighted this idea’s potential. At first, it seemed as though Capone was the one who killed Alberta, but a surprising twist proved this wasn’t quite right. Jeremy Luke’s Al Capone was used perfectly in an episode that toyed with the audience’s expectations of the notorious gangster by revealing he was hopelessly infatuated with the Woodstone B&B’s resident lounge singer. WhileGhostsseason 4’s storyis not yet clear, I hope the series will bring in more real-life characters considering how well this approach worked.
Ghosts Lends Itself Incredibly Well To Using Real-Life Characters
The CBS Sitcom’s Premise Makes Real-Life Characters Fitting
Unlike most sitcoms,Ghostscan add historical figures to the show’s cast without this feeling completely surreal or inexplicable. Where most sitcoms would need a hallucination, a dream sequence, or a Halloween special to justify introducing long-dead real-life people to the cast,Ghostscan take advantage of its unique premise to explain their presence. Since the characters ofGhostsare drawn from every era of American history, it makes sense for the show to introduce more real-life figures who the heroes interacted with during their lives. This opens up endless potential possibilities for the future of the series.
Plots likeThor’sGhostsseason 2 storyline, wherein he was reunited with his long-lost son Bjorn, work because of the show’s sprawling timeline.Ghostsmight take place in modern times, but I’m always glad to see the series exploring America’s historical past. Every major era is represented in the Woodstone B&B so, whether it is a famous figure from 1000 AD, 1550, or 1986, someone in the cast could conceivably have a connection with them. These one-off historical characters also allowGhoststo flesh out its main cast members, as epitomized by Alberta’s connection to Capone.
Which Real-Life Figures I’d Love To See In Ghosts
Isaac’s Arc Means Hamilton Should Show Up
Almost any real-life figure could show up inGhostsseason 4, but there are a few who would make perfect sense given the show’s story so far. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024,Ghostsstar Utkarsh Ambdukar admitted that he wanted Lin-Manuel Miranda to appear as Hamilton and this would add up given Isaac’s rivalry with the founding father. WhileGhostsshouldn’t crossover with its British counterpart, I’d like to see the series delve into other historical figures who were present in the broader New York setting of the series throughout the show’s history.
Ghostsseason 4 premieres on June 12, 2025, on CBS.
The Beat Generation’s Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac first met at Columbia University, and these counterculture legends seem like they would have crossed paths with Flower during the ‘60s. Similarly, the iconic singer Janis Joplin lived in Greenwich Village shortly before her untimely death in 1970, and she is a clear influence on Flower’s persona. I’d love to see the two interact, while I also wouldn’t be surprised if Hetty knew figures like J.P. Morgan or JD Rockefeller during her privileged, if tragic life. I hope these and other historical figures make an appearance inGhostsseason 4.
