Last episode, our minds were put at ease knowing Jay is no longer doomed, and for the moment, Elias is out of everyone’s hair. Ghosts season 5, episode 2 primes us for a season of ghost drama, competition, corrupt intentions, and, of course, social dilemmas among the living. We even have new neighbors, played by SNL alum Ego Nwodim and Duncanville’s Yassir Lester, who we can only hope will make their rounds throughout the rest of the season.
The episode starts with some classic bed-and-breakfast technical issues. The company that delivers water to the B&B has been sending empty jugs to Woodstone, and Sam has been battling the dreaded phone helpline. As the ghosts are getting caught up on the strange business predicament, a Winnebago pulls into the Woodstone driveway.
The Farnsbys emerge, telling Sam and Jay they’ll be out of town for a few months on a swinging, cross-country trip to see some of the country’s most amorous locations. They mention the house will be rented out to a nice young couple. Sam and Jay wave them off and wish them safe travels and safe experiences.
Trevor is obsessed with the prospect that good deeds, like Carol’s heroic sacrifice, can help ghosts move on. Meanwhile, Thorfinn is at the shouting window, getting big news from his son over on the Farnsbys’ property. Thor’s son, Bjorn, and the late Mrs. Farnsby, Judy, are engaged and getting married that weekend. Thor is thrilled for his son, Pete is set to be the officiant, and everyone is excited for something positive to break up the monotony.
With the news of new neighbors on the horizon, Pete heads over to the Farnsbys’ property to check out the new tenants. They turn out to be Garrett and Libby, a powerhouse couple from the city who are part of Sam and Jay’s friend group. This duo is not only the controlling force in their circle but also hosts annual couples’ retreats that only the social elite can attend. Sam and Jay desperately want to be invited. Unfortunately, after last Halloween when their other friends, Nico and Sasha, accidentally discovered Carol’s deceased body and assumed Sam and Jay had offed her, their reputation has been severely damaged among Manhattan society.
Sam and Jay decide they need to make a good impression to change the tide of their reputations. Trevor offers to remain on hold with the water company while the living go socialize.
Trevor hatches a plan to get sucked off
Trevor stays on hold while Sam, Jay, Hetty, and Pete go to welcome Garrett and Libby to the neighborhood. Sasappis asks why he would volunteer for such a mind-numbingly boring task as waiting on hold. Trevor explains that he most likely won’t have the opportunity to make a grand gesture of goodness like Carol did. He reasons that many small good deeds could eventually help him move on to the next phase of existence. Waiting on hold seems like a good first step.
Sasappis realizes the brilliance in this idea and tries to undermine Trevor in an attempt to steal his good-deed points.
Meanwhile, down by the mailboxes…
Sam and Jay not-so-coincidentally happen upon their former friends. It’s apparent that the rumors about the Halloween party make Garrett and Libby uneasy during the conversation. During polite small talk, Garrett mentions he’s considering converting one of the rooms in the Farnsbys’ house into a media room. Sam says she thinks it’s a nice idea and that no one would mind. She then invites the couple over to Jay’s new restaurant for dinner. With a bit of hesitation, the invitation is accepted.
Cut to the shouting window, where Bjorn and Thor are discussing the impending nuptials—only for Garrett to close the window and move a bookcase in front of it, blocking Thor’s only view of his son. If this doesn’t change, he’ll miss the wedding.
A wedding, a crisis, and a closet
Thor rushes to Sam with the issue at hand. Hetty reminds her it would seem impertinent to bring up such a strange request as moving a bookcase during their first social obligation.
At dinner, Sam and Jay schmooze their way into the good graces of their socialite pals. They’re so successful in proving their normalcy that an invitation to the couples’ retreat is extended. Hetty beams with pride as Sam and Jay bask in their excitement.
Thor reminds Sam there’s still a family crisis. With an abundance of reluctance, Sam brings up the media room and notes that the bookcase isn’t optimally placed. Garrett and Libby laugh off the comment, and Sam resigns the bookcase conversation as a loss, much to Thor’s dismay.
The next day, Thor is still upset and trying to convince Sam to help him. Then Pete comes in, touting that Garrett and Libby are convinced Sam and Jay are totally normal. He also reveals they’re heading back to the city for the weekend. This encourages Thor to push Sam to break into the house after they leave and move the bookcase, just for the ceremony.
A somewhat underwhelming service takes place, and Bjorn and Judy are wed. Thor is… whatever the Viking equivalent of elated is at his son’s happiness. Alas, in the midst of the merriment, Garrett and Libby arrive, having changed their minds due to traffic. Simultaneously, the ghosts relay that Sam is the next caller in line for the water company.
Sam sneaks her way out of the house while Jay stealthily replaces the bookcase. Pete stays with Jay so that if anything happens, he can alert Sam. As luck would have it, the couple heads straight for the media room to watch a movie. This forces Jay to hide in the closet. Garrett and Libby pull a random movie off the Farnsbys’ shelf. Given the family’s colorful history, it turns out to be a rather unscrupulous home video, one that Pete and Jay unfortunately have to endure from their hiding spot.
Rounding out the episode, Hetty congratulates Sam on a surprising number of wins. Sam and Jay not only succeeded in helping Thor see his son’s wedding but also managed to maintain an air of social dignity with their new friends. They even canceled their account with the water company.
Things are looking up for the residents of Woodstone.
Ghosts premieres every Thursday night on CBS and streams new episodes on Paramount+.