Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Ghosts season 4, episode 4, “The Work Retreat”
While the story ofGhostsseason 4, episode 4, wasn’t ideal for Pete, the subplot also underlined the secret tragedy of another spirit.The ghosts of CBS’sGhostsare no ordinary specters. Many of them have ghost powers, ranging from Trevor’s ability to move small objects to Thor’s manipulation of electricity and lights.Ghostsseason 4’s cast of charactersintroduced Mary Holland’s Patience, who arguably has the show’s most impressive power yet. Patience made the walls of the Woodstone mansion bleed when she was displeased by Sam’s estranged father, Frank, sleeping in the same bed as his girlfriend.
Frank’s Ghosts Season 4 Debut Emphasizes A Harsh Reality About Sam’s Powers
Although Ghosts season 4 did reunite Sam with her father, the hit CBS sitcom couldn’t hide how tragic Sam’s powers make her family relationships.
AlthoughGhostsseason 4’s new character Patiencereturned to “The dirt” an episode later, her powers still reminded viewers of the rest of the cast’s hidden abilities. Alberta’s humming could be heard by humans, a strength that seemed unimpressive in comparison to flashier powers but one that did allow her to communicate with the living. Meanwhile, Sass learned that he could enter the dreams of other people in season 3, episode 2, “Man of Your Dreams.” This gelled well with Sass’s vocation as a storyteller during his life. Sadly,Ghostsseason 4 is yet to utilize this skill.
Sass' Starting Pete’s Rumor Shows How Ghosts Underutilizes His Storytelling Skills
Sass Was A Storyteller During His Life
As evidenced by his subplot in episode 4, “The Work Retreat,”Sass’s storytelling skills and ghost powers have sadly been wasted inGhostsseason 4 so far. This outing opened with Sass staring at a branch, waiting for it to fall, something he had been doing occasionally for at least 20 years. Sass and Hetty complained about just how boring life as a ghost was when Pete returned from a trip to Budapest and boasted about how fun that was. Jealous of Pete’s ability to leave the mansion’s boundaries, Sass and Hetty started a rumor that Pete’s girlfriend Donna wasn’t real.
The biggest takeaway from this B-story in “The Work Retreat” was that Sass was wasting his time and his abilities.
Sass and Hetty’s pointless prank did have some major consequences, casting doubt onNigel and Isaac’sGhostsseason 4 breakupby revealing that Donna was a murderer during her life. Since Pete’s love for Donna was part of the reason Isaac left Nigel at the altar, it seems likely thatGhostsseason 4 could be setting up a reunion between the pair by proving Pete’s romance wasn’t so perfect after all. However, the biggest takeaway from this B-story in “The Work Retreat” was that Sass was wasting his time and his abilities, andGhostsseason 4 needs to change this.
Ghosts Season 4 Has Yet To Give Sass A Proper Storyline
Sass Discovered He Could Enter The Dreams Of Others
Ghostsseason 4 must either reveal Sass’s backstory, give him a purpose, or bring back his ghost power from season 3. Sass’s dream power could potentially be as interesting as Pete’s boundary-crossing, but has gone largely unmentioned since it was first introduced. Meanwhile, Sass’s storytelling abilities were referenced as far back as the show’s earliest episodes, but Sass mostly uses this talent to cause drama and mess with his fellow ghosts in the afterlife.Sass’s powers of invading dreams and weaving stories need more purpose, especially asGhostsseason 4 is complicating ghost powerswith characters like Pete and Patience.
The abilities of the ghosts once seemed like minor quirks, but they have since gone on to define numerous characters. Trevor is not limited to merely moving small objects, but instead, has managed to turn this ability into working remotely as a stockbroker online. Pete’s ability to leave the mansion means he has traveled all over the world, yet Sass entering the dreams of other people has never been mentioned since the power was first discovered. In an interview withTVLine, theGhostsshowrunners revealed that season 4 will explain Sass’s origin story. This could improve his role in the show.
How Ghosts Season 4 Can Fix Its Sass Story
Sass’s Ghosts Season 4 Role Hasn’t Expanded His Character So Far
Especially compared to Isaac,Sass has a disappointingly minimal role inGhostsseason 4 so far. While some of the mansion’s ghosts have fairly one-dimensional personalities, like Thor or Flower, Sass is a thoughtful, reflective character who deserves more screen time. Especially afterPatience leftGhosts season 4only three episodes into the outing, there has never been a better time for the series to shift its focus to a new supporting star.
Thor
Ghostsseason 4 needs to tone down Sass’s love of drama and incorporate him into the rest of the ghost’s storylines in a more productive role. This would allow Sass to push himself and might require him to utilize both his storytelling abilities and his dream powers. This, in turn, could show viewers a new side of Sass just in time for his season 4 backstory reveal. Thus,Ghostsseason 4 could ensure that Sass becomes more than merely a frustrated side character.
