After four seasons, and 130 years, Ghosts has finally revealed Hetty’s (Rebecca Wisocky) long-awaited ghost power. Earlier this season Hetty discovered a major revelation about her past when Thor (Devan Chandler Long) confirmed she’s Irish herself. With that discovery, Hetty was able to let go of her long-held prejudice against the Irish — and now it seems the afterlife is rewarding her for that little nugget of character development by granting her a ghost power 130 years after her death.
“St. Hetty’s Day” reveals that because Hetty finally sees the Irish as people, now she can be seen (and heard) by livings on St. Patrick’s Day. In the episode, Hetty gets to have a wonderful, albeit brief, romance with Jay’s (Utkarsh Ambudkar) recently heartbroken cousin, Sunil (Asif Ali). Ghosts introduces Hetty’s power in such a way that it not only spotlights some really beautiful character growth but also shows the audience a completely new side of everyone’s favorite Gilded Age lady.
‘Ghosts’ Season 4’s Biggest Power Lies in Character Growth
Ghosts Season 4 has featured a plethora of significant moments that have allowed for major character growth. Following Trevor’s revelation about his legacy, Thor’s abandonment issues, Flower (Sheila Carrasco) speaking up about the cult, and Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) reflecting on her past regrets, Hetty finally embraces her Irish heritage and drops her bias against them. In return, she gains a power that allows her to be seen and heard for one day a year.
While Ghosts has many strengths that work together to make it one of the best, most heartwarming sitcoms on television, at the heart of it all is how these characters have so much room to grow. Having the majority of the ensemble stuck in purgatory essentially bakes that into the narrative, allowing the show to take these big character swings without having anyone get “sucked off.” By allowing for moments of significant growth that isn’t necessarily the source of why they’re stuck here, we get to see the character development we need without losing any part of the ensemble that we all love.
In “St. Hetty’s Day,” Hetty and Isaac go on somewhat parallel journeys of growth as they each attempt to flirt with a prospective suitor, with varying degrees of success. Both were born in times when they were never allowed any kind of romantic happiness. They stumble through new crushes in a way that allows them both to grow and learn about what matters in a relationship. While Trevor, Flower, and Pete (Richie Moriarty) try to keep Isaac from embarrassing himself in front of Chris (Deniz Akdeniz), Alberta and Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) root for Hetty to succeed in her ultimately doomed romance with Sunil. And for a while, it works.
