While the original BBC Ghosts series had stricter rules on what happens when a ghost passes on, which led to more permanent character departures, as seen with the season 4 departure of Mary (Katy Wix), the US adaptation has its own set of rules. Even with his tragic fate in life, Elias proved to be a continuously worse person in death despite the house’s living and dead residents offering him an opportunity to do better. As such, both Sam, the other spirits, and the audience were shocked to see Elias act so wickedly that he was condemned to Hell.
Through the US version’s sudden inclusion of Hell, passing on is no longer a final fate for spirits that linger in the mortal realm, changing what the series could be heading toward while adding surprising stakes. As seen in his season 2 return, Hell does allow spirits to change their fates even after being condemned, though within a limited timeframe that Elias does not achieve with his season 2 return. While Elias’ fate may motivate the ghosts to do better, it is clear from his brief return that neither passing on nor being condemned is a definitive end.
The TV series Ghosts uses humor to deal with the topic of the supernatural, much like these other similar shows, such as Inside No.9 and Yonderland.
Elias represents the worst a lingering spirit could be in the world of Ghosts. Despite his tragic, somewhat horrific demise, he has lacked the desire to truly change, continuing to be motivated by the selfishness he showed in life. As such, the series could use his stubbornness and wickedness as either a reminder of what poor choices can lead to, or see him make some effort to better himself even slightly. While Elias may be no longer with the other spirits at the moment, Walsh’s hopes hint there may be more to his story just yet with Ghosts season 4 already renewed at CBS.
