Ghosts season 2, episode 13 review: Teamwork makes the dream work

Ghosts returned after a short hiatus with episode 213, "Ghost Hunter". One of the best things about Ghosts is the chemistry and camaraderie between the ghosts. Freddie's determination to prove that ghosts were indeed real was the source of many antics this week, and, whilst the show was missing some of its usual crackling pop culture zingers this week there was enough heartfelt support to remind viewers they’re really the heart of Woodstone.

Gaslighting Freddie

This week, Freddie goes to Jay and Samantha to voice his concern that the inn has ghosts. He mentions that, sometimes, he can an ethereal voice humming like a singer warming up. Alberta takes great offense when he calls her singing off key. Jay and Sam brush off his concerns but Freddie shows them footage from the camera at the front desk. It clearly shows the keys on the computer moving when no one was around. Trevor needs to cover his tracks better.

Sam and Jay try to gaslight Freddie into believing that the keys weren’t really moving, but Freddie covers his bases by buying sage to cleanse the house and trying to prove their existence. He also get an EMF detector, which doesn’t detect the ghosts. And he buys a Ghost Trap 2000 device from Latvia that is supposed to trap ghosts. It’s about the size of a typewriter and because it has a “2 and under” tag on it Jay and Sam, along with the ghosts, assume it’s a harmless child’s toy.

Freddie thinks it could work though. He puts an Oreo on top of the device to tempt the ghosts to get close to the trap. All of the ghosts — except Sas — gather around it and talk about getting close enough to smell the cookie.

Sas and Jessica

Freddie also bought a new car, which meant Sas wouldn’t see Jessica anymore. Sas asked Sam to buy Freddie’s old car so he and Jessica could stay together. Jay agreed with Sam that they should buy the car, but when he haggled with the car’s new owner he almost lost his chance. 

Sam saved the day by paying what the new owner wanted. Sas and Jessica were reunited and it seemed like their relationship would be perfect. But Jessica was concerned when Sas told her that Sam and Jay don’t drive very much. Sitting in the driveway with no one to talk to and not getting any time on the open road didn’t seem like an upgrade to Jessica. 

The Ghost Trap 2000

Back in the kitchen, the ghosts are still trying to figure out who should touch the device to make sure it’s safe for them to get close enough to smell the cookie. After giving everyone a number Trevor pushes one of Jay’s D&D dice onto the floor and Pete’s number comes up. But, Pete is too scared to touch the device. Thor takes one for the team and touches it, and gets sucked into the Ghost Trap 2000. The other ghosts rush to get Sam. When she tells Jay what happened Jay is offended that they had a “weird sci-fi looking thing” in the kitchen and “didn’t think to ask the guy in the Atari shirt”. 

While Sam, Jay, and the ghosts are trying to figure out what to do Flower touches the trap and gets sucked inside. The ghost indicator light turns from green to red and everyone is very concerned.

Sam and Jay ask Freddie how to open Ghost Trap 2000 in case a ghost hypothetically got caught in it. And Jay and Freddie try to out-nerd each other with a discussion about whether or not Obi-Wan was a ghost in Empire Strikes Back or a manifestation of The Force. Then Freddie goes to call the Latvian company while the ghosts, Sam, and Jay wait anxiously in the kitchen. 

Freddie comes into the kitchen to tell them there’s a button on the side they need to hold down for three seconds. Sam holds down the button but it starts some sort of countdown in Latvian. Freddie looks it up, only to find out it’s a countdown to evisceration. 

Sam, Jay, and the non-trapped ghosts panic as the countdown continues. But Jay, using his nerd skills, wonders if the tag that says “2 and under” on the machine isn’t an age but a warning that the system can’t handle more than two ghosts at a time. Pete finds his courage and touches the trap, getting sucked inside with Thor and Flower. Jay was right, and the system overloads and frees Thor, Flower, and Pete. Flower finds her own courage thanks to Pete and agrees to go on a real one-on-one date with Thor.

 Freddie’s Had Enough 

Freddie sure seemed like the perfect assistant, but Woodstone Manor was too much for him. He tells Jay and Sam he’s quitting. They’re confused about why but he reminds them that they fired him once, got him to come back, then drove him to quit. So Freddie wasn’t really all that invested in his employment situation at Woodstone. But the ghosts turn out to be the last straw for Freddie. And Alberta doesn’t help the situation by letting loose with some humming as Freddie is talking about not wanting to work in a place that’s haunted. 

So Freddie’s out, and Sam, and the ghosts are on their own. Maybe the next assistant will be able to see and hear the ghosts like Sam can, or at least not be scared of them. If Freddie knew how much this rag-tag band of misfits cared about each other and Sam and Jay he wouldn’t be scared of them. They are the team that makes the Woodstone Manor dream work. 

Ghosts season 2 continues on February 9 at 8.30 pm ET on CBS. You can also stream the series on-demand on Paramount Plus.