Ghosts (S5, Ep. 13) "St. Hetty's Day 2: The Help"

St. Patrick's Day at Woodstone means Hetty gets her yearly 24 hours as a real person. She hoped for a romantic date, but instead, she discovered something totally new for a Gilded Age socialite: hard work. Here's my recap and review.

Hetty's date plans fall through, leaving her all dressed up with nothing to do. She gets frustrated at Jay's restaurant during its busiest night and insults a waiter so badly that he quits. With an important food reviewer present and no staff left, Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) has no choice but to make Hetty help.

At first, Hetty struggles. She refuses to write anything down and treats customers like servants. After advice from the kitchen staff, she comes up with a catchy way to remember orders. She sings through the night, grows more confident, and even starts to enjoy working with the team.

When Jay tries to bench her after the original waiter returns, the kitchen staff refuses to work unless Hetty stays on the floor. Jay relents, and Hetty finishes the shift victorious, only to vanish into thin air as the celebration begins.

Back at the house, Jay notices Bella is always napping. She has been 'dream-dating' Sass. Trouble starts when Trevor gives Sass some so-called expert advice that goes wrong, and Bella considers dating Kyle, the ghost-sitter there while Sam is away. Luckily, Sass apologizes, and he and Bella get back together.

"St. Hetty's Day 2: The Help" is a delightful episode full of Hetty's humor and heartfelt moments, making it a great holiday special. It showcased top Hetty content from seasons and proved there's always something new to teach Woodstone after 150 years. My favorite Hetty moment was when she confidently said, "Your meal will arrive with the dignity it deserves," then forgot her order, smoothly covering by humming her improvised song. Another fun scene was her trying to balance three plates, saying, "If I can balance a ledger, I can balance a soup," nearly dropping everything and laughing with the staff. These moments highlight her confidence and heartfelt efforts.

Rebecca Wisocky truly shines as a comedic power force. Watching her journey from a woman who looked down on "the laboring classes" to becoming the MVP of a busy dinner rush is genuinely delightful. Her mnemonic "order song' easily becomes a favorite moment of the series. Hetty's growth in understanding the importance of being part of a team, rather than just leading a household, adds a heartfelt depth to the show that keeps it from feeling like a typical sitcom. Plus, seeing the "upstairs" ghosts interact with Jay's kitchen staff adds an exciting new dimension to the show's rich world. While the "ghost-sitter" idea is quite fun, Kyle seems a bit underused, mostly serving as a quick plot device to stir up jealousy for Sass.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

What did you think of this week's episode? Now that Hetty has officially caught the "productivity bug," do you think she'll try to manage the other ghosts with more efficiency, or will she go back to her usual routine of judging everyone from the comfort of the sofa? Leave a comment.

You can catch Ghosts Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS and streaming the next day on Paramount+.