Sam and Jay, facing a $200,000 IRS debt, switch from bed-and-breakfasts to gambling in 'Woodstone Royale.' This episode turns the mansion into a scene of celebrity cameos, spectral espionage, and bureaucratic bad luck haunting Sam and Jay. It’s a fast-paced mix of heart and tension, like Molly’s Game meets Beetlejuice. Here’s my recap and review.
The episode's primary thrust centers on Sam and Jay's desperate attempt to solve their tax woes by hosting a high-stakes poker game at Woodstone, an idea suggested by their shady neighbor, Brent. To ensure a win, Sam enlists the ghosts as her "eye in the sky," but the team makes the tactical error of benching Flower, fearing her trademark spaciness will be a liability. The game takes a surreal turn with the arrival of guest star Iain Armitage, who plays a heightened "Hollywood" version of himself. Armitage spends the evening trying to shed his Young Sheldon image with overly adult behavior and an aggressive amount of cologne—the latter creating a literal fog that prevents Isaac from seeing the cards of a suspicious player named Boris.
When Sam loses a key hand, Flower claims she saw a winning pair in Boris's discarded cards, but the group dismisses her until Trevor uses telekinesis to uncover a hidden stash in Boris's pants. The win is brief; a police raid causes the high-rollers to scatter. Iain Armitage humorously reverts to a frightened child at the flashing lights, but the cops skip arrests and confiscate the evidence—leaving Sam and Jay’s $200,000 pot effectively seized and the couple back to square one.
Downstairs, the B-plot shows the "Basement Ghosts" upset, believing Woodstone’s financial struggles are karma for upstairs ghosts letting the water heater die. Pete and Sass give an old armchair discarded by Sam and Jay, sparking a mini civil war over "chair rights." The conflict ends when the new water heater hums, soothing the basement and making grievances obsolete. Upstairs, Sam dismisses Trevor’s foot-modeling idea, jokingly suggesting Jay might take one for the team.
"Woodstone Royale" is an exciting and lively episode that brings its ensemble cast to life, creating a tense yet fun story. The show continues to cleverly use the ghosts' limitations and abilities to influence Sam and Jay’s real-world challenges, making things interesting—even if the "reset button" at the end felt a little harsh for our beloved innkeepers. This episode is a great, energetic addition that hints at an intriguing financial storyline leading up to the season finale. While the basement subplot might not have had quite the same impact as the poker game, the fantastic chemistry among the cast and clever writing kept everything moving quickly and smoothly. Though Sam and Jay are still broke, Woodstone remains just as full of laughter and fun as ever.
Iain Armitage brought so much humor here. His funny attempts to appear "edgy" before quickly reverting to a kid-like state during the raid were definitely the fun highlight of the episode. It was truly heartwarming to see Flower being the most observant one in the room. Since the show often plays on her confusion for laughs, giving her the "win" in the cheating scandal was a thoughtful touch that showed respect for her character. And Trevor’s Modern Solutions, suggesting OnlyFans as a way to pay off debts alongside his playful intervention in the card game, makes Trevor the most hilariously clever ghost in the house.Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.
What did you think of this week's episode? With the poker winnings gone and the IRS still knocking, do you think Sam and Jay will be forced to look toward more 'unconventional' ways to save the B&B, or will one of the ghosts reveal a hidden treasure from their past that could solve the $200,000 problem for good? Leave a comment.
You can catch Ghosts Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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