Ghosts Season 5 Episode 8 Recap: Alberta’s Past, Creepy Todd’s Return and One Very Unsettling Dummy
- Je-Ree
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
“The Life and Times of Esther Greene” finally delivers what Ghosts fans (and let’s be honest, Alberta herself) have been waiting five seasons for: a full-blown backstory reveal. Yes, Alberta Haynes was not always Alberta Haynes. The jazz legend’s real name? Esther Greene, a twist that’s both surprising and somehow perfectly Alberta.
The episode opens with a dramatic flashback that looks like Alberta is straight-up murdering a man with a blunt object. Relax. If Ghosts has taught us anything, it’s that the show loves its fake-outs almost as much as Trevor loves not wearing pants. Sure enough, the moment is a setup, one that eventually ties into Alberta’s complicated, hilarious and slightly deranged past.
Cut to the present day, where Sam is mid–Zoom call with her publisher, receiving the kind of brutal update authors dread: her and Isaac’s book sales are tanking harder than Hetty’s respect for modern fashion. The suggested Hail Mary? A spot on a popular podcast hosted by none other than Todd Pearlman, aka Creepy Todd, the man whose obsession with Alberta once made everyone at Woodstone deeply uncomfortable. In typical Ghosts fashion, the moment comes with a delightful throwaway gag: Flower thinks she’s also on the Zoom call. Of course she does.
When Todd arrives, he’s noticeably more polished, cleaner, calmer and actively trying to convince everyone he’s a changed man. And yet, like an overcaffeinated squirrel, he cannot resist digging into Alberta’s past. He proudly announces he’s researched every detail of her life but can’t find anything about her before she moved to New York. The ghosts exchange looks and Thor suddenly remembers Alberta once admitting she changed her name. Thor pounces on this like it’s a Scooby-Doo mystery he’s contractually obligated to solve.
Pressed for answers, Alberta cracks. She confesses that yes, she did “kill a man.” Thor immediately sprints (floats?) to Pete to spill the tea, because gossip spreads in Woodstone faster than Fife’s insecurities. But Pete, ever the gentle interrogator, gets the real truth: Alberta didn’t kill a man, she killed her ventriloquist dummy. Esther Greene was a ventriloquist whose puppet act was stealing focus from her singing career, so she took matters into her own hands. Was it a little extreme? Sure. But it’s not murder if the victim is filled with sawdust.
Meanwhile, Todd is preparing for the podcast episode that was supposed to spotlight Sam and Isaac’s book, except he’s far more interested in Jay and his restaurant dreams. When Jay and Sam vent about Todd’s obsession, he overhears and immediately vows revenge via the online world’s pettiest weapon: a review bomb. Suddenly, Sam’s book, Jay’s business, and possibly the entire Arondekar household are at risk of getting digitally obliterated by Todd’s followers.
Alberta steps in with the kind of diva wisdom only she can deliver. She urges Sam to strike a deal: offer Todd her never-before-told secret in exchange for a fair podcast appearance that promotes both the book and Jay’s restaurant. It’s messy, dramatic and incredibly on brand for everyone involved. Naturally, balance is restored, threats of review-bombing subside, and Todd gets the exclusive he’s always dreamed of, even if he’s still undeniably creepy.
“The Life and Times of Esther Greene” is another solid entry in Ghosts Season 5, delivering a long-awaited character reveal while maintaining the show’s trademark mix of heart, weirdness and laugh-out-loud absurdity. Alberta’s backstory is both delightfully chaotic and emotionally grounded and the episode uses it to explore insecurity, reinvention and the lengths we go to protect the narratives we build about ourselves.
Other observation: missed Sass, love Bela and Mark needs to be around more.
The result? A fun, fast-paced half-hour that adds a new layer to one of the show’s best characters while also reminding us that in Woodstone no secret stays buried especially when Thor is around. If this episode signals anything, it’s that Ghosts still has plenty of spirit left and plenty more stories waiting to rise from the past.
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