Ghosts season 5 episode 10 ending explained: Why did Sam stop seeing the Ghosts of Woodstone?

Ghosts is a CBS supernatural comedy created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, based on the British series of the same name. Season 5 premiered on October 16, 2025.

The show stars Rose McIver as Samantha Arondekar, who gains the ability to see ghosts after a near-death experience, and Utkarsh Ambudkar as her husband Jay. They run a B&B at haunted Woodstone Mansion. 

In Ghosts Season 5 Episode 10 titled “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol Part 2”,  Sam temporarily stops seeing the ghosts due to a drug-induced dream inspired by It's a Wonderful Life. 

After Flower's possession causes chaos and Sam wishes aloud, "I wish I had never been able to see ghosts!", angelic guide Carol played by Caroline Aaron (temporarily returned) shows her an alternate reality where the wish is granted. 

There, life is miserable as ghosts remain stagnant (e.g., Flower trapped in the well, Thor missing his song, Pete not knowing about his daughter or family, Hetty and Isaac going for a sham marriage), with no growth or bonds while Sam and Jay's marriage lacks depth, leading to a hollow existence. 

The ghost ensemble includes Brandon Scott Jones (Isaac), Danielle Pinnock (Alberta), Richie Moriarty (Pete), Asher Grodman (Trevor), Rebecca Wisocky (Hetty), Román Zaragoza (Sasappis), Sheila Carrasco (Flower), and Devan Chandler Long (Thorfinn).

Ghosts season 5 episode 10 ending explained: Sam’s wish is reversed and she gets to see the Ghosts again

In episode 9 ("It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol: Part One") we saw Sam's preparations for a live Christmas Eve TV interview with host Walter Storm (Larry Wilmore) to promote her book about Isaac's life. 

The ghosts exchange gifts. Thorfinn, wanting to give Flower a special present, surges his power into the mansion's holiday light display, creating an opportunity for possession.

Flower enters Sam's body to finally satisfy her decades-long munchies. While possessed, Flower raids Jay's restaurant kitchen and eats suspicious "candy" from pharmacist Gabe, later revealed to be drugs. This happens right before Sam's interview. 

Flower's stoned behavior takes over on live TV, leading to bizarre answers and chaos. Sam fights internally for control but can't fully stop it initially.

Jay drives the possessed Sam away from the property, expelling Flower at the boundary. Sam regains her body and confronts the ghosts for not helping. Overwhelmed and angry, she storms off, declaring:

"I wish I had never been able to see ghosts!"

Episode 10 begins with Sam waking up in bed the next morning, noticing that the ghosts are strangely quiet. She goes downstairs and realizes she can no longer see or hear any of them. The mansion feels empty. 

Suddenly, Pete's widow Carol appears, she had been "sucked off" earlier in the season but returns temporarily because as she explains, people named Carol get special Christmas duties to act as guides, granting wishes and teaching lessons similar to a Christmas carol figure.

Carol tells Sam that her angry wish from the night before has been granted, placing her in an alternate reality where her near-death experience never gave her the ability to see ghosts. 

Carol then takes Sam on a tour of Woodstone Mansion in this new reality to show her what life would be like without her interactions with the spirits.

In this alternate version, things are much worse for everyone. Flower is still trapped down the well where she died in the 1960s, because Sam and Jay never learned about her and cemented over the well during renovations. 

The cholera ghosts in the basement are bored and miserable since a new water heater was installed, eliminating the gurgling pipes that provided their only entertainment.

Hetty and Isaac are planning to marry each other and as it seems Issac did not come out about his sexuality since Sam no longer exists in the alternate reality. 

On the living side, Sam and Jay's marriage is strained; Jay is unhappy at the mansion and wants to go back in his cooking career while Sam’s  B&B at the mansion is thriving with full bookings and not being able to hear or see the  ghosts to distract her manager, Freddie.

Seeing all this, Sam realizes how much she has positively changed the ghosts' afterlives by helping them grow, resolve issue, and find purpose.

At the same time, the ghosts despite their chaos have given her life adventure, friendship and a sense of family. She tells Carol she doesn't want this reality and wishes to reverse her original wish, choosing to keep her ability to see the ghosts. She says-

"I wish I could see Ghosts again."

Carol approves of Sam's decision. However, it is later revealed that the entire alternate reality tour was mostly a drug-induced hallucination caused by the edibles Flower consumed while possessing Sam's body. 

The lingering effects kicked in after Sam fell asleep, amplified by her emotional outburst. As proof, Carol points to a leftover candy cane in Sam's pocket from the drugs. The "Christmas Carol" guide role added a thematic layer to the hallucination, tying into the holiday spirit.

Sam truly wakes up back in the real world, still in the kitchen where she had passed out briefly from exhaustion and the drugs. The ghosts are all around her, worried and relieved when she comes to. 

She shares details of her vivid dream, expressing genuine gratitude for how they've enriched her life. The group reconciles, with Sam affirming she wouldn't trade them for anything.

They enjoy a calm Christmas together and Sam successfully completes her rescheduled TV interview off-screen.

In a separate subplot running through the episode, Trevor continues bonding with the Puritan ghost Patience over their shared disdain for overly festive Christmas traditions.

Their connection deepens, leading to a kiss. Patience initially pulls back due to her strict upbringing but soon embraces her feelings. 

At the end, she leads Trevor and Sasappis downstairs to meet shadowy figures she has encountered underground- "the Others," a group of new ghosts from the basement or well areas, teased since Season 4.

What to expect next in Ghosts season 5

The finale cliffhanger introduces "the Others," promising new ghosts and potential conflicts or alliances at Woodstone.

Showrunners have confirmed the series returns February 26, 2026, continuing directly from this reveal. Ongoing stories like Pete and Alberta's romance will progress alongside group dynamics.

Ghosts season 5 airs Thursdays on CBS at 8:30/7:30c. All episodes stream on Paramount+. Season 5 of Ghosts resumes February 26, 2026.

Stay tuned for more such updates!