Ever since Sam got the power to see ghosts and Jay didn’t, there’s been a question about whether Utkarsh Ambudkar’s character would ever be able to see the spirits. While he’s been able to temporarily see the ghosts before, he’s never had a permanent power like his wife. So, the question persists. Now, the showrunners are opening up about whether Jay will ever be able to directly communicate with characters like Pete, Trevor and Hetty, and I get their take.
As we approach Ghosts' Season 5 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, the showrunners, Joe Wiseman and Joe Port, spoke to EW about what’s to come. That included the deadly deal Jay made with the devil; however, they also dipped their toe into questions about what could (or couldn't) happen. This included their take on the idea of Jay being able to see ghosts, which started with Port saying:
A lot of people want Jay to get the power so he can see ghosts, but we think that's sort of TV-ish. Why would two people who live in this house have the same very rare, weird thing happen to them?
Considering the near-death experiences Jay is bound to face as Elias tries to get him over this deal he made, the story notes that there are questions about Ambudkar’s character going through something like Sam did. If he could almost die and then come back to life, he’d, in theory, be able to see the ghosts.
However, as Port said, it’d be “weird” for Jay and Sam to go through a similar experience that gave them the exact same ability. To that point, Wiseman said that giving Jay this power would take away part of the show’s “magic.” He explained:
Part of the fun is him wanting to know the ghosts and actually developing relationships [with them]. That was a big breakthrough for that character — he's almost jealous of Sam and wants to know about the ghosts. I get it, it sounds fun, but I worry a little magic of the show would be gone.
I totally agree. While it would be nice for Jay to see the ghosts from one perspective, when you look at it through the lens of a TV show, it wouldn’t be as entertaining. His constantly having to wonder what the ghosts are doing and blindly listening to what Sam tells them about the spirits is a signature gag of the show. It’d feel weird without it.
Plus, we’re four full seasons into the series, and as Wiseman pointed out, Jay has his own established relationships with the ghosts, even though he can’t see them – his bromance with Pete comes to mind. And that unique relationship development is a super fun and unique aspect of Utkarsh Ambudkar’s character. So, it’d be a bummer if that was taken away.
So, considering the good points made here, it feels like Jay seeing the ghosts for more than an episode is probably not going to happen. However, Ghosts has already been renewed for two more seasons, and anything can happen in two years.
Therefore, you’ll have to tune in to see what happens next to Jay, Sam and co. when Ghosts returns to CBS on Thursday, October 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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