TV’s #1 Sitcom Is Rewriting the Rules With a Major Shake Up [Exclusive]

Ghosts has finally returned from a lengthy midseason hiatus, and the latest episode is quite a doozy. When we last checked into Woodstone B&B, Trevor (Asher Grodman) had inadvertently triggered the introduction of The Others, following his baffling holiday hookup with Patience (Mary Holland). Ghosts Season 5, Episode 11, “The Others,” wastes no time in immediately revealing Patience’s friendly dirt ghosts to be none other than the familiar faces of Flower’s (Sheila Carrasco) cult/commune. The surprisingly large group of hippie ghosts have been tucked away in a secret bunker on the property — a new location that opens up several new story avenues for the future of the series.

‘Ghosts’ Star Asher Grodman Compares Hetty and Trevor to the Blueprint of Will-They-Won’t-They Sitcom Couples [Exclusive]

Ahead of the episode, I caught up with showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman to bring audiences a sneak peek at what’s to come from the rest of Ghosts Season 5 for Collider’s Exclusive Preview event. During our conversation, we also dug into spoilers for tonight’s new episode, unpacking why they chose the cult for Woodstone’s newest additions, Trevor’s shocking romantic revelation, and what to expect from next week’s episode, which sees conflict arise between Thor (Devan Chandler Long) and Flower while another bunker ghost reveals a surprising connection to the property and it’s residents.

When asked why the cult ghosts made the most sense as the long-rumored “Others,” Wiseman revealed that the choice began in their love for that part of Flower’s backstory. “Part of it was we love the cult. We will love Will Greenberg, who plays Bruce, the leader of the cult,” said Wiseman. “As we started talking about who the others were, we wanted something that obviously made sense, and we sort of established this cult as in the area, so we just started talking about it, and it seemed fun, and it has an immediate impact on one of our characters.”

‘Ghosts’ Just Expanded Its Core Universe in Season 5

Port went on to explain that using the pre-existing cult also worked from a practical standpoint as a large group of people who could’ve died on the sprawling property and gone unnoticed for the next 50 years. He told Collider:

“They seemed like people who could have credibly died underground at the mansion to us, like in that Heaven’s Gate sort of way. I have no idea if Heaven’s Gate people died underground, but it was a mass event. Then we thought it could be tied to the bunker at Woodstone, and there’s a surprising Woodstone connection to the cult that will be revealed. In the second episode back, we’re going to learn a Woodstone connection to the cult.”

Adding both a new location on the property and a nebulous number of spirits gives Ghosts another source for outside players to bounce off the main ensemble beyond patrons of the B&B. “It’s nice to be able to have ghosts pop in and out,” said Wiseman. But don’t worry, the cult won’t be stealing too much of the spotlight from the show’s beloved ensemble. Wiseman went on to say, “Similar to how we have the basement ghosts, we have the shed full of English ghosts, we have the attic with Stephanie, and now we have a bunker that has a group of ghosts, some of whom we haven’t met yet. We can always sort of justify, like, ‘Oh, there’s someone else in the back.’ So, it’s a nice way to get people in and out, since we have a restrictive rule of not being able to cross property lines.” Still, Port also joked that the B&B is more haunted than ever, making it a questionable destination for travelers, “In terms of being a bed and breakfast, though, it seems like a risky place to come stay. I wouldn’t check in. [Laughs]”

Trevor Is in His Fool Around and Find Out Era

Elsewhere in the episode, Trevor comes to a shocking — and for some, disappointing — revelation that he might reciprocate Patience’s nigh-unhinged feelings. While the moment certainly adds a complicated layer of comedy and an unexpected turn for the house’s most notorious playboy, it comes as a slight shock to see Trevor taking this route with Patience instead of his simmering situationship with Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky). When asked where this particular storyline might be heading, Port and Wiseman feel that there’s plenty of time to keep playing a bit of relationship roulette. “They’re ghosts, and their timelines are longer than ours,” said Port. “They’ve been around for a long time, so things have a long time to play out.” He went on to tease Trevor’s brief connection with Barbara (Gracie Dzienny), which may have done lasting damage to his relationship with Patience. “We did like that Trevor’s going to have an interesting connection with one of the cult members, as well, which is going to play into his situation with Patience,” said Port.

For fans hoping Trevor will ultimately find his way back to Hetty and realize they’re a “match made in heaven,” there’s still time. As Wiseman explained, last year’s two-season renewal gave the writing duo the space to play around without having to rush towards a particular endgame. He told Collider:

“And it also, as far as the long-term plans for Trevor and Patience or Trevor and Hetty, it’s sort of a luxurious situation where we were already picked up for Season 6, so we knew, creatively, we also didn’t have to rush anything. We can sort of play around and see what different combinations bring forth, etc., etc. So, it was a nice situation to be in as writers, that we didn’t have to try to, like, ‘Oh, is this the last season? Do we need to get people in a certain state?'”

‘Ghosts’ Is About to Reveal a Major Woodstone Secret

The relationship drama — and the bunker revelations — are far from over as Wiseman tees up next week’s episode, which looks to serve up some delicious conflict for Thor and Flower, as well as, Hetty and Sam (Rose McIver). Next week, in Episode 12, “The List,” Thor and Flower “have an argument over a piece of furniture, and we’re going to do a fun flashback to Thor’s original marriage during his lifetime that will inform this current argument,” teased Wiseman. “I think that’s true that a lot of people have the same issues from relationship to relationship, and Thor is no different. It’s just his relationships span a thousand years, you know?”

Meanwhile, a mysterious bunker ghost is about to come forth and perhaps reveal more about the lineage between Sam and her great great great aunt. The episode’s logline teases that “Sam and Jay work to secure Woodstone B&B a coveted spot on a prestigious luxury hotel list, only to face unexpected chaos when a vengeful newly discovered bunker ghost disrupts a crucial visit.” Wiseman went on to elaborate on what to expect saying, “We’re going to also meet that interesting connection between the Woodstone family and the cult and sort of learn why that cult ended up in that bunker.”

Ghosts is available to stream on Paramount+ and new episodes air weekly on CBS every Thursday at 8:30 PM ET. Stay tuned at Collider for more!