Last Resort

This episode felt more like a season finale than a series finale. I really don't know who the curly-haired guy was who was crying in the episode; he appeared in an early episode as well. The perfect ending would have been the disappearance of all the ghosts, but did they do that? You have to see for yourself; maybe they didn't make it like a series finale because the Christmas special will be coming this year. Overall, this season could have been way better if they fast-forwarded it to 10-20 years later to show the growth of the characters and the disappearance. Instead, they made it all so predictable with effortless storytelling. This season is still good but not better than the last four seasons. I would love to see Charlotte Ritchie in some other show too; she's awesome.

That's the end of Ghosts? Forever? They could have at the very least had some of them sucked off. Anyway... This is, apparently, the last episode of the last season of the entire series. The various characters and their quirks are likeable, living or dead, and how they managed to squeeze so much out of this ensemble is testament to the writers' and actors' abilities. It's gentle, unoffensive fun. And this episode is more of the same. Clever, witty and refreshing, it entertains without hoisting social commentary up the flagpole. There's no special effects, no gimmicks, no implausible action sequences, just proper entertaining telly. You'll be missed.

I think I said in my review of season four that I was wondering whether we might have gotten all we're going to get out of the premise of the show and it turns out that the creative team are thinking something similar, as this run is the final full season of "Ghosts " which will conclude with a Christmas special later this year.

With the gatehouse burned down, Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) and Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) are struggling to get their finances in order and really need the insurance money to come through. Things only become tighter when they realise that Alison is pregnant. They decide to sell part of the land that comes with the house, but the interested party would need some of their neighbour's (Geoff McGiven) land too. The Ghosts finally get to the bottom of how both Kitty (Lolly Adefope) and The Captain (Ben Willbond) died, the struggles of Humphrey's (Laurence Rickard) marriage and Alison learns a truth about her abilities.

"Ghosts" remains the genial and amusing show it's been since the beginning. The second season added a level of pathos that the show hasn't managed to get to quite the same level again and this season doesn't either. We're definitely in 'ending mode' in this run. The shows mysteries are starting to be resolved and it looks for a while like Mike and Alison might make some hard decisions that would facilitate the end of the show. The pregnancy angle is the key through running story of the season though.

As ever, "Ghosts" biggest strength is probably the thing that also stops it achieving true greatness. It's likeable and entertaining, but never quite funny enough to match up with true top tier sitcoms. But not everything has to be the best ever and sometimes good enough is good enough.

Alison and Mike receive an unexpected and shocking offer, the developer wants the grounds, but also the house, Alison and Mike have to make a huge decision on whether to stay or sell up.

The final episode, with only the Christmas special to go, not quite as good as the previous episode, they really should have signed off with that one, but a very fine finale nonetheless.

Loved Kitty's indiscretion, I can't help but wonder if she was being dull, or just a little makeover, she certainly switched up a little bit.

Pat and Robin's disagreement was hilarious, but The Captain as ever, was spot on.

I can't say I'm much of a fan of Obi, he's a little too much, a little too dim,

A nice reference back to an early episode, where Julian had pretty much gotten away with what he did to poor Alison.

8/10.