Every actor on Ghosts brings distinct character choices to every episode. It’s no easy feat to play someone frozen in time, but this ensemble mashes the styles and tones of each Woodstone Manor resident so well that it offers a timeless comedic edge that other ensembles could only dream of. It’s easy to see how Danielle Pinnock’s Alberta is a fan favorite. She oozes charisma and is never inhibited by her fellow spirits. In a lot of ways, Alberta was ahead of her time, and Pinnock is eager to
A jazz singer whose mysterious murder has haunted her for decades, Alberta continually ponders about how her legacy was cut short. We have no say in who carries the torch forward for us after we pass, and obsessive Todd doesn’t look like the right person to secure the legend of Alberta’s voice and powerful stage presence. Throughout Ghosts‘ sophomore season, it’s hinted that Alberta’s case is about to be cracked wide open.
Alberta’s murder isn’t an open and shut or easy arc. Season two wisely brings us back to the struggle for answers several times before the story is concluded by the season’s end. It shows Pinnock’s character the respect she deserves from showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman that they don’t try to tidily wrap Alberta’s murder plot in an episode or two. When Alberta’s great-grandniece, Alicia, comes to Woodstone exploring Alberta’s history, it shifts the story into a higher gear. Alberta’s beef with Rebecca Wisocky’s Hetty in the final episodes of season two are a true lesson in forgiveness.
Alberta has been silent because her death stopped her trajectory, but Pinnock breathes exciting life into a character who refuses to be left behind. Alberta has always had a big voice, but now that an important chapter has reached its conclusion, that irresistible sound soars to new heights.
Ghosts is streaming now on Paramount+.
