WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT GHOSTS!The fifth season finale of Ghosts concluded with a dramatic twist, leaving viewers in suspense as ghost Pete Martino vanished after straying too far from Woodstone Mansion. Richie Moriarty, who brings Pete to life, is now pondering the character’s destiny and his own role in the popular CBS comedy. Pete’s spectral journey began after he was fatally hit by an arrow in 1985 while leading the Pinecone Troopers. As a ghost, he discovered he could venture beyond the mansion’s confines—but with the caveat that parts of him would disappear if he lingered away too long.
In the gripping season finale, characters Sam (played by Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) sought to secure the mansion’s future by having it designated as a historical landmark, thereby thwarting plans by the water company, Ever Creek, to demolish it. Pete joined Jay and Kyle (Ben Feldman) on a mission to England, aiming to find a portrait of the cholera ghost Nancy (Betsy Sodaro), which would reveal her royal lineage and solidify the mansion’s landmark status. However, the trip extended beyond expectations, causing Pete to start fading. By the episode’s conclusion, he had completely vanished, leaving fans anxious about his return to the series.
In a discussion with Variety, Moriarty shared that he awaits word from Ghosts creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman regarding Pete’s fate. He expressed concern that it might be time for one of the show’s main ghostly characters—Alberta, Flower, Hetty, Isaac, Thorfinn, Trevor, Pete, or Sasappis—to depart.
Ghosts’ Richie Moriarty Fears The Worst For Pete
In an interview with Variety, Moriarty revealed that he’s still waiting to hear from Ghosts showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman about Pete’s future, but he fears the worst because it might be time to let one of the eight main ghosts–Alberta, Flower, Hetty, Isaac, Thorfinn, Trevor, Pete, and Sasappis–go.
Moriarty explained, “They got back in the writers’ room about a week ago, and they’re trying to figure it. Everyone, the whole cast is a little nervous, including myself, obviously. We’re five seasons into this show, and we haven’t yet lost any of the main eight ghosts. I think at a certain point, as hard as it may be, you do kind of have to lose someone to keep the stakes of the show feeling real. So, I don’t know what they’re going to decide to do. I’m anxiously awaiting the news! I hope for my sake that it’s not Pete, but we’ll see.”
In the Ghosts season 2 finale, a ghost ascended to Heaven (or was “sucked off,” as the ghosts say), and season 3 began with the spirits and fans believing that it was Flower (Sheila Carrasco). However, the show eventually revealed that she had fallen into a well, and it was actually cholera ghost Ralph (Tyler Alvarez) who’d moved on. Moriarty shared that he thought that another twist like this could be a detriment to Ghosts. He stated, “I think it starts to feel cheap if you do it too much.”
If this is the end for Pete, Moriarty is thankful for the time that he had with Ghosts. He said, “We’ll see what they’ll do. Look, this show has been like the greatest. It’s been so fun. The fact that we are finished with five seasons, and we’re going to be filming the 100th episode a couple months into season 6, we feel so damn lucky that we’ve gotten to do this thing at all. Six seasons of anything is so unusual in this industry. So it just feels so grateful for the time I’ve had on the show.”
Ghosts’ Showrunners Share That Pete’s Fate Will Be Revealed Sooner Than Later
Although Ghosts won’t return until midseason 2027, the series will have Halloween and Christmas specials, airing in 2026. Showrunners Port and Wiseman shared that Pete’s fate will be revealed when the show returns for those specials. Wiseman told Deadline that the episodes “aren’t going to be free standing. We are going to deal with the Pete cliffhanger.”
Wiseman explained, “They will sort of be part of the season, so I look at it as we’re just premiering a couple weeks later than usual, and…we’re getting an hour-long Halloween special for the first time. The Halloween episodes are always a fan favorite. They’re the writers’ favorite. They’re really fun to do. So we’re getting an hour, and then we’re doing another Christmas hour-long special, which we’ve done a few times now, and those always turn out great. So we’re just starting out next season with a bang, and I think they’re going to be promoted heavily, and we’ll get a lot of eyeballs and a lot of excitement for when we then do start airing ‘regular episodes.’”
Moriarty Shares His Idea For A Ghosts Spin-Off Starring Pete
Moriarty stated that, because of Pete’s ghost power of being able to leave the property, he has an idea for a CBS crime procedural spin-off for his Ghosts character. He told Variety, “It is kind of the coolest ghost power, because I get to do a lot more and meet more people. It feels so ripe for the spin-off where I’m paired with Samantha or even Ben Feldman’s character [Kyle], solving crimes. Send Pete to Dallas to find out who really shot JFK. He’d chat with the other Dallas ghosts, and they’d help him solve mysteries.”
Moriarty shared that he’s even pitched his idea to Port and Wiseman. He said, “It does feel like it’s ripe for something like that, a comedic spin on a crime-solving procedural.”
Pete’s disappearance during the Ghosts season 5 finale was shocking and disturbing, but also beautiful. Pete sacrificed himself for Sam and Jay, knowing that he might disappear completely before he returned to Woodstone, but still allowing Jay and Kyle to complete their task in order to save the mansion. This was a welcome change considering that the ghosts are usually sabotaging Sam and Jay, mostly in unintentional ways. However, just because Pete vanished doesn’t mean that Moriarty has to leave the show; after all, the supernatural aspect of the series makes anything possible.
Moriarty has done such a fantastic job of portraying the idealistic ghost, and it’s going to be intriguing to see how Pete’s disappearance affects his relationship with his girlfriend, fellow ghost Alberta (Danielle Pinnock). This is one of the most shocking cliffhangers in Ghosts history, and it’ll be worth the wait until Halloween to find out what really happened to Pete.
Sources: Variety, Deadline
- Release Date
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October 7, 2021
- Network
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CBS
- Directors
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Christine Gernon, Jaime Eliezer Karas, Katie Locke O’Brien, Nick Wong, Jude Weng, Pete Chatmon, Richie Keen, Alex Hardcastle, Kimmy Gatewood, Matthew A. Cherry, Cortney Carrillo
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Rose McIver
Samantha Arondekar
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Utkarsh Ambudkar
Jay Arondekar
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Brandon Scott Jones
Isaac Higgintoot
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Danielle Pinnock
Alberta Haynes