Moonah Ston is an unforgettable “Ghosts” episode where a moon eclipse, a vile neighbour, and a ghostly ritual collide in spectacular fashion, writes GEMMA JOHNSON
Review of Moonah Ston: Ghosts BBC
If you have read any of my prior reviews of ghosts you will know that this episode is number 2 in my top 10 all-time favourite episodes. It centres around the Moon Eclipse, which is very important for Robin, and the arrival of the repugnant neighbour Barclay. It features the creation of one of the most impressively timed and co-ordinated scenes in the whole of the series.
I do not like Barclay, the only slightly redeeming element being that he has labradors which I absolutely love. So does Pat apparently, he pushes his discomfort aside to try to give the dog a cuddle, I would do the same. The dog alerts Robin to the Moon Eclipse and so the preparations begin.
But back to Barclay – he is horrible, misogynist and money grabbing oh, and he is coming round for a dinner party with his very drunk wife Bunny. Keen to impress, Alison and Mike decide to go pheasant hunting but they forget that they have to prepare the pheasant after the hunt. I don’t cope well with people being sick so the sight of Mike heaving into the sink did lead me to clicking the mute button.
Evening arrives as do Bunny and Barclay. Mary is in charge of watching over the food – nothing could possibly go wrong there! Another iconic exchange: “Mary, can’t you smell the burning?” “I always smells the burning”.
Then comes THE scene, one of the most impressive scenes I have watched within this series – actually in general and I don’t say that lightly as a drama teacher. It is time for the Moon Eclipse ritual, the ghosts are chanting around the table which is contrasted by the rather mundane dinner party happening at the table. The lights flicker, the chanting gets louder, and the pheasant stew has turned to clouds. How the actors around the table, other than Alison, managed to keep their focus is incredibly impressive.
Oh, the plague people, they don’t appear in most episodes and so I do love a good old visit to the cellar but I did wish they could intervene and stop the vile Barclay from ripping Mike off over some land.
Meanwhile, the ghosts have been distracted with a DVD of Friends – much to Thomas’ delight at discovering Rachel. Barclay on the other hand has been thwarted in his efforts by, of all ghosts, Julian – it turns out that being a sleazy politician has some benefits.
Takeaway from the episode – at some point everyone will watch an episode of friends.
Tell us your thoughts on this “Moonah Ston” episode of Ghosts in the comments section below!
Moonah Ston is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
