In this Ghosts episode “Part of the Family”, Alison faces trouble with Lucy, while the ghosts dive into Murder, She Wrote antics, writes GEMMA JOHNSON
The story of Lucy rumbles on, and it seems Alison and Mike may be heading down a rocky road from which they may never recover. Let’s face it, nobody ever really had a good feeling about Lucy from the start – right?
Each episode of Ghosts is educational. Here, we learn that ghosts are just as partial to a bit of Murder, She Wrote as we are – well, Fanny anyway. We also learn that once you have ‘the gift’, it is very difficult to turn it off, as Alison discovers when she goes for a gentle stroll with Lucy, only to be followed by an impaled guard. Delightful!
As I have mentioned before, I am a drama teacher, so any episode involving drama teaching always gets brownie points from me. Here, we see the ghosts attempting some improvisation, with mixed – but entertaining – results. Mary, for example, doesn’t quite grasp the idea of improvisation, and Robin only utters single-word answers, much to the frustration of Pat: “Flaming Nora!”.
On investigations, I always remind the juniors that the technology we have today was likely not around during the times of the spirits. We see a classic example of this when Captain dive-bombs to the ground as Mike begins to fly his drone outside.
Speaking of Murder, She Wrote, Captain and Kitty are conducting a bit of their own investigating – the target being Lucy. They quickly find out that not all is as it seems, thanks to Captain’s memory of the time he killed a seagull. He is full of random information! Fanny is living – pardon the pun – for the chance to become the icon that is Jessica Fletcher.
One of my favourite moments from this episode is Pat demonstrating the thumb trick to Robin, followed by screams of horror. Excellent work – comedy doesn’t have to involve a big build-up; sometimes, the best comedic moments are short, subtle, and sweet.
Alison has been presented with all the facts from Jessica, Columbo, and Ironside, but what will she do with that information? Will our ghostly team of detectives succeed in halting Lucy’s wicked plans? Another delightful scene shows the ghosts chasing Alison’s car down the driveway, unable to catch her. A hero is born in the shape of Humphrey – not all heroes wear capes or have bodies, for that matter.
Takeaway lessons from this episode:
- Drama skills can save lives – don’t underestimate the power of improvisation.
- Drones aren’t for everyone.
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