Community theater. It’s a gamble. Either you get a charmingly scrappy production of something vaguely familiar or… well, let’s just say it’s a roll of the dice. In this week’s Ghosts, “A Star Is Dead,” Sam’s (Rose McIver) theatrical ambitions take center stage as she throws her hat into the ring for a local production. And who better to offer guidance – or perhaps “guidance” – than Alberta (Danielle Pinnock), Woodstone Mansion’s resident jazz chanteuse?
Alberta’s coaching is a clear highlight. Given her own performing background (or at least, her claims of a performing background), the potential for both useful advice and spectacularly misguided pronouncements is high. The episode should bring a decent blend of slapstick and heart as Sam grapples with stage fright, forgotten lines, and Alberta’s… let’s call it unique style of mentorship.
Meanwhile, the ongoing saga of Sass (Román Zaragoza) and Jay’s (Utkarsh Ambudkar) dream-meddling adds another thread of weirdness to the mix. Sass, never one to let an opportunity for mischief slip by, continues his foray into the subconscious. It’s a reliable source of laughs, though one has to wonder just how long Jay’s sanity – or sleep schedule – can withstand this nightly onslaught.
“A Star Is Dead” airs Thursday, November 14 at 8:30 PM ET/PT on CBS. You can also stream it on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the following day). So, set those DVRs or prepare your streaming queues. Or, you know, do both. Just in case.
