MAJOR spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Ghosts are ahead. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, you can stream it (and the show’s previous seasons) with a Paramount+ subscription.
Thank goodness Ghosts was renewed for Season 4 because I have questions and theories after that wild finale! After learning that Pete could travel outside the boundaries of the manor, he decided to go on a vacation. However, when he started disappearing, he panicked, and so did I.
Now, I need to know why his limbs were leaving him. But we’ll have to wait for the next season to premiere on the fall 2024 TV schedule for answers. So, for now, let’s talk about the theory I’ve developed about all this.
What Happened To Pete In Ghosts Season 3 Finale?
Before we get into theories, let’s quickly recap what happened to Richie Moriarty’s character. In Season 3’s penultimate episode, “The Traveling Agent,” we learn more about Pete’s ghost power. We came to understand that he could leave the everchanging manor’s boundaries, and travel around.
The limits of this power – as of that episode – didn't exist. So, he decided to take advantage of it and travel to St. Lucia to visit his family on vacation. While there, he met Donna, a good-looking hotel ghost from the ‘80s with whom he strikes up a romance.
Then, out of nowhere, Pete’s leg disappeared! He immediately panicked, understandably, and he had a conversation with Donna about what was happening. They don’t know if he’s being sucked off or the equivalent of dying for a ghost, and because of that the former travel agent high tales it back to the manor.
By the time he got back, Pete was missing an arm, a leg and a few other body parts. However, they reappeared right when he walked back into the house. So, this begs the question: What on Earth was going on with Pete?
I Think What Happened To Pete Comes Off As A Limitation To His Ghost Power, But I Think He Was Being Sucked Off
No matter why he was disappearing, Pete was not ready to move on, and that’s why he booked it back to Sam and Jay’s home. While this immediately came off as a limitation to his power, I also think he was so satisfied on this vacation, and he was finally living out his dream of traveling the world and being with his family, that he was being slowly sucked off…for lack of a better term.
Donna noted in the episode that it seemed like Pete was “fading into oblivion.” However, he also said that his days in St. Lucia were the “best of [his] entire existence.” This led his new gal pal to point out that “deep down” the ghosts really just want to move on, they don’t want to stay spirits forever.
So, I don’t think Pete was facing a limitation of his power, I think he was moving forward to the next thing, just slowly.
While we thought Flower had been sucked off, she was very much still around, she was just stuck in a well. In three seasons, none of the core ghosts have been sucked off. I think Pete facing this existential issue of whether he wants to move on or stay in the manor is fascinating. It also addresses a bigger question about living on that all the ghosts need to face, and I can’t wait to learn more about it in Season 4.
If this is a limit on his power, and it leads to him dying for good and “fading into oblivion,” it would make it so he couldn’t fulfill his dream of traveling, and that would just be sad. Ghosts is a fun and optimistic show, so I’d like to believe that his body parts disappearing was a sign that he’s almost ready to move forward.
Along with developments like Jay being able to communicate with Sass, I think this update about Pete’s ghost power and future is fascinating, and I can’t wait to learn more about it in Season 4!
