Ghosts Is Saying Goodbye To Its Most Important Character When Season 6 Starts

Published Oct 3, 2026, 8:46 AM EDT

Alexandria is a British-Canadian writer with a passion for network TV. 
She has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Aston University, Birmingham. After initially working as a software tester, she rekindled a passion for writing and has written for blogs and publications like Hidden Remote, Make a Living Writing, and The Daily Voice. She has interviewed various actors and showrunners, with her most memorably being Tony Shalhoub and Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

Waiting for a new season of Ghosts is always a test of patience, but the wait for Ghosts season 6 is harder than usual. While there will be two holiday specials, the regular season won't arrive until early 2027, and Woodstone Manor will experience some major changes, albeit temporarily.

Woodstone Manor has survived centuries of chaotic spectral energy. It's packed with wild powers and family drama, but it now stands on the precipice of its most radical transformation. One crucial cast member will be missing from the first part of the season, and it's not the character people would expect after the Ghosts season 5 finale.

When season 5 ended, the biggest questions were about Pete's fate and whether he would survive, which seems to be a Ghosts fake-out. After spending too long outside the house's boundary, he disappeared. Viewers have previously seen him get his body back when parts of him were still visible as he dragged himself over the invisible line, but in this case, he completely vanished. Pete's fate will be revealed in the Halloween special, making up for the 2027 delay for the majority of Ghosts season 6.

Now, it remains to be seen when another character will discover Pete's fate, and how their absence will be explained at such a crucial time for everyone living at Woodstone. This temporary absence changes the series' fundamental lore, affecting how the Main 8 can communicate with the living. It could be a positive thing for the show's character dynamics, as it will force the writers to bring in new people — or at least new-ish people — to carry the plot until one person returns.

Sam's Temporary Absence Is Confirmed When Ghosts Season 6 Begins

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Rose McIver took to Instagram to share a major life update, making it clear that Sam will be temporarily absent at the start of Ghosts season 6. The iZombie actress recently gave birth to her second child, writing that she'd been "a wee bit preoccupied." This absence is only temporary; McIver made it clear that she will "join everyone soon."

The series set up a storyline for Sam to be away at the end of the fifth season, and it was likely written purposely to handle a temporary absence. Ghosts season 5 wrapped filming in February 2026, so McIver's pregnancy would have become known around then (or soon after).

As Ghosts season 5 came to an end, Sam learned she had sold the movie rights to her novel series and that she would get to work in the writers' room. That would mean being away from Woodstone Manor for a while, as the writing would presumably take place in Los Angeles. As Woodstone is closer to New York, it makes sense for Sam to be away for a few weeks.

How Ghosts Will Continue Without Sam

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This creates a problem for the spirits in the house, as they can only communicate with the living through Sam. Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) doesn't see them, except when Sass jumps into his dreams, and in the past, he's ignored their wishes and wants when Sam has gone away. The Main 8 took to texting Kyle (Ben Feldman) during Ghosts season 5 to get him to babysit them while Sam went on a road trip for her very first book signing.

Feldman has been upped to series regular for Ghosts season 6, which hints again that the writers have already planned for McIver's absence. The last time Kyle was on the show, he and Jay finally came to a truce, opening the door for Kyle to return to the Manor when needed. This is the most obvious way to handle Rose's absence, especially since viewers and the spirits already know Kyle. It's easier than introducing a new character and new dynamics.

Another option would be to change things for Jay, giving him the power to see the Main 8 and start communicating with them. This wouldn't necessarily mean a near-death experience, but while trying to fix things for Pete's return, it could make all the ghosts visible to Jay. This would likely spell an end to the series, though, as it takes away the running gag of Jay being left out of parts of the conversation and not always realizing when a ghost has left the room.

If the series wanted to try something different, having something happen to Bela could help to add a little more comedic drama. If she could start seeing the spirits, it would reopen the flirtation with Trevor, add someone else in Jay's life who fully understands the Main 8's antics, and create new dynamics with each ghost when they can communicate directly with her.

When Does Sam Return In Ghosts

CBS

McIver didn't provide many details for her return to Ghosts. She only said she would be back with the team "soon." Neither CBS nor Ghosts has confirmed the exact time frame. It's also unclear when her absence will start. Depending on when it was filmed, she may be around for the upcoming Halloween special, which will reveal what happened to Pete at the end of Ghosts season 5 and whether he has disappeared for good.

When Sheila Carrasco, who plays Flower, was absent for maternity leave, she missed seven episodes of the truncated third season. It was a little harder for the series to manage Carrasco's pregnancy. They couldn't cover the baby bump, since the ghosts don't change their clothing. Instead, Ghosts season 3 opened with everyone believing that Flower had been "sucked off" into the afterlife, until episode 8, when they found out she had fallen down the well and was trapped.

It gives an idea as to how long Sam could be out of the show. The timing is slightly different this season when compared to Carrasco's season, though, as that was affected by the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Meanwhile, Ghosts season 6 will have two hour-long holiday specials in 2026 for Halloween and Christmas, and the rest of the 18-episode season returns in early 2027.

Either Sam is (briefly) part of the holiday specials and absent from the first episodes of the regular season, or Sam is out of the holiday specials and returns in the new year. Given the timing of McIver's post, however, it seems likely she won't return until after Ghosts' regular season run has started.

Ghosts season 6's two-part Halloween special premieres Thursday, October 29 on CBS. The Christmas special arrives December 10.

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  Rose McIver

  Samantha Arondekar

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  Utkarsh Ambudkar

  Jay Arondekar