Patience Arrives in Ghosts season 4: Unpacking Woodstone's Spooky New Resident!
Ghosts Season 4: A Puritan's Tale and Mary Holland's Breakout Role
Ghosts season 4 kicked off with a new addition, a brand new spooky resident! That is Mary Holland's Patience; a Puritan ghost with a surprisingly sympathetic backstory; a somewhat shocking but intriguing introduction in that first episode! While Patience appears initially threatening – she did kidnap Isaac after all (at the end of season 3)!—that new episode “Patience” revealed far more of that past and character traits and her personality. And let's be real – there were some great additions and great plot points already from the prior season, showing a very well planned and well developed storyline!
The Ghosts cast is already wonderfully weird – including a Viking, a Native American, a hippie, an ’80s scout leader, a Gilded Age aristocrat, a hard-partying ’00s stockbroker, a flapper-era singer, and a Revolutionary War officer! Adding another element adds even more unexpected characters which will impact the main story arc; further setting this amazing show up for continued success. The inclusion of yet another important character like Patience, an outcast Puritan who has been seemingly ignored by all of the existing cast who is now finally coming to life; helps enhance the overarching storyline's depth and richness for every ongoing plot point. The potential for greater audience engagement will definitely come with Patience’s character's introduction and continued prominence, enhancing those story arcs for greater narrative success. That delay in developing Jay's character really lacked that depth. Yet with this introduction – the whole thing got a lot better.
Patience's History: Rejection, Abandonment, and a Long Road to Woodstone
Patience has existed a long time, existing for ages just below Woodstone – yet was never considered significant to any events shown before! “Patience” begins in 1692 – Patience got kicked out of her Puritan colony (far too pious, even by Puritan standards)! This reveals something: she isn't just evil or crazy; those flaws were created and emphasized by external rejection by those people surrounding her! And this makes a lot of sense considering Isaac's initial treatment; causing Patience’s initial hostility, considering that long history and rejection!
Those details build her character’s present story and emphasizes what's happened before–her ongoing struggle with finding connections; resulting in those important and unexpected interactions with existing Ghosts and the way she reacts towards those who'd treat her badly which would completely justify some problematic behavior. This approach; the willingness to go back through a character's history greatly contributes to improving this character's ongoing character arc and the ways in which she would behave throughout this new arc.
Finding Acceptance (and a New Family)
Patience's initial goal? Keeping Isaac with her after he gets rejected at the altar! But eavesdropping shows the other ghosts making fun of her. She then decides to set them all free in the main house; but with this she makes another painful admission, recognizing she didn’t truly belong. And this is really important – this doesn’t simply depict a character as just “evil”. Patience’s actions show emotional struggle, remorse, and a longing for acceptance.
Those ghosts (and even Isaac’s admission!) help rescue Patience through a bizarre yet memorable method – and ends with those moments demonstrating this unlikely family bonds as an unlikely family which was truly endearing to watch, enhancing that wonderful camaraderie and acceptance emphasized within the series.
Meet Mary Holland: The Actor Behind Patience
Mary Holland has come far before landing Patience! She totally stole the show as the charming and very quirky artist in Happiest Season (2020); adding more prominence; even getting that co-writing credit! And her impressive track record with small roles: Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mindy Project, The Good Place, New Girl, Veep, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend all gave the fanbase another key element to look for; something to further help recognize Mary’s skill, while highlighting just how diverse her career actually was and has become over the past decade; showcasing her versatile acting talent that makes the role of Patience a natural fit!
Conclusion: Patience's Story is Only Just Beginning
Patience is not a character defined by simply evil. She is wonderfully multifaceted and complex, demonstrating how her earlier behavior comes directly from a history of rejection! And Mary Holland’s arrival only builds this storyline – providing new ways for further story-telling that creates more exciting plot developments. It showcases great development – that deep exploration of her emotional depths is amazing! While this initial foray might have emphasized that “scary ghost” introduction, her continuing arc might just get more important! Even other supporting characters from earlier seasons lack those kinds of stories, emphasizing how effective Patience’s arc actually was and will remain, demonstrating that clever additions do help strengthen existing storylines in unexpected ways. Those small decisions greatly impacted how much audience engagement might really become possible and helped improve upon earlier storytelling decisions which could benefit from those kinds of creative efforts, leading to better future narratives that continue building the characters in a coherent way. It's awesome and something great to anticipate. That storyline arc has immense potential, setting a compelling character to explore throughout season 4 of Ghosts. Expect big things!
