Ghosts – Alberta’s Podcast

In 1926 Harlem at Little Charlie’s Nightclub, the headliner Clara (Mercedes Morris) is a no-show for her show. Needing a replacement, Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) is asked by the stage manager (Andrew Searles) to move up from backup singer to fill in for Clara that night. At first Alberta sasses the staff, but then immediately takes the stage, winning over the crowd with her vocals.  

In present day Sam (Rose McIver), Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), Trevor (Asher Grodman), Pete (Richie Moriarity), and Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) are deep into a murder podcast. Trevor laments the tragic end of the victim named Hailey as Alberta and Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) enter the room and question what the group is listening to. As Sam explains the premise of a podcast, Pete suggests that Sam do a murder podcast about Alberta. Sam pitches the idea to Jay and he loves it, believing that gaining an audience via podcast will drum up business for the B&B. Sam decides to pitch the idea to her boss Louis at the Ulster County Review.  

As Alberta tries to coach Sam on how to pitch the podcast, Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) comes barreling down the stairs and interrupts with her complaints about the old, rickety washing machine that has kept her from sleeping. Sam assures Hetty that Jay is on top of it, but Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long) breaks the bro code by ratting out Jay for being more involved with his video games than fixing the machine. Against the idea of ratting out others, Alberta chastises Thorfinn for squealing on Jay and goes into her anti-rat musical number…a song that Thorfinn loathes as he had it stuck in his head for a long while the last time Alberta sang it.  

At the meeting with Lewis (Ravi Patel) we see that Sam’s idea is well received as he loves the premise that Sam lives in the house where Alberta was murdered. However, to go through with the Ulster County Review hosting the podcast Sam will need an expert to join her on air. Lewis does a quick search and comes across none other than Todd Pearlman (Rodrigo Fernandez Stoll), Alberta’s creepy superfan and the curator of the Alberta Haynes Museum. Sam tries to advise again working with Todd, but Louis gives her a hefty ultimatum: No Todd, No Pod.  

Back at Woodstone we see Hetty continue to complain about the broken washing machine. Flower (Sheila Carrasco) watches in some amusement as Hetty gripes about the lack of quiet and loses her cool watching Jay continue to turn the machine on. Flower suggests to Hetty that she should take advantage of the broken washing machine by sitting on top of it. While wary of the idea, Hetty sits on the machine and unbeknownst to her becomes aroused. Flower leaves Hetty to it.  

Sam returns from the meeting with Louis and tells Jay and the ghosts about the caveat of having Todd run the podcast with her. Alberta is dismayed and hopes that Sam did not agree to do the podcast, finding out that Sam has instead invited Todd to come back as evidenced by his hasty arrival to the house. In addition to gifting Sam and Jay his self-published book about Alberta, Todd has brought all his research and artifacts from his museum to Woodstone to provide authenticity to their podcast. Sam and Jay head out to Todd’s car to help him bring in the artifacts.  

Alberta continues to freak out over Todd being at the house, but a relaxed Hetty descends the stairs and tries assuring Alberta that everything is fine. While Isaac is confused to Hetty’s lucid state and Hetty believes the secret of the washing machine is magic, Flower explains to Hetty that the reason she feels this way is the broken washing machine made her sexually aroused. Appalled at her behavior, Hetty vows to stay away from the broken machine. Unfortunately, that is short lived as Hetty finds she has no willpower and while walking down the hallway, goes to sit on the machine again. 

As Sam, Jay and Todd continue to empty out Todd’s car of all his Alberta memorabilia, Alberta sees that Todd is in possession of her old table. Jay realizes that the table has a false bottom and Alberta pleads with Sam to keep Jay from opening it. Sadly, it is too little too late as Jay opens a secret compartment in the table and Todd pulls out the mystery item…Alberta’s diary. Sam tries to tell Todd to respect Alberta’s privacy, but Todd is thinking that the diary will provide vital information that they could use for their podcast. Todd’s slow reading not only frustrates Trevor, Sasappis and Isaac, but gives Sam the opportunity to get the real story from Alberta as to what she wants to keep hidden in her diary.  

Realizing that she has no choice, Alberta explains that the night she got her big break at Little Charlie’s Nightclub she is the reason Clara did not make it to the show that night. Clara was arrested for bootlegging and Alberta was the one who ratted her out. Sam assures Alberta that her fans will not be as bothered by this big secret, but once Todd reads said secret he is shocked and feels he no longer knows Alberta.  

Hetty decides that she needs to sit down with Flower and share her shame in sitting once more on the broken washing machine. Flower explains to Hetty that times have changed, that she is in control of her own body and she deserves to feel good. Even when Hetty quips that they still need men to build a washing machine, Flower is quick to tell her that women can do things that men were once known for.  

Deciding to find out why Alberta ratted out Clara, Sam, Sasappis, and Pete go to talk with her. While Alberta comes off as a confident woman, she found that the way she looked meant more than her talent when she was alive. Flashback to her audition at Little Charlie’s Nightclub, Alberta was passed over for Clara due to Clara’s thin stature. It did not matter that Clara did not have the vocals that Alberta did, especially when Alberta explains Clara’s inability to hit a High C. Showing her vulnerability, Sam, Sasappis and Pete tell Alberta that her vulnerability makes her relatable and her decision makes them love her even more. Feeling empowered by their words, Alberta tells Sam to do the podcast. Later on during the podcast Todd agrees with Sam’s theory and even pulls out his book to look at a picture of Clara. Isaac and Sasappis immediately recognize Clara and tell Sam, Alberta and Trevor that she was at the house the night that Alberta was murdered. They may have their first potential lead on Alberta’s killer. While this juicy conversation is going on, Todd notices that Sam spaces out a lot and tells her so. 

Finally taking care of the broken washing machine, Jay is talking with the delivery men of the new machine while Hetty comes barreling out of the house. She is distraught upon learning that Jay has finally gotten a new machine and goes to say a final goodbye to the old machine. Flower comes out of the house and tells Hetty that there are other ways to get that same feeling, offering her hand to Hetty to walk and talk with her.