To Die For: My thoughts on Drop Dead Diva

Courtesy of Amazon

After I had binged the first few seasons of Sweet Magnolias, I was interested in seeing Brooke Elliott in Drop Dead Diva. At the time, I couldn't find it streaming anywhere. Then, this past summer, I noticed it was streaming on the CW and decided that this was the time to finally check it out. I'm so glad I did, as I really loved this series and am now going through withdrawal. 

I honestly had no idea what Drop Dead Diva was really about. I thought it might have been about someone who was possessed, but wasn't sure what the whole premise was. So I was pleasantly surprised about everything. This was totally the perfect show for me. I call it a mix of Legally Blonde and Freaky Friday. There's even a bit of Ally McBeal mixed in. I love surreal storylines, so this was my jam. 

Short synopsis that won't give much away: 

Deb Dobkins, an aspiring model who is engaged to hot attorney Grayson, gets into a car accident on her way to work and dies. At the same time, Jane Bingum, an attorney, gets shot by a man who is going after her boss. Deb gets to purgatory where she meets Fred. While he's trying to tell her what comes next, she hits the return button on his computer and gets sent back to earth...in Jane's body. Now she has to live life as Jane, which includes being a lawyer equipped with Jane's knowledge, and Fred is sent back to earth as her guardian angel to make sure she doesn't tell Grayson who she really is. The complicated part...Grayson now works with Jane. And Jane looks the complete opposite of what Deb looked like. 

Why you should watch Drop Dead Diva:

1. If you like rom-coms, this is six seasons of rom-com goodness. 

2. If you like mysteries, think of Jane as Nancy Drew. Trying to resolve court cases involves a lot of detective work. 

3. The law cases are so interesting and some are actually relevant to 2025, almost like someone predicted the future.

4. There's some singing and dancing involved.

5. The supporting characters are so great. Even Kim Kaswell, who is not always that nice.

6. Lots of celebrity appearances by actors you may have seen on other shows, as well as some big names like Paula Abdul, Rosie O'Donnell, and John Ratzenberger. Kim Kardashian is even on a few episodes. Margaret Cho is one of the main supporting characters. There are many other faces you will recognize throughout the six seasons!

7. There is a decent amount of humor, which balances out some of the heavier subject matter (such as the court cases). 

8. Even though each episode is 45 minutes, they go by fast and are easily bingeable. 

9. Easy to get emotionally attached to the characters and storyline. 

10. A nice distraction from real life, even when some of the court cases hit close to home. 

Check out the trailer. If you have seen this series, keep scrolling after the trailer for my thoughts with SPOILERS.

 

Thoughts with SPOILERS:

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I have so many thoughts about this series. And watching the trailer reminds me of how much has happened in just the first season that I forgot about. 

First I want to talk about the characters. 

Jane/Deb: She's a very likable main character. It became hard to separate Jane from Deb after a while because they just became one unit: Jane's brains with Deb's personality. It was a fun combination. Deb definitely reminded me of Elle Woods when she was in court. However, it got to this point where I was able to take her seriously as a lawyer because she developed a passion for it that she might not have had if she had not died and become Jane. It was like they complemented each other. I also love how she had these connections with both Jane and Deb's moms. Deb was just so natural as Jane after a while and I love how she gave her so much flair. 

Courtesy of TV Guide

Stacy: I totally adore Stacy. Even the couple of times she was awful, I still found it hard to stay angry at her. So I can imagine it must have been a lot harder for Jane, since she was the one being wronged. I had never seen April Bowlby in anything before but I just really loved her as Stacy. Her different hairstyles, the way she talked, her smile, how she would give really good advice, etc. She initially reminded me of Audrey Landers, who played Val in the movie of A Chorus Line (the one who sings about T&A). Anyway, my favorite bit of Stacy's was when she started the pakery. It was so fitting for her personality and I was actually sad when she sold it. She also provided a decent amount of comic relief on the show. Also, she looked better without bangs.

Courtesy of TVRuckus

Grayson: At first, I wasn't sure if I liked Grayson. He seemed too perfect. However, I warmed to him pretty quickly and really wanted him and Jane to be together, even though Fred (and later Cam) was making that impossible. He was really attractive and I wished I watched this show back when it was first on so I could cast the actor who plays him (Jackson Hurst) as the love interest in the books I was reading at the time. I picture him in some books I'm currently reading, even though the actor is older now (still younger than me though and still handsome). I was so annoyed that they killed him off a few episodes before the end of the series, even though they brought him back in someone else's body. (That guy was attractive too, but it felt so odd.) 

Courtesy of Hallmark Channel

Kim: Kim is technically the mean girl in the office, but I also liked her a lot. When she was not on the show for a while, I missed her. Beneath her acerbic barbs is a vulnerable woman looking for love and getting screwed over in that department. I love how becoming a mother softened her up even more and she was suddenly helping people she might not have helped before. And even though she didn't always see eye-to-eye with Jane, there were times that she had some really good moments with her. 

Courtesy of Medium

Owen: I'm torn over what to think of Owen. At times he can be a jerk about anything and everything. Other times, he's so sweet and lovable. Did I think he was the right match for Jane? Not necessarily. I think that if things were different and someone else checked on Jane first when she didn't show up at the altar, Owen wouldn't have seen her kissing Grayson and the wedding would have happened, but then at some point later on, she'd realize they really weren't the right fit because Grayson was her soulmate. Anyway, I digress. I felt bad for Owen over what happened at the wedding and was also glad he and Stacy ended up together even though it initially felt wrong. I loved his vulnerability when it came to being with Stacy. However, I felt like he could have accepted that Jane was truly sorry and did want to be with him. He also had some unconventional ways of handling some of his court cases, like telling a family to secede from the US, for example. 

Courtesy of IMDb

Teri: Teri was really funny and quirky and provided the perfect balance for Jane. I love that she was played by Margaret Cho, who is really funny to begin with. I actually met her in 2001, when she must have been a teenager because she still looked really young in 2009. Anyway, Teri got herself into some interesting situations from time to time, but I also loved how efficient she was at her job and how helpful she was to Jane and sometimes the other lawyers, as well as to Stacy with her pakery. I actually love how she and Stacy formed a bond at one point. 

Courtesy of TV Guide

Meeting Margaret in 2001

Fred: Fred was such a sweetheart and my favorite of the guardian angels. I was sad when Stacy cheated on him and then he ended up leaving for the second time. I was glad when he came through for Grayson later on. I know Ben Feldman has been on other shows, but I associate him with Ghosts first after seeing him on one episode. I just started watching Superstore (perhaps to combat my Fred withdrawal). He does a voice on Long Story Short, as well.

Courtesy of MovieWeb

Parker: I was back and forth on whether or not I liked Parker. He could be so difficult sometimes, especially when it came to the cases Jane was working on. He also had a sweet side when it came to Kim, and I appreciated his vulnerability after finding out he had a son, but I then hated that he just left Kim while she was pregnant and that was it. 

Courtesy of Amazon

Paul: I know there was a guardian angel after Fred and before Paul, but he was just on one season and kind of annoying, even though he did some nice things here and there. Paul, however, was a lot of fun. He took his role as guardian angel seriously, but nothing else besides that. He also played guardian angel to some of the other characters, without implicitly saying so. Overall, he was a nice guy and easy on the eyes. I found out through IMDb that he was also on the new 90210 for a while. I think that's why he looked familiar, but I can't remember his role on that show at all.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

Celebrity guest star appearances:

So, so many! Where do I even start?!?

Faith Prince as Elaine Bingum. I still think of her as Adelaide from Guys and Dolls because I used to listen to the cast recording from the early 90s revival all the time. She was so perfect as Jane's mom, who was always getting herself into trouble.

Sharon Lawrence as Bobbi Dobkins. She was a great fit as Deb's mom. I don't recall where else I've seen her, but I know she's been on other shows. And Deb's mom had to appear in court a few times too.

John Ratzenberger as Larry Kaswell (Kim's dad). He was a great fit for this part. Who doesn't recognize him from Cheers or as the voice of many Pixar characters?

Rosie O'Donnell and Paula Abdul were on a bunch of episodes. Rosie as a real life judge and Paula as a dream judge, who got to sing and dance.

Greg Germann, who I knew as Fish from Ally McBeal, played a judge on this show.

There was one episode that featured Betty's mom from Riverdale (Madchen Amick), Sam from Cobra Kai (Mary Mouser), and Christy Masters Christenson from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (Julia Campbell).

Moira "Toe-pick" Kelly was on an episode. Her character wrote an erotic novel that was being plagiarized. 

Jamie Ray Newman, who I just saw on Hunting Wives, was in a bunch of episodes as a love interest for Grayson. (The one who ditched him at the altar.)

David Denman from The Office played a love interest for Jane. That fell apart when he was transferred out of state.

Brandy Norwood (yes, the singer) played the mom of Parker's son, whom he eventually left Kim to be with.

Kim Kardashian played Stacy's supposed friend Nikki, who ended up scamming her and taking all her money.

Corbin Bleu from High School Musical played a guy who was in prison for something he didn't do and was being told to confess anyway in order to go free.

Ian Gomez, who played the beloved Javier on Felicity, was not such a nice character this time around and was actually a scam artist.

Joan Rivers and Valerie Harper were on a couple episodes.

Devon Gummersall from My So-Called Life and Felicity was Jane's husband whom Deb didn't know about.

Amanda Bearse from Married With Children played a judge.

Wynn Everett was on an episode, which is funny because she plays Dana Sue's sister-in-law on Sweet Magnolias.

Doug Savant, who played Tom on Desperate Housewives, was an Amish farmer.

There were also appearances from Kathy Najimy, Marla Sokoloff, Elliot Gould, Delta Burke, Sean Maher, Chuck Woolery, Cybil Shepherd, Ricki Lake, Leslie Grossman, Tony Goldwyn, Jennifer Tilly, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Howard Hesseman, Kathy Griffin, Lance Bass, Richard Kind, Rick Springfield, Liza Minelli, Vivica A. Fox, Clay Aiken, Sam Jaeger, Kellie Martin, LeAnn Rimes, Michael Gross, Deidre Hall, Teri Polo, Wanda Sykes, Jaleel White, Nia Vardalos, Riki Lindhome, Robin Givens, Mario Lopez, Patty Duke, and the list goes on. 

Funny enough, I saw an actor from Diva in a movie recently. Kenny Alfonso, who frequently played this one obnoxious lawyer on opposing counsel, was in Jerry and Marge Go Large.

Court cases:

I don't know that I could pick a favorite episode, but there were some memorable court cases. Some were so relevant to 2025, such as the ones about immigration and LGBTQ+. 

There's one court case that's the same as the situation in the musical The Prom. Diva came out before The Prom, but when I looked up more information, I found out that The Prom was based on a true story, which I assume was used for Diva too. So I have to wonder how many other cases were based on true stories. 

A couple other court cases were centered on people who were transgender. In one case, a trans woman's wife passed away and her in-laws did not want her to have any access to her late wife's assets because she was trans. In another case, an adolescent trans boy was being discriminated against in school. The principal supported him but then she got fired for it. The head of the school board was such a jerk. The heartbreaking part was that the boy said he would go back to being a girl if it meant he could go to school, but then that was bad for his mental health and he ended up injuring himself. 

I feel like it's been a while since I've seen the show, even though I only finished it recently. There were just so many interesting court cases and I'm trying to remember which ones stood out the most. Here are a few:

A custody battle over a chimpanzee. The man was more connected with the chimpanzee and the woman wanted to keep him out of spite. There were a lot of other custody cases too. One involved a man who had amnesia for nine years and was being kept from seeing his son.  Another involved Parker when his ex-girlfriend wants to move with their son to Canada. There were also more cases involving animals, such as a camel, pedigreed dog, rat, etc. 

There were some cases about bullying, such as a girl posting pictures of another girl who was partially clad online, as well as the one about the cheerleading squad, where it turned out the plaintiff was lying to get publicity. There's also the one where a girl gets accused of murdering her classmate because the classmate accused her of cheating on an exam. 

There are some situations involving old Jane where Jane/Deb has to backtrack and figure out what really happened. Those had a Cold Case feel. Some cases were against Stacy and Teri, as well. 

There were a bunch of cases about medical issues and kids potentially dying without treatment. I was relieved when they won those cases and the kids were able to live, but it's sad that anyone would choose money over someone's life. 

There were also a lot of cases involving body image, as well as ageism. Those cases usually centered around models, although Jane had a case involving herself and a store that didn't have dresses in her size. 

Some cases involved people changing their identity and having it catch up to them. A couple times was because they were fugitives.

Aside from the trans case, there were some others involving death and burial rights. Someone wanted custody over her late fiancee's ashes. Another wanted to bury his wife in his backyard, per her wishes.

There were quirky cases, such as the medieval battle and the pake-off. 

A lot of divorce cases. Probably a few in every season.

A lot of cases were murder mysteries and Jane went into Nancy Drew mode to solve them. 

The case that infuriated me the most was when the housewife was arrested for treason because of her Internet search history. Everyone was so unreasonable about it too. It could have taken place now, given how people are accused of being criminals when they've done nothing wrong. 

I lost track of how many times someone said "We'll see you in court." 😂

Other thoughts:

There are little things on the show that I sometimes questioned. Like the way time worked. Jane had a birthday in the first season. Then she just stopped having birthdays while we know she was aging, thanks to some characters having babies. Like we knew that nine months had passed a couple times during the series. Also, the court cases would somehow last all day or maybe they'd go into the next day? It felt like each time there was a big court case, the day went very, very, very long. 

There was one episode that paid tribute to Old Jane. And we got to see her go back to earth as Brittany. However, there wasn't much focus on Old Jane's life. I would have liked for there to be an episode that went back in time and showed us what things were like for Old Jane. 

Stacy told Grayson that Jane was Deb and he was speculating on it for a while. Then in the final season, Stacy denied ever telling this to Grayson. Like it never happened.

How easy is it to just switch out the reason for being in court in such a short period of time? Like the original reason for being there didn't work, so they just jumped in and changed the entire reason. 

Is it me or did the court building look phallic? 

Why didn't they change the name to Kaswell and French after Kim and Owen took over the firm? 

The series finale could have taken out the court case and just focused on Deb and Grayson being a couple in the bodies of new people, as well as more about Stacy's twins and then having her wedding at a different time. More characters should have been given closure, as well. 

If you watched Drop Dead Diva, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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How it all began: My thoughts on Ghosts UK

 

Courtesy of X-Geeks

As you may know by now, I'm a huge fan of the US version of Ghosts. People had been recommending the UK version and I was dragging my feet on watching it. I finally caved and binged all five seasons (about seven 30-minute episodes each) in a few weeks' time. Everything from here on out is my opinion or observation. If you like the UK version better than the US version, I don't fault you for that at all. Everyone has different tastes. I looked for as much positive as I could to share in this post, while also sticking to my overall thoughts.

Did I like it?

Yes, overall it was likable and kept me watching, wanting to see what would happen.

Do I like it as much as the US version?

No. Not even close. I could say I have a bias toward the US series, but I really wanted to like the UK version just as much, and unfortunately I didn't. 

Who's my favorite character?

Alison. She's not a ghost, but she's the only one I truly love on this series.

So who's my favorite ghost then?

Kitty is at the top of my list, followed by the Captain. 

Any favorite funny moments?

When Julian is trying to tell Mike that there are two robbers in the house but wants to expand on that and accidentally tells him there are 20 robbers. 

When Mary is describing the party that Thomas was attending, but her descriptions are outlandish and have people floating with wine coming out of their ears.

Any favorite sweet moments?

When Mike takes over the kids' birthday party. It's just so heartwarming!

Should you watch it?

Sure, if you enjoy British humor. This series is slightly heavier than the US version, but still has a lot of lighthearted moments.

I will share a trailer here, but the rest of my thoughts are below with spoilers, for those who have seen this series. 

 

Thoughts with SPOILERS (including ones for the US version):

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A big part of me just wants to make comparisons to the US version. It's not fair to the UK version because they came first. I just can't help myself though! I can see where some of the plot ideas for the US version got their roots. However, I like what the US version did with these ideas more. Same with the characters and who they inspired for the US version. Before I make any comparisons, I'm going to list my pros and cons for this version. 

Pros:

The opening credits are cool. Has this dollhouse feel and I like the music too, which still gets in my head.

The mansion has more of a haunted feel than Woodstone. 

Alison is a genuinely great person and I adore everything about her. I actually wish she'd move to Woodstone so I could see her more often. 

Some humorous moments. 

The extra ten minutes an episode gives more time to establish the plot. (However, it also feels slower at times.)

I love that the ghosts can laugh at themselves. It's endearing. 

The ghosts also play basement ghosts.

Some storylines were not used in the US version and I liked that I was seeing something different here and there.

There was clearly something that kept me watching. A coziness factor, perhaps.

Cons:

The ghosts all talk over each other so it's hard to hear what is being said. Too chaotic for me.

Mary got sucked off in the middle of the series. No one even got to say goodbye to her. And we witnessed her being sucked off so it's not like a misunderstanding the way it was for Flower. I'm not even as devastated about it as I would have been if one of the main US ghosts were to actually be sucked off.

Costume inconsistencies. I noticed Fanny's hairstyle changed a few times. Julian's hair looked more combed back in one season. Mary's face looked cleaner some of the time. 

Ghost powers weren't explored all that much. We knew some of them, but not all. Julian has the same one as Trevor. (Maybe it's a consolation for not having pants?) Robin has the same one as Thor (plus he can howl so that dogs can hear him). Mary's is similar to Isaac's, except burning smell instead of farts. Fanny can be slightly seen on camera. But what are the rest?!? 

Storylines sometimes felt like they got dropped. 

I didn't feel much of an attachment to the ghosts. I felt more of what Alison was feeling when she didn't see them and thought they were gone. So it was more that I felt her attachment vs. my own. I mainly kept thinking that if one of the Woodstone ghosts actually did get sucked off, I would be a wreck. Or if they weren't able to be seen anymore by Sam, that would be disastrous. 

Not a lot of recurring side characters, aside from Barclay. He inspired Farnsby on the US version. Farnsby seems more likable overall, even though they're both difficult neighbors. Barclay did have a nice moment in one of the episodes though. 

No one gets possessed. It would have been fun to see the actors break from their comfort zones in this way.

Barely any of the ghosts interact with Mike or try to connect with him. I think Julian is the only one who does anything and that's only to cause trouble for him. 

Thoughts on the characters:

Livings:

As you have already seen, Alison is my favorite on the show, even though she's a living. I ended up comparing her to Sam and Sam falls short most of the time. I just feel like Alison is less likely to lie to ghosts or other livings, unless it's to make herself look less crazy when she's talking out loud to "no one". She's also really sincere and seems to have her act together. Alison is someone I could totally see myself befriending and I would totally believe her if she told me she saw ghosts. 

Mike has his likable moments, but he can also be annoying. He seems to lack direction and ambition. I know he had a job in a couple episodes, but it just seems like he doesn't really focus on it aside from those episodes. He can be really sweet and vulnerable though and I love him for that. He also has some good comical moments. 

Courtesy of Stylist

Ghosts:

Thomas: He is from the 19th century and is a poet. He's a romantic too, and is completely in love with Alison. (Can't blame him for that!) I feel like he inspired Sasappis, but one aspect was the same as Trevor. However, Trevor got over his interest in Sam and moved on. Thomas is obsessed with Alison and can't seem to move on as much as he wants to. This gets annoying after a while. I did feel endeared to him in the episode about his death, as it was really sad how his cousin lied to him and got him killed as a result. I also like that he does poetry, as it reminds me of when I did verse reading for my high school speech team. And it was funny when the basement ghosts were fawning over him. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Kitty: There are things about Kitty that I can see as the inspiration for Flower. While Kitty is one of my favorites, it's mainly because she's so sweet and only wants Alison to be her best friend. I also feel bad for her situation with how her sister treated her and how she died from a spider bite. I can't get a grasp on Kitty's age, as she looks to be an adult, but her mind is more like a pre-teen. (Ghosts Wiki says she is 21.) Makes me think of Kimmy Schmidt in some ways. Lolly Adefope shows good acting range, as Kitty is so different from Fran on Shrill. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Julian: It's clear he inspired Trevor, with his lack of pants and his ability to touch things. However, that is where the similarities end. Julian comes off as genuinely unlikable. While Trevor accidentally caused Sam's accident, Julian actually pushed Alison out a window! Also, it seems vague how he actually died or why he wasn't wearing pants. Like he was at a party and maybe had a heart attack. Was he actually sleeping with someone before that and forgot to put his pants on? (Ghosts Wiki confirmed he had a heart attack while caught having an affair, so I wasn't wrong.) At least Trevor lost his pants in a hero move! I found it interesting that Julian was a father and that his daughter is currently an adult following in his footsteps. He had a couple of redeemable moments, I think. (One for sure was when he was helping with Mike's niece so his sister could rest.) He was just annoying otherwise, especially when he was interfering with Mike's work. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Pat: Clearly, he was the inspiration for Pete. Pete gets more of a story throughout the US version. Even in the episode about Pat's death, his family shows up but he already knows about his wife stepping out on him ahead of that. He takes on a leadership role in the group, which Pete does, as well. I'm sure Pat is a decent guy, but I just feel like he pales in comparison to Pete overall and I never really formed any attachment to him. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

The Captain: I don't think I learned The Captain's name at all on the series, but on Ghosts Wiki it says his name is James. If he was to inspire any character, it would be Isaac, but it's a far stretch. It's pretty clear that he is gay and there's an episode about him that says as much. However, he never comes out to the other ghosts and just seems repressed overall. I do like him a lot though. He's another favorite ghost on this series. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Mary: Mary was an interesting character. Her personality inspired Patience in some ways, but her ghost power inspired Isaac's. I felt bad for her, especially after learning about how and why she died and how traumatic it was for her. Also that her closest friend got sucked off. I felt that her mind worked similar to Kitty's. Overall, she was fun and added some substance to the group. So I wasn't thrilled about her being sucked off in the middle of season four and not even having a chance to say goodbye to everyone. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Fanny: She clearly inspired Hetty, with being one of the former owners of the mansion and related to Alison, as well as sticking with beliefs of her time period. Her husband even looked and acted like Elias. Although he actually killed her, as evidenced by her falling out the window and screaming every night. Her ghost power is pretty cool. And I felt sympathetic toward her in the episode about when she was younger and had to get married off to someone she didn't love. However, she hasn't endeared herself to me the way Hetty has and I found her annoying more often than not. She had some funny moments, but nothing all that memorable.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Robin: Well, we know he inspired Thor with his ability to mess with electricity (both were struck by lightning) and that he's the longest dead in the group. I found it strange that he mainly spoke like a caveman in the beginning of the series and then suddenly started speaking more eloquently and was fluent in French. If he had this language all along, why did he need to start out speaking like a caveman? He had a lot of funny lines and moments, but he still doesn't hold a candle to Thor. He does manage to surprise me sometimes. I felt bad for him in the episode where Mary got sucked off because he was so used to losing friends that he couldn't even be bothered to memorialize them. I also liked his connection with Humphrey, and not just because they are played by the same actor. What's interesting is that he has another ghost power: the ability to call dogs by howling.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Humphrey: While he inspired Crash from the US version, with his head coming off and all, I like that he had more of a role on this series than just occasionally showing up. It was pretty wild how he lost his head, especially with how suddenly it happened. I also found it funny how his head would just be in random places in the house while his body was elsewhere. His personality was fun too. I just felt bad for him when the other ghosts would throw his head around. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

I learned from a friend that a bunch of the basement ghosts were played by the actors who played the main ghosts. Once I found that out, I couldn't unsee it. It was fun to try to match up who was who. 

I found it interesting to see what storylines were used in the US version and how they were adapted for that version to be slightly different from UK. Some were pretty obvious and others were more subtle.

Here are some examples:

1. The first couple episodes were basically the same, except for how the accident happened. 

2. With Barclay inspiring Farnsby, the episode where they had him over for dinner was similar to the dinner party episode, including finding out that Barclay was doing something shady so they could get out of paying him anything.

3. The episodes about Pat and Pete's deaths were similar, but Pete's story with finding out about Carol cheating on him was done better, as we got to see more of Carol and find out from her, instead of him figuring it out on his own like Pat did.

4. Mike getting locked in the safe with Barclay was similar to Sam being locked in the vault with Hetty and Molly. 

5. The filming of the period drama had a similar feel to filming Dumb Deaths, due to all the chaos going on and the ghosts trying to be a part of the experience.

6. The half-sister situation was similar to the cousin situation for Sam, except on the UK version, it was dragged across a few episodes. 

7. The ghosts communicating to Mike about the robbers was similar to the ghosts communicating to Jay about Sam being locked in the vault.

8. The way Thomas's murder story played out was similar to Alberta's murder story. There was even a connection to Fanny the way Alberta's was connected to Hetty.

9. Barclay tries to steal away Alison and Mike's guesthouse guests the same way Farnsby steals away Sam and Jay's B&B guests.

10. Thomas tries to get his poetry published in the present day, which is similar to Isaac trying to get a book about himself published. Also, his issue with Lord Byron reminds me of Issac's issue with Alexander Hamilton. 

Favorite episodes:

The Thomas Thorne Affair: I honestly felt bad for Thomas in this episode and I also enjoyed seeing different perspectives of the same situation. (Season 2, episode 5.)

Bump in the Night: I love how this episode unfolded with Mike being home alone and the ghosts trying to help with the whole robbery situation. (Season 2, episode 6.)

Perfect Day: A sweet episode overall. I love that the wedding was LGBTQ. (Also fun that the bride's name was Sam.) Bronwyn James from Wicked played Sam on this episode. (Season 2, episode 7.)

The Bone Plot: It was interesting to learn what happened to Humphrey and get his backstory. (Season 3, episode 1.)

Something to Share?: I liked learning more about Kitty's backstory and felt even more sympathetic towards her as a result. It was also funny how Mike tried to see the ghosts and he thought someone without pants on was Julian. (Season 3, episode 5.)

Gone Gone: Even though it was sad that Mary got sucked off, I really liked how Mike took charge of the birthday party and how Alison sensitively handled everything with the ghosts. (Season 4, episode 4.)

It's Behind You: I loved the Christmas panto the ghosts did for Alison. Really cute! (Season 4, episode 7.)

Pineapple Day: We finally learn about how Kitty died. While it's sad what happened and I wish it could have been prevented, she said that Alison wouldn't have existed if her sister died instead. Weirdly enough, pineapple has a completely different function in the UK series vs. the US series. (Season 5, episode 3.) 

If you have gotten this far, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Ghosts UK.

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Why I love Ghosts the most!

 

As you may well know by now, I can't stop talking (and thinking) about Ghosts! I had heard about it a while back, but I didn't think it would be something of interest to watch and I think I was immersed in Schitt's Creek or Ted Lasso, along with a few other favorite shows at the time. Sometime last year, a close friend was recommending it, but I was still hesitant to watch. Then I read Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca and enjoyed it so much that I decided to give Ghosts a try. And I'm SO glad I did!!! 

I binged through the first three seasons, as well as the first half of season four to get caught up to the new episodes that were starting up in late January. Then I told my husband that he had to watch and I binged them again with him. He's now finally caught up and we watched the season four finale together. He loves it as much as I do, but probably not to the same level of obsession that I'm at.  It's such a comfort show for me these days and even when it's not on or I'm not rewatching it, I'm still constantly thinking of it, especially while being immersed in all things about Ghosts on social media.

I've only seen the US version. People have told me they love the UK version, but I haven't brought myself to watch it yet. I'm just too invested in the US version. 

For those of you who love Ghosts as much as I do, there will be thoughts with spoilers below the trailer.

For those of you who don't know what Ghosts is about: 

Samantha inherits a mansion from a relative who recently died but had no other kin to pass it along to. She and her husband Jay go to check out the mansion, with the possibility of turning it into a bed and breakfast. However, there are ghosts living in the house and they don't like the idea of it becoming overcrowded by lots of guests. So they try to sabotage Sam and Jay's plans by showing how haunted the house really is. Except Sam gets injured as a result and when she returns from the hospital, she can see the ghosts. What comes out of that is Sam becoming a medium for the ghosts and trying to fulfill their requests and demands. They are always finding ways to cause chaos in her life, and it affects Jay too, even though he can't see them. I will leave it at that because I want you to watch it unfold the way I did, and you will definitely be surprised by how wonderful it all is.

Courtesy of Deadline

I didn't really know most of the actors going into this series. I had seen a couple on other shows, but I mainly knew Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays Jay, as he's in everything. I also learned that he and Richie Moriarty, who plays Pete (the one dressed like a boy scout with an arrow through his neck) went to the same high school in Montgomery County, Maryland. Anyway, I love all these actors now and would be completely starstruck if I met them in person. 

Some reasons to watch Ghosts:

1. It's hilarious! I've laughed out loud many, many times in each episode and it's still just as funny on the rewatch. There were times I was laughing so hard I couldn't see straight! There are a lot of inside jokes. You have to watch from the beginning of the series because they refer back to earlier episodes and situations.

2. There is some history to be learned, but in a fun way. One of the ghosts is from the Revolutionary War era and he hates Hamilton (and I don't blame him after we learn why). There are a lot of Hamilton references, as a result. 

3. The ghosts are from a variety of eras ranging from thousands of years ago to the beginning of the 21st century. So there are somewhat modern pop culture references which have to be explained to the older ghosts. 

4. Sam and Jay's relationship. They're so sweet together. Jay puts up with so many ghost shenanigans because Sam just can't say no to them. 

5. Possessions... that's all I will say because you just have to see what happens!

6. The recurring side characters, both living and ghosts, who add to the conflicts, as well as the fun!

7. The diversity. There is LGBTQ, Jewish, African American, Native American, and Indian representation on the show. I'm sure other countries who do the show have different diversity groups represented, as well. 

8. The innuendoes. There's one for when ghosts are sent up to Heaven and another for when they are sent down to Hell (this has only happened to one ghost who earned that placement). There are also funny terms for other situations, as well. I don't want to spoil anything though!

9. The show just has a lot of heart and it's become a comfort series for me. I care not only about the ghosts, but also Sam and Jay. I love how everyone looks after each other. 

10. The costumes that the actors playing the ghosts get to wear. I especially love Hetty's gorgeous dress. Alberta's outfit is stunning too (even though Thor makes fun of her hat). 

If this hasn't convinced you to watch, check out a trailer from the first season.

Trailer:

Thoughts with SPOILERS:

First I want to talk about the characters. Then I will share some of my favorite episodes, along with some random thoughts.

When I first started the series, I had some favorite characters in mind. However, I love all the main characters so much that it's really hard to choose between them. This includes Sam and Jay. 

If I were to say there was an Alpha ghost, that position would go to Pete. I feel he has what it takes, including the advantage of one of the best ghost powers. He's also funny, optimistic, kind, supportive of the other ghosts (including finding Sass a girlfriend), intelligent, and likes geeky stuff (which aligns him well with Jay). His storylines have gotten me emotional the most, as well. And he has the most integrity. Plus, it's fun seeing his "bad" side (or at least Alberta appreciates it).  Pete is the one I'd want to go on vacation with, since he was a travel agent and all.

Courtesy of TV Fanatic

Flower reminds me of a cross between Phoebe from Friends and Alexis from Schitt's Creek, but also with her own flair. The fact that she died while stoned and is perpetually in this daze adds a lot to the humor of the show. She's also just adorable! I love how she will throw a curveball when you least expect it, like when she figured out what Trevor and Hetty were up to with tricking her into buying candles and she bought the Cutting Edge ice skates to use as a bargaining chip. I love seeing Flower and Thor as a couple and how she keeps Thor's anger in check while still allowing him to be himself. I was sad when I thought she got sucked off and felt like something was missing from the show during the episodes she wasn't on. Oh, and did she ever tell you about the time she robbed a bank? Flower is the one I'd want possessing me, as I think she would help me chill out a bit. 

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

When I first saw the attractive young guy dressed up like he was going into the office, sans pants, I had no idea he was also going to be Jewish. Bonus points there! Especially when he fits Yiddish words and Jewish references in whenever possible. Of course, Trevor is totally crushworthy! Who can blame Bela for falling for a dead guy who is reaching out to her on a dating app? Especially when he shares a picture with his dog. *Melt* And I definitely envy Hetty, but that's all I will say on that... Yeah, he acts like a womanizer and refers to himself as T-Money and manages to cause trouble every so often, like giving Sam and Jay's money to an online scammer. However, he has these vulnerable moments that you don't see coming and those are just the best! I still get teary-eyed thinking about his relationship with his dog. Trevor died too young to get the future he wanted and I feel sympathetic to him for that, as well. At least he made his legacy at work with his hero move! (Which explains the missing pants.) I also love that he's a father for real, even though he missed out on all that time in his daughter's life. He has a really cool ghost power: the ability to touch objects and press buttons. He can also touch living people, as we've learned from the episode with his brother. It's just amusing how it takes him so long to initially press a button but then somehow he can do the others really fast. 

Courtesy of Hollywood Life

Hetty definitely has a dominating personality in the mansion, considering it belongs to her family. Unfortunately, she has a philandering robber baron for a husband and even though he went down on her, he still finds ways to cause trouble. What I really love for Hetty is seeing her learn the ways of the modern world and adapt to them. She's more feminist than before and appreciates a good ride on a washing machine, now that she knows what it can do for her. Her main weakness is cocaine, if she could obtain any. She does have her dark secrets that have come out during the show: being connected to Alberta's death and causing her own death. Hetty is a mother and now that she doesn't have that connection to her son anymore, she keeps the other ghosts, along with Sam, in check. She's also manipulative when it suits her best interest. Hetty is definitely a force to be reckoned with and I just wish her ghost power came into play more than once a year. I also love when she possessed Jay. Too funny! She's the one I think I identify with the most.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Now we have our pizza loving, storytelling friend, Sasappis. Honestly, I felt like he was more in the background initially. He just seemed quieter in comparison to the other ghosts and his main focus was food. It took more time to really get to know Sass, but once his ghost power was revealed, he stood out a lot more. He's grown on me a lot more than I thought he would and I feel like the show would be missing something without him there. I've noticed that Sass loves love. It shows in the way he crushed on Shiki for so long and fell headfirst for Jessica (the car ghost) in a short period of time. He also tried to manifest a connection with a living girl through Jay's dreams (and ended up manifesting them with Jay's interests). I really like him with Joan though. They're both storytellers in their own ways. Sass comes off as naive, but also really wise. And I love his friendship with Thor, considering Thor was his first friend in the afterlife. He's also a really good singer, which I was pleasantly surprised about.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Speaking of Thor, short for Thorfinn...he's the gentle giant of the group. Just don't mention the Danes if you don't want him getting mad enough to short out all the electricity. (Or cut off your hand, if you're a ghost too.) Thor is definitely one of the funniest (and everyone is funny, so that's a step above) on the show. I love his therapy sessions with Sam speaking for him. And just how he talks in third person with broken English. (He is a Viking from the 1000s, after all.) Thor has softened his stance a lot, especially when it comes to Flower, but it hasn't taken away from how funny he is. I think he's definitely my husband's favorite (and my husband does a great impression of him too). He's just generally lovable but that doesn't dismiss all he's been through in the past, with being abandoned, killed by a lightning strike, and still stuck in purgatory over a thousand years. (Not that I want him getting sucked off though.)

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Saving Pony and Bangs for last (at least from the set of ghosts)!

Isaac (Pony) Higgintoot is a gem. He's the first ghost who really caught my interest when I started the series. Maybe it was due to his gay commentary on everything. I'm an LGBTQ+ ally and knowing that one of the ghosts was gay definitely won me over. I know it took him a bit to come out, and I was proud of him for being able to do so. (Even though the other ghosts pretty much suspected it anyway.) I especially love his friendship with Alberta (Bangs) and Hetty. I also love that he's an investor in Jay's restaurant, even though he was only just a tad difficult about everything when it came to decisions about how the restaurant should look. He also has the worst ghost power ever, but it does come in handy sometimes. His animosity toward Hamilton (the person and the musical) makes his story that much more entertaining. I especially loved the Ruffle Kerfuffle episode. Poor Isaac! He was in the room where it happened and he got kicked out. I didn't like his relationship with Nigel and maybe I'm in the minority here, but it was just full of strife for me. I know things didn't work out with Chris, but I hope that there could be potential for another gay ghost in the future. And maybe Isaac won't be so awkward this time. Finally, I love when he gasps over revelations. Especially his own!  Isaac is the one I'd want to be roommates with, provided no one walks through him.

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

It took a while for me to get to know and appreciate Alberta, but she's so darn lovable! Her ghost power is pretty cool in that she can get livings to actually hear her. She was even able to talk to an Alexa (and she learned how Sam felt in the process). Her voice is heavenly (excuse the pun) and I love how she used it to send a sign to her great great niece. I actually cried when she did that. Even though Creepy Todd isn't the person she wants sharing her story with everyone, I have to agree with him that she's legendary and worth telling everyone about. I enjoy that she has learned Yiddish from Trevor and can explain to others what he is talking about. And I love that she's into Pete now and that they finally got together. I was so excited about this in the season finale that I was laughing and crying at the same time! It's sad that she was murdered by Hetty's son, but I'm glad she has closure about what happened and has been able to move on from it. Even though Thor doesn't like her hat, I think she looks fabulous and I love her entire outfit! I could see her playing Medda in Newsies (the musical). Alberta is the one I'd want haunting my house. I love hearing her sing!

Courtesy of Ghosts Wiki

Now we've come to the livings.

I can't decide if I'm jealous of Sam or not. Like I think it would be fun and cool to have this connection with the ghosts at Woodstone. Maybe because I just love them so much. She also has an advantage because they can spy on people and tell her things. However, her ability to see and communicate with ghosts is also a curse. Like how she can't go to Starbucks because it was once an insane asylum or something like that. The ghosts also make demands like children, so it's like she became a mother to eight adults overnight and they don't know when to leave her alone. Like couldn't Isaac ask Thor to turn on the dinosaur light? 

I truly appreciate all Sam does for the ghosts but she needs to question their motives and think first before always jumping in to help them or believing everything they say to be the ultimate truth. She got burned by Stephanie when Tad arrived, because she blindly accepted what she said at face value instead of looking into things. She also believed Sass about the tree and tried educating someone who is actually Lenape about it. Not a good look, Sam! And since Jay is blindly going along with everything the ghosts want, she should cut him some slack. Sam also lies to Jay and the ghosts. She only really has a reason to lie to livings who don't know she can see ghosts or they'll think she's kooka-luka. (She comes off that way anyway when she stares off while the ghosts are talking to her or starts talking to them out loud when other people are around.) When she lies to Jay and the ghosts, she gets caught all the time and ends up looking stupid. I hated when she lied to Isaac about the book. I know it ended up working out in her favor in the end, but Isaac got hurt by the lie and it was actually insulting to his intelligence. And it also backfired when Trevor posted on social media. The other bad one was making Jay eat a sour ram testicle for Thor by lying to get out of doing it herself. 

Sam has a good kinship with the ghosts and is sensitive to them, which I appreciate. I love how kindly she handled things when she found out about Hetty's suicide. I also love how she helped Trevor connect with his daughter. 

Just for fun, here are some examples of stuff  Sam has done for the ghosts. My personal favorite is when she went to therapy for Thor. That was hilarious!

Jay's biggest vulnerability is Sam. He is such a loving husband to her and I'm glad she realizes how truly lucky she is. I think Kyle helped in that respect by talking about how it's hard to be in a relationship when you can see and talk to ghosts. I give Jay so much credit for not being able to see the ghosts (aside from Sass in his dreams) and thus being left out of conversations. It can't be easy to be in that situation and to have to trust Sam as the medium. I got annoyed when Sam told him to pay attention to Isaac's ruffle story when he couldn't see or hear him. He does a LOT for the ghosts and puts up with so many of their needs and demands, even to his own detriment. For example, I did not like how Flower tried to sabotage opening night at his restaurant over a fake meteor prediction. That was so unfair to him. I also hate that Elias pretended to be a publicist in order to take his soul. I really hope he will be okay and that this situation will be resolved. Even though Sam is the one who communicates with the ghosts, Jay is so important to the show in so many ways. I just think he should know by now that the ghosts can be anywhere in (or outside of) the mansion and he needs to be careful with what he says out loud.

Courtesy of ScreenRant

There are quite a few regular side characters I'd like to share my thoughts on. This won't be as long as my thoughts for the main characters, but I do have stuff to say!

Nancy: She was a fun surprise. We didn't see her amongst the basement ghosts until Pete needed a fake girlfriend. And then, voila! I thought she was going to be annoying at first, and she basically was, but I appreciated how she got Pete to stand up for himself and also how she "broke up" with him to help him save face. Since then, it's just been so much fun to have her around. Betsy Sodaro plays this role to perfection with her voice and mannerisms. She's just hilarious! I especially love how she gets mad at Stuart all the time. Best line: "Nice ankle, ya whore!" (Said to Hetty about a portrait where it showed her ankle.) 

Nigel: Contrary to how much everyone else loves Nigel and ships him with Isaac (even now that they're not together), he's not a favorite for me. I felt like he manipulated Isaac and I just wasn't fond of their relationship. It clearly spoke volumes when Isaac started thinking about Chris a lot. Anyway, what really turned me off about Nigel was that he was blackmailing Hetty and Trevor after he caught them canoodling. I just wanted him out of the mansion at that point. I was relieved when Isaac decided not to go through with marrying him. Also, I was really angry when he basically "stole" Chris right from under Isaac's nose and then Isaac had the grace to not make him feel bad about himself when Chris left. Best line: "We were on a respite!"

Carol: When Flower predicted Carol would die in Woodstone, we didn't expect it to actually happen. She makes quite an interesting ghost though and I wish she were around more often. I'm glad Pete is over her, especially after finding out that she cheated on him. I also appreciate that she helped Jay get out of the situation with the mafia. Carol may be a piece of work, but she's just so entertaining. Caroline Aaron plays the part so well too.

Elias: He is just awful. I don't even know what else to say about him, honestly. I'm glad he went down though. That's where he belongs. And I'm glad he's doomed to listen to "Tubthumping" all the time. If you read Haunted Ever After, Elias reminds me of the villain ghost. I could see him playing Pulitzer in Newsies (the musical).

Patience: She's a bit of a handful to have around, considering she thinks everyone is living in sin and her anger results in blood coming out of the wall. It was not nice what she did to Sam's dad and his girlfriend, even though it opened a line of communication between him and Sam. It's not like Sam could easily explain the blood on the wall without sounding cuckoo bananas (the ghosts watch Degrassi so they'll get what I mean there). However, I think she may be the key to taking down Elias and reversing the contract he has with Jay. Let's hope! Also, I love how she says her name in that menacing way.

Stephanie: She's a bit of a brat. I mean, it horribly sucks how she died, but she's just so mean to everyone all the time. I didn't like how she was bullying Sam in her first appearance on the show. She also made Sam and Jay look foolish in front of Tad. (Good thing that happened on 4/20.) However, I felt bad for her that Ralph was sucked off before they got a chance to really be together. 

Joan: I really like her as a partner for Sass. Her personality and moxie are great and she totally gives off the feel for the time period she lived during. It's funny how she has no patience for certain people, like Trevor and Sam. 

Bela: Jay's sister is probably one of my favorite side characters. She's a lot of fun and has a great personality. I love that she believes Sam about being able to see and talk to ghosts and that she supports her in that. I don't like Eric for her and I can tell she's not fully invested in that relationship. He's nice and all, but I feel like she needs a living version of Trevor or that she and Kyle should eventually get together. 

Notable guest appearances:

• Chip Zien as Trevor's Father (He was the Baker in Into the Woods; the same cast as Bernadette Peters.)
• Laraine Newman as Trevor's Mother (from old school Saturday Night Live)
• Drew Tarver as Micah (He was the lead on The Other Two, while Brandon Scott Jones was his best friend. He's now on Running Point.)
• Mark Linn Baker as Farnsby (Larry from Perfect Strangers)
• Nichole Sakura as Jessica, the car ghost (I recognized her from Maggie, but I heard she's on Superstore.)
• Allegra Edwards as Donna (She plays Ingrid on Upload.)
• Andrew Leeds as Eric (Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist. A Million Little Things. So many other shows.)
• Tara Reid as herself (American Pie)
• John Reynolds as Nico, the guy who thought Jay murdered Carol (Search Party. Four Weddings and a Funeral. A bunch of other shows.)
• Gideon Adlon as Abby (She is sisters with Odessa A'zion who plays Stephanie and Pamela Adlon is her mom.)
• Lindura as Ashley on It's Getting Hot in Here (Sydney on Sullivan's Crossing.)
• Rachael Harris as Sam's mom (Bit roles in almost too many shows to count!)
• Ben Feldman as Kyle (He's on Superstore too.)
• Sakina Jaffrey as Jay's mom (She played Mindy and Rishi's mom on The Mindy Project, which means she's been the mom to two of Utkarsh's characters. She's been in countless other shows and movies.)
• Rob Huebel as Ari, Trevor's "friend" (I recognize him from The Goldbergs and Sex Lives of College Girls.)
• Nat Faxon as Hamilton (I remember him from Friends from College, but I know he's been in a lot of other things I've seen.)
• Rose Abdoo as the director of Dumb Deaths (She's recently been on Hacks, but I have seen her in so many other shows. I loved her on Reboot.)
• Joe LoTruglio as the restaurant critic (I remember him best from Wet Hot American Summer and the TV series about that movie.)

Favorite episodes:

So many episodes have so many great things going on, so it's hard to choose from all of them. I did narrow it down a bit though!

Any of the episodes where someone gets possessed by a ghost. I'm eagerly awaiting more possessions in the upcoming seasons! I also love all the Halloween episodes. 

Pete's Wife (season 1): Just for the ending scene alone, but it was also a fun introduction to Carol.

Sam's Mom (season 1): The restaurant dialogue was hilarious. Especially when Sam is accusing her mom of lying so she can get sucked off but the waiter thinks Sam is talking to Jay. This episode also was the introduction to Nancy!

Jay's Sister (season 1): Introduction to Bela, and we got to see a different side to Trevor. 

Trevor's Pants (season 1): The story behind the hero move. 

Attic Girl (season 1): While Stephanie is a troublemaker, I did enjoy the ghost prom and the She's All That moment.

The Polterguest (season 3): This also had the dual bachelor parties, which were really the highlight of the episode. I also found the term for the poltergeist switching bodies to be hilarious. 

The Work Retreat (season 4): I was laughing so hard I couldn't see straight! I also love how Trevor became a legend for his hero move. I commented about this on an Instagram post and I've never seen a comment I've made get so many likes! This is where it is at as of posting time today:

Thorapy 2: Abandonment Issues (season 4): So many hilarious moments with the therapy sessions. I also loved how Pete went to find out about why Thor was abandoned.

The Bachelorette Party (season 4): I love how Alberta connected with Alicia through singing. I cried from that part. Plus, Sass as a country singer in Alicia's dream was perfection!

Stuff I wonder about:

If ghosts who died outside of the mansion can live in there, then why did they need to move Todd out of the mansion when he was potentially dying? If he died outside, he'd still have access. 

How was Flower able to shut the door to the vault if she can't physically touch anything? Even if it's not the same as the wall, it seems like it should be able to move unless a living touches it. 

If Trevor can physically touch people (like his brother with the ear thing), why does he need to possess someone to be with Bela? Or would that be weird if he didn't...

If Chris can roam because of his skydiving power, wouldn't he have the same issue as Pete with body parts disappearing if he's not back to home base within a certain amount of time? I doubt he has the amount of immunity that Joan does.

What is the criteria for getting sucked off? Not that I want the main (or even some side) ghosts getting sucked off anytime soon (it was hard enough when I thought Flower was gone for good), but it just seems so random. 

Finally, some social media pages I frequent that are connected to Ghosts:

The Sucked Off: Great group on Facebook where you can connect with other Ghosts fans.

Higgintoot Museum: Such a fun and creative page.

Official Ghosts account

Ghostscbsfans

Creative arts:

Legonillan: I love her Lego ghost creations

Hiitzbella: This girl is the same age as my youngest child and makes the cutest drawings of the ghosts

Figurine it Out With Les: She makes her own Funko pops of the ghosts

Pops I Wish Existed: I know this is AI art, but the pops they rendered of the ghosts are fun to look at

Furthest Thing from Unpleasant: Fun drawings and other stuff from the show

If you've made it this far, you're a fan like me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the show!

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