Ghosts season 5 premiere ending explained: With whom does Jay trade his soul with?

CBS’s supernatural comedy Ghosts launched its fifth season on October 16, 2025, with “Soul Custody,” a mix of sharp humor and heartfelt twists. Created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman the show follows Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) a couple running Woodstone Mansion a haunted bed-and-breakfast.

Fans expected a long fight, but the premiere resolves this in one episode. So, who does Jay trade his soul with? Carol (Caroline Aaron), Pete’s ex-wife, sacrifices herself to Hell for Jay, only to be sucked off to Heaven for her selfless act.

The ghostly residents include pompous captain Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones), soulful singer Alberta (Danielle Pinnock), earnest Scout Pete (Richie Moriarty), bold Viking Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long), pantless bro Trevor (Asher Grodman), dreamy hippie Flower (Sheila Carrasco), prim aristocrat Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) and witty Sassapis (Román Zaragoza). 

Season 4 ended with a stunning twist in “The Devil Went Down to Woodstone.” Jay, desperate to promote his restaurant, Mahesh made a deal with Elias, thinking he was a publicist. Elias revealed himself as a demon, claiming Jay’s soul. Alberta and Pete sparked a romance, stirring tension with Pete’s ghostly ex-wife Carol. Patience a Puritan ghost hinted at “The Others” in the dirt setting up new mysteries for Season 5.

Ghosts season 5 premiere ending explained: Carol saves Jay’s soul

Episode 1 “Soul Custody” tackles Jay’s crisis with urgency. Sam hunts loopholes while Jay outfits a ghost trap with a BarcaLounger and cookies, hoping to save his soul. The ghosts plan to trap Elias: Alberta flirts to lure him into ghost form, but Carol, curious about the recliner, gets caught too.

Elias demands a soul for Jay’s freedom, sparking intense debate. Patience, shaken by her failed smiting attempt, nearly steps up but backs out, fearing Hell. Pete, Jay’s loyal friend, offers himself, but Carol insists on taking his place. Her choice shocks, given her selfish past, like her Season 4 mob ties.

The episode’s climax unfolds in Woodstone’s lobby. Elias opens a fiery Hell portal, its red glow casting eerie shadows. Carol steps forward, her usual smug demeanor replaced by resolve. She agrees to go to Hell, freeing Jay from his contract. As she descends through the portal a swirling vortex of flames the ghosts watch in stunned silence. Suddenly, a beam of white light pierces the darkness, pulling Carol upward. Her selfless act earns her a Heavenly reward, confirming that “sucking off” ties to resolving unfinished business or good deeds. 

The ghosts react with awe, Isaac gasps, Hetty nods approvingly, and Flower quips to Patience, “Guess you missed the Heaven bus,” stealing a laugh. Jay, unaware of the details due to his inability to see ghosts, looks bewildered as Sam hugs him, whispering, “You’re safe.” The rapid resolution frustrates fans expecting a longer arc with Elias’s devilish charm, perhaps involving his crush on Alberta or Jay dodging traps. Utkarsh Ambudkar told TV Insider that Carol’s exit may not be final. He said:

I don’t know. I actually can’t answer that question, but I don’t think it’s the last of Caroline Aaron. I would be surprised in this world of Ghosts that I’ve inhabited now for a few years… nobody’s truly ever gone… I’m sure she’ll show up in flashbacks, or she’ll find some way to come back down and argue with Pete about donuts versus donut holes again. Maybe she’ll be so insufferable in heaven that they’ll be like, “Get out of here!” We love having Caroline on set. If there’s an organic and funny way to have her back, I’m sure the Joes will find it.

Episode 2 “Viking Wedding,” airing October 23, 2025, spotlights Thor’s speech and Sam and Jay’s customer service woes. The Halloween episode on November 13, 2025, introduces a mummy ghost. Patience and "The Others" loom as a slow-burning mystery promising more chaos.

Ghosts season 5 airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Episodes stream the next day on Paramount+ with the Essential plan.

Stay tuned for more such updates!