Warning: SPOILERS for the season 2 finale of Ghosts.Another eventful season of Ghosts has come to an end, with the finale leaving off on the show’s biggest cliffhanger to date. The supernatural sitcom appears to be concluding on a high note when Samantha and Jay realize they’re being conned and take back the mansion for good. However, a beam of light appears in the episode’s final seconds, indicating that one of the ghosts has been “sucked off.”
Ghosts has already been renewed for a third season at CBS, ensuring that viewers will discover which spirit has moved on to the afterlife. Among the possibilities is Román Zaragoza’s character Sasappis, a member of the Lenape Tribe and one of the oldest ghosts in the house. Zaragoza has been featured in several shorts, as well as shows such as Stumptown and Austin & Ally. Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky, and Devan Chandler Long also star.
Román Zaragoza chats exclusively with Screen Rant about the twist and turns in Ghosts season 2, working with Superstore’s Nichole Sakura, and his personal theories of how Sas died.
Román Zaragoza Talks Ghosts Season 2
Screen Rant: Out of all the ghosts, who had your favorite dynamic with Sas in season 2?
Román Zaragoza: That’s a good question. I’ve got to say the stuff with Pete. Sas and Pete had some really fun stuff this season. We got to see a little bit more of their friendship and their relationship with sharing the bedroom and how Dark Pete came out. There was some really fun stuff this season between the two of them, so I’ve got to shout-out Richie Moriarity. I love working with him.
There was a lot of romance this season between the ghosts, and Sas even had a girlfriend for a bit. How was working with Nichole Sakura? I’m a huge Superstore fan, so I was excited to see her in the show.
Román Zaragoza: It was a dream come true. Nicole is such a professional. She was amazing. Of course, I’m obsessed because of Superstore. She is such an amazing actress, and so to have her play my love interest on Ghosts—this was my first time having a love interest on TV. I was so nervous. But she was just so incredible and she’s so sweet. She came to my birthday party the other day, I was like, “Oh my gosh. You’re such a good person.” She’s awesome. I’m just so grateful for that storyline, and to have an amazing actress like Nichole Sakura play Jessica was a dream.
Sam changed all the ghosts’ lives when she moved into the mansion. What impact do you think she’s had on Sas by the end of season 2?
Román Zaragoza: She’s had such an impact on Sas. She’s brought out so much of who he was when he was alive. I think for so long, Sas has kind of suppressed who he was when he was alive. But now, through the tree episode and through Jessica—no way would he have been able to connect with Jessica if it wasn’t for Sam and all the things that she did for him. There’s so much that Sam has brought out in Sas. I’m just really grateful that he’s able to bring back who he was when he was alive. This hopeless romantic, this storyteller, and this kind of younger soul. Because he’s become this jaded old man from being dead for 500 years and surrounded by people that are not his family but have become his family. It’s really exciting to see him rediscovering who he was.
There’s also Jay who still can’t see the ghosts. There are definitely people who hope that he will at some point, but I’ve always thought keeping him out of the loop adds to the comedy. What are your thoughts?
Román Zaragoza: I’m always feeling for Utkarsh because it’s so funny whenever we’re shooting. We’ll chat with him right before we start rolling, and then we’re rolling, action, and he just has to be like, “Where are they? I don’t know where they are. I’m just looking into the space.” He’s incredible. I always have to shout him out. It’s incredible what he does. Not being able to acknowledge us when all this stuff is going on—I don’t know how he does that.
I would not be able to do that. Of course, selfishly, I would love to really be able to interact with Utkarsh. He’s such an amazing performer, so that’d be fun for him to see us. But I think it really does add to the comedy that he doesn’t and the dynamic that Rose and Utkarsh have just brings so much comedy. The actor in me wants it. Maybe the storyteller and the creative in me is like, “It’s kind of funny, so maybe we should keep it.” We’ll see!
The show still hasn’t revealed how Sas died, but have the writers shared that information with you?
Román Zaragoza: Even if I did, I’m so sorry, I probably would not be able to tell you.
I figured!
Román Zaragoza: But I do not know at all, so that’s in the vault. They do not trust us actors. No, I don’t know. I’m curious to know how he died as well. Maybe in season 3 we’ll find out.
Do you have any personal theories?
Román Zaragoza: I love when my friends will come up to me like, “Hey, okay, I have an idea. This is how Sas died!” and I’m like, “Oh, that’s not a bad idea.” Like, “His heart was so broken, he did this…” and I’m like, “Oh, that’s not a bad idea.” Very hopeless romantic, Romeo-and-Juliet-esque maybe? I don’t know. Maybe he ate something that was bad. There are so many scenarios. But again, we don’t really see it on him, so it has to be something that we can’t see. So who knows?
You had 22 episodes this season. What was your favorite storyline for Sas?
Román Zaragoza: Oh, gosh. The tree was amazing. That episode means so much to me. It really brought up some big topics about how his people, the Lenape, were displaced from this land and talking about how I am one of the original caretakers of this land, and yet my people aren’t here anymore. And that’s so sad, except for this one tree. This is the only thing that is from when I was alive. And of course, the Lenape are still here today, but they have been displaced to different areas. Oklahoma and then around the area where this takes place.
But to be right where that is and to not have a Lenape community right there that he can see and talk to—it was so sad. But then there’s also the fun comedy aspect of it where he was carving on this tree every time he said hi to Shiki. I love being able to play that duality between the comedy and the drama. And so we’re hitting these really heavy messages, while also making you laugh, because you have got to make them laugh if you want to make them cry. So I’m really, really proud of that episode. And then also to have Dallas Goldtooth on that episode was a dream. I’ve looked up to him for years. He’s awesome. That was really cool.
We finally got to the bottom of who killed Alberta this season. I’m curious if you were surprised at all by that reveal.
Román Zaragoza: One-hundred percent. I was so surprised. I remember when we read it in the scripts, and I was like, “Oh my gosh. Wow. That’s huge.” And it’s fun to go back and watch some of the episodes and see the way Rebecca plays all this stuff. It works so well. I’ve got to hand it to the writers. That episode was one of my favorites. Even when we were reading it, I was like, “Wait, who did it? Did he do it? Did Al Capone do it? Oh my God. Al Capone is in this episode. This person did it?” It was so cool. Danielle is just an incredible, incredible performer and to have her in the spotlight for that episode—it was incredible. It was so fun.
The finale definitely left off on quite the cliffhanger. I’m assuming you guys don’t know who got “sucked off” either.
Román Zaragoza: We shall see. No one is safe. Who knows? I have no idea. We are hoping we’ve got our jobs. [Laughs]
It’s conflicting because the entire cast is so great, but we also want the ghosts to find peace.
Román Zaragoza: It’s so true. We were talking about that. I think someone was talking about, like, “Wouldn’t Sas want to be ‘sucked off’ now?” and I’m like, “Well, if you asked him before he met Sam and Jay, he would be like, ‘Yes, get me out of here.'” But I think his afterlife has really changed since the two of them arrived, and he’s a lot more content and happy. Would he want to be “sucked off?” Yeah, sure. But he’s also really enjoying his time with these wild, crazy ghosts.
You’ve already been renewed for season 3! Are there any specific Sas-related plots you’d like to see when the show returns?
Román Zaragoza: Sheila and I keep talking about how we want some Sas-Flower content. It’ll come—some Sas-Flower content and diving more into the relationships between all the ghosts. I really love when we are really together. The Alberta-Hetty stuff is so interesting because they’ve been trapped in this house for so long and keeping secrets, and what does that mean for drama? I really would love to see more of that with Sas and how he can get more connected to all the different characters. Like how we got it with Trevor holding his secret, and so many different things that we can bring up because they’ve been in this house for a long time.
I saw that you produced a short in 2022. Are you hoping to produce more in the future?
Román Zaragoza: I am. I really love producing because it gives you a lot more creative control. I love writing and directing. I want to start making my own projects again. I went to Cal State, Northridge for film production and I just really saw the creative power you have when you can be on a project from day one. From writing, from really producing that, and having the say over who you bring in, and who you hire, and all this stuff. Sometimes, as an actor, you don’t get as much creative control or power.
I can control me and my character and I can come up and do the best I can and collaborate. But to be able to come in and direct or produce—it’s why I’m in this profession and in this career—because of representation. I really care about bringing stories of the oppressed and really talking about stories about my family. Mixed people, Native people, Asian people, Latino people—I really want to bring those stories to the forefront. So definitely going to be doing more in the future.
About Ghosts
GHOSTS is a single-camera comedy about Samantha and Jay, a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who threw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a huge rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast – only to find it was inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home.
All episodes of Ghosts are currently available to stream on Paramount+.