DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Kevin Can F**k Himself episode “Ghost” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, jaded sitcom spouses! This latest outing of Kevin Can F**k Himself takes us back to where it all started, as we bear witness to a series of flashbacks featuring Allison, Patty, Kevin and Neil. These blasts from the past are interwoven with the present, with Allison and Patty searching for a new identity at the local mortuary for Allison to steal after faking her death.
Some might consider “Ghost” to be a “filler episode.” I despise that term; there is no such thing as a “filler” in that regard. Everything should matter to the story, whether it contributes to something that unravels later in the episode or it’s a vital part of a seasonal arc. To that end, “Ghost” does its job. It gives us insight into something we hadn’t seen, i.e., Allison meeting Kevin and Patty. Additionally, we meet Allison’s mother, who lives in Sitcom Land like Kevin. More on that later.
Allison and Patty’s relationship really is ride-or-die at this point, and I’m here for it. Both continuously ignore their significant others in favor of helping each other out. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, notably with Tammy. I can’t imagine Patty concealing these secrets from her for much longer.
Ready to delve into “Ghost”? Let’s get to it.
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Smacking Pal-o-Ween With a Bat
We open Patty (Mary Hollis Inboden), sleeping in her bed. She wakes to hear someone stirring outside her room. Patty reaches for the bat underneath her bed and inches closer to the door, bat poised and ready to strike. When the interloper is within striking range, Patty comes out swinging. However, we see the purported intruder is Neil (Alex Bonifer).
Patty notices Neil is stealing from her. Neil claims he has good reason to — he hasn’t slept a wink since arriving home from the hospital, so he needs money for weed to help him sleep. Patty refuses, asserting he’s not blameless in the situation that unfolded at the McRoberts household. Neil wishes Patty hit him harder so he’d forget what he knew. Patty tries to offer Neil something as compensation while he storms out.
Meanwhile, in Sitcom Land, Kevin (Eric Petersen) spooks Allison (Annie Murphy) by having her walk into fake cobwebs. It’s “Pal-o-ween,” Kevin’s monthly (but might become bimonthly) celebrations wherein he and Neil watch scary stuff together. Allison tells Kevin she plans to go to the movies with Patty, much to Kevin’s disappointment. He wanted Allison to stay to ensure he — erm, Neil — doesn’t get too scared.
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Next, Patty searches for her keys in the salon while Tammy (Candice Coke) keeps her company. Patty informs Tammy she’s accompanying Allison to pick up a new coffee table that evening. Still not a fan of Allison, Tammy spews a derisive comment about Patty’s pal. Tammy is attending a board game night with some friends and wants Patty, her girlfriend, to go with her. Patty vows to stop by after assisting Allison.
Later, Allison and Patty walk toward the town mortuary, where they’ll meet with Billy Terrell. Allison reminds her bestie that she can’t do any of this without her. Too bad they can’t continue breaking the law once Allison fakes her death.
Name Shopping at Your Local Mortuary
Billy Terrell (Tommy Buck) informs Allison and Patty that the mortuary owner takes in bodies nobody wants, kind of like stray cats. So, while said owner is out, Billy urges them to look at the bodies in the basement. Then, they can find an identity to steal for Allison’s new life. Time to go name shopping!
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While Patty and Allison find their way to the basement, Allison’s bombarded with the memory of her father’s wake in 2005. We see younger Allison sitting in the back, toying with a hole in her tights. One person lays a hand on her shoulder and offers their condolences. Allison nods quietly.
Then, our pair gets lost trying to locate the basement. Patty possesses a strong sense of direction; meanwhile, Allison used to think “north” was directly in front of her. I hate to admit this, but … same.
Smoking Weed With Gertrude Fronch
Neil finally gets his hands on some MJ, smoking his way to a restful slumber. Kevin calls him and demands he come over for the Pal-o-ween festivities. Allison and Patty arrive in the basement to a space full of wooden boxes long enough to fit a body. Patty tries to find someone within Allison’s age range and makes a watertight case for Gertrude Fronch, a single woman 10 years Allison’s senior with no children who perished in an accident. Allison isn’t a fan of the name.
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We step back in time with another memory of the 2005 wake. Allison’s mother, Donna (Peri Gilpin), criticizes her daughter for dropping a honey-baked ham. We see the scene transform into a brightly-colored, vibrant sitcom landscape when Donna arrives, complete with a laugh track. Ah, so she’s a Kevin. The suffocating sitcom aura has followed Allison her whole life.
After Donna ridicules and mocks Allison’s wish to attend college, she departs, leaving Allison to stew in the emotional carnage her mother left in her wake. Allison rips the hole in her tights in anger.
13 Texts
Meanwhile, Tammy is at game night, waiting impatiently for a text from Patty. Her friends confiscated her phone so that she wouldn’t obsess over it. Once her sister returns it, Tammy notices she has zero texts from Patty but 13 missed calls from Neil. That’s the wrong O’Connor!
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Next, Allison and Patty search for the perfect name for Allison to steal. Allison reveals her father’s wake was at this mortuary, while she met Kevin and Patty that night. Patty insists Allison take any ole name, but this is Allison’s new life. It has to mean something.
Suddenly, the mortuary owner barges into the basement, shocked to find two strangers snooping around his corpses. Uh-oh. Patty and Allison depart hastily. Allison says goodbye to Patty, planning to head to the cemetery by herself with Billy’s information. She hopes Patty has a great time with Tammy.
When Allison Met Patty…
That’s when Patty flashes back to that night she met Allison. We see Allison sitting at the bar, looking forlorn and lost in grief. Patty waltzes up with her chunky blonde highlights (having intense flashbacks to the early to mid-aughts and our collective obsession with chunky highlights) and chats with Allison for a bit. Allison offers her some beer, but Patty reveals she’s waiting for her brother and his “idiot friends” to appear.
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Later, we see Allison in the cemetery, walking to the location Billy gave her. She starts shopping for the perfect identity to swap when she hears a sound that startles her. Allison falls backward into a fresh grave. Thankfully, no casket is inside it. However, Allison injures her ankle but doesn’t realize this until after she tosses her purse out of the hole.
Kevin Up Your Life
While lying in the grave, Allison recalls when she met Kevin at the pub. We see Kevin, Neil and Patty sitting together and laughing. Allison catches Kevin’s eye, and the two introduce themselves. Kevin tries to make Allison laugh with his, well, Kevin-ness. And that’s that.
Then, Patty finds Allison in the grave, having followed her to the cemetery. She helps Allison up, and the pair walk home. Allison is touched that Patty returned for her, even though the latter needs to make things right with Tammy for missing the game night.
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Next, Kevin, Neil and Pete (Brian Howe) are enjoying Pal-o-ween, watching a horror movie while snuggled under a Halloween-themed blanket. Tammy sits in the chair next to them, supervising the easily startled man-children. Allison and Patty are outside the door when Kevin, spooked by a noise, kicks the door with all his might, smacking it into Allison’s cheek.
The Lies Are Blurring
After the incident, Allison sits on the couch with a bag of frozen veggies on her swollen cheek. Kevin essentially blames her for scaring him. There’s a brief moment wherein Allison and Patty’s stories don’t match up, as Tammy mentions that she thought Patty and Allison were picking up a coffee table. Kevin addresses Allison’s lie about going to the movies. Hmm. Perhaps they should’ve cross-checked their stories before sharing them.
Allison goes along with Patty’s fib, claiming the person she picked up the table from had a septic tank leak. Thus, she slipped and fell. Hence the dirt and grime.
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Now, we’re back in Flashback Land. Allison exits the bar to find Patty puffing on a cigarette. Patty asks Allison if she’s going on a date with Kevin. Allison eagerly explains that Kevin plans to cook for her. Patty seems she wants to warn the naive Allison, but she refrains from doing so. It’s strange seeing Allison so giddy.
Gertrude Fronch It Is
While Allison stands in the bathroom with the frozen bag on her face, Patty pops into view, asking to see the damage Kevin wrought. Allison settles on Gertrude Fronch, citing Patty’s solid sense of direction. She trusts her friend.
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“Ghost” boasts fantastic performances from Murphy and Inboden, although I’m not sure I need to address this in every recap. It’s merely a given that these two knock it out of the park and then some. These actresses shine, especially as we see how different they were in 2005 compared to 2022. Those stark differences and how they’re portrayed onscreen show how much Murphy and Inboden invest in their characters, from their physicality and vocal timbre to their emotional states.
Allison’s mom existing perpetually in this sitcom space is an exciting choice. So far, Neil was the only person living in that sphere outside Kevin. However, Neil is back in the darkness of reality since the incident in the Season 1 finale. Donna acts like Kevin — impetuous, derisive and seemingly in her world without concern for those around her. Perhaps Allison was drawn to Kevin because that’s all she knows. We’re often attracted to what’s comfortable, even if it’s poisonous for us.
I’d love for this season to explore the “sitcom” effect further — is it a state of being for some folks, or is it merely what Allison sees? Here’s hoping Kevin Can F**k Himself sheds some light on this in its final season.
Kevin Can F**k Himself drops new episodes every Monday at 9 pm EST on AMC and AMC Plus.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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