Halloween 6: The Mirror - Parts 1 & 2
The ghosts are still trying to figure out how to bring Pete back after his disappearance at the end of last season. Meanwhile, Jay and Kyle set out to replace a broken mirror, only to discover that its replacement comes with an unexpected resident: the ghost of Hetty’s sister.
Warning: Spoilers Below
No Sam
The episode quickly explains why Sam will have a limited presence this season. Last season ended with her leaving to film a movie based on her book, and she appears in this episode only through Zoom calls. This storyline also accommodates actress Rose McIver's time away from the series after welcoming her second child. However, Sam's absence creates a bit of a challenge since she's the one who can communicate with the ghosts. Fortunately, Kyle was introduced a few seasons ago as another person who can see them. That allows him and Jay to work together, especially since Jay can't see or hear the ghosts himself.
Magic Mirror on the Wall
Jay and Kyle are trying to build a friendship despite Jay's lingering resentment over Kyle making a move on Sam. However, they do share something in common: loneliness. Jay feels isolated because he can't see or hear the ghosts who are such a big part of Sam's world. Kyle, on the other hand, can see them, but his ability makes it difficult for him to form meaningful connections with other living people. As a result, Kyle is willing to go along with just about anything Jay suggests in an effort to strengthen their friendship. That even includes playing basketball, despite Kyle showing little interest in sports.
Photo: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
While messing around, the pair accidentally break a mirror. Rather than just tell Sam what happened, Jay calls Mark and the pair find what they believe to be an identical mirror to bring to Woodstone Manor. They reveal it and Kyle points out there is a ghost trapped in the mirror. Older ghosts like Thorfinn and Isaac seem to recognize who this is but can't quite place her and she insists she’s never met them. Hetty walks into the room and recognizes the ghost as her sister, Margaret.
Goosebumps
Margaret blames Hetty for being trapped inside the mirror. A flashback reveals that Hetty unveiled the mirror while Margaret was dying so she could indulge in her “medicinal cocaine” before shaving Margaret's mustache. The doctor warns Hetty not to leave the mirror uncovered because of an old superstition that a spirit who sees its reflection could become trapped inside. Hetty dismisses the warning as an “old wives' tale,” but in this world, it turns out to be true.
Photo: Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
The two sisters discuss what happened, and Margaret initially comes across as rather cold. However, her attitude changes when Hetty accidentally reveals that it's Halloween. That's when viewers can tell something is up. Margaret asks Hetty to touch the mirror, and Hetty obliges. Margaret then pulls her into the mirror before making her escape. One ghost is now trapped while another believes she has finally found freedom.
This is actually the plot of the first Goosebumps book I ever read, making it a fun bit of nostalgia for me. It's also an easy way to introduce some Halloween hijinks into the episode.
Séance
Meanwhile, Jay and Kyle have reached out to Pete's former friend Jerry to arrange for some of Pete's belongings to be brought to the mansion. They're looking for something Pete had on him when he died, which they can use to summon him through a séance. Among the items are Pete's glasses, and Alberta is certain he was wearing them on the day he died. With that, they finally have everything they need to attempt to bring their friend back.
However, Sass has something to say about the plan. He's been keeping quiet, but Pete had confided in him that if he ever got "sucked off," he wouldn't want anyone trying to bring him back. Pete was afraid he might reveal too much about Heaven and wind up melting, just as Hetty's former maid supposedly claimed would happen. This creates tension between Sass and Alberta. She loves Pete and desperately misses him, while Sass wants to honor his friend's "Do Not Seance" wishes.
Jan Thijs/CBS
Jay and Kyle get everything ready for the séance, but Alberta starts imagining what could happen if Pete returns only to melt because he reveals too much about Heaven. Eventually, she realizes that bringing Pete back is what she wants, not necessarily what Pete would want. She decides to respect his wishes and calls off the séance.
Sausage Party
Meanwhile, Jay's sister, Bela, decides to throw a Halloween party at the mansion to get closer to Evan, a guy from her gym on whom she's developed a crush. Her strategy is to invite only men so she can be the only woman there and keep Evan's attention focused on her. Unfortunately, one of her guests is the chef from Jay's restaurant, who brings along a fellow employee named Amanda. When Evan arrives, it turns out he and Amanda already know each other. It looks like Bela's dating disasters are going to continue.
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
While this is going on, Jay and Mark try to move the new mirror and end up breaking it as well. Hetty can still be seen in the shards but it seems like she may be stuck in the mirror for at least another year. Margaret has tried to flee the scene but learns about the ghost boundary and feels thwarted. She runs into Flower and they decide to play “hide-and-seek” as Margaret just needs to stay out of the mirror until midnight to stay free from her prison.
Reconciliation
While trapped in the mirror, Hetty gets to revisit some of the memories it has witnessed over the years. One of these involves her sister catching her with an artist Hetty loved but wasn't allowed to date after Margaret exposed their affair. However, the mirror reveals something interesting: Margaret was also in love with the artist and had originally asked Hetty to find out if those feelings were mutual. Unfortunately, Hetty wasn't paying attention and didn't even understand what she had agreed to do.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Jay are trying to complete the ultimate jigsaw puzzle of putting the mirror back together. A piece is missing and they determine that it actually landed in Evan’s pocket. He and Amanda are long gone and neither of them will answer calls from Bela or Jay. Hetty’s ear is in this shard and she can hear them talking. Jay’s able to suss out from Hetty's clues that they are at a Sonic and he goes down to get the shard. Bela also tries to shame Amanda even though it’s clear Amanda did nothing wrong. Bela sucks, man.
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
Once the mirror is back together, Hetty has a chance to get out. Thorfinn and Sass managed to find Margaret and Flower and bring them in. Margaret and Hetty need to sort out their issues so Isaac swaps with Hetty and gets stuck in the mirror so the sisters can talk things out. They reconcile and begin to heal. Margaret wants to leave the property, so she agrees to get back in the mirror and Jay ships it to Trevor’s daughter who is in Paris so Margaret can achieve the dream of both her life and afterlife.
Surprise Return
Later, the ghosts gather to observe a moment of silence for Pete on the anniversary of his death. Jay brings in some of Pete's favorite food so everyone can enjoy its aroma while remembering their friend. During the gathering, something extraordinary happens: Pete suddenly reappears in the exact spot where he died.
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
Flower is the first to recognize him, but given her notoriously unreliable memory and the questions she's been asking lately, the others initially think she's just confusing him with someone else. That changes when they all see Pete for themselves. However, something isn't right. Pete doesn't recognize anyone and instead asks who they are and where his scout troop is. It turns out Pete has returned as a ghost without any memories of the past 41 years. As far as he's concerned, he has just died.
Final Thoughts
This is one of two specials we'll get before the end of the year. Ghosts will return with new episodes in 2027, but I'm grateful they're giving us these specials in the meantime. I actually think this approach could improve the show's storytelling. I wasn't particularly impressed with Season 5, as much of it felt like the series was running out of steam. However, this special delivered a story that genuinely kept me engaged. It's also a considerable improvement over the 2025 Mummy Halloween special, which left me unimpressed.
The upcoming season has a 22-episode order, and I'm a little concerned about whether the storytelling can maintain this level of quality. My favorite season remains Season 3, which was shortened because of the writers' strike. We only got 10 episodes, but I thought the storytelling was much stronger with the reduced episode count. There was considerably less filler. I hope the writers can continue delivering focused stories without stretching things out unnecessarily.
I'm particularly interested in learning more about Pete and his new situation. I'm thrilled to have him back, and this gives the series an opportunity to explore something different. He's essentially been reset rather than "sucked off," which opens up some interesting possibilities. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Jay and Kyle's friendship develops. Honestly, I'm more invested in their relationship than I am in Sam and Jay's romance at this point.
Then there's Bela. She's been frustrating me ever since she chose a fantasy relationship with Sass over a real opportunity with Kyle. This episode teased the possibility of something happening between them again, and I really don't want to see that happen. The Sass storyline seriously damaged her character for me. At this point, Bela sucks even more than Carol!
Despite my reservations about the upcoming season, I'm actually excited to see where the series goes next. Before watching this special, I wasn't particularly looking forward to its return. That's quite a turnaround, and I'm happy about it.
Check out Ghosts on CBS and Paramount Plus.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2026
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