How did Pete return to Ghosts season 6 after disappearing? Cast teases what happens next

Pete’s disappearance at the end of Ghosts season 5 left everyone wondering whether they had seen the last of Richie Moriarty’s character, but he has returned in the season 6 Halloween special, so how is that possible?

The two-part Halloween episode, titled Halloween 6: The Mirror – Parts One & Two, sees the Woodstone ghosts dealing with the arrival of Hetty’s sister Margaret. And aside from all the mirror drama, Pete is back.

So, how did Pete return to Ghosts season 6?

At the end of Ghosts season 5, Pete disappeared after pushing his ghost power too far. His ability allows him to leave the Woodstone property, but since he stayed too long, he eventually disappeared. His disappearance left the other ghosts without knowing whether he had moved on to the afterlife or whether there was still a way to bring him back.

In the Halloween special, Alberta considers holding a séance to contact Pete. But Sasappis talks her out of it. He worries that if Pete has been sucked off, trying to contact him could cause problems if he reveals too much about what happens after death. Instead, the ghosts, with help from Kyle and Jay, organise a memorial to mark the anniversary of Pete’s death.

But Pete actually respawns on the lawn outside Woodstone and walks straight back into the mansion.

Wait, so why doesn’t Pete remember the other ghosts?

When Pete walks into Woodstone, the other spirits are understandably thrilled to see him. They’ve spent so long wondering what happened that having him back should be a happy ending.

Except Pete doesn’t recognise any of them. He remembers his human life and the fact that he died in 1985, but he has completely forgotten the decades he spent as a ghost at Woodstone. The Halloween special doesn’t explain exactly why this happened or what Pete experienced while he was away.

It’s also not clear whether his memories will eventually come back. For now, the other ghosts are left having to introduce themselves and explain the rules of the afterlife to someone who used to know them better than almost anyone.

What has Asher Grodman said about Pete’s return?

Asher Grodman, who plays Trevor Lefkowitz, has opened up about the twist and what it could mean for the show’s central group of ghosts.

Speaking to Country Living, Grodman explained “There’s not a ton of insight that we get, but they did tell (Richie) that this was not the end of him. So we knew, he had told us that this wasn’t going to be the end of that character. How they were gonna handle it, we didn’t know. The memory thing, we found out later. I think we found that out at Comic-Con. They kind of tell us when they tell all of you guys what’s going on, so they hold it close to the vest.”

He continued, “That’s what’s so unique. Where do you find a show where these people have known each other for sometimes hundreds of years and yet have never left that plot of land?”

He added, “So the idea that one of those eight is essentially gone forever, he remembers what his life was, but he has no idea about us (the ghosts), it is kind of like we’ve lost this friend, family member, who’s been essential to our existence. And yeah, there’s a lot to grapple with. So I think the prospect of having Pete without Pete is very exciting.”

What does Pete’s return mean for season 6?

Pete’s memory loss is likely to create some major changes in how the Woodstone ghosts interact with him. Speaking to TV Insider, Rebecca Wisocky, who plays Hetty, explained, “It’s going to be mainly a big challenge and hopefully a wonderful opportunity for Richie Moriarty, who plays Pete, to explore with a brand new lens everything that he used to know and now doesn’t know.” 

She then teased, “It’ll be an opportunity and a challenge for Alberta for sure.”

Wisocky continued,  “I think one of the themes of this season is new beginnings, and they really hit the nail on the head with that. There are opportunities for some of the ghosts to take advantage of his naivete, and for us to learn new things about the ghost rules ourselves as we try to teach him what they are. I think it’s a really exciting reset.”

Grodman also warned that things won’t immediately go smoothly for Pete. He said, “There’s a transition period where that’s not the guy we know, and he’s put in this position of being stuck between the man he was when he was alive and the stories that he’s hearing from us about who he is now.”

He added, “There’s a rocky road ahead for our poor little Pete.”

For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page.