Who is the Lady in the Basement on Ghosts?
The “lady” in the basement on the popular CBS sitcom Ghosts isn’t just one individual, but rather a collective: the Cholera Ghosts. These are the spirits of individuals who succumbed to cholera and are now eternally confined to the basement of the Woodstone Mansion. While there isn’t one singular female figurehead among them, the group dynamic and shared tragic history create a compelling subplot within the show. They’re a diverse bunch, all bound by the horrifying circumstances of their deaths and their subsequent afterlife as basement-dwelling specters. Rather than focusing on one woman, understanding the collective story of these cholera victims is key to understanding the role they play in the series.
The Cholera Ghosts: A History of Tragedy
The Pest House
The Cholera Ghosts were once living people who were afflicted with cholera. Instead of receiving true treatment, they were isolated in a building that would become the basement of the Woodstone Mansion. This was essentially a “pest house”, designed to contain the contagious and potentially fatal illness. They were told they’d be treated, but in reality they were locked away to die.
A Gruesome Fate
Their deaths were not swift or peaceful. They suffered through the symptoms of cholera, often without proper care. They eventually died from a combination of the illness, starvation, suffocation, or a combination of these tragic factors. This brutal experience has left them collectively embittered, with a distinct understanding of the unfairness of their fate.
The Basement: Their Eternal Prison
As ghosts, the Cholera Ghosts are forever trapped in the basement of the mansion, a grim reminder of their past. Their existence is markedly different from the other ghosts on the property. They are not integrated into the main house’s activities, and their primary focus is on their shared suffering and resentment towards those who live upstairs. They mostly stay out of the way. They are not seen often.
Key Characteristics of the Cholera Ghosts
- Collective Identity: While each individual ghost undoubtedly has their own unique personality, they function as a single unit. Their shared trauma and confinement have forged a strong bond between them.
- Resentment and Bitterness: They carry a profound sense of anger and resentment over their mistreatment during their illness. This often manifests as passive-aggressive behavior and occasional outbursts.
- Limited Interaction: They mostly keep to themselves, their interactions being primarily with each other and the other basement ghost, Nancy. Occasionally, they will interact with the other ghosts or Samantha and Jay who live above them.
Understanding Nancy: A Specific Basement Ghost
Nancy, voiced by Betsy Sodaro, is the most prominently featured of the Cholera Ghosts. She often acts as a spokesperson for the group, interacting with the other ghosts and even Samantha, a living human who can see them. While Nancy is not the “leader” of the group, she’s the one that seems to appear more than other cholera ghosts. She often expresses the same resentment and tragic story as her fellow Cholera Ghosts. Her presence helps to humanize the group and give viewers a better understanding of their shared experiences.
FAQs About the Ghosts in the Basement
1. How many Cholera Ghosts are there?
The exact number of Cholera Ghosts isn’t explicitly stated, but it is implied that there are numerous spirits residing in the basement. They usually appear as a group, creating a visual effect of a crowded, spectral presence.
2. How do the Cholera Ghosts differ from the other ghosts in the house?
Unlike the other ghosts, who died from various causes throughout different eras, the Cholera Ghosts are linked by their shared experience of dying from cholera in the same location. This commonality has shaped their collective identity and their role in the series. They are all resentful and stay in the basement.
3. Do the Cholera Ghosts have names?
While Nancy is the only named Cholera Ghost who regularly interacts with the main cast, most of the others remain unnamed, likely to emphasize their collective identity rather than individual stories.
4. Can the Cholera Ghosts leave the basement?
The Cholera Ghosts, like other ghosts in the series, are tethered to the property. Their specific confinement to the basement is likely a manifestation of the fact that they died there, further emphasizing their tragic circumstances. It would seem they are unable to go beyond the basement walls.
5. Why are the Cholera Ghosts so angry?
Their anger stems from the abandonment and mistreatment they endured while alive. They were locked away in a pest house under the pretense of treatment, only to die a horrible and lonely death. This history of betrayal fuels their resentment and bitterness.
6. What is the relationship between Nancy and the other Cholera Ghosts?
Nancy is one of the Cholera Ghosts. She acts as a spokesperson for the group, but the other ghosts seem to have an unspoken collective agreement. They function as a single unit.
7. Are the Cholera Ghosts part of the main storylines in the show?
While they aren’t central to every episode’s plot, the Cholera Ghosts provide a compelling subplot, adding depth to the narrative and touching on themes of historical injustice and suffering. They are background characters for the most part.
8. How does Samantha react to the Cholera Ghosts?
Samantha initially approaches the Cholera Ghosts with empathy and attempts to understand their experiences. However, their negativity and lack of openness can frustrate her, creating conflict and further challenges to her attempts to mediate between the ghosts and her living reality.
9. Can Jay interact with the Cholera Ghosts?
Unlike Samantha, Jay is not able to see or hear the ghosts, including the Cholera Ghosts. He remains oblivious to their presence and their suffering in the basement, adding another layer to the dynamics of the show. He does eventually gain the ability to see all the ghosts later in the series.
10. Have any Cholera Ghosts been “sucked off”?
To date, no Cholera Ghosts have been “sucked off,” meaning that none of them have ascended to a higher plane or moved on to the afterlife. Their status as basement-bound entities seems to be a permanent condition, at least for the present.
11. Is there any hope for the Cholera Ghosts?
The show doesn’t explicitly state that the Cholera Ghosts will be able to pass on. There is no indication of what would make them leave the basement.
12. How did the Cholera Ghosts die?
They all died from cholera in a pest house. The most common factors that led to their deaths were the illness, starvation, and suffocation.
13. Is Betsy Sodaro the only actress who voices a Cholera Ghost?
Betsy Sodaro voices the most prominent of the Cholera Ghosts, Nancy, however, there are other unnamed actors who also participate in the scenes with the Cholera Ghosts.
14. Does the show explain why the Cholera Ghosts are in the basement?
Yes, it’s explained that they were all quarantined in the building when they contracted cholera. Since they died in the basement, their spirits remain tied to it.
15. Are the Cholera Ghosts based on historical events?
Cholera epidemics were a real occurrence in the past. The storyline of the Cholera Ghosts is a fictional depiction of that time but touches on real-life scenarios of mistreatment and inadequate care during these times. This provides a basis of historical relevance to the fictional storyline of the Cholera Ghosts.