The Ghost and Molly McGee / YMMV

Adorkable: Libby is endearingly nerdy, particularly when she gushes over getting her first writing credit.
Alternative Character Interpretation:
- Is Molly genuinely an eternal optimist, or is she a Stepford Smiler who forces herself to stay positive and tries not to feel any sort of negative emotion? Several episodes see her get desperate to the point of Sanity Slippage as she revels in denial or forces herself to find a positive spin on bad situations, and at one point, Libby even comments that Molly has a history of being evasive when things are bothering her.
- How much of Andrea's bad attitude comes from her father? "Saving Christmas" highlights that while he may spoil her rotten with presents, he doesn't really listen to her, with her struggling to gain his attention outside acting as the face for Davenport stores. Meanwhile, "Saving Christmas" and other episodes show that while she can be just as self-serving as her parents, she is more altruistic and does feel guilty if her actions have unintended negative consequences.
- Scratch makes sure that both the Hanukkah bookshop celebration and Snowflake Festival go on as planned, despite the fact that the Council warned him that group events increase happiness as well as his chances to be sent to the Flow of Failed Phantoms. Did he get a pass because the Council gives a break on Christmas, or did he figure it would be Worth It since he does care about Molly and Libby?
- While recounting her plans for the future to Molly, Andrea reveals she plans to marry a girl whose family also owns a department store, even blushing as she says so. However, considering how extensive Andrea's plans for the future are, did she add this tidbit because she loved the girl from the start, or did she initially do it out of pragmatism before falling for her for real later down the line?
- In the series finale, Scratch/Todd leaves Brighton to travel the world and meet up with Adia again, but acts oblivious to Molly, the Mcgee’s, and everyone else he’s met as his time as a ghost. That said, he briefly smiles at Molly just as he finally repossesses his body. He also sticks to his promise to Molly to live his life to the fullest, something he never would have done without Molly’s influence. Finally, before he leaves, he borrows Molly’s catchphrase “Enhappification”, and even refers to her as “Moll” one last time, even though she never even told him her name as Todd. Did Scratch/Todd actually forget all his memories as a Wraith with Molly, The Mcgee’s and everyone else? Did he only somewhat forget his memories and bits and pieces are still somewhere in his head and he’ll eventually remember them more over time like how he regained his memories as a human too? Or is he purposefully pretending to have done so as to not make Molly and everyone else not miss him as much as he leaves?
Angst? What Angst?: Lampshaded by Scratch when he realizes it's not just Molly that refuses to be scared by him; her whole family is like that. Her dad says that it's nice to meet Scratch, while her mother schemes to get some money back from the realtor since they weren't notified about ghosts. Her brother is excited to have a ghost. As Scratch puts it, "What's wrong with all of you?!" and has a Freak Out that covers them in ectoplasm. Grandma Nin has the excuse that ghosts are a part of Thai culture, and she's also on the other side of a webcam.
Anti-Climax Boss: After being depicted as The Dreaded and an all-powerful being, the Chairman is enhappified to death with a single touch from Molly.
Awesome Music: Has its own page.
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: "Book Marks the Sprite" has Molly, Scratch and Libby agree to tackle the duel problems of Ollie Chen and the Story Sprite in the bookstore separately. They disperse by suddenly snapping into stone-faced poses toward the camera and hammer dancing away in different directions, while a remix of the theme song's hook plays. The moment was used as a eye-catching prelude to a montage of scenes in the Season 2 trailer, but in context, it's hilariously unexpected, occurs with zero prompting or explanation, and is never mentioned again.
Catharsis Factor: When the Ghost Council crosses the Moral Event Horizon in "Molly vs. the Ghost World," it is really incredible to see Molly freeing herself and every ghost that has ever been imprisoned in the Flow of Failed Phantoms. Then she defeats the Chairman for good, leaving the council scared and powerless, and returns with Scratch to the world of the living.
Comedy Ghetto: Didn't get hit with this as hard as Big City Greens did, but the show still attracted initial criticism from online animation reviewers for its more comedic and episodic structure, in contrast to the more serialized and lore-driven concurrent Disney Television Animation programming like The Owl House and Amphibia.
Crosses the Line Twice:
- Molly and Scratch's first meeting; there is some Nightmare Fuel that she pops his facial features off, eyeballs and all when giving him a big hug. Then she apologetically reassembles him. His response is to tell her to go away, or she'll be cursed. There is just one problem: the curse is that he will haunt her, and Molly realizes that it makes them best friends! Scratch puts it best: "I didn't curse Molly McGee; she cursed me!"
- The scene where Molly confides in Scratch about her worries with starting school. It should be awful that Scratch realizes that if her first day of school is horrible, maybe she'll leave him alone. His efforts backfire; Molly realizes she's being silly, and thanks him for being her sounding board. Scratch makes a "-_-" face and decides that if Molly isn't going to sabotage herself, then he'll have to do it. Despite it being a despicable plan, his Evil Laugh makes it ridiculous.
Diagnosed by the Audience: Libby shows some signs of social anxiety. She's shocked by Molly accepting her offer of friendship, throws up at the idea of playing the main role in a movie and being seen by several people, and panics at the number of people who attend her Bat Mitzvah (after Molly tries to liven things up), eventually culminating in her hiding in another room sobbing. Notably five of the seven guests at her Bat Mitzvah are her family; her mother, aunt, uncle and younger cousins (the other two being her rabbi and Molly).
Die for Our Ship: Even before he was officially revealed, Oliver quickly earned the ire of Mollibby and Molldrea shippers once it was established that he would be Molly's canon crush and love interest. ^note
Draco in Leather Pants: Andrea prior to her character development got this treatment, particularly in "Hooray For Mollywood". Some go so far as to call her the Designated Villain of the episode, even though she hijacked Molly's movie and turned it into a vanity project for herself. Some claim she was being Obliviously Evil, but they seem to forget that Andrea's character establishing moment was as an Attention Whore who's willing to socially destroy classmates for something as petty as accidentally mispronouncing her name.
Ensemble Dark Horse:
- Tammy Myers from "The (Un)natural" has less than a minute screentime but surprisingly many fans who hope for her return.
- Although Emmie only appeared in one episode, she did manage to become popular, even in fanarts.
Epileptic Trees:
- After the Season 1 finale, where Molly herself ends up temporarily becoming one in said episode, a popular theory arose that Scratch is the wraith of one of the Brighton citizens, Todd. Evidence given includes both having similar features such as big noses, Scratch briefly mentioning how Todd literally doesn't have a soul at one point, Todd always being glum (the main characteristic of humans whose souls are currently elsewhere as wraiths), and the two sharing a voice actor. Season 2 going on to have Scratch tell Darryl that being a Wraith for too long is dangerous (but unable to remember why), as well as Scratch revealing he can't recall his human life (an issue that no other ghost in the show is known to have), only helped strengthen this theory. Confirmed in the series finale.
- Jinx being Scratch's childhood friend Adia is another theory that's rising up. Though this hinges from a few similar features such as their hair and as a way to add Scratch possibly moving on from his past if he were to find out what a horrible being his former friend became in his absence. Jossed as of the series finale — Adia is still alive.
Fanfic Fuel:
- After the first season wrapped with the Chairman of the Ghost Council destroyed and all the ghosts in the Flow of Failed Phantoms freed, fans pondered questions like what happens to the Ghost World without the Chairman, were there dangerous entities that should have remained in the Flow of Failed Phantoms, and will anyone plot revenge against Scratch and Molly? Season 2 almost immediately answered most of these.
- Who was Scratch before he died? What was his life like and, of course, how did he die to begin with?
- After the reveal of "A Soda to Remember": What happened to Adia? Is she dead? Is she Jinx? If she's still alive: What would happen if she returns to Brighton?
- After the series finale, How do Molly and the McGees lives turn out after Scratch leaves? What if Scratch remembers his time as a wraith while still alive, and how? What happens when he dies for real?
Fanon: Molly identifying as LGBT in some way is a popular headcanon due to her many interactions with both Libby and Andrea that's filled with a lot of subtext. The latter two are also headcanoned as well. Season 2 eventually reveals Andrea to be queer, making this an Ascended Fanon on her case.
Foe Yay Shipping: Molly/Andrea, with many immediately drawing parallels between their dynamic in the latter's debut episode and that of the canonical "Lumity" ship in The Owl House, and similar popular "rich bully/happy-go-lucky victim" ships in other Disney TVA fandoms like Gravity Falls.
Friendly Fandoms:
- Due to having a similar premise of a supernatural entity being forced to live with a child, there’s been a good number of fans who partner with fans of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.
- Speaking of Cartoon Network, fans of both Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Chowder like the show due to Scratch's voice actor previously voicing major characters from those series, Master Shake and Gazpacho. Snyder would later do a routine where the former talks to Scratch.
- A lot of fans of The Owl House and Amphibia gained interest in the show due to it being another modern cartoon from the Disney Saturday Line-up. It also helps that both those shows were close to or on their final season when The Ghost and Molly McGee aired its first season with a guaranteed second season down the road, so fans see the show as a good replacement for them. Les Yay shipping is certainly a commonality between the three shows.
- Due to Memetic Mutation, fans of the show became friends with that of Kamen Rider Revice.
- Fans of Beetlejuice have taken to the show, as the parallels between Molly and Scratch's dynamic and that of Beetlejuice and Lydia have not gone unnoticed. Both shows even have a Baseball Episode titled "The Unnatural".
- With Hilda in part from being animated by the same studio and their similarities of a young plucky girl moving into a new town encountering and ultimately befriending the supernatural.
He Really Can Act: Dana Snyder, best known for voicing more comedic characters, delivers an absolutely gut-wrenching performance as Scratch in "The End", where he tells Molly his backstory that it was revealed that he was never a ghost at all—this entire time, he's actually been the Wraith of the gloomy-faced Todd Mortenson.
Ho Yay: Has its own page.
I Knew It!:
- Quite a few people imagined and even expected at one point to see a ghost version of Molly. Come the season 1 finale, Molly becomes a ghost after splitting her soul from her body.
- After the first season finale revealed the existence of Wraiths, pretty much everyone in the fandom expected Scratch to be the Wraith of Todd Mortenson, due to the two of them having the same face and voice actor, as well as the fact that Todd's gloomy attitude matches up with the personality of someone whose soul has "given up the ghost" and become a Wraith.
It's the Same, Now It Sucks!: Some detractors have sent this complaint towards Molly herself, seeing her as another example of the "happy-go-lucky Genki Girl protagonist" that's been seen with female protagonists or major players of several previous Disney shows, like Mabel Pines, Star Butterfly, Webby Vanderquack, Marcy Wu, and Luz Noceda, who have been compared to Molly the most.
Jerkass Woobie:
- Scratch may sure be grumpy and not so pleasant to hang around, but you can't help but feel sorry for him when you see just how the Council treats him.
- Andrea may have been a massive Alpha Bitch before her character development, but seeing her about to cry when her parents ignore her in "The Don't-Gooder" is enough to even make Molly feel sorry for her.
Jerks Are Worse Than Villains: For the most part, the villains and anti-villains in the show have their fans either due to sympathy (Andrea being neglected by her parents, and her later Character Development and the Chens being simply Obliviously Evil) or simply being fun to watch and hate (The Ghost Council before their redemption, The Chairman, Jinx and rogue ghosts). However, Libby's deadbeat father in "Like Father, Like Libby" is a universally hated man. He didn't visit Libby for six years, only marginally contacting her without bothering to even know anything about her and when he finally meets up with her again when she seeks him out, not only does he act rather dismissively to her wanting to reconnect with flimsy excuses, but also his "gift" to her is a book he wrote while only addressing her as though she's just another fan. All with a lame smile in an attempt to save face. Overall, he's a pretty pathetic excuse for a father.
Launcher of a Thousand Ships: Molly McGee is by far the most shipped character in the show, being shipped with Libby, Andrea, Tammy Myers, Oliver/Ollie and yes, even Scratch.
LGBT Fanbase: As early as the 2020 sneak peek, the series gained a fanbase largely consisting of young LGBTQ+ people, carrying over from Amphibia and The Owl House. The Les Yay between Molly/Libby and Molly/Andrea, as well as canon LGBT characters like Mrs. Roop, Geoff, and Andrea certainly help.
Magnificent Bitch ("Out of House and Home" & "Home is Where the Haunt Is"): Candace Green, self-proclaimed as "Brighton's #1 realtor", gleefully evicts the McGees after they fail to pay their mortgage. Trying to sell the house as quickly as possible to set a record with charm & pizzazz, Candace discovers Scratch is still haunting it and turns him into a selling point, which attracts even more buyers.
Memetic Mutation:
- "The Ghost and Molly McGee is just a slice of life version of Kamen Rider Revice".^Explanation
- "Molly needs to be careful."^{Explanation *MASSIVE SPOILERS for Amphibia and The Owl House}
- Molly joins the battle! ^Explanation
Mis-blamed: The show (and Under Wraps (2021)) was falsely accused for being the reason behind the last-minute removal of Amphibia's season two finale from Disney Channel's schedule, as the sneak peek of its theme song aired during an equally sudden "Halfway to Halloween" marathon event which replaced its airing. Creator of that show, Matt Braly, had to eventually step up to confirm that the marathon had nothing to do with the situation^note, but some Amphibia fans would swear off watching the show regardless.
Moe:
- Molly is a bubbly ray of sunshine. She hugs a ghost trying to haunt her, saying they're best friends forever.
- Libby due to her awkward yet sweet personality and behavior with Molly and the other students at Brighton Middle School. Helps that she's voiced by Lara Jill Miller, who's no stranger to voicing another sweet-natured character from another Disney show.
Moral Event Horizon:
- When Jinx realizes that Molly is the source of joy she is looking for, she immediately decides to kill her and only Scratch's intervention saves Molly's life.
- The Chairman crosses it when he banishes not only Scratch and Geoff but even Molly to the Flow of Failed Phantoms without remorse or hesitation.
Portmanteau Couple Name:
- Some of the most popular ships are Mollibby (Molly/Libby) and Molldrea/Mondrea/Mollandrea (Molly/Andrea).
- An In-Universe example: The entire school labels Molly and Oliver (who goes by Ollie) "Mollie," which Molly points out is just her name with an -ie at the end. For the fandom's part, Molliver is generally much more accepted as a ship name.
Ron the Death Eater: The Chens have gotten this reputation from the fandom due to their ghost-hunting ways, being treated as manipulative and evil villains with sinister motives despite the series making a point to show they're good people outside of that one aspect and are misguided Obliviously Evil at worst about ghosts. This is especially pronounced with Oliver/Ollie, who due to being Molly's canonical love interest gets caught up in this reputation along with flak from Mollibby and Mollandrea shippers.
Rooting for the Empire: A few viewers would have shed no tears if "Twin Trouble" ended with the sobgoblins making Pete's siblings Billy and Jilly sad permanently, considering that they are a Big Brother Bully duo who spent much of Pete's life inadvertently tearing down his self-esteem and nearly passed down their behavior for Darryl to bully Molly. They're lucky that Molly is too compassionate for her own good sometimes.
Ships That Pass in the Night: Some fans have begun to ship Andrea with Robyn, despite the latter being little more than a background character that Andrea has never been seen interacting with, save for just one scene.
Ship-to-Ship Combat:
- As early as the first episode, a rivalry started between Molly/Andrea fans and Molly/Libby fans. Much of the Molldrea fanbase started from Foe Yay Shipping and got even stronger as the character began having positive interactions to the point of becoming friends by the 18th episode of the first season, while Mollibby rode on a 'friends-to-lovers' scenario from the very start.
- Season 2 threw in the Molly/Ollie ship, which immediately began receiving flak from Molly/Libby and Molly/Andrea shippers. In return, the Molly/Ollie shippers accuse the other two shipping factions of putting their Shipping Goggles on too tightly, and disrespecting the creators' choice of pairing Molly with Ollie instead of Libby or Andrea.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
- Tammy Myers could have been another less villainous rival to Molly outside of Andrea Davenport with Molly and serve as a more open bully towards Molly & Libby to contrast Andrea's more oblivious behavior with some fans wishing to see her as the brawns to Molly's friendship group if she ever ends up joining. She's also one of the few humans outside of The McGees and Libby to have found out about Scratch after he scared her and could have used that to try to expose or blackmail Molly. Yet she only appears once in the first season and according to Word of God would not be used again.
- The Chairman. An intimidating Grim Reaper-like figure who created the Flow of Failed Phantoms and made the laws about ghosts spreading misery so that he could feed upon it. Fans assumed that he was being setup as the Big Bad to be confronted at the very end of the series, but he's easily dispatched by Molly at the end of the first season, before any else can be revealed about him, and he never even says a single word.
- Andrea only gets a background cameo in the Series Finale, never getting to meet Scratch or learn about the existence of ghosts.
- Aside from Billy and Jilly, we don't see anyone from Pete's side of the family.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
- Despite having decent setup due to being their only connection before Molly came along and Scratch possessing Andrea to undo the damage it did, the series never gives an in-depth look at Libby and Andrea's past with each other, being mostly relegated to the background after Andrea went from a bully character to a more Obliviously Evil kinda girl.
- Speaking of Andrea, she's one of the many characters who never ends up learning about either Scratch or the existence, despite the fact that she's friends with two girls who interact frequently with the ghost world. It could've been interesting to see how Andrea would react to learning about the world, especially Scratch's existence before he became human again.
Ugly Cute: Scratch the Ghost isn't supposed to be photogenic, but he is adorable with how Molly's bond with him forces him into Butt-Monkey situations. Not to mention the soft smile he gives her at the end of the opening song.
Unexpected Character: Absolutely no one ever would've predicted that Greta Gerwig of all people would cameo As Herself in this show.

YMMV / The Ghost and Molly McGee

Edit Locked