"It’s Almost A Little, Like, Curb Your Enthusiasm-y": Ghosts Star Breaks Down The "Dumbest" Reason For Isaac & Hamilton's Rivalry In Season 4 Flashback Episode

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Ghosts season 4, episode 14!Ghosts star Brandon Scott Jones has broken down the "dumbest" reason for Isaac and Alexander Hamilton's rivalry in a season 4 flashback episode. The cast of Ghostssaw guest star Nat Faxon portraying Hamilton in a flashback episode that revealed why Isaac (Jones) has a low opinion of the US Founding Father. It's revealed the important historical figure stole his shirt ruffle before a prominent dinner party, leading to Isaac burning the original Declaration of Independence in retaliation. The backstory offered context to his disdain in a humorous way.

Speaking with TVLine, Jones unpacked Ghosts season 4's context for Isaac and Hamilton's rivalry, comparing it to Curb Your Enthusiasm given its wild premise. He explains just how long Isaac has been holding a grudge for, saying it seems like "the first chapter" to a long line of interactions the pair had, where the series regular never quite got over having his shirt ruffle stolen:

The specifics were a surprise, but I always felt, in my gut somewhere, that this rivalry was either, a) lopsided, so much so that, like, this guy never gave him the time of day, or it was over something so petty, and it just sort of spun out of control. So when I got the script, you see the title [“Alexander Hamilton and the Ruffle Kerfuffle”] even, you’re like, “Oh, OK, I can see where this is going,” and so, it felt like, “OK, yes, this feels very, very right for him to have this type of reaction over something so small.” It’s almost a little, like, Curb Your Enthusiasm-y, you know what I mean?
[Laughs] I know, right? The fact that, like, this thing that he has held onto for so long, of course, it’s just over the dumbest thing. I feel like this is the first chapter in a lot of other chapters where Isaac is interacting with Hamilton, and Hamilton’s, really, just, like, dismissing him in every single way. There’s something so funny about that.

He even acknowledges there's no real indication as to why Hamilton stole it in the first place, with Jones speculating Isaac may have played up some parts of the story. While the star isn't sure if the story will come back around in season 4, he's convinced the rivalry between the pair is far from done being talked about. Check out what Jones had to say below:

Exactly! That’s one of the unanswered questions that we have to continue to think about. I have this theory, and this is just me, but in order to answer that question, I had made the decision, as an actor, [that] Isaac has proven himself to be a little bit of an unreliable narrator and a little bit of a history’s revisionist type of guy. So in the virtue of him telling the story [in a way] where he still does look bad, I wonder if he’s sort of embellished some parts to sort of soften the blow of how he really acted during that experience. Meaning I could see a world both where maybe Hamilton really didn’t steal his ruffle, and this is all from Isaac’s just, like, undoing, but as he’s telling the story, he’s still unwilling to let that go. That’s just something that I thought. The reason I wanted to bring that up is just because you asked a really great question, which is what is Hamilton’s beef with Isaac, and I think maybe he just stole his ruffle in the beginning, or [Hamilton] just was annoyed at the way [Isaac] behaved during the Declaration of Independence.
I don’t know if he brings it up against this season, but I don’t think it’s done. I think there’s still more to unpack and unwind and explore with the Hamilton beef, and I wonder how that could come about. … But I do know that his book is coming out, where he’s a vampire. So who knows what he might just do in that book to Hamilton that’ll just re-spark the feud.

What Isaac's Rivalry With Hamilton Says About The Long-Running Feud

His Disdain Comes From A Hilarious Place

Isaac's backstory in Ghosts season 4 offers both information and humor surrounding his constant, one-sided rivalry with Hamilton. He's also revealed to be the one who gave the Founding Fathers the idea for the phrase "pursuit of happiness" in the final Declaration of Independence. With the comedic aspects of its revelation, it's clear the Continental Army officer has had disdain for Hamilton for hundreds of years over a small slight against him. Jones' statement illustrates this, emphasizing how hilariously petty the conflict actually is.

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While there's no telling how the implicit conflict could play out in the future, Jones seems hopeful Isaac will continue to hold a grudge. This could make for some good storytelling in Ghosts season 5 or beyond, especially now that the show has a definitive face for Hamilton, who could appear once more in a future episode. But, since there's a potential opportunity for the feud to begin once more, it seems like something that could become a long-standing storyline depending on how the backstory is factored into future episodes.

Our Take On Isaac's Rivalry With Hamilton

Will Ghosts Circle Back To It Later?

Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac basked in purple light in Ghosts

Given just how large Isaac's grudge against Hamilton still is, the storyline could easily come back in a future season to make for some hilarious new conflict. Since it started with a shirt ruffle and ended with the original Declaration of Independence burning, a renewed rivalry could have some over-the-top results, depending on how it comes about. The backstory seems like it could be laying the groundwork for Ghosts to show deeper aspects of the major character's grudge, alongside the effects it has on his future.

New episodes of Ghosts air Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Source: TVLine