Written by J. Michael Straczynski, who would later create the groundbreaking Babylon 5 series, the episode opens with Peter Venkman relaying via flashback to a news reporter, the story of how Slimer came to join the Ghostbusters and shows us their immediate return to the Firehouse following the movie's climatic showdown. 

With Egon theorising he will need to rebuild the containment unit and make it larger, he reiterates the importance of destroying their old uniforms, as they hold too much psychokinetic energy after their confrontation with Gozer. The task to dispose of the uniforms falls to Peter, who promptly forgets all about them after booting the box of old uniforms out of sight, but dangerously close to the containment unit where they proceed to obsorb further hazardous energy. Whilst Slimer's continued presence throughout the Firehouse endears him to Ray and infuriates Peter, the discarded uniforms take on a supernatural form of their own, manifesting as ghostly doppelgängers of their previous owners.

With the duplicates intent on destroying their earthly counterparts, who or what will prove their worth and come to the aid of The Real Ghostbusters?

The animated series produced many excellent episodes, with stories epic enough to warrant a big screen adaptation, and the majority of those were written by J. Michael Straczynski. With moments fans had longed to witness, and a filmesque final act, Citizen Ghost is a wonderful example of the series at its best, and remains one of the most exciting sequels to the original movie you will ever see. 

If you’re yet to view the episode for yourself you can watch it here on the official Ghostbusters YouTube channel, or check out this marvellous fan upscale to full 1080p HD, where our screenshots are taken from, right here. 

Sequel ranking: ☑️☑️☑️☑️ ½

Rating The Remaining Sequels. 

Ghostbusters II ( 1989 ) 

Perhaps all good movies find their place, in time.

Recapturing the spirit or essence of a film with such cultural significance as Ghostbusters is nigh on impossible, like the original Star Wars or Raiders Of The Lost Ark - it's a lightning in a bottle moment which few are able to replicate. So with that in mind, perhaps we can be kinder to the cast and crew of this and so many other sequels. The film may pale in comparison with the original, but then so do a lot of movies. Ghostbusters II does have many redeeming and commendable moments, which in the years following its critical mauling in 1989, have undergone something of a reappraisal. Perhaps all good movies find their place, in time.  

After a frantic and erratic production schedule which included rewrites, reshoots and ILM refusing to participate in further effects work, Columbia Pictures had the movie's release date brought forward to avoid opening on the same weekend as Tim Burton's Batman. Needless to say, the film took a pounding at the hands of the critics and although its box office performance was perfectly respectable — it held an opening weekend record for a few weeks at least — attendances quickly dwindled after its opening high. Deemed a financial disappointment for failing to match the takings of its predecessor, its subsequent critical lambasting effectively buried the movie franchise for decades.

Attempts to cater for both audiences of the original movie, and the hugely successful The Real Ghostbusters animated series, do admittedly make the movie a jarring experience on first viewing. For example, if you were unaware of the cartoon series, the more bookish Janine from the first movie appears to have transformed into an entirely different character. Yet it does deserve greater recognition for the themes Ramis and Aykroyd chose to explore.

Acting selflessly out of concern for a friend, and at great personal risk to themselves, the Ghostbusters appear to be driven by a more powerful force than financial gain this time around. While the original movie was bold, brash and genuinely frightening in places - Ghostbusters II is gentler, sweeter film with an underlying message praising the virtues of positivity. In the hedonistic days of the late '80s such a message may have seemed overly mawkish, while today I believe it is needed more than ever. 

There are many moments to savour here, whether it's hairless pets, to the dancing toaster and the performance of Peter MacNcoil, “ He is Vigo! You are like the buzzing of flies to him! “ Put your children in front of it, and they will be suitably entertained, and more importantly... heartened. 

Sequel Rating: 🗽🗽🗽🗽

Ghostbusters: The Video Game ( 2009 )

Released in 2009, and containing elements Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis had been toying with for a third Ghostbusters script, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is viewed by many fans as the official Ghostbusters III. Proving a huge hit, the game sold over 3 million copies, while a fan created extended movie cut of the gameplay has been viewed a staggering  3.7 million times online. Unsure whether Bill Murray would star in a third movie, rumours persist that the writers planned to replace him with a new recruit in the form of Ben Stiller, and this aspect suited the game perfectly with a rookie Ghostbuster added to the mix. Of course while a film version of this Ghostbusters III never saw the light of day, the cast did all reunite to voice their characters in the game. Allowing fans the chance to revisit several of the original film's iconic set pieces — including a rematch with Slimer at the Sedgewick Hotel, and the Marshmallow Man on the streets of New York - as the team race through portals to ghostly dimensions, they unravel a mystery which leads right back right to the spirit of leading Gozer worshipper, Ivo Shandor. While there are some neat twists involving Walter Peck and the Mayor, it does feels more of a greatest hits package than a coherent plot for a standalone movie. A great game to play, nevertheless. 

Sequel Rating: ☑️☑️☑️ ½

Ghostbusters ( 2016 ) 

In the wake of the all-conquering Barbie movie, I wonder if the news of a female-led Ghostbusters reboot would be met with the same vitriol today as Paul Feig's perfectly charming film. It is hard to fathom that not so long ago, the world wasn't ready for this, and the attacks remain an unpleasant and completely unnecessary chain of events.  With the backlash beginning long before a single frame of the movie had been shot, it's a shame the best version of this film, the extended director's cut, was not the one released in cinemas. With the bond between Erin ( Kirsten Wigg ) and Abby ( Melissa McCarthy ) explored in greater  detail, it has a deeper emotional depth and sweetness  which plays even better. The remaining cast of Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon complete the ensemble perfectly, and it's a real shame we won't see more of Patty or Holtzmann - the true breakout character of the movie. Chris Helmsworth displays his comedy chops, there is an inspired dance sequence and a badass showdown with a gaggle of ghosts in Times Square. What's not to like?! I enjoyed seeing it three times in theatres, and it sits proudly next to the other movies on my Blu-ray shelf.

Sequel Rating: ☑️☑️☑️☑️

Ghostbusters: Afterlife ( 2021 )

An example of nostalgia excuted perfectly, as Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan’s Afterlife plucks on your heartstrings in more ways than one. Grounding the story within the domestic struggles of a single parent family, before gradually introducing the more fantastical elements of their legacy, pays off handsomely. With many emotional touchstones throughout the movie, if Callie’s ( Claire Coon ) discovery of Egon’s roadmap of her life doesn’t break your heart, their embrace at the end of the movie surely will. While the use of a digital Harold Ramis invoked disapproval from some critics, those who have loved and grown up with these movies felt every single moment of a bittersweet final act, and left without a dry eye in the house. Even if some of the comedy fails to land, the cast are so engaging you just roll with it and find yourself rooting for every single one of them.

Sequel Rating: ☑️☑️☑️☑️ ½

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ( 2024 )