Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Summary

• Gil Kenan brings a new chapter to Ghostbusters with Frozen Empire, leaving room for future ghostbusting.
• Phoebe and Nadeem team up to defeat the ancient villain Garraka with fire powers and brass-enhanced proton packs.
• The ending sets up a sequel as the escaped ghosts cause havoc in NYC, potentially leading to a new threat for the team.

Taking over directing from Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan helms The original Ghostbusters also suit up to them in defeating Garraka, while Nadeem attempts to wield his fire powers well enough to take on their foe.

Garraka releases all the ghosts in containment, opening a rift between the living world and the beyond. Phoebe confronts Melody, who willingly worked with Garraka, and the ghost had a change of heart. With Melody’s match igniting a flame for Nadeem to use, and Phoebe employing the brass in her proton pack, the duo hold off Garraka long enough for the other Ghostbusters to lock him up in the ghost containment cell. Melody disintegrates, leaving Phoebe with her matchbox, and the mayor is pushed to give his full to the Ghostbusters as they’re heroically received for stopping Garraka.

Garraka's Plan & Defeat In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Explained

Garraka is ancient, and his plan in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is one of revenge. As a phantom god, Garraka’s villainous plan involved rallying all the ghosts in existence to him as he turns the world to ice. Death by fear was ultimately what he wanted, and Garraka was so powerful as to communicate with every ghost long before he was unleashed from his orb. Garraka was a unique foe the Ghostbusters had never faced before — the phantom god could by their proton packs, which Garraka could freeze and render useless.

In order to defeat Garraka, the Ghostbusters had to bring in Nadeem, a firemaster descended from the ancient group who first trapped the villain. Utilizing his ability to control fire, Nadeem’s gifts worked alongside Phoebe’s proton pack, which was now infused with brass to prevent Garraka from freezing the proton beams aimed at him. Of course, that wasn’t enough, and Garraka needed a resting place following his defeat — that’s where the ghost containment came in handy.

Once Garraka was zapped into the ghost containment cell, the portal between the ghost and human world closed and everything and everyone defrosted. Considering how long Garraka had likely been plotting his escape, his return to the world was rather short-lived. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire doesn’t expand upon why brass is able to trap Garraka when nothing else will, but it’s probably because it’s an ancient element that is malleable and easily manipulated by the firemasters for trapping Garraka.

How Phoebe's Ionic Separator Turns Her Into A Ghost

Phoebe asked Ray if he’d ever thought about what it would feel like to be a ghost. Phoebe was primarily wondering about being a ghost so that she could, if for a little while, be on the same dimensional plane as Melody, who was a ghost. The ionic separator had only been used to detach a ghost from the object they were connected to, but was only experimental when it came to being used on humans. To be with Melody for a while, Phoebe was willing to risk herself.

The ionic separator worked on Phoebe the same way it worked on object/ghost separation — the machine removed Phoebe’s spirit from her physical form and brought her into the dimensional plane where Melody existed. Since her physical body was left alone, Phoebe could only be a ghost for two minutes or risk something going horribly wrong, and potentially dying in the process. Rigged for the two-minute mark, Phoebe’s spirit was automatically pulled back into her body without having to step back into the ionic separator. She was cold for a while after because of the spirit-body separation.

Why Melody Betrays Garraka & Vanishes In Frozen Empire's Ending

Melody seemed just as smitten with Phoebe, and she was hesitant to betray her to help Garraka, but the ghost thought seeing her family after so long was more important. Ultimately, however, Melody turned against Garraka, aiding Phoebe and Nadeem in defeating him. A big reason why Melody betrays Garraka is because she realized — by way of Phoebe — that the villain couldn’t help her move on; Melody had to do it on her own. The ghost could have manipulated her way into seeing her family, but it wouldn’t have been earned.

So Melody helped defeat Garraka using the one thing she had been holding onto her entire afterlife. Melody vanishes at the end of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, her particles becoming a part of the universe. She was finally free, having finally redeemed herself, using the one item she was hesitant to part ways with. Melody had ultimately done what Phoebe said she should do: move on on her own instead of relying on someone else to force it. Melody had probably been on her own for so long that she simply needed a reminder of what she was capable of.

What's Next For Nadeem As A Firemaster After Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?

Nadeem had a contentious relationship with his grandmother, selling off her stuff like it was nothing, not knowing that it was important in saving the world. After finally learning how to use his firemaster abilities and defeating Garraka, Nadeem might spend some time learning more about his lineage and the ancestors who dedicated their lives to preventing Garraka from conquering the world. Nadeem may also seek out someone to help him with his firebending-like powers, and he’ll probably spend the rest of his time working to guard the ghost containment to ensure Garraka doesn’t escape again.

Who Is On The New Ghostbusters Team

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire focused a lot on the Spengler family (and Gary Grooberson, by extension), as they set out to rekindle the Ghostbusters flame. By the end of the film, Callie, Phoebe, Trevor and Gary head out to fight the escaped ghosts, alongside Lucky, Lars Pinfield, and Podcast, who make up the main Ghostbusters team with the family. While Venkman, Winston, and Melnitz helped with Garraka’s defeat, it’s unlikely they’ll the Spenglers as full-time Ghostbusters. Ray, on the other hand, might want to do more of this work during his “golden years” and will probably assist them on occasion.

How Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's Ending Sets Up A Sequel

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire may not have had an official post-credits scene to set up the next installment, but the fact that the film ends with the escaped ghosts causing havoc around New York City suggests the next Ghostbusters sequel will involve the team finding and trapping the ghosts once more. Perhaps one of the ghosts will be considered a major threat to the city, but the set-up offers something simpler for the Ghostbusters to tackle in a sequel. Director Gil Kenan hinted (via Gamesradar) that he’s already got story ideas for future installments, though nothing is set in stone yet.

With so many ghosts out in the world, one of them could emerge as the next big bad in the Ghostbusters franchise.

The Real Meaning Of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's Ending

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire deals with themes of family and feeling like an outcast. Phoebe, as the film’s main protagonist, is often confronted with having to deal with a family that doesn’t seem to respect her abilities because of her age, and reckoning with feelings of detachment and even loneliness. These feelings ultimately lead her to befriend Melody. Had Phoebe felt like she wouldn’t be judged or punished, she might have told her family about what was going on.

Ultimately, Phoebe, Callie and Gary learn important lessons about what it means to be a family — and a Ghostbusters team. Phoebe needed to learn that she could rely on her family, Callie had to learn to trust Phoebe, and Gary had to learn that being a parent wasn’t always going to be sunshine and daisies. But so long as they had each other, and they remained open with one another, the Spenglers were a solid family unit, as well as great Ghostbusters.