Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Ending Explained & How It Sets Up Ghostbusters 5
Contains spoilers for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire"
Disasters of biblical proportions. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. If all these elements are descending on New York, then there can be only one culprit: there's something strange in the neighborhood. That means it's time for the Ghostbusters to return in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." This sequel to "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" takes the franchise back to its roots in New York City, with old and new characters alike assembling for an adventure involving new villain Garraka. Directed by Gil Kenan (who also wrote the screenplay with "Afterlife" helmer Jason Reitman), "Frozen Empire" involves a lot of "Ghostbusters" lore, not to mention a slew of figures with varying connections to paranormal forces.
All of those elements collide in the ending of "Frozen Empire," which (naturally) revolves around a fight between the forces of good and Baracca's nefarious chilly ways. There's a lot going on in this finale just in terms of character appearances, let alone the actual plot details transpiring amidst all the supernatural mayhem. If one gets lost during the home stretch of "Frozen Empire," never fear. This breakdown of the ending should help clarify things and solidify how "Frozen Empire" sets the stage for future installments in this long-running franchise. Strap on your proton packs and don't forget the Twinkies ... it's time to explore the ending of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."
What you need to remember about the plot of Frozen Empire
The Spengler family clearly couldn't wait to leave Oklahoma: After spending "Afterlife" in the Sooner State, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" sees the Spengler clan returning to New York City, where the Ghostbusters were created. Now in the big city, 15-year-old Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) discovers she can't legally work as a Ghostbuster due to her being a minor. This leads to the teenager feeling all alone in this world save for a new friendship she strikes up with 16-year-old ghost Melody (Emily Alyn Lind). Alas, it turns out that Melody is secretly working for the nefarious entity Garraka. Her friendship with Phoebe is all part of an act to unleash Garraka from his prison in an ancient orb.
Once freed, Garraka plans to plunge the world into a chilly wasteland. With the fate of the planet at stake, Phoebe must overcome her rocky relationship with mom Callie (Carrie Coon) and surrogate father Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) so that she can focus on saving the world. She and the rest of the film's main characters (including the original team from the first two "Ghostbusters" movies) assemble at the Ghostbusters fire station headquarters, where they prepare to face Garraka. It's time for Phoebe and her friends to prove they belong in New York City.
What happens at the end of Frozen Empire?
It isn't just Phoebe who gets to show off her strengths to the world in the finale of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." Newbie character Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) is introduced in the film as a slacker looking to pawn off his estranged grandmother's trinkets for easy cash. But it turns out that he's the last living descendent of an order known as The Firemasters who possess the power to defeat Garraka. Razmaadi and Phoebe's endings intersect in the climax, with Phoebe using brass in her proton pack to mortally wound Garraka (who is vulnerable to the metal). Meanwhile, Razmaadi finally masters his ability to control fire and further hurt the baddie.
Also factoring into this finale? Melody. She finally turns her back on Garraka at the expense of never seeing her deceased family again. For her entire afterlife, Melody has been holding onto one match from a matchbook (a seemingly ironic fate given that she died in a fire). Now, Melody uses that match to clinch victory over Garraka, who is vulnerable to the flames. The combined might of Phoebe, Razmaadi, and Melody is enough to send Garraka into the newly-emptied ghost containment chamber in the basement of the Ghostbusters headquarters. It's clear that these figures have put Garraka away for good ... but what's the larger significance behind this ghost vs. human showdown?
What's the larger significance of the ending?
The biggest impact "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" has on the broader mythos of the franchise is mainly in establishing Razmaadi as a rare person in this universe, existing both in the real world and the supernatural realm. In "Ghostbusters" movies, people with advanced technology fight against paranormal beings rooted in superstition. Razmaadi is different: he's a normal guy who has the incredible power to manipulate fire and uses it to defeat Garraka. The mere existence of Razmaadi as a modern Firemaster upends the entire dynamic of the "Ghostbusters" universe and the science-based powers of the Ghostbusters themselves.
On a smaller scale, this ending is also significant for cementing Phoebe's usefulness out in the field as a Ghostbuster despite her age. She may be young, but she's got the wits and tenacity to take on the most devious supernatural threats imaginable. With the Ghostbusters getting their reputation restored in the wake of saving the world, Phoebe no longer has to resign herself to a normal teenage existence. She can spend subsequent "Ghostbusters" movies following in her grandfather's footsteps and taking down more ghostly villains. This finale also suggests a bit of an understanding between Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson). While Winston previously chastised Ray for still fighting ghosts at an elderly age, the "Frozen Empire" ending reaffirms this veteran's own usefulness in battle.
How does this conclusion parallel earlier Ghostbusters finales?
At this point, "Ghostbusters" movies have a standard ending: our heroes end up confronting some seemingly undefeatable supernatural being only to take down their foe using teamwork and scientific wit. The finales of both the original two "Ghostbusters" movies and the 2016 remake involved gigantic supernatural creatures wreaking havoc on New York City. "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" certainly takes cues from those earlier installments in molding its ending, as heroes from vintage and new "Ghostbusters" movies all unite to fire their proton packs at a new ghostly adversary. Meanwhile, the towering Garraka now stands in for the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and walking Statue of Liberty.
"Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" doesn't just mimic the ending of pre-2021 "Ghostbusters" entries, though. A key shot in the "Frozen Empire" finale, where Callie and Gary help Phoebe hold her proton pack steady as she takes down Garraka, harkens back to a similar image in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," where the ghost of Egon Spengler helps his granddaughter fire her proton pack. The ending of "Frozen Empire" is deeply rooted in the past, right down to the final pre-credits sequence depicting the triumphant Ghostbusters emerging from their battle against Garraka into a crowd of grateful New Yorkers. It's a celebration echoing a scene that played over the initial credits of the first "Ghostbusters" movie, right down to emphasizing to viewers that Slimer is still out there causing gluttonous chaos.
What happens to Garraka?
While "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" had the main characters duking it out with vintage "Ghostbusters" baddie Gozer, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" gives familiar and new figures alike a fresh villain to confront. This time around, everyone has to contend with Garraka, a tall, spectral being capable of placing the world into a permanent ice age. His physical appearance makes him look akin to the Slender Man with moose antlers. He's also an incredibly powerful foe, though also one that ends up being vulnerable to enough elements that our heroes manage to defeat him.
Audiences may walk out of "Frozen Empire," however, wondering whether or not Garraka is gone for good. Is this ancient evil dead? Technically, no. Garraka is not killed by the Ghostbusters. He's just trapped inside the emptied ghost containment vault beneath the Ghostbusters' fire station headquarters. It's entirely possible that this being could come back in future installments of the franchise hankering for vengeance. However, given that the finale of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" also hinges on every ghost captured by our heroes getting loose (hence that vault being emptied), it's doubtful the filmmakers will return to the well of devious spirits absconding again so soon. Still, Garraka is alive in the "Ghostbusters" universe should anyone involved in this franchise want to return to the character.
Where was Venkman before this ending?
In one of the big fan-service moments in "Frozen Empire," a string of veteran "Ghostbusters" characters hear a rattling at the door of Ghostbusters HQ, presuming the noise must belong to Garraka. Turns out, it's only Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), here once again to help save the world from spectral forces. In concept, the moment is meant to elicit cheers from moviegoers. In execution, it may only draw befuddlement from viewers. Though the moment makes it seem like Venkman has been MIA the whole movie, he does appear briefly beforehand. An earlier sequence implies that Venkman is working in Winston's high-tech ghost laboratory. He even has his name on a door presumably belonging to his office. This is where Ray brings Nadeem after he initially guesses this seemingly normal guy could be supernatural.
Venkman proceeds to ask Nadeem a string of bizarre questions and throws a series of pens at the confused man to determine whether or not he's a ghost. This is his only scene in "Frozen Empire" before the finale, which suggests that Venkman is in good standing with his fellow "Ghostbusters" comrades. It's unclear why Venkman is isolated from everyone else before his grand re-entrance, given that even the wealthy Winston makes it down to the fire station before Garraka's ice storm descends on the city. Whatever the internal logic, the scarce presence of Venkman in "Frozen Empire" before the ending explains why his climactic return feels so awkward and forced.
Are the Ghostbusters still disbanded?
Walter Peck (William Atherton) returns to the "Ghostbusters" franchise after 40 years with "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire." This time, the original movie's human antagonist finally gets to fulfill every inch of his fervent hatred for the team as Phoebe's attempt to stop a ghost accidentally destroys one of the New York Public Library's stone lions. In response to the event, Peck uses his immense authority as mayor of New York City to immediately disband the Ghostbusters and reclaim their fire station headquarters. It's a devastating development that positions the group as underdogs for the big climactic showdown with Garraka.
Even the youngest viewers will undoubtedly know that the Ghostbusters can't stay disbanded forever. After they save the day, the inevitable occurs on live TV as Peck is pressured to revive the Ghostbusters. Knowing his political career is on the line, Peck gives in and abandons the forced dissolution of the popular Ghostbusters. Viewers and Sony stockholders need not worry — the Ghostbusters aren't going anywhere, no matter how frustrated Walter Peck gets.
The importance of staging the finale in the firehouse
While Garraka's icy rampage affects all of New York City, the showdown between the Ghostbusters and this vicious ghost is kept contained exclusively to the Ghostbusters fire station headquarters. In the franchise's legacy, there's some tremendous significance to setting this finale here. "Frozen Empire" is the first "Ghostbusters" movie set in New York City — and the saga's original continuity — in over three decades. It only makes sense to exploit familiar iconography rooted in the Big Apple, including the group's beloved headquarters.
However, the importance of the fire station to this film's finale speaks to how "Frozen Empire" director Gil Kenan views this location as one of the critical elements of the entire "Ghostbusters" franchise. Kenan has said that the immediate tangibility of this crumbling locale in the original "Ghostbusters" movies stuck with him for decades. This gave an instant sense of realism to the "Ghostbusters" characters and suggested that these were ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances. In the end, the firehouse is a physical embodiment of the key themes of the "Ghostbusters" franchise, making it the inevitable backdrop for the ending's grand duel between the forces of good and evil.
What connections to old Ghostbusters lore are here?
"Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is crammed full of references to vintage "Ghostbusters" material. Characters constantly quote or reference dialogue from the first two films, while the presence of Slimer as just a nuisance around the fire station harkens back to this gooey critter's role on the "Real Ghostbusters" animated series. However, viewers may be wondering if key fantastical elements of the finale of "Frozen Empire," like Garraka or the whole Firemaster mythology, are references to obscure pieces of "Ghostbusters" lore. They didn't factor into previous theatrical movies, but perhaps they hailed from vintage video games or TV cartoons that starred our ghostbusting heroes.
Surprisingly, these figures appear to be largely original creations, built more as pastiches of real-world mythological deities rather than being cribbed from, say, the 2009 "Ghostbusters" video game. Even supporting ghosts like Pukey (who resembles a sentient potato) or the mischievous Possessor that show up in the ending of "Frozen Empire" are fully new creations instead of homages to the past. Viewers who crave as much fan service as possible in their "Ghostbusters" movies need not fret. Even if the biggest new supernatural entities in the film's ending are new, there are still plenty of familiar ghosts to catch your eye. The returning army of mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" alone provides lots of fan service that works on multiple levels for different generations.
What's the significance of the mid-credits scene?
Much like "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" does have a mid-credits sequence, though this movie has only one scene compared to its predecessor's two segments. Those expecting the ending of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" to be followed up by a concrete tease for future "Ghostbusters" installments should temper their expectations accordingly. Instead, this scene features the driver of a Stay-Puft Marshmallow truck getting out of his vehicle to grab a snack at a gas station vending machine. While he's out of the vehicle, it's confiscated by a gaggle of mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men. While the driver scrambles to get his truck back, these little monsters have a ball getting into mischief in the front seat.
There's nothing to be uncovered by a deeper interpretation of this sequence. There are no sequel teases or subtle connections to previous "Ghostbusters" characters like Dana Barrett. It's just a final burst of comedy meant to send the audience out of the theater chuckling and maybe hankering to buy Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men toys. The closest to a larger implication for the franchise that one could get from this sequence is that these Marshmallow Men have already managed to get far away from the Spengler family and are about to plague more people and locations than ones familiar to "Ghostbusters" fans.
Where does the Ghostbusters saga go from here?
By the end of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," the Ghostbusters have their credibility restored and Phoebe is allowed to once again work as a Ghostbuster. Trevor is even allowed to drive the Ecto-1 around the bustling streets of New York City. The Spengler family members have reached a new level of respect with one another. In the process, they've developed a bond that could make them even stronger as Ghostbusters. While the ending of "Frozen Empire" has no concrete teases for what ghosts these characters could fight in the future (beyond Slimer continuing to be a pest), it's clear that these characters are ready for whatever the future throws at them.
That's good because the creative team behind the most recent two "Ghostbusters" installments is ready for more outings. Gil Kenan revealed that he and co-writer Jason Reitman have tons of ideas for what future "Ghostbusters" adventures could look like. But it isn't just the writers and director of "Frozen Empire" hankering for more busting. Carrie Coon revealed that she's eager to come back for further "Ghostbusters" installments. The "Ghostbusters" saga has already gone on for four decades; despite the very standalone ending of "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," the enthusiasm for more sequels from this film's creative team suggests that this franchise could have another 40 years left in its lifespan.