The core ensemble includes original characters like Sasappis (Lenape Native American ghost) and Alberta (1920s Black jazz singer), with casting and backstories chosen to reflect American history rather than altering pre-existing figures. Jay, the male lead, is played by Indian-American actor Utkarsh Ambudkar in an organic modern interracial marriage.

The most prominent progressive element is the recurring subplot for Isaac, a closeted Revolutionary War captain ghost, who slowly confronts his attraction to fellow male ghost Nigel across episodes such as 'D&D,' 'Thorapy,' and the season finale 'Farnsby & B,' culminating in a public confession of feelings. Showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman deliberately built a diverse writers' room and consulted on Native representation to explore identity themes, though these remain subplots within the comedy rather than driving the narrative or delivering explicit lectures. Audience reception was largely positive with limited backlash focused on the representation itself.