Before she was known as Flower, Susan “Flower” Montero started playing basketball as a child as she learned from her three older brothers. In high school, she played basketball, having scored 20 points in the first half alone in one game. She also described herself as being quite aggressive on the court, even though she considers herself a pacifist.
As a young adult, Flower became a member of the counter-culture revolution of the late 1960s had joined several cults and lived within several communes during which she was married to couples, making them a “throuple.” She also enjoyed engaging in recreational drug use which was the contributing factor to her death.
In 1968, she, along with other members of her commune, robbed a bank with the goal of donating the money to helping animals in need. She was sworn to secrecy to never talk about the events of the robbery by taking an “eternal blood oath.” However, during her afterlife, she quite often brings up the fact that she “robbed a bank once.” Flower finally reveals that she felt guilty after the bank robbery not because they robbed a bank but because her and her partner, Ira stole the money for themselves in hopes of helping people in need (‘Flower’s Article‘).
Soon after the robbery, Flower and Ira, happened upon the grounds of the Woodstone Mansion while attending a music festival nearby. High off hallucinogenic mushrooms, they came across a bear who upon sensing them raised its arms to attack. Flower misconstrued this to mean the bear simply wanted a hug but instead it mauled her to death.
When Flower played basketball, she was not allowed to dribble the ball any other way but forwards and backwards. She also played three on three basketball because women were not allowed to play full court five on five basketball. The floor was divided into offensive and defensive halves and each team had three guards who only defended and rebounded on their end of the court and then there were players who played on the offensive side of the court. Women were also not allowed to play basketball past high school which is why Flower stopped playing. Flower was also surprised to learn recently from Pete that there is a WNBA (Women’s National Basketball League) and believes that her part in the women’s liberation movement had a direct impact on this league coming into fruition. In the year Flower died, there were only 23 colleges playing in the NCAA. Flower also was a big fan of UCLA college ball in the 60s, stating that they dominated and they were the best team for a long time.
Flower is not a fan of any other sports besides basketball, stating that she thinks “all other sports are stupid, and are a complete waste of time.” However, she enjoys practicing yoga. Flower’s nickname in high school was Susan “The Rabid Badger” Montero due to her aggressiveness on the court. She was not bullied in high school.
Flower admits to Thorfinn that there was truth in her telling him that she loved him while they thought he was about to ascend. However, she only said that because there was a possibility that she couldn’t have him. In life, Flower struggled with intimacy issues and while she was in a committed relationship with her boyfriend, Ira, they always had a third in their relationship to act as a buffer to prevent things from getting too intense. Thorfinn suggests that maybe they get a buffer if that is what it takes to have a chance with Flower. The two of them proceed to interview the other ghosts in the house to see who would be a good match for them. They ultimately choose Pete but upon hearing what he’s been chosen to do, he respectfully declines. Flower then surprises Thorfinn with the addition of Crash’s body to be their buffer, reasoning that he is a perfect compromise as he is without a head. Thorfinn admits to Flower that he is not okay with having a third and would prefer to wait for as long as it takes for Flower to be comfortable in being with only him. Flower is flattered by Thorfinn ’s kindness and patience and the two agree to wait to be together.
In the season two premiere, “Spies” Flower reveals that she once slept on a boat tarp with several members of Fleetwood Mac.
In “Alberta’s Podcast,” Flower helps Hetty find a way to deal with Sam and Jay’s very loud, and borderline broken washing machine. She suggests that Hetty sit on it, and after that relaxes her, Flower explains that the vibrations of the washing machine made her aroused. When Hetty visits her and admits her shame in going to sit on the washing machine a second time, Flower convinces her that there is nothing to be ashamed of and that she can do what she wants with her own body because it belongs to her. She states that men have found a way to dictate what women should and shouldn’t do, and what they should and shouldn’t experience as a way to control women. When Hetty states that women still need men to design and manufacture washing machines, Flower states that women can do those things too. When Flower finds Hetty outside disappointed that the old washing machine is being replaced for a newer, quieter one, she tells her that she can find other ways to achieve “the feeling.” She then asks Hetty to take her hand and leads her to the house, whispering different things to Hetty which then causes Hetty to respond to her in shock.
As Sam is showing a couple of B&B guests their upcoming hike route in “Jay’s Friends”, Flower warns them, through Sam, to avoid hugging bears at all costs. When Jay invites his new friend, Micah, who is accompanied by five of who he refers to as “co-workers” over to watch the basketball game, Flower, along with Trevor and Issac, are observing their conversation. Flower is initially infactuated with every word that comes out of Micah’s mouth, even though none of it makes any sense. Flower is able to quickly discern that these people are not in a pyramid scheme, as Trevor suggested, but rather that they are in a cult. Flower excitedly states that while Jay is not a member yet, his chances of getting in are high.
While Sam and the others are frustrated that Jay’s new “friends” are actually out to recruit him to a cult, Flower doesn’t understand their negativty, stating that it’s a good thing for Jay and that he will make life-long friends. Sam responds that he is not joining a cult, and Flower argues that he might want to. In a suddenly serious demenaor, Flower warns her that sometimes when family members give their loved ones an ultimatum between them and the cult, the cult usually wins. As Sam warns Jay about his being recruited to join a cult and asks about the patches Jay willingly accepted to sell on consignment, Flower watches in anticipation. She squeels with delight when Jay reveals that he is wearing a patch, signaling to her that he has been accepted as a new member of the cult.
Later, Flower is standing alone outside of the mansion. Alberta approaches her curious about what she said about having to choose between family and the cult. Flower initially refuses to elaborate on that story to which Alberta responds that she understands. She leaves Flower alone for a few seconds before reapproaching her, claiming that Flower had been telling her the story of how she chose a cult over a family member. Of course, Flower responds differently this time, asking her where she was in the story. She then proceeds to open up about her how her brother, Robbie, showed up at the cult’s compund where she lived and tried to get her to come home. But the cult banned him from the property and forbade Flower from ever speaking to him again. This attempt proved futile as he was kicked out of the compound by those in charge and Flower was subsequently banned from having contact with her family ever again.
Flower becomes aware that perhaps Jay’s joining a cult is not a good idea. When Sam mentions that it would an incredibly arduous and expensive endevaor to vacate the squatting cult members, Flower suggests to Sam that she sleep with Micah. She reasons that nothing splits up a cult faster than when an outsider sleeps with its leader.
After talking to Sam in the kitchen, Flower joins Trevor and cult member Alana on the couch to watch some television. Alberta walks in and suggests that they look up her brother because he may still be alive. Flower respondly sadly that that isn’t possibly because after she left the cult, she heard that he was killed in the Vietnam War. She laments that she wasn’t there to convince him not to go; that he had spent his entire life protecting her and she was not there when he needed her most. He was M.I.A., which Flower believes to mean “murdered in action.” Trevor corrects her, saying that M.I.A is really “missing in action” and K.I.A is “killed in action.” This gives Flower hope that perhaps her brother might still be alive.
After a long day, Flower learns that Sam, at the behest of Trevor and Alberta, reached out to Robbie under the guise of being a former cult member. Sam receives a reply and allows Flower to read his words out loud. She learns that Robbie thought that she died hating him and now, knowing she didn’t brings him peace. Flower is overcome with emotion as she continues reading and also finds peace in knowing that her brother loves her and hopes he can tell her in their next lifetime. She is grateful to Sam for giving her a sense of closure and embraces her, which then leaves Sam in an euphoric trance.
As is Flower’s usual way, she is confused by what is going on after Thor becomes stuck in Freddie’s ghost trap, suggesting that she was not aware that there was a ghost trap on the table, and forgot that Thor had been trapped previously because he touched it. When the other ghosts explain what is going on, she becomes intrigued by the trap on the table and also touches it, trapping her inside with Thor.
In “A Date to Remember,” Flower confronts her intimacy issues when agreeing to a one-on-one date with Thor, her first in many many years. The date goes swimmingly and is even punctuated with a goodnight kiss. Flower admits having a great time (to herself) but when Thor attempts to talk about it with her, she feigns as though she has no idea what happened. This encourages Thor to re-do the entire date over again in hopes that Flower might remember their magical evening together. She almost gets away with getting Thor to believe that she actually forgot until she slipped up during Pete’s improv act, telling Sam that she said “staples” the night before. She admits that she didn’t want the date to go well. She later reveals that while in law school (I know right!) she had a very close relationship which ended truamatically when her beau (presumably her fiance) got sick and passed away. From that point on, she was scared of getting too involved with any one person as she feared it could happen again.
We also learn in this episode that Flower went to law school, making her one of the most educated people in that house, living or dead.
While Flower didn’t initially hide Crash’s head in a tree, like she accidentally admitted to earlier during “Ghost Father of the Bride,” she ends up annoyed by his singing to her while she is trying to watch TV and throw his head out of the window.
In “Whodunnit” Flower is excited to learn that a Nigerian prince has reached out to Pete for help and encourages him to do what he can do to help him. Her hopes of being able to help are initially dashed when Trevor admits that he isn’t supposed to be using the computer after the goings on at Christmas time. But when Trevor returns telling her and Pete that the Prince has written back and that this time he is willing to pay even more for them to send the money to help him, she immediately agrees to “borrow” funds from Jay and Sam’s account so that they can help.
Neither she nor Pete nor Trevor realize it’s a scam before they wire Sam’s money out without her permission or knowledge.
Some information, mainly the ones that are relating to basketball, are from ‘March Madness w/Flower & Pete‘ and haven’t been shared in the series itself.
