School Spirits Season 2 Pushes The Mystery Forward With A Satisfying Progression Of NDEs, Ghost Scars, and Lore
The first season of School Spirits hooked us with its captivating mystery, ghostly lore, and shocking cliffhanger and it’s clear this is a show that hasn’t suffered a sophomore slump. Our living and dead characters have come together as a new Scooby gang in season 2, united in their mission to help Maddie (Peyton List) get back into her body after it was hijacked by Janet (Jess Gabor). There’s near death experiences, ghost scars, and kidnappings galore, all pushing the mystery forward into a deeper place with a natural and satisfying progression.
What really keeps School Spirits grounded is its dedication to driving the story forward through character development. The introduction of the metaphysical space that is the ghost scars through a key item they died with was truly brilliant. It allowed us to learn more about the pasts and traumas of characters like Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin), Wally (Milo Manheim), and Charley (Nick Pugliese), while also offering up hope that they could move past these emotional landscapes to go into the light. The intriguing ghost lore and teases that there are more secrets to uncover tied to Split River High have us all on the edge of our seats, but its the friendships that are the heart of the show.
Despite the darker vibes of the series, the balance of humor and friendship is very refreshing. We see characters like Xavier (Spencer Macpherson) and Simon (Kristian Ventura) finally on the same team, with Xavier opening up drastically after his own near death experience. He throws in amusing ghost theories about salt that had us all chuckling and introduces a new mystery with the ghostly fisherman he can now see that turns out to be Maddie’s late father. Meanwhile, I can’t stop rewatching our favorite ghosts dancing to Wally’s detailed “Let’s Dance” choreography. Milo Manheim was a particular stand out this season with his duality of heart and humor.
Of course, there’s also the addition of more romance this season too. Maddie and Wally’s relationship gets hot and heavy, making Maddie unsure if she is ready to leave him and the ghost realm behind — if it’s possible to even switch back with Janet. Charley finds a sweet romance with a ghost named Yuri (Miles Elliot) who helps him to accept himself. We also meet Quinn (Ci Hang Ma), a member of the marching band, who forms a strong friendship with Rhonda that reiterates the power of connection even in the afterlife.
This season also focuses heavily on our antagonists Janet and Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman). Peyton List takes on double duty this season as Maddie and shares the role of Janet with Jess Gabor as we get to see the pain Janet has faced. She was a girl ahead of her time and the world missed out on her potential due to her untimely death. The way they twist through their storyline, it has you going back and forth over whether Janet is really a bad guy or if she was protecting the other ghosts from Mr Martin. Meanwhile, Mr. Martin has lost his sense of humanity due to his dedication to the scientific work they were doing to try to figure out how to move on into the true afterlife from Split River High. His focus on trauma and control turns him into a master manipulator who will do anything for answers, even if it hurts people.
The season is tight, with each episode building on more twists, turns, and revelations… and, of course, more questions. Through the energy conducted by trauma and heightened emotions, the ghosts are able to work together to save Janet and Maddie. Both Maddie and Mr. Anderson (Patrick Gilmore), who was formerly possessed by Mr. Martin, are able to make their way back to their bodies, but one mystery solved leaves room for even more to uncover.
Now Janet has unfinished business in the form of learning the true secrets of Split River High from Mr. Martin. We learn Xavier can see ghosts after his NDE, or at least one in the form of Maddie’s father. And Wally sees his own exit sign in his scar allowing him to cross over, but will he really go? Because of Maddie’s time in the spirit realm, will she and the ghosts of Split River High still be able to see each other despite her being back in her body? On top of all that, it seems Simon is now stuck in Mr. Martin’s ghost scar. Does that mean he’s dead or perhaps swapped places with someone else? Maybe like Wally? Or could a potential third season find Maddie now on a journey to save Simon?
Showrunner and executive producer Oliver Goldstick teased to Pop Culture Planet at New York Comic Con that there is something deeper going on at Split River High. “There's something devious and [Mr. Martin] alludes to something larger than what he's up to. So there's some mythology to this school, which was also kind of alluded to in the first season,” he revealed. “There may be something going on here that's beyond what we see.”
With a focus on a character-driven supernatural mystery that constantly keeps you guessing, School Spirits delivers an edgy and gripping second season that’ll have you putting on your detective hat to figure everything out.
The first two seasons of School Spirits are streaming on Paramount+.
