School Spirits continues to exceed expectations in its second season

If you believed you knew what was going on after School Spirits revealed Maddie (Peyton List) wasn’t dead, but instead had her spirit expelled from her own body by the mysterious Janet (now played by Jess Gabor), guess again. The long-awaited second season picks up immediately off of this game-changing twist, sending Maddie and the others on a quest for answers from and about Janet and Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman). Three episodes were provided for early screening and they do not disappoint—it’s like no time has passed, and it’s so beautifully easy to become invested in this story and immersed in this familiar world again.

As you’ll recall, when last we saw those both alive and dead in Split River, Wisconsin, our beloved spirits—Wally (Milo Manheim), Charley (Nick Pugliese), and Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin)—began to suspect that their so-called mentor and group leader Mr. Martin was up to something shady, discovering relics from their final moments and journals filled with intimate details about themselves in the school’s secret fallout shelter… the place where Mr. Martin and Janet died and mere footsteps away from where Maddie woke up in the boiler room. Meanwhile, Nicole (Kiara Pichardo), Claire (Rainbow Wedell), and Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) followed a lead, ultimately resulting in Janet-as-Maddie stealing Xavier’s truck and mowing him down and Nicole catching Maddie’s reflection on video. When she sent this evidence to Simon, he broke down, believing the Maddie he had been speaking with for weeks at school while searching for answers about her supposed murder was a figment of his imagination and his screwed-up way of attempting to deal with the situation, effectively cutting Maddie off from the world of the living.

In School Spirits season 2, the spirits are shaken to their core. Maddie has to come to terms with the fact that her body is out in the world and there’s no guarantee that she can replicate what Janet did, while Simon ignores her attempts to prove she’s real. The others must look back at their respective afterlife with new eyes because they’re coming to realize much of what they believe about the afterlife and the “rules” have been influenced by Mr. Martin’s guidance. For Rhonda, in particular, this situation is causing the unresolved trauma surrounding her death at the hands of her guidance counselor to surface, having trusted and been betrayed by another authority figure. Furthermore, emotions are running high for several reasons, increasing the almost palpable tension between the spirits and creating quite an unsettling atmosphere.

This fast-paced, intense season is stirring up a slew of questions for the characters and the audience as new details come to light and old memories are reexamined. In particular, as the characters dig into Janet and Mr. Martin’s mysterious history, including what occurred over the year after Janet “ascended” before Maddie’s appearance, the series is toying with an intriguing, albeit unexpected question: Which is the monster? Initially, it seemed that Mr. Martin was the evil mastermind, having done research for decades that culminated in Janet’s taking possession of Maddie’s body. But are things what they appear to be?

To explore many of these arising questions, School Spirits begins to delve into Janet’s character. There are flashbacks to her life in the ’50s where Janet struggled with a strict, abusive, and fundamentalist father who believed her only purpose was to get married and have children. In the present day, there is much more of Janet (as Maddie) on the run, trying to figure out her next move. Both provide such deep insight into Janet and her mental state, past and present, and it becomes increasingly clear (and maybe even slightly understandable) how and why Janet could put Maddie in such a horrific situation. The bulk of Janet’s present-day adventures are portrayed by List, who is pulling double duty and absolutely killing it, proving what a tremendous talent she is.

There are also a few fresh faces joining the cast: Yuri (Miles Elliot), Quinn (Ci Hang Ma), and Diego (Zack Calderon). I’m trying to avoid spoilers, but I’ll say that Yuri and Quinn are fellow spirits while Diego is Nicole’s older brother, and all are fun additions. Similarly, the lore within the show surrounding the spirits continues to evolve in curious ways. On the other hand, a few of the characters, including Maddie’s mother Sandra (Maria Dizzia), are on paths that I feel somewhat hesitant about; however, that isn’t to say they’re “bad” by any means, just that their stories are progressing unexpectedly and it’s too early to tell if it’s the right move.

Overall, School Spirits season 2 is an impressive follow-up to the thrilling and near-perfect first season, and could potentially even surpass it. There is no need to worry about the infamous sophomore slump here. The stakes are higher given the chance that Maddie could reclaim her body and return to her life, creating an interesting dilemma for the characters to wrap their heads around because the other spirits don’t have this opportunity. Plus, Janet is running around like a wild animal, causing mischief and committing crimes, like hitting Xavier with his truck, which could cost Maddie the rest of her life anyway. The relationships between the characters are enjoyable as always—potentially more so because the chemistry between the actors is noticeably deeper—and a little messier in the best ways. And, of course, the story is completely engrossing, moving forward at a healthy pace and filled with surprising and well-written turns. If the series continues at this rate, hopefully for at least a couple more seasons, it could easily be remembered as one of the quintessential teen dramas of the streaming era. And, yes, there is some fabulous Maddie/Wally content in these first few episodes, for those wondering.