School Spirits (2023 TV series)

Last updated

School Spirits
School spirits title card.png
Genre
Created byMegan Trinrud & Nate Trinrud
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Vicki Sotheran
  • Don Dunn
  • Natalia Castells-Esquivel
  • Peyton List
CinematographyCraig Dean Devine
EditorRobert Lattanzio
Running time44–52 minutes
Production company Awesomeness
Original release
Network Paramount+
ReleaseMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09) –
present (present)

School Spirits is an American supernatural teen drama television series created by Megan Trinrud and Nate Trinrud that premiered on Paramount+ on March 9, 2023. The series, adapted from the forthcoming graphic novel by the Trinruds and Maria Nguyen, stars Peyton List, Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, and Spencer Macpherson. In June 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, [1] which is set to premiere on January 30, 2025.

Contents

Plot

Set in the fictional town of Split River, Wisconsin, the show follows Maddie, a teen girl stuck in the afterlife investigating her own mysterious disappearance; she goes on a crime-solving journey as she adjusts to high school in the afterlife, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more secrets and lies she discovers.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.Title  [4] Directed byTeleplay byOriginal release date  [5]
1"My So-Called Death" Max Winkler Megan Trinrud & Nate TrinrudMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
Maddie is the latest of deaths at her high school, the only difference being she does not know how she died. While attempting to uncover what led to her death, she bonds with another ghost Charley. Meanwhile, Maddie's pre-death friends Simon and Nicole attempt to discover what happened to her, and Simon suspects Maddie's boyfriend Xavier. After an altercation between the two, Xavier is caught holding onto Maddie's phone. Later, an assembly is held in memory of Maddie, which Simon does not attend. Staying in his classroom, he and Maddie are both shocked to be able to see each other.
2"The Fault of Our Scars"Max Winkler Oliver Goldstick March 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
Maddie tries to work out why Simon can see and hear her, although Charley advises against telling the other ghosts, worried that they may try to take advantage by asking for favors. Xavier's father, the sheriff, insists he stays home from school to avoid causing trouble since he is the prime suspect in Maddie's disappearance, and especially as DNA tests prove the blood in the boiler room belongs to Maddie. Mr. Martin tries to help Maddie come to terms with her death and move on by writing her own obituary. Maddie asks Simon to help investigate her death since she cannot leave the school grounds, but this proves difficult, and arouses the suspicion of a teacher, Mr. Anderson.
3"Dead and Confused"Oran ZegmanThomas HigginsMarch 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)
Maddie and Simon fall out over his investigation of her death when he suspects Mr Anderson of withholding secrets. Flashbacks show he helped Maddie out when she crashed her mother's car, and supported her in dealing with an alcoholic parent. As a result, Maddie asks Simon to stop investigating, but he ignores her and investigates on his own. Xavier follows Nicole to a secret place her and Maddie used to hang out, and tells her about talking to Maddie's mother. Nicole and Xavier decide to search for Maddie together. Meanwhile, Mr Martin takes the ghosts outside to have a field day, which involves them taking all their frustrations out by destroying school property. Maddie asks Rhonda about her story because of the parallels in her friendship with Mr Anderson, but instead learns why her and Simon can communicate.
4"Ghoul Intentions"Oran ZegmanLijah BaraszMarch 16, 2023 (2023-03-16)
5"The Twilight End Zone" Brian Dannelly Bernadette LuckettMarch 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
6"Grave the Last Dance"Brian DannellyNatalia Castells-EsquivelMarch 30, 2023 (2023-03-30)
7"Séance Anything"Hannah MacphersonOliver GoldstickApril 6, 2023 (2023-04-06)
8"Madison's Body"Hannah MacphersonMegan Trinrud & Nate TrinrudApril 12, 2023 (2023-04-12) [6]
Simon, Xavier, Nicole and Claire look into the house Xavier previously broke into, looking for the hooded person Xavier saw. During their investigation, the hooded person critically injures Xavier before driving off, though Nicole manages to take a picture of their face. Meanwhile, Wally, Charley and Rhonda end up trapped in the boiler room, where they discover that Mr. Martin had been holding onto several of their belongings. Simon returns to the school, and explains to Maddie his belief that he is only imagining her presence at the school, revealing the hooded person to have been Maddie. When Maddie goes to rescue the three ghosts from the boiler room Mr. Martin approaches her, and she finally uncovers what happened to her: Janet, a ghost that the others assumed moved on, had actually stolen her body, and is the person that Simon and the others are chasing after.

Release

The first season of School Spirits premiered March 9, 2023 on Paramount+. [7] The second season is set to premiere on January 30, 2025. [8]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 83% approval rating with an average rating of 7.3/10, based on 18 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "School Spirits leaves some of its promising potential untapped, but Peyton List's splendid starring performance makes this paranormal mystery a solid watch for anyone who remembers the phantom pain of growing up." [9]

Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote, "Without losing sight of the sorrow of Maddie's story, School Spirits manages to be surprisingly sparky and fun—proof positive that there are new stories to tell about the institution no one would ever want to be stuck in for their entire afterlife." [10] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Sometimes the familiar trappings of the high-school genre can open the door for a show to do wilder and more inventive things than more allegedly mature shows. School Spirits, unfortunately, takes no such liberties." [11]

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References

  1. ↑ White, Peter (June 20, 2023). "School Spirits Renewed For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cusson, Kate (August 22, 2023). "School Spirits Cast and Character Guide". MovieWeb. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Erin (December 6, 2023). "How Everyone Died In School Spirits". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "School Spirits - Episodes". Paramount Press Express. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Shows A-Z – School Spirits on Paramount+". The Futon Critic . Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ Paramount+ [@paramountplus] (April 12, 2023). "LITERALLY SO MUCH TO DISCUSS RN 😰 🚨 The #SchoolSpirits finale is out now ONE DAY EARLY on #ParamountPlus 🚨(in the US only)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "New Original Young Adult Series School Spirits Premieres Thursday, March 9, Exclusively on Paramount+". www.paramountpressexpress.com. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  8. ↑ Swift, Andy (January 21, 2025). "School Spirits' Peyton List and Milo Manheim Get Closer to the Truth (and Each Other) in Sexy Season 2 Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  9. ↑ "School Spirits: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ D'Addario, Daniel (March 9, 2023). "'School Spirits' Is a Charming Teenage Ghost Story: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (March 8, 2023). "'School Spirits' Review: Bland Paramount+ YA Drama May Give You Ghost Fatigue". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
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