By Sara Ashton

This article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of season 2.

The first three episodes of the second season of school spirits are a welcome home, like the first season we are brought back to the characters we know and love, whilst being introduced to new faces.

As usual, Mr Martin is appearing as his shady self. Simon has convinced himself he’s going mad, and this is particularly hard to see especially knowing just how close he and Maddie are. There are great moments in these first episodes between Peyton List and Kristian Ventura, their onscreen chemistry is ever strong.

We see Xavier in hospital, Claire and Nicole had many scenes together in these first batch of episodes and they play off each other extremely well. 

Despite the dire situation Maddie finds herself in, the writing leaves room for rather humorous moments with lines such as “who knew stalking someone could be so dull?”

In these episodes we are introduced to Janet in more depth. Her backstory appears to be a complicated one, and as her mystery begins to unravel it is rather difficult to decide whether you want to feel sorry for her or not. In some aspects yes, but that final scene in episode three? It is hard to feel sorry for someone who is appearing to be body snatching. Jess Gabor does an outstanding job playing the unstable, dangerous character who might just snap at any given moment.

The onscreen chemistry (pun intended) with Mr Martin (Josh Zuckerman) is one to be admired. There is evidently something twisted about this dynamic, and these actors play it very well.

We cannot write a School Spirits article without mentioning our beloved ghosts. Wally is being his usual self, but also feeling very insecure. He is clearly having a hard time. Charley wants to know what is happening and Rhonda has a lot of her own trauma to unpack.

New ghosts on the scene add new, yet familiar vibes to the show. Yuri and Quinn are welcomed additions to the show. For as much as there is drama, there is also humour twinged throughout to keep it from being very heavy. 

One thing I enjoyed a lot about these first batch of episodes was Xavier’s journey so far. He has come a long way since a hospital bed, he is learning new things and this is definitely an eye opening experience for him. As a viewer it is very interesting to see how this plays out. He is clearly having his own regrets, as is Claire. She has guilt for different reasons. Nicole is on the edge of a wire, not knowing what to believe. Of course, everyone is hoping for the best outcome. Ultimately, everyone just wants Maddie back. 

Considering we know what happened to Maddie’s body, the mystery is still very much there. These first episodes have been packed with much more storytelling and it is becoming increasingly evident this is more than just some teen drama. It also shows how it handles the unknown in a way that is thrilling. 

The first three episodes of School Spirits are now streaming on Paramount+