‘School Spirits’: What is Next For Maddie in Season Two?

Season one of School Spirits, the story of Maddie (Peyton List) a Wisconsin teen stuck in the afterlife as she investigates her own disappearance, had one of the most talked-about finales of 2023. The final minutes sparked a flurry of theories on online forums and across social media. The conversation only intensified when the Paramount+ series reached a wider audience thanks to it streaming on Netflix. (If you have not watched season one, I highly recommend you skip reading any further and catch up on watching it instead.)

Much to my surprise I became one of the series’ early viewers thanks to my daughters (and Peyton List fans) begging me to watch the ghostly mystery series. It did not take long for them to realize this was not your average Peyton List series. To my surprise, I quickly became got wrapped up in the School Spirits mystery and drama. So much so, Peyton was my guest on my TV Topics podcast discussing her performance as Maddie (as well as talking a few minutes to enthusiastically speak with my daughters and their friends along the way – she rocked!)

After learning there would be a School Spirits at New York Comic Con I had to attend to learn for details of where this second season will take Maddie and her gang of spirits after that game-changing finale. Fans will be happy to learn that the long wait for season two is finally approaching an end with the announcement of an “early 2025” premiere date as well as a season two teaser trailer (below).

The panel included some of the cast in addition to List, including: Kristian Ventura (Simon), Nick Pugliese (Charley) and Sarah Yarkin (Rhonda), as well as sibling co-creators, Nate Trinrud and Megan Trinrud, and showrunner Oliver Goldstick.

“I think ultimately the afterlife that we set up, so often in season one we talk about how things should never change. When Maddie showed up, things did change, and they continue to, and I think where the story goes opens up a lot of new doors in the afterlife that take us to some more surprising places,” said Nate Trinrud. Maddie acts as a catalyst, prompting the ghosts to confront painful truths about themselves.

Showrunner, Oliver Goldstick, revealed some hints about where season two will take viewers. “We had very much a whodunit in the first season. The second season, we had to embrace the how and why, which is more supernatural,” he explained. “I feel like the idea is still a metaphor about losing your life, about isolation, about your spirit being crushed and the idea of trying to reunite the body with its spirit, I just thought it was a great engine that we could write to.”

“We learned so much from you about really digging into mystery,” explained Megan Trinrud, “And I think that we were able to expand the mystery and the mystery inside both the living and the ghost world in such a huge way. It made it just so much richer and more interesting.”

As season one closed out, fans were given quite the cliffhanger (spoilers ahead) the biggest being Maddie’s possession by the spirit of Janet, a character discussed but never seen on screen. To play Maddie this season required List to play her as two different characters, the real Maddie and the one possessed by Janet (played by Jess Gabor).

The actresses collaborated to ensure that Maddie/Janet had a carried themselves uniquely. “We were both just having to watch each other,” shared List. “I was working with Jess whenever we had time off to kind of create this teenager from the 1950s, which was really fun. I was studying Jess’s physicality and mannerisms, finding this character together, which is really, really cool. I’m really excited for you guys to see her in the part.”

One of the living world stories to address is Maddie’s mother who is deeply affected by her daughter’s disappearance, struggling with grief and the search for answers.”She (Maddie) is so worried about her mom, and a big reason she wants to get back is just to make sure that her life is okay, and that Simon’s okay,” shared List. “She wants to get back, but there’s just so many conflicting things, and I think she has to learn to look out for herself as well.”

The early buzz, at least from the show producers, is that the performances are extraordinary, especially that of List. “We’re at work on season two in terms of post-production and editing episodes,” said Goldwick, “And we’re watching, we’re like ‘That’s not Maddie. There’s someone else in her body.’ It’s her eyes. It’s her smile. And it’s really wonderful to see the living kids reacting to this, too. We’re teasing at this, but we’re telling you there’s a lot of juicy stuff coming. Lots of twists.”

Season two of School Spirits shall ascend in early 2025.