School Spirits has been able to do something extremely rare with a Season 2, which is to get better and better as it goes along.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for School Spirits Season 2, Episode 7.
Often series have what is called a “sophomore slump” and go down in quality, or simply, end up not knowing where they want to go story-wise. This season of School Spirits has delivered just as many twists and turns, if not more, and has
done a great job of building character relationships, keeping fans who ship certain ones together on the edge of their seats.
Maddie and Wally Finally Hook Up, And Also Has a Heartbreaking Conversation With Simon
Episode 6 was a big one for Charley and Yuri, but it is School Spirits Season 2 Episode 7 that will have those who love Maddie and Wally squealing with glee. The two finally hook up, showing a little skin—so be warned. However, this ends up putting Maddie between a rock and a hard place.
She is now plagued with thoughts of opting not to return to her own body and the land of the living so as to not leave him. And he is putting pressure on her to stay, which is causing tension between her and Simon, understandably so.
There is a particularly emotional scene in episode 7 in which Simon pleads with Maddie to realize how much her living friends care for her. They have uprooted their lives in order to try to get her back, and her opting to stay in limbo for a boy would be, to say the least, heartbreaking for them.
This scene is integral to the story that is being told. It is brilliantly executed by both Peyton List and Kristian Ventura, as they bring the audience into their conversation and tug at their heartstrings.
It is easily one of the best moments of the season so far, it is going to be hard to top.
The Emotional Story of Janet and Mr. Martin Revealed
Emotions are riding high for everyone in this episode, though, as more secrets are revealed and we are finally given the full backstory of Janet and Mr. Martin.
Things are not exactly what they seem, as it turns out. The two died together in a fire and were the first to be stuck at the school rather than crossing over, but there is so much more to the story than that.
Spending years together trying to find out how to leave meant many experiments, and it turns out that Mr. Martin was not afraid to put Janet in horrible situations. It is discovered that Maddie was not in Janet’s scar but rather Mr. Martin’s, which was a shock to everyone.
The support group was never a support group but rather an experiment where the others were studied. This should have come as no surprise to viewers, however something about the group seemed wholesome and made us feel safe, as well as the rest of the students, so it was easy to believe.
Mr. Martin’s secrets are sure to be uncovered in the Season 2 finale next week, and we will all be waiting on the edge of our seats until then.
The choice to cast Jess Gabor as Janet did the show a lot of favors. That is not to say that Peyton List could not continue to carry both of them because she absolutely can, but it makes things a lot easier to follow when Janet and Maddie are talking to each other—which happens a lot in Episode 7.
My Final Thoughts on School Spirits Season 2, Episode 7
There was a lot more to love about this episode as well. Drama and danger in the living world put Maddie’s friends at risk, although it was short-lived, and everything seems to be okay now, at least for the most part. Big things are happening, which will surely culminate into one epic finale.
The only real issue with the episode is that some of the exposition, particularly when Janet was telling her story, took a long time to get where it was going. While it is clear that the point was to draw things out and keep audiences on their toes, it would have been nice to get there just a smidge sooner.
Still, this episode is easily one of the best of the series so far, thanks to a lot of answers – and a few questions.
Final Rating: 8/10
School Spirits Season 2 Episode 7: Anatomy of a Fallout Shelter Synopsis: Janet is finally ready to give answers; Mr. Martin hatches a plan; Maddie reevaluates her relationships with Wally and Simon; Quinn makes a discovery.
School Spirits Season 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
