The ending of School Spirits Season 2 scared audiences when one of the final moments of the finale saw Milo Manheim's Wally staring at his door out of the afterlife. Many thought he'd surely walk through it. However, Season 3 was picked up, and it was announced that Wally would be back.
Of course, the idea of Wally coming back is thrilling—and not too surprising. Now that Kristian Ventura's Simon is stuck in the afterlife, with Wally sticking around, it finally sets the stage for a potential interaction between those two characters.
The Direct sat down with School Spirits star Milo Manheim to discuss why the ending of Season 2 was never going to be the end of Wally's story—especially since the star was sitting down to do an interview with us about the upcoming season.
Manheim first joked that he "might just be [there] to have a good time," while going on to reference Season 1, Episode 8 of the show, and Wally's conversation with Charlie as a key clue as to why his story hasn't reached its end.
"He says that he wouldn't want to just disappear," the actor explained, adding that Wally "would want to say goodbye" because "he cares deeply about the friends that he's made in the afterlife."
Of course, Wally's friendships aren't the only thing important to him: there's also Maddie. "Not only is there unfinished business to handle in the afterlife for Maddie, whom he deeply loves," Manheim added, "but he simply hasn't said goodbye."
"I think he's genuinely overwhelmed with the idea that it is his time," the actor further elaborated, adding that he feels like "Wally's biggest question is, like, is it still going to be here if I were to come back?"
While many fans were worried that the end of Season 2 could have been the end of Wally's story, Milo Manheim admitted that "[he's] glad that people were really worried about that, but [he] never was."
More of The Direct's interviews with the cast of School Spirits Season 3 can be read below, and include coversations with Peyton List (Maddie), Milo Manhehim (Wally), Rainbow Wedell (Claire), Kiara Pichardo (Nicole), Spencer MacPherson (Xavier), Sarah Yarkin (Rhonda), Nick Pugliese (Charlie), Ci Hang Ma (Quinn), Jennifer Tilly (Dr. Hunter-Price), and Josh Zuckerman (Mr. Martin).
Milo Manheim on Why School Spirits Season 2 Was Never the End of His Story
"He Would Want to Say Goodbye."
- The Direct: "Milo, the last time we saw Wally, he was kind of staring at the way out of the afterlife, and also kind of the show. Yet here you are. So what is the key reason you feel that that moment was never going to be the end of Wally's story?"
Milo Manheim: Well, first of all, I might just be here just to have a good time. But no, I—good question. I keep thinking back to a scene from Season 1. I think Episode 8, with Wally and Charlie, and he says that he wouldn't want to just disappear, you know, and he would want to say goodbye. And he cares so deeply about the friends that he's made in the afterlife.
And not only is there unfinished business to handle in the afterlife for Maddie, whom he deeply loves, but he simply hasn't said goodbye. And also, I think he's genuinely overwhelmed with the idea that it is his time. So, what I was thinking as the actor doing this was, I feel like Wally's biggest question is, like, is it still going to be here if I were to come back, like I need to walk away right now.
But, you know, maybe that's just me always being worried about everything... I'm glad that people were really worried about that, but I never was.
Peyton List on Joining the Land of the Living for Season 3
"She's Just So Conflicted the Moment She Gets Back."
- The Direct: "Maddie has finally made it back to the land of the living. How has that shift in the status quo changed Maddie herself?"
Peyton List: Now, Maddie starts off the season in the hospital with her mom back in her body, and the thing she wanted the most was to be with her mom. But she's just so conflicted the moment she gets back. It's so difficult, and I can understand, because there are these big things that we want in our life, and sometimes when we reach them, we're thinking about all of the other things that we wanted to get away from, you know? And it's like, Hindsight is 20/20. And I feel that frustration... It's just a constant balance.
How Maddie's Return to the Land of the Living Changes the Dynamic
"It's the Worst Thing That's Ever Happened to Me..."
- The Direct: "How does the swapping of Maddie and Simon, between the living and the dead, kind of change and evolve the dynamic of Team Living?"
Rainbow Wedell: It definitely changes the dynamic. It's good. I feel like everyone is kind of has a little side quest this season.
Kiara Pichardo: There's a little more hope than when Maddie was missing, because when it happened with Maddie, we thought she was murdered. Now that we've taken her out and [Simon's] in, we're like, okay, no, there's hope. Because if she got out, he can get out. We have to figure it out.
- The Direct: "Last season, Xavier was seeing ghosts, something he now has in common with Maddie, who is now back in the land of living. How does that connection evolve the relationship between you two now that you can once again interact?"
Spencer MacPherson: It's been really cool. I get a lot of scenes with Peyton in this season, and their dynamic is so interesting because they have a history, and they have a lot in common... In Episode 5, there's a really, really beautiful scene between them. But it's cool to watch them evolve...
And it's really cool to see how he's the only person who can truly help Maddie heal from the passing of her dad. And there's something poetic about that. So, I think they have an understanding with one another, and that's been really cool to play.
Maddie's trip to the land of the living doesn't just change things for Team Living, but also for everyone she left in the afterlife on Team Dead.
- The Direct: "How strange was it to not have Peyton List Maddie around as much, at least within the sphere of your character's existence?"
Sarah Yarkin: It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I actually was so upset. It actually was really worst thing that's ever happened to me in my life.
Nick Pugliese: It was a stark contrast, too, because I remember the first season, almost every scene I had was with Peyton.
Yarkin: And also the shooting schedule, you know, if you're not working with the person, you don't see them as much, and she's got stuff to do. And I get it, but I was sort of like, don't forget about me. That really was hard for.
Instead of Maddie, Sarah Yarkin's Ronda, Nick Pugliese's Charlie, Ci Hang Ma's Quinn, and the rest of Team Dead get to spend a lot more time with Kristen Ventura's Simon, who now finds himself both alive and stuck in the afterlife.
- The Direct: "Simon is now in the land of the dead. How does his inclusion in the afterlife affect and change the dynamic between everyone on Team Dead?"
Sarah Yarkin: Definitely a different dynamic. He's so serious. He's work. He's a lot of stuff going on. I mean, he's got stuff to take care of, and we should help him. We just want to have fun.
Nick Pugliese: And sometimes, you know, he wants to, like, run into the flame. And we're like, Well, how can we get around the flame? And so, yes, there's, I mean, I think it's in like, Episode 1 or 2, where he's pitching a plan to us, and we're, like, rolling our eyes, right? Take a break.
Ci Hang Ma: It totally changes up the dynamic. I mean, Simon is such an intense person, so all these ghosts are now navigating this intense personality in their own ways. So it definitely shakes things up.
Getting to Explore Quinn's History More In Season 3
"We Get to See Quinn's Personality More."
- The Direct: "Season 2, kind of just grazes the surface of Quinn's past, but we get to dive into that a lot more in Season 3. How did it feel to be able to explore that so much deeper, and what can you tease about her journey?"
Chi Hang Ma: It felt really cool. It felt really great, really fulfilling as an actor, to be able to do deep work like that. And I'm just also happy for the character and for the characters, you know, Quinn and Rhonda, happy that Quinn was able to show up as themselves and show themselves, and that's a huge, brave risk, step to take, let's say, and especially in the context of the show and the world.
They didn't have too many friends when they were alive, and now they have these friends, and they might lose them if they tell their truth, which is their fear, which is why they haven't said it. But they chose to do so anyway, because it's important for them to step into themselves. And as a result of that, you know, as a person, when you step into who you are authentically, you start to show more of [yourself].
So, we get to see Quinn's personality more. We get to know them, you know what they think more. And as a result, Quinn also takes more risks, and risks have consequences, so we see more of that, too.
- The Direct: "Rhonda and Quinn kind of spend a good amount of time bonding. Can you talk about how their developing friendship adds new layers to Rhonda, and what it might give her that she hasn't really had in the afterlife with everyone else?"
Sarah Yarkin: I think it's sort of this amazing place with someone that's new and maybe doesn't know her for as long as these other ghosts, and she kind of has this curiosity about them, and you see this, and it really challenges her, because she wants to open up. And you see her really push through these walls and try to connect. And it's exciting to see where that goes.
Could Mr. Martin Ever Be Redeemed? Plus, a New Villain Enters the Ring
Is Redemption on the Table as New Evil Looms?
- The Direct: "Josh, Mr. Martin, has obviously done some bad stuff in both life and death. Is redemption something you feel is on the table? And more importantly, do you think any of the characters will accept it if it occurs?"
Josh Zuckerman: I think redemption may always be on the table. Will the other kids accept it? That's really up to [them and] how forgiving [they are], and how much they can really have maybe empathy for the decisions that he's made, even if they were misguided.
But yeah, I think that there has always been a hope in my mind from Season 1 that there would be redemption on the table, because I also have to learn, as I learned of character, and have conversations with the creators about why it is that I made the decisions that Mr. Martin's [made], and so I'd always like to think that they were justified, even if they ended up hurting people.
Legendary horror icon and Chucky mainstay Jennifer Tilly joins School Spirits Season 3 as Dr. Hunter-Price, a not-so-friendly face that poses a threat to both the land of the living and the afterlife.
- The Direct: "Dr. Hunter-Price is a new character, and she's not an ally to Split River High. Can you tease how she's going to be a formidable threat to both the land of the living and the dead?"
Jennifer Tilly: Well, Dr. Hunter-Price is definitely not an ally of Split River High. She basically doesn't like kids, so she's not a good person to be around kids. She doesn't even like her own daughter. I mean, you see how she treats her daughter. I mean, she loves her daughter, but she's not a very good mother.
When I first read the script, I thought there was something so sinister about Dr. Hunter-Price. I didn't know what it was. They said it was going to be a recurring role, but I only got the first script. Now I've got all of them. And splendidly, she has a very dark energy, and that attracts a dark energy to her. She's trying to shut down Split River High because of her own greed.
There's a lot in it for her to shut it down. And she's very narcissistic. She feels like everything that she wants should come to fruition. So, obviously, she is not very well-liked... Principal Hartman really dislikes her. He becomes an ally to the kids and is trying to save the school also, and maybe his job... She's a fascinating character, and I love playing her.
