School Spirits Season 3 Spoilers Ahead
At times, School Spirits Season 3 is inorganically plot-driven and overstuffed with exposition, but when it steps away into a small corner that’s fully character-driven, that’s where it shines. The show’s biggest appeal in its debut season and simultaneously its sophomore run was the fact that it was consistently wholesome. We were watching a show about grief and second chances that focused carefully on individual growth in a way that felt deeply nuanced. In Season 3, the lack of balance as we dive into a bigger lore behind Split River High simply doesn’t work.
Some narrative choices sadly don’t make sense, and the stereotypical depictions of various characters take away from what could’ve been a great season. Still, when I was ready to write off this season, the penultimate and finale pulled me right back in and reminded us of where the show’s heart lies.
It’s in these episodes where the characters and their relationships are once again prioritized, and the answers we get make sense in the grand scheme of things. Generally, I’m not one for instant gratification, so it’s not so much that we needed to wait for answers that took away from the show’s appeal, but more so, how we got here. Ultimately, the season is at its best with quiet conversations like the ones shared between couples, including the season’s newest one, Rhonda and Quinn. It’s conversations about where these characters go from here and how they’ll find some semblance of peace in the purgatory they’re stuck in. It’s Simon building his own rapport with the ghosts and reuniting with Maddie in the end, reminding us of how their friendship started so much of this journey.
But School Spirits Season 3 ultimately leaves us with a number of questions, like can Wally, Dawn, Janet, and Mr. Nears move on from the next state they’re stuck in? How do Wally and Maddie continue making a relationship work while they’re in different realms? What happens to the ghosts now that the barrier is broken and they can cross it? It’s unclear at the point of writing this review if Season 4 will be greenlit, but considering how none of this is wrapped up, it’d be too sad if it were all to end here.
On another positive note, the production value and music on this show continue to be aces. Every effective needle drop makes the scene even more thrilling, and the desire to press play on the next continues to increase because these characters are easy to care about. Based on everything we get by the end, it’s easy to perhaps feel confident in how writers could wrap up each arc with the happy ending the characters deserve, while allowing the show’s wholesome nature to reappear.
Season 3 might not be the show’s strongest arc, but it’s certainly not terrible either. At the end of the day, questionable decisions are understandable, and it still gives us plenty to look back on in the small moments. Where we’ll go from here is what’ll determine the show’s overall strength, so here’s to hoping for a renewal.
Now streaming on Paramount+: What are your thoughts on School Spirits Season 3? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Paramount+