Who killed Maddie in School Spirits? Explained

By Ricky Valero
Published: April 14, 2023
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Who killed Maddie in School Spirits? Now that season 1 has ended, we explain a burning question from the mystery series. 

School Spirits was an eight-episode series centered around Maddie, a teenager stuck in the afterlife trying to figure out who killed her.

The eight-episode series kicked off on Paramount+ on March 9, 2023, with the season finale airing on April 13, 2023.

So who ended up killing Maddie? Who were the suspects in the show? And what were the big twists? We share all those details below.

Who killed Maddie in School Spirits?

In the end, it turned out that nobody killed Maddie in a plot twist that shocked audiences. After eight episodes, viewers learned were dealt with a shocking twist that would form part of a second installment. 

Whether or not Maddie is still alive might be a technicality explored in season two.

Who were the suspects in School Spirits Season 1?

Throughout the season, we had several people come up as potential suspects in the killing of Maddie.

  • First, everyone pointed the finger at Xavier. Why? Well, he did have her phone, and he had the motive of possibly getting her out of the picture to be with Claire, with whom he was cheating on Maddie.
  • Then, we had Mr. Anderson, the teacher that was very supportive of Maddie, and she never once believed that he could do it. However, after some digging by Simon and finally getting into Mr. Anderson’s phone, we find out he was calling Claire. With his alibi and new evidence, his name was cleared.
  • Speaking of Claire, she was our third suspect in the show. Why? She was the other girl; if Maddie was out of the picture, she could have him all to herself. Xavier attempted to get back into Claire’s good graces to find out about her and Mr. Anderson’s relationship and the secret money. However, at the prom, Claire tells Xavier she found out that Mr. Anderson was stealing money and decided to blackmail him to get good grades.
  • Our next suspect came in the form of Nicole, Maddie’s best friend. Around mid-season, we started noticing Nicole doing so many suspicious things, including trying to delete evidence from a school computer. Again, after much investigating by Simon, he confronts her, to which she tells him that she was blackmailing Mr. Anderson with the video she recorded cause she didn’t have the money to go to the same school as Maddie and Simon.
  • The last suspect was Sandra, Maddie’s mother. In the seventh episode of the season, it came full tilt with us seeing an envelope in Sandra’s drawer that looked awfully like the money. We see Simon go into Sandra’s drawer and find it, and when he opens it, it is Maddie’s necklace, which she wore before her disappearance. After a big back and forth between Sandra and Simon, Maddie finally remembers her last conversation with Sandra. Sandra tells the story that they got in a huge fight, and Maddie gave her the necklace back, and she’s had it since, which cleared her name.

What was the plot twist in School Spirits Season 1?

The big plot twist comes in the aftermath of the argument between Maddie and her mother. While down in the boiler room, Maddie overheard arguing between two people, and when she opened the door, it was Mr. Martin and Janet. Once the door opened, Janet ran towards Maddie, and at that moment, it appeared, her spirit went into Maddie’s body.

Because of this, Maddie has been stuck in the afterlife, trying to figure out who killed her. When in reality, a ghost might possess her.

While Nicole, Xavier, and Claire were at this suspicious house doing recon work, someone arrived to get their stuff, and when that person left, they stole Xavier’s truck.

When they pulled away, Nicole got a picture of the person driving in the rearview mirror. Later that night, we see Simon reveal to Maddie that it was her face leaving Maddie massively confused.

Now, Simon believes that Maddie is a figment of his imagination and tells her he is done.

After an incredible season, I hope we get to unpack everything that went down in this finale in a second season.

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