School Spirits explained: Who was Maddie’s killer?

The latest addition to Netflix, School Spirits, explores the intricate mystery surrounding the identity of Maddie Nears’ (Payton List) killer, revealing a complexity beyond initial expectations.

School Spirits begins with Maddie stuck in purgatory or the in-between place. Everyone in town believes she went missing or ran away due to the lack of evidence and blood splatter in the school basement. When Maddie meets the other trapped souls who died at her school, she begins to realize something is wrong.

Unlike the others, she has no memory of what happened to her and suspects someone killed her. She goes on the hunt, with the help of the others, for answers to who her killer might be. But being stuck as a ghost causes a few issues.

Within School Spirits’ eight episodes, fans are taken on a roller coaster ride, suspecting almost everyone as a killer, from her best friends and boyfriend to other school faculty. Here’s a breakdown of who Maddie’s killer could be in School Spirits. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Who killed Maddie?

Technically no one is Maddie’s killer in School Spirits. The cliffhanger finale revealed Janet, another ghost who “moved on,” never did, and took over Maddie’s body while pushing Maddie’s soul into purgatory.

Going into Episode 8, Maddie and Simon have suspected almost everyone. But they soon have no choice but to suspect Maddie’s mother after Nicole reveals the truth of having stolen the money from blackmailing Mr. Anderson and Claire to help pay for college to be with Simon and Maddie. When looking for where she buried the money, Nicole explains she came after dropping off Claire’s mother.

After a hooded figure follows them, they soon suspect Maddie’s mother took the money. Simon does find the envelope in Maddie’s room, but instead of money it is Maddie’s necklace. Maddie was wearing it on the day of her supposed death, but she entered purgatory without it. Meanwhile, Wally and Charley question Mr. Martin about Dawn’s passing over and how it was nothing like Janet’s. They suspect something is being kept from them.

While Simon develops a plan to have Maddie’s mother accept her daughter’s writing award to get her to confess, Xavier, Claire, and Nicole check out the abandoned house. The house where police say they found Maddie’s backpack. Wally and Charley check Dawn’s school records to find clues about how she passed on. Looking at Split River’s old articles, Wally discovers a fallout shelter was built in the school amid the threat of nuclear war. It was built where an old chemistry lab was after a fire destroyed it.

Wally and Charley realize the fire must be what Mr. Martin was talking about and how he died. But there’s a shocking reveal as the article mentions two people died: Mr. Martin and Janet. The same Janet that supposedly passed on but never mentioned having a connection to Mr. Martin. Back with Maddie’s mom, she reveals the truth.

The day Maddie supposedly died, she came to see her, likely drunk, and told her daughter she bought a cabin. Maddie became distraught, learning she used the money her father left her for college. A fight ensued over her mother’s lack of self-awareness and selfishness. Maddie had given her the necklace to pawn and to never see her again. Wally and Charley venture to find the fallout shelter and discover a series of journals hidden behind a box written by Mr. Martin.

They detail everyone’s stories like test subjects. Meanwhile, Nicole and Xavier search the abandoned house before Claire sees someone enter and goes to warn them. As the person flees, Xavier is wounded on the head as Nicole videos the fleeing car. Seeing something odd, she sends it to Simon. Wally and Charley find more clues that Mr. Martin set the fire and none of the journals mention Janet.

Rhonda arrives and comes clean that she had been following Mr. Martin. She reveals a canister full of items related to each of their deaths. Someone traps them inside the fallout shelter. In the auditorium, Simon goes to see Maddie. He is distraught and confesses he thinks Maddie is a figment of his imagination to help him cope. In the video Nicole sent, the side mirror of the truck reveals a very much alive Maddie.

Trying to go after Simon, Maddie is thrust back to the boiler room and hears someone asking for help. It throws Maddie back into her memories of what happened that day. After arguing with her mother, she hears a woman calling for help. She finds the fallout shelter, opens the door, and sees Mr. Martin speaking to someone. How? It’s unclear. Mr. Martin soon shouts Janet’s name as a shadowy figure runs toward Maddie and enters her body.

Back in the present, Maddie hears the others calling for help but warning her Mr. Martin can’t be trusted. As Maddie sees him at the top of the stairs, the scene shifts to a bus station. Maddie is alive – well, her body is, but she’s being controlled by Janet.

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