Maddie (Peyton List) is desperate to find out why Mr. Anderson has cash stuffed in his wall, and why he believes he gave her some, as Paramount+’s School Spirits episode four opens. Class is underway as Maddie tries to figure out how to get into his phone. Remember, School Spirits‘ ghost rules allow the dead to manipulate items without the living realizing they’ve been moved. Mr. Anderson has no idea Maddie’s got his phone and is trying out passwords.
She begs Simon (Kristian Flores) to tell Mr. Anderson (Patrick Gilmore) to check his email. But Simon knows that would look weird and doesn’t comply. Instead, he seizes the opportunity as the bell rings to grab Mr. Anderson’s phone without being seen and races from the classroom.
Maddie joins the ghost therapy session and interrupts the group to announce she wants to figure out why Mr. Anderson told someone he gave her money. None of the ghosts have seen anything suspicious; they claim to not pay much attention to the living.
The group’s busy planning their weekend fun, which apparently will include watching one of five sports movies. Wally (Milo Manheim) is genuinely hurt when he learns Charley (Nick Pugliese) doesn’t like Rudy.
Maddie’s met with uncomfortable silence when she asks if it’s possible one of the school’s other ghosts saw something.
Simon’s busy attempting to figure out Mr. Anderson’s password when Nicole (Kiara Pichardo) shows up with news that the cops found more of Maddie’s boot prints in the woods. The newly discovered prints were heading toward a service road. She’s certain Maddie’s alive.
Simon wonders why Nicole’s suddenly friends with Xavier. She blames it on Simon ghosting her, pointing out she texted him 10 times and he didn’t respond. Simon finally admits he’s been talking to Maddie and Nicole misunderstands, saying she does the same thing. She knows Maddie’s still around because she can feel her presence.
Simon insists Nicole needs to stop thinking Maddie’s alive. He can’t tell her how he knows, but he’s certain Maddie is dead.
Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin) informs Maddie that the ghosts who don’t do group therapy are stuck replaying their last day as if they’re still alive. Talking to them would be like waking up a sleepwalker…but worse. It could push Maddie into her own nightmare loop.
Wally looks through videos and Charley isn’t into any of his picks. Charley leaves Wally to figure out a movie and joins Rhonda and Maddie’s discussion as the talk turns to Dawn. Maddie thinks that since Dawn just wanders the halls going through people’s belongings, she might have heard something sketchy about Mr. Anderson. Rhonda and Charley think Dawn’s a literal dead end.
Maddie refuses to give up on getting info from other school ghosts, and Charley, Wally, and Rhonda reluctantly give her the names of other ghosts roaming the school grounds. They mention one girl who died after being crushed by a stage light and a guy who hangs out by the pottery wheel and only speaks Russian.
They’re about to add names to the list when Simon rushes up and tells Maddie they need to talk right now. As Maddie runs off, Wally and Rhonda realize she has a living friend who can see her. (Looks like Maddie and Charley’s secret is out!)
Maddie and Simon meet at the bus stop because he’s worried about getting caught returning Mr. Anderson’s phone, especially if Anderson’s the killer. Maddie thinks Simon needs to talk to someone about Mr. Anderson and suggests the principal or his mom. Simon doesn’t think he should; they’ll just think he’s gone crazy with grief.
Their chat’s cut short when Charley, Wally, and Rhonda show up. Maddie doesn’t tell Simon ghosts are behind him. Because he doesn’t have a connection to them, he’s unaware of their presence.
Rhonda’s furious Maddie didn’t tell her she can talk to a living person, and Maddie confesses she wanted to tell them. It only takes a second for Wally and Rhonda to figure out who suggested she keep it a secret. They’re both super upset and scream at Charley and each other. Maddie’s had enough and walks off.
Maddie’s next stop is to visit Mina (Zoe Christie) the theatre ghost, and she introduces herself as the new dead girl. Mina ignores that and assumes Maddie is an actor who didn’t get the part she wanted. Mina explains her job is to ensure all the lights are tightened so none fall, and she doesn’t have time to chat.
Simon takes Maddie’s advice and tells Principal Hartman (Alex Zahara) everything he knows. Hartman promises to tell the cops what Simon told him.
Nicole does an interview with Claire (Rainbow Wedell) for the school in support of Claire’s campaign to be Homecoming Queen. Claire shocks Nicole by using her airtime to voice her concern about Maddie’s disappearance. Nicole gets her to admit they hardly spoke, but Claire tears up and insists she just wants Maddie found.
Later, after the final bell, Claire hands Nicole a flyer and cupcake. Claire completely ignores Xavier (Spencer Macpherson), even though he’s standing right next to Nicole.
Maddie finds a Devil mascot patch on the theater’s floor and then bumps into Dawn (RaeAnne Boon), who’s looking for food or items left behind by students. Dawn confirms she didn’t see anyone with the murder weapon or Maddie’s dead body but admits she’s easily distracted by all the ways kids communicate now – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. TikTok confuses her, but she’s decided it must be the new Vine.
Maddie heads out to speak to the eight band member ghosts who died in a bus crash, and Dawn volunteers to join her. Dawn explains they won regionals but died before competing at state, and now they just keep practicing.
Maddie asks if they have any info on Mr. Anderson, but since she doesn’t play an instrument, they don’t have any desire to talk to her.
Simon watches from the hall as an officer interviews Mr. Anderson. Simon has no idea Wally’s less than a foot away, staring intently into his eyes as Rhonda walks up. They don’t know why Simon can only see Maddie, but maybe it has to do with their bond.
The officers want to question Simon next and escort him out of the school. Maddie’s upset and says she’ll blame herself if something happens to him.
Nicole doesn’t know Simon’s been taken in for questioning because she’s too fixated on proving Maddie’s still alive. She remains convinced that Maddie will show up at HorrorCon. Nicole’s happy Xavier’s going with her to the screening so they can talk crap about Claire, but then Xavier lets it slip that he and Claire were a thing.
Meanwhile, Simon is interrogated at the Red Pine County Sheriff’s Station. Simon insists Mr. Anderson had thousands of dollars in the wall and probably killed Maddie because she knew about it. He also explains he heard Mr. Anderson talking to someone about the money on the phone.
The cops reveal there wasn’t any money in the wall when they checked it out. Instead, they found the piece of Maddie’s phone that Simon gave Mr. Anderson. Asked why he gave it to Anderson, Simon slips and says “we” instead of “I” when he explains he thought Anderson could be trusted.
They hand Simon Maddie’s file and explain they believe Maddie set this all up…along with a reliable best friend. She planted evidence making it look like something happened to her, so she could leave town without being found.
The cops assume she ran away.
Night’s fallen as Nicole pulls into the HorrorCon parking lot. She’s realized that Xavier cheated on Maddie, so he’s the worst person she could have chosen to get Maddie to show up. (Nicole supports the “Maddie’s just ran away” theory.)
Xavier’s ordered to remain in the car as Nicole heads into HorrorCon. She walks around, showing everyone Maddie’s photo, but no one’s seen her. Nicole freaks out when Pennywise taps her, but it turns out to be Xavier’s disobeying orders and helping search for Maddie. Nicole freaks out and blames Xavier for not taking care of Maddie, and now she’s gone.
Meanwhile, Maddie’s outside lying on the ground staring at the stars when Charley joins her. He’s sorry about what’s happening with Simon, and Maddie confesses she feels horrible that he was hauled away for helping try and solve her murder. Charley admits they’ve all broken things they can’t fix, and all the ghosts have unfinished business.
Charley confesses his unfinished business is with Mr. Figueroa, who was just Emilio when then were teens.
A flashback shows the day Charley and Emilio the exchange student met. Bullies were making fun of Charley being gay and Emilio confessed that happened to him in his home country, too. They hit it off right away and even touched hands that night in the tent.
Charley tells Maddie he fell hard for Emilio.
“Emilio was everything I wasn’t – confident, magnetic,” says Charley. Emilio suggested that he come out, but Charley didn’t. Even Charley’s parents didn’t know he was gay until one day when Emilio was over at his house and outed him. Emilio thought they already knew – and Charley thinks they might have – but he was still furious.
Charley wrote Emilio a mean letter, put it in his locker, and then tried to drown his sorrow in French fries…the fries that were cooked in peanut oil. He died and could only watch as Emilio read the letter. In the letter, Charley told Emilio he never loved him and never wanted to see him again.
“Just my luck he became a teacher here because now all I do is see him and just wish I could take back those words,” says Charley. (How heartbreaking!)
Charley told Maddie this story so she won’t feel alone. He assures Maddie that they’re all Split River Devils for better or worse. Maddie latches onto that and asks why she’s a Bandit (the current mascot) and not a Devil.
They join Rhonda and Wally for a school history lesson, and it’s revealed people thought the devil mascot was to blame for the bus crash. Maddie thanks them for everything and says she’ll tell the group the truth tomorrow. Wally and Rhonda have decided she shouldn’t and that Charley was right in keeping it a secret.
Maddie comes up with a doozy of an idea. They take flowers to Mina (Zoe Christie) in the theatre to show her they appreciate her hard work in keeping everyone safe. She loves the gesture and reveals Mr. Anderson is always banging around the theater, interrupting her work.
She lifts up a trap door in the floor and the ghosts head downstairs into a storage area full of costumes and props. There are stacks of the old Devil mascot patches along with new Bandits patches sitting by a sewing machine, and they find a bill for $40,000 for the purchase of new marching band outfits. It’s signed by Derek Anderson!
Maddie and Simon meet, and he explains the cops are convinced he helped her run away. Maddie fills him in on the bill they found, and they both think it’s a way to prove Mr. Anderson’s hiding something.
Simon grabs one of the “new” marching band uniforms and barges into the faculty meeting. He accuses Mr. Anderson of taking old band uniforms out of storage, sprucing them up, and sewing on the new Bandits emblems. Mr. Anderson vehemently denies it, but Simon has come armed with the receipt.
The company listed on the receipt doesn’t exist, and Simon demonstrates that under the new patch is the outline of the old Devils mascot.
“I can’t prove he hurt Maddie, but I can prove this,” says Simon.
The cops take Mr. Anderson away and Maddie hopes she didn’t die over some stupid band uniforms. Simon hopes Anderson will confess, but Maddie’s losing hope they’ll ever discover what happened to her. However, she’s happy the cops won’t blame Simon for anything now. He’s sorry he can’t hug her and takes off his sweater, thinking having her hold it is the next best thing to being able to touch her.
“Did you ever think we’d be in our own real-life horror movie?” asks Maddie. Simon points out it could be worse; she could have turned into a zombie.
Maddie suggests Simon head home and get some rest. (Rhonda’s hanging out outside the classroom and watches their interaction.)
The ghosts are watching Ghost when Maddie joins them. She plops down next to Charley, hands him a pad and pen, and tells him to write a note to Emilio. She’ll make sure he gets it. Charley hugs her as Wally cries over Ghost.
Rhonda sits next to Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman) and explains that she’s been there for 60 years and 60 graduations. She had made her peace with it, but now she’s willing to try anything to get out of school. She says whatever he did for Janet, she wants him to do for her. Mr. Martin’s happy to hear it.
Dawn snaps a selfie with Maddie, and Maddie wonders how she knew the passcode. Dawn reveals she knows everyone’s passcodes so she can get on her socials.
Simon’s just walking out of the school’s main exit when Maddie runs after him screaming his name. He can’t hear her until she makes it to the bus stop. She yells again and that gets his attention. She tells him the passcode’s 495273.
The scene shifts to girls trying on dresses for Homecoming. They get alerts that Mr. Anderson might be arrested and think it has to do with Maddie. Claire’s there too and her phone begins ringing. She doesn’t pick it up.
The episode ends with Simon and Maddie at the bus stop. They called back the last number Mr. Anderson was talking to, and it went straight to Claire’s voicemail. Gotcha, Claire!
- School Spirits Series Preview: Who’s In It, What’s It About, and When Does It Air
- School Spirits Season 1 Episode 1 “My So-Called Death” Recap
- Season 1 Episode 2 “The Fault in Our Scars” Recap
- Season 1 Episode 3 “Dead and Confused” Recap
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