High school stereotypes in School Spirits (2023- )

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School Spirits (2023- ), a Paramount+ original series, recognizes stereotypical high school experiences through its unique plot.

(Spoilers Ahead!)

School Spirits (2023- ), a Paramount+ original series, follows a teenage girl who finds herself trapped as a ghost after being murdered at her high school— or so it seems. This show is full of plot twists and surprises, so if you are looking to avoid spoilers, I would recommend reading no further. 

The show opens with Maddie (Peyton List) realizing that something is off at her high school— she's surrounded by students who, like her, have died within its walls and are now trapped there.

The characters are all from different time periods, with some now being over 100-years-old and others only recently passing away. These ghosts are very welcoming towards Maddie, agreeing to help her figure out her murder so she can have peace of mind, a goal that, unfortunately, has yet to happen. 

An interesting premise of the show is that each of the ghost characters portrays a different high school stereotype. For example, Maddie meets Wally, your typical high school jock who bullied kids and believed football was his whole life. He tragically died during a football game, and in his honor, the school stadium is named after him. 

We see another stereotype in the character Charley. Unfortunately, he lived in a time where he was shamed for being gay (despite never being open about it), leading to a miserable life in high school. We see his character grow as he finds a love interest in the afterlife and is finally able to express who he is without guilt.

Janet is a character who is not expanded on until later in the show, but she portrays another stereotype through a series of flashbacks. Along with Janet is a teacher who is stuck inside the school as a ghost. The two of them have a relationship that many would describe as a teacher’s pet scenario. Because of her close relationship with the teacher, whom many of the ghosts look up to, Janet is not well-liked by her peers. We learn more about their relationship, along with Janet’s personal struggles in the second season. 

Rhonda is a more complex character, so a variety of stereotypes can be seen within her. She is often too cool for things like school dances, group hangouts, and any other normal high school activity that the ghosts participate in. Especially in the first season, she can be best described as a standoffish wallflower.

In the second season, these characters begin to outgrow these stereotypes as they break out of their shell. They all encounter a wide variety of challenges as the group tries to figure out what happened to Maddie and how they can fix it. 

Although School Spirits (2023- ) portrays the basic high school stereotypes, the show is anything but predictable. The interesting addition of ghosts into the plotline provides an entirely new realm for these characters and plot twists. 

In addition to this cast, there are also living characters who interact with each other and the ghosts. Their universes collide within the school, as two separate storylines exist in the same building with minimal knowledge of each other. This makes for an incredibly unique plot with interesting characters and unpredictable events commencing in a parallel but connected fashion. 

If you are looking for a new weekly show, School Spirits (2023- ) releases new episodes every week on Paramount+, and each episode is crazier than the last!