2023– · Based on 3 seasons through March 4, 2026 ·
School Spirits follows Maddie Nears, a high school girl who wakes up as a ghost after dying at Split River High. She can speak with her best friend Simon, who is still alive, and with a group of ghosts from different decades. Maddie investigates her own death while the group tries to understand why the school traps them after death. The show mixes mystery, teen drama, grief, family pain, humor, romance, and scary supernatural twists.
The main woke elements grow stronger in the later seasons. Charley is gay, Yuri is bisexual, and Quinn is nonbinary, and the show gives their love lives and personal struggles repeated screen time. Season 3 makes Quinn’s search for a name and identity a clear story, pairs Quinn with Rhonda, and shows Charley struggling with Yuri’s bisexuality before they grow closer. The series still centers on ghost mysteries, body swapping, school secrets, and the fight to save the spirits from being forgotten, so the identity themes are important subplots rather than the whole premise.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for School Spirits.
Woke representation / casting
The main ghost group includes a clear pattern of queer identity choices. Charley is gay, Yuri is bisexual, Quinn is nonbinary, and Rhonda begins a relationship with Quinn. Ci Hang Ma, a nonbinary actor, plays Quinn, and season 3 coverage says the team sought gender-queer actors for the role. The show does not make its ethnic mix a major public identity message, so this score rests mainly on repeated queer casting and relationship choices.
55%
Woke political dialogue
Not present. The characters talk about Quinn’s name, gender, and relationships, but those talks stay personal. The show has no repeated activist speeches or direct political debate about DEI or social systems.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
The main mystery is Maddie’s death, but identity stories become a large part of the ghost group. Charley’s gay history and past bullying shape his early relationships. Seasons 2 and 3 give Charley and bisexual Yuri a romance, while Quinn explores being nonbinary and starts a relationship with Rhonda. Season 3 also shows biphobia, self-acceptance, gender identity, and the wish to live as one’s true self across several episodes.
65%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Not present. The show includes a killer guidance counselor, a corrupt superintendent, and a pastor who helps trapped children. Those figures serve the supernatural mystery, and the story does not turn them into a modern attack on men, families, Christianity, capitalism, or Western institutions.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The show is a loose adaptation of a graphic novel, but no identity-driven rewrite of an established character or real historical figure is confirmed. Quinn and the queer romances are part of this show’s own story.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
A few small or anonymous X accounts called the show woke, complained about DEI, or objected to its gay couples and nonbinary ghost. One small audience review called the later seasons “ultra woke.” No large right-leaning campaign, boycott, or review-bombing effort was found, so the backlash is fringe.
12%
Creator track record context
The main creators Megan and Nate Trinrud have little known activist history. Most listed writers, directors, and casting staff also have low or sparse public political records. Director Brian Dannelly has supported transgender people and criticized Christian nationalist movements, while producer and star Peyton List has supported feminist and LGBTQ causes. This gives mild supporting context, but the strongest identity signal comes from the show’s later storylines.
32%
Production
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