School Spirits Season 3 has arrived on Paramount+, closing key cliffhangers while opening new questions about who belongs on either side of the afterlife — and Milo Manheim’s Wally is at the emotional center of it all.

What happened: the premiere and the big reveals

The new season, released in late January on Paramount+, reunites Peyton List’s Maddie with her living body and her worried mother and friends — but it also flips the show’s central mystery. Simon (Kristian Ventura) now finds himself trapped among the ghosts even though he’s still alive, while Wally (Milo Manheim) chooses not to “move on.”

Why Milo Manheim’s role matters this season

Manheim says Wally’s refusal to walk through the doorway into the afterlife is driven by unfinished business with Maddie and with friends left behind. “He was never going to go through that door [to the afterlife] without saying goodbye to his friends,” Manheim told UPI, adding, “I don’t think he’s ready to walk through it yet.”

That decision keeps the couple’s relationship alive in new — and often painful — ways: Maddie can see and talk to Wally, but the two are split between worlds. Manheim also notes the character’s emotional growth since the 1980s-set flashback pieces of Wally’s past, which now collide with modern teen heartbreak and jealousy surrounding Simon.

How the season starts and where the story could go

The premiere sets up several threads: Janet (Jess Gabor) has vacated Maddie’s body, the school’s new superintendent (Jennifer Tilly) threatens to close Split River High, and darker forces tied to the school’s “scars” and rifts begin to surface. Maddie returns from the hospital determined to help Simon cross back, even as classmates and faculty question her sanity.

Cast dynamics and screen time

  • Peyton List’s Maddie picks up the pieces of her interrupted life and refuses to give up on Wally.
  • Kristian Ventura’s Simon reacts with frustration to his new, in-between condition.
  • Milo Manheim says he appreciated more scenes with Ventura and the chance to explore Wally’s complicated feelings.

Reaction: fans and critics

Streaming roundups flagged School Spirits Season 3 as a notable new arrival on Paramount+. Critics and some viewers, however, have mixed feelings: reviewers praise performances but question whether the third season repeats earlier beats or stretches the premise. One critic recommended streaming the season but warned it feels like the show is still searching for a clear direction after two strong arcs.

How to watch and what to expect next

All episodes of School Spirits Season 3 are available on Paramount+ (the service’s Essential plan is $8.99/month; Premium is $13.99/month). Expect the season to further explore Simon’s displaced status, Wally and Maddie’s long-distance relationship across planes, and the school’s supernatural secrets — including how Janet’s knowledge of the paranormal borders could reshape who stays and who goes.

For fans of character-driven teen supernatural drama, Season 3 deepens emotional stakes even as it complicates the series’ central rules. Whether viewers will be satisfied as the show untangles those complications will likely shape discussion as more episodes stream this season.