Sumith Prasad
The fourth episode of Paramount+’s teen series ‘School Spirits,’ titled ‘Ghoul Intentions,’ follows the aftermath of Maddie and Simon’s discovery of Mr. Anderson’s secret cash pile. They team up to find the source of the same with the hope that it would shed light on Anderson’s possible involvement in Maddie’s death. Wally and Rhonda discover the secret about Maddie and they confront her concerning the same. Maddie also interacts with two new spirits at the school to know more about her teacher’s actions. The intriguing episode ends with an ambiguous cliffhanger. If you are trying to make sense of the same, you are at the right place! SPOILERS AHEAD.
School Spirits Episode 4 Recap
‘Ghoul Intentions’ begins with Maddie and Simon trying to find out the source of the money Mr. Anderson has hidden in his classroom closet. Simon steals the teacher’s phone to find out whom he called the previous day concerning the money, only to fail to open the same due to the phone lock. Anderson tracks his lost phone, forcing Simon to abandon the same above the students’ lockers. Maddie asks her fellow spirits whether they have noticed anything about Anderson’s actions during a support group session hosted by Mr. Martin. Rhonda and others let her know that they haven’t, leading Maddie to other spirits living at the place.
After failing to open Anderson’s phone, Simon meets Maddie while she is with Charly, Wally, and Rhonda and speaks to her, leaving Wally and Rhonda stunned. They confront the newly-arrived spirit about the secret she has been harboring, only for the latter to reveal that Charly asked her to do so. Maddie meets Mina, a spirit who lives above the school auditorium upon dying of electrocution. Mina tells her that she and everyone else are ungrateful to the former, who protects the residents of purgatory by watching them over from her “home.” Simon meets Principal Hartman and opens up about Anderson’s hidden cash stock and possible involvement in Maddie’s disappearance.
Hartman calls the cops but they take Simon into custody and tell him that they couldn’t find any cash pile hidden by Anderson. They also question him about the piece of Maddie’s phone he gave to the teacher and add that they believe Maddie ran away from Split River by framing her death with the help of her best friend. Charlie tells his new best friend that he used to be in a relationship with her former teacher, Emilio Figueroa. Maddie returns to Mina with flowers and expresses her gratitude for keeping them safe. Mina then reveals to her that she had seen Anderson going beneath the stage.
Maddie and her friends open up a secret door and end up at the place, where they discover old school uniforms restitched with new logos. Maddie realizes that Anderson took the money the school provided him to buy new uniforms for himself and distributed old ones that were stored underneath the stage. Simon exposes the teacher and the latter gets arrested for fraud.
School Spirits Episode 4 Ending: Is Claire Anderson’s Accomplice? Did They Kill Maddie?
After Anderson’s arrest, Maddie and Simon close his chapter thinking they have done what they could do about him. During the spirits’ movie night, she learns that Dawn can open any phone used in the school. Maddie finds out what Anderson’s phone’s passcode is and rushes to Simon. They open the phone and call the person with whom Anderson spoke the previous day, only for the call to go to Xavier’s secret lover Claire’s voicemail. Considering Anderson’s conversation with Claire, it is evident that they are accomplices but it is not sure whether they teamed up for murdering Maddie or for committing some other crime.
Claire and Anderson must have teamed up for the fraud the latter commits by distributing old uniforms by taking the uniform fund for himself. He must have committed the fraud with the help of Claire, who might have earned a share of the fund her teacher “steals” from the school. Claire must have even used Maddie’s name to earn more money from Anderson, possibly by lying that Maddie knew about their arrangement and that she needed money in return for her silence. Anderson, fearing Maddie would destroy his career, must have given Claire money to settle the non-existent predicament with the newly dead.
If that’s the case, Claire’s lie explains why Maddie cannot remember receiving any money from Anderson. The teacher must have been believing that the authorities’ investigation into Maddie will lead them to the money he gave to Claire to hand over to the late student, which must have exposed his fraud as well. Thus, Anderson and Claire’s predicament can be unrelated to Maddie’s death. Having said that, Claire might have killed Maddie to eliminate her from Xavier’s life. Maddie might have even come to know about Anderson and Claire’s fraud. In that case, Claire might have killed her to protect her secret as well.
Will Rhonda Get Out of the School?
Although the spirits at Split River High are cursed to live their lives in purgatory, exceptions are possible. When Maddie becomes a spirit, Wally and Charly explain to her that she can leave the place to end up at “the beyond” when the time comes. They also let her know about Janet, the last spirit who made it to the beyond. During the movie night, Rhonda meets Mr. Martin and expresses her desire to end up at the beyond. She asks for his assistance, which he accepts to give her. Although Rhonda has been in purgatory for sixty years, she has never wished to make her journey to the next step.
Rhonda changes her mind when she witnesses Maddie and Simon’s attachment. For sixty years, she has witnessed meaningless relationships and short-lasting friendships blooming and dying at the place. She was comfortable being alone at the place because she didn’t witness anything that moved her or made her yearn for more. However, her encounter with Simon and Maddie turns her life around. Witnessing the attachment Maddie cherishes with Simon must have made her feel lonely at the school. She must have started to yearn for such a companionship that exists beyond realms, only to be disappointed. That can be the reason why she wants to escape from Split River High.
Since Janet was able to fulfill her journey to the otherworldly realm, Rhonda may succeed in doing the same. When she brings up the subject with Martin, he supports her decision and promises his help, which indicates that he must be able to help her materialize her wish. As the host of the spirits’ support group meetings, Martin must be aware of the maturity Rhonda has to adapt to life in the new realm.
Read More: Where is School Spirits Filmed?
