The huge question going into Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star season five episode 12 is will all the characters fans have grown to know and love survive. Could someone be killed off in episode 12, the series finale? Rob Lowe spoke to Entertainment Weekly about that possibility but didn’t give away any spoilers.
“Is there a world where Owen dies heroically? Does he live, does he not? And same for everybody else,” said Lowe. “This is a show where it’s totally organic on any given day that any one of these characters could have something really bad happen to them. I mean, that’s not pushed reality — it’s the reality of what first responders go through. So we were debating, ‘Do we want to push that button…and for who?'”
Lowe thinks fans will be satisfied with how all of the assorted storylines wrap up. “We’ve had such loyal fans, so you want to deliver to your audience,” said Lowe. “And I think that we did it. There are so many shows that have ended really, really well. And so many shows that have ended really, really badly. There’s a lot of lessons to be learned, and I think we learned them and I’m really, really proud of how the audience is going to feel saying goodbye to Lone Star.”
Episode 12 will air on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT.
Rob Lowe leads the cast as Captain Owen Strand, Ronen Rubinstein stars as T.K., Gina Torres plays Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega, and Jim Parrack is Judd Ryder. Natacha Karam plays Marjan Marwani, Brian Michael Smith is Paul Strickland, Julian Works is Mateo Chavez, Rafael Silva plays Carlos Reyes, and Brianna Baker is Nancy Gillian.
“Homecoming” Plot: Owen and the 126 deal with the aftermath of the asteroid crash in Austin while an even greater threat looms.
9-1-1 Lone Star Season 5 Description, Courtesy of Fox:
9-1-1: Lone Star follows members of Austin’s 126 Fire Department led by Captain Owen Strand who, along with his adult son, T.K., moved to Texas to help rebuild the firehouse which had experienced a tragedy of its own. His team of diverse and qualified first responders include widowed Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega, Judd Ryder, who was the sole survivor of Austin’s original 126 house after a rescue call ended in tragedy; Marjan Marwani, an adrenaline junkie and badass firefighter who also is a devout Muslim; Paul Strickland, a transgender male firefighter, who bravely decided to transition on the job in Chicago and has a gift for observation worthy of Sherlock Holmes; and rookie firefighter Mateo Chavez.
Settling into his new home, T.K. caught the eye of police officer Carlos Reyes and the two began a romantic relationship eventually marrying in the season four finale. T.K hung up his firefighter helmet to become a full-time paramedic under Tommy’s guidance and works closely with fellow paramedic Nancy Gillian.
In the upcoming fifth season, Captains Strand and Vega, along with the 126 team, race into action when in a multi-episodic opening storyline, a catastrophic train derailment endangers several lives including some of their own. With Judd resigning from the 126 to take care of his recently handicapped son Wyatt (Jackson Pace), Owen must find a new lieutenant to replace Judd and has a difficult decision ahead of him when both Marjan and Paul apply for the promotion. Tommy is ready to take the next step in her relationship, but she finds the road to happiness is filled with obstacles.
On his 30th birthday, T.K. gets a surprise visit from someone from his past that could change his and Carlos’ lives forever. Now officially husband and husband, T.K. and Carlos’ marriage is put to the test when Carlos becomes obsessed with solving his father’s murder.
Lee Jung-jae as Sung Gi-hun in ‘Squid Game’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Netflix’s award-winning Squid Game is returning for a third and final season, with the highly anticipated conclusion set to premiere on June 27, 2025. Season two, which debuted in December 2024, broke records in its first week, pulling in 68 million views.
The third season announcement was accompanied by the first photos from the upcoming final season.
“The third and final season of Squid Game follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game. Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players’ choices will lead to graver consequences with each round,” reads Netflix’s synopsis.
“The world eagerly awaits to see the grand finale written and directed by Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who has vowed to bring the epic story to its deserved closure. Can we hope for humanity in the cruelest of realities? Fans all over the world are counting the days until the final answer is revealed.”
Lee Byung-hun as Front Man in season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Hwang Dong-hyuk created the series and serves as writer, director, and executive producer. Kim Ji-yeon also executive produces.
“I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story,” commented Hwang. “We’ll do our best to make sure we bring you yet another thrill ride.”
Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul in season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)Lee Byung-hun as Front Man in season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)Park Sung-hoon as Cho Hyun-ju, Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee, Kang Ae-sim as Jang Geum-ja, and Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik in season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)Poster for ‘Squid Game’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
There’s so much to unwrap in the promo for ABC’s The Rookie season seven episode five! The teaser promises this upcoming episode is going to be absolutely bonkers. Episode five, “Til Death,” airs on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
The cast is led by Nathan Fillion as John Nolan. Season seven stars Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine and Patrick Keleher recur as Miles and Seth.
“Til Death” Plot: The team searches for a serial killer as Nyla struggles with the aftermath following the attack. Lucy’s relationship with Seth takes a turn, while Bailey battles her fear of Jason Wyler.
Alyssa Diaz, Mekia Cox, and Nathan Fillion in ‘The Rookie’ season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Carlos Lopez-Calleja)
The Rookie Season 7 Details:
John Nolan, once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Now recovering from a gunshot wound and feeling the effects of his age, John and the team welcome two new rookies and continue the hunt for two dangerous escaped prisoners who have very personal vendettas.
Lisseth Chavez and Deric Augustine in season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Mike Taing)Angel Parker and Jenna Dewan in season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Mike Taing)Eric Winter in season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Mike Taing)Alyssa Diaz, Kevin Zegers, Richard T Jones, and Shawn Ashmore in ‘The Rookie’ season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Mike Taing)Mekia Cox and Alyssa Diaz in season 7 episode 5 (Disney/Mike Taing)
Peyton List as Janet/Maddie in ‘School Spirits , season 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Paramount+’s School Spirits season two episode three kicks off with Simon (Kristian Ventura), Nicole (Kiara Pichardo), and Claire (Rainbow Wedell) searching for any indication that Janet survived. (Spoilers ahead!) Simon can’t figure out Janet’s motivation, but the reason won’t matter if she died in the fire. If she’s dead, then Maddie can never return to her body.
Nicole’s not ready to fully commit to Maddie being in the spirit world, but even she can’t figure out why Maddie would come to this random farmhouse that belonged to Janet Hamilton’s family. Simon locates the family graveyard and sees that Janet’s grave has been disturbed. Still, Claire refuses to jump on the Maddie/Janet possession thing.
Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) joins them with news that the cops didn’t find any bodies in the fire. (Xavier’s fully committed to #TeamGhost now.) Meanwhile, Janet’s buying food and a suitcase, ready to leave the area ASAP. She cleans up in the restroom bathroom and accidentally leaves the backpack with cash behind. It’s not until she’s at the register that she realizes her mistake, and races through the store looking for whoever picked it up.
Back at school, Quinn (Ci Hang Ma) has put together an impressive murder board (a la Veronica Mars) and then turns the investigation over to Maddie (Peyton List). What they know so far is that Janet and Mr. Martin were working together on crossing over until their relationship soured. Charley (Nick Pugliese) suggests Mr. Martin was tired of Janet being the leader, but Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin) is in a rotten mood and doesn’t understand what any of this has to do with actually locating Janet.
Also, where is Janet’s object?
Nicole messages the anonymous person who posted in the Weird Wisconsin forum, joking about luring a ghost out of hiding. Claire barges into Nicole’s bedroom, pissed she didn’t realize Nicole has a brother (Diego) and that she just busted in on him in the shower.
Simon tells Xavier the list of places people died at the school, which are the only places he can see Maddie. Xavier thinks that since he now believes in the Maddie ghost thing, he needs to give her a message. Simon shushes him since Maddie can hear them even when he can’t see her. He doesn’t want her to learn they’ve lost Janet.
Janet scans the parking lot and sees two women loading an SUV. She thinks they have her backpack, but they don’t. They think she goes to their college, which, of course, she doesn’t. Janet accepts a ride to campus because what other choice does she have? Everything she owned was in that backpack.
Nicole’s brother spots her as she’s walking around campus, looking for her backpack.
Nick Pugliese as Charley and Peyton List as Maddie Nears in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Back at the high school, Nicole leaves licorice in Maddie’s locker as Maddie watches. Next, she joins Claire in the cafeteria and is shocked to learn she quit the cheer squad. Simon’s also in the cafeteria, and Maddie accuses him of ghosting her. He claims he has nothing to report except that Xavier is on board now. And he doesn’t know why Nicole left licorice in her locker.
Simon reluctantly delivers the news that Janet burned down the farmhouse. Maddie wonders why she’d do that. Simon has no idea.
Nicole gets a text from her brother about seeing Maddie at the college, so they all head there to try to track her down. Xavier still can’t wrap his head around Simon talking to Maddie all the time, but at least he believes it.
Xavier and Nicole exchange messages on the forum (still totally oblivious that they’re talking to each other), with Nicole confirming she left candy in Maddie’s locker as ghost bait. (Like Reese’s Pieces for ET.) The foursome regroups on the campus, unable to find Maddie/Janet. However, Claire figured out they should look online to see if anyone posted a picture of her since everyone on campus is on their phones posting pics. And boom! Claire finds one of Maddie at a college party. They recognize the frat house and have a look around.
Maddie asks her ghost squad what they can remember about Janet. They remember that on her last day, Mr. Martin suggested they hold a Sweet 17 party to cheer her up. They threw a sock hop to celebrate, and everyone used costumes from Grease to get in the mood.
Before everyone arrived, Charley spotted Janet and Mr. Martin dancing, and it seemed like they were in a relationship. But then Charley heard Janet make Mr. Martin promise they’ll tell everyone that night. After the dancing was over, Mr. Martin suggested a limbo competition, but Janet pulled Wally aside. Wally (Milo Manheim) confesses he was really lonely because it was during the Covid pandemic and the living hadn’t been around to break up the boredom. Janet tried to tell him a secret, mentioned having a gift, and struggled to talk. Wally misinterpreted and kissed her, thinking she wanted to tell him she liked him.
The ghosts can’t believe Wally kissed Janet, but Rhonda has a weird reaction. Rhonda finally comes clean with what she knows and recalls Janet being super happy about her birthday gifts. However, Janet’s mood shifted when she opened Mr. Martin’s gift.
After the party ended, Rhonda eavesdropped on Janet and Mr. Martin. Janet was upset about all the gifts, especially Mr. Martin’s. Janet reminded Mr. Martin he said they were putting the experiments on hold. Mr. Martin didn’t want to, and Janet threatened to give them all back. Mr. Martin tried to stop her, and Janet warned him he had no idea what she was capable of.
Everyone but Rhonda thinks Janet is the real monster. Rhonda insists Mr. Martin was always the one with the power, and Mr. Martin silenced her when she defied him. She recalls Mr. Martin’s hands on Janet, just like her own killer’s hands were on her. But unlike Janet, Rhonda wasn’t strong and didn’t stand up to her aggressor.
Rhonda believes Janet wanted to give them back their objects, and Mr. Martin refused. Janet also wanted to tell them the truth (that was “her gift”) about what she’d learned. Mr. Martin locked her up to keep her silent.
Kiara Pichardo as Nicole Herrera, Kristian Ventura as Simon Elroy, Spencer Macpherson as Xavier Baxter and Zack Calderon as Diego Herrera in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 3 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Meanwhile at the campus, Diego rescues Nicole and Claire when frat boys hit on them. He helps them look for Maddie who’s super busy stealing clothing and wallets. The girls who gave her a ride earlier catch her in the act, but she’s able to escape when the cops show up to shut down the party.
Claire and Diego are flirting when Maddie walks up. Claire assures her it’s okay to return home, but Maddie escapes when Nicole, Xavier, and Simon cause Claire to look away.
Rhonda holds her acceptance letter from Berkeley and recalls her happiness as she went to tell her killer, guidance counselor Mr. Manfredo, the news. Reliving all these memories of Janet has been incredibly traumatic, and she needs time to herself to face the pain.
Charley, Wally, and Maddie meet in the greenhouse, and Maddie feels horrible for making Rhonda remember such painful moments. Suddenly, it dawns on Maddie that Janet’s mention of “keys” might be a reference to the objects they had when they died. The objects could be the keys. Mr. Martin was holding Janet’s watch, and when he gave it to her, she disappeared. Janet’s object was probably the watch, but that doesn’t answer where Janet and Mr. Martin disappeared to.
Unbeknownst to the gang, Rhonda’s holding her object (the acceptance letter) while standing in front of the door to the room where she died. A red light emerges from under the door, and she steps inside and back in time to the day she died. Mr. Manfredo’s about to attack her when she flees the room. She drops the acceptance letter, and when she picks it up, the red light shines under the door again.
Claire, Simon, Xavier, and Nicole return to Nicole’s house after the party, and Nicole confirms that she saw Maddie, but it was obvious that she was someone else. She’s still confused about the ghost thing but is 99% sure it’s true.
Simon confesses to Xavier that he’s worried about how to tell Maddie they lost Janet again. Xavier promises to do it with him, and Simon accepts his help, relieved not to do it alone anymore. Simon says he’ll pass along a message to Maddie for him.
The episode ends with Maddie’s mom returning home after one of many visits to crime scenes and the morgue to possibly identify Maddie’s body. Something gets her attention and she turns, shocked to see Maddie standing on the sidewalk outside their home. She runs and grabs her up in a huge hug.
Peyton List as Maddie Nears, Milo Manheim as Wally Clark, and Sarah Yarkin as Rhonda in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Janet snacks on decades-old food as Paramount+’s School Spirits season two episode two begins. A flashback shows her dad questioning her about a college acceptance letter, adamant that women don’t belong in college. They should be pregnant and in the kitchen.
She earned a slap for her forward-thinking ways, and her abusive dad (a reverend) burned her acceptance letter. Decades later, she stares at the outline of a cross on her grandmother’s wall and stabs a knife into the floor in anger. (Reminder: this is a recap, so spoilers ahead!)
Meanwhile, the ghost gang’s busy attempting to wrap their heads around Mr. Martin’s years of deception. They’ve had the time to read Mr. Martin’s journals, and Charley (Nick Pugliese) is still pissed that Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin) didn’t tell them she was investigating Mr. Martin. Everyone’s on edge and short-tempered since they’re no closer to finding either Maddie’s body or Mr. Martin.
Strangely, it’s Wally (Milo Manheim) who’s the voice of reason. He draws a play on the chalkboard, outlining how they’ll track down Mr. Martin. Charley’s convinced Mr. Martin left the school grounds. Just then, a band member wanders in!
Over at the hospital, it turns out Xavier (Spencer Macpherson) decided not to sit among the ghosts in the waiting room and returned to his body. Claire (Rainbow Wedell), Nicole (Kiara Pichardo), and Simon (Kristian Ventura) are with him when he learns he’s about to be discharged. Nicole’s still upset Claire and Simon want to turn Maddie in, and Xavier’s confused. They explain that Maddie stole his truck and then backed into him, and Simon decides now’s the time to tell everyone what’s really going on.
He sounds crazy when he tries to convince his friends that a ghost who’s been dead for decades stole Maddie’s body, and Maddie’s soul is trapped in the school with other ghosts. She can’t leave the campus. Claire and Nicole don’t believe him and leave, but Xavier is willing to listen.
As his dad’s checking him out, Xavier wanders through the waiting room looking for the people he saw last night. The television is different, and he learns that smoking hasn’t been allowed in the waiting room in decades.
Peyton List as Maddie Nears and Ci Hang Ma as Quinn in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Back at the library, it turns out Quinn (Ci Hang Ma), the band member who woke up when Rhonda screamed at them, is a friend of Janet’s and can’t believe she was trapped in the fallout shelter for months. Quinn seems kind of out of it, and the gang doesn’t want her around because they’re busy and she’s not helpful. They return to the map and try and figure out who the dead person is that begins with a Y and passed away in the greenhouse.
It suddenly dawns on Charley that Yuri, the dead Russian kid on a loop at the pottery wheel, is the Y. He doesn’t speak English, so Rhonda yells and speaks slowly … because that always works, right? Maddie tries to question him, but Yuri (Miles Elliot) remains silent. She gets frustrated by the lack of answers and that even if Yuri knew something, they wouldn’t know what to do if they ever got Maddie’s body back.
Charley hangs back when they leave and is shocked when Yuri speaks to him in English and mentions Janet. It turns out Janet would occasionally hang out in the art class with him. It also turns out his mom’s from Virginia and lying that he didn’t speak English kept him out of Mr. Martin’s group sessions. He believes Mr. Martin’s full of sh*t, and he’s happy he has immortal youth. Charley picks up a wooden box and Yuri confirms Janet made it. That piques Charley’s interest, and he examines it closer and finds a secret compartment that contains Mr. Martin’s journal on Janet.
Charley shares the journal with the others and its first pages are all chemistry equations, which they don’t understand. Maybe these equations explain why the notebooks still exist, why Janet could enter Maddie’s body, and how Mr. Martin locked the fallout shelter door. Simon arrives with the news that he’s heading to Rockton to look for Janet in Maddie’s body. But he wonders why Maddie could hear Janet’s cry for help. How did a living Maddie ever hear the dead Janet? Maddie believes she was open to the experience because she was in pain, just like Simon can see her now because he’s also in pain.
Simon and Nicole hang out and wait for Claire to finish up with cheer practice. Simon’s busy calling hotels to see if Maddie checked in somewhere, including sleazy hotels. Nicole knows Maddie would never have stayed in crappy places, but Simon believes Janet Hamilton would. Nicole thinks Simon needs to speak to a professional and that they both should be worried that Claire still wants to go to the cops.
Later, Claire’s surprised to see Xavier, who’s busy searching online for info on ghost sightings at the local hospital, back at school. Xavier confesses he died for a few minutes but doesn’t elaborate. He asks Claire if she realizes that their relationship will have to change if Maddie’s alive. Claire claims she understands.
Xavier’s dad convinced Principal Hartman that he can stay home from school for a week, but Xavier would be at school. He can study in the library since it has a couch.
Janet’s still hanging out at her old house when she hears someone walking around. She watches from a hiding place as a man walks up and down the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief when he leaves.
Nicole and Simon are hot on Maddie’s body’s trail and learn Maddie bought a map at a grocery store. Simon’s convinced that’s another sign that Janet’s in Maddie’s body. No teenager now would buy a map since everyone has a phone, but a teen from 1958 would buy one. Nicole refuses even to consider it, and Simon finally asks the key question: how can she believe in the Holy Ghost and not actual ghosts? They’re both Catholic and believe in purgatory, so why isn’t it possible that Maddie’s waiting at Split River High?
Nicole refuses to believe that Maddie’s dead. She drives off and leaves Simon behind but reconsiders and picks him up if he doesn’t ask more questions.
Back at school, Rhonda and Quinn rejoin the gang in the library to examine Janet’s journal. By some strange coincidence, Xavier sits at their table and is unaware that he’s staring right at Maddie. Quinn points out the journal entries are shorthand, and it just so happens she can read it.
The gang’s shocked when Quinn suggests two different people wrote the entries. The back section might have been written by Janet since it refers to Mr. Martin in the third person. Also, Janet wrote “our” a lot, and Quinn believes Janet and Mr. Martin were working together on an experiment. They both planned on getting out of there together.
Xavier continues to stare right at Maddie, freaking her out.
Jess Gabor as Janet Hamilton and Josh Zuckerman as Mr. Martin in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
A flashback shows Mr. Martin driving Janet to her grandmother’s home. He’s incredibly supportive of her dreams and knows that when she gets to college, she’ll really excel. They’re joking around in pig Latin when Reverend Hamilton orders Janet inside so he can speak with Mr. Martin. Hamilton insinuates that Mr. Martin is acting inappropriately and assures him that Janet won’t be attending college. Reverend Martin sends Mr. Martin on his way, but not before threatening to report his behavior.
The gang can’t figure out what happened between Janet and Mr. Martin that made them stop working together as a team. Why was Janet screaming to get away from him when she jumped into Maddie? Charley points out there are pages torn out of Janet’s journal, and Wally decides that’s enough. He demands answers from Yuri, angry that for 40 years, Yuri refused to talk to him when he tried to make conversation.
Wally and Yuri get into it, and Wally’s upset that Maddie was in the wrong place at the wrong time and isn’t really dead. Wally’s sure Yuri knows something and is just refusing to get involved. After Wally breaks Janet’s pot, Maddie pulls him aside for a talk. Wally’s furious that he followed Mr. Martin like a little sheep, and now he doesn’t know what to believe about his existence.
Wally’s frustrated he can’t leave the school and help retrieve Maddie’s body. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t compete with Simon!” says Wally. Maddie doesn’t understand why Wally needs to compete with Simon since they’re on the same team. Wally confesses he wants their relationship to get deeper but feels like he’s getting benched. He wants to be more than a “mushy shoulder to cry on.”
Maddie assures him he doesn’t need to score the winning point for her. The mood relaxes when they realize they had their first fight.
Maddie, Charley, Yuri, and Wally pick up the pieces of Janet’s broken pot. They don’t understand why it’s not resetting since a ghost made it. Charley and Yuri are really connecting, and their conversation makes Wally remember that Janet wrote a goofy poem in a yearbook that mentioned Bingham. That’s where Janet got off the bus in Maddie’s body!
Maddie calls Wally a genius. He just provided a huge lead to finding Janet. She pulls Wally in for a kiss.
Xavier and Simon research Hamilton farmhouses while Nicole remains skeptical about the Hamilton connection. Xavier is on board with this ghost thing now and agrees to go with Simon to the farmhouse after school.
Nick Pugliese as Charley and Miles Elliot as Yuri in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Charley visits Yuri, certain Yuri’s holding something back. Yuri makes a pot that resets every day, but Janet’s never did. Her pot remained a pot and then broke and didn’t fix itself. Charley flirts and then gets embarrassed, rushing off after Yuri offers to teach him how to make something.
That night, Nicole surfs the net looking for any info on whether a ghost can take over a body. She stumbles on the same “Weird Wisconsin” forum Xavier found and even finds his anonymous question about whether anyone’s ever spoken to a ghost. She asks why he/she is asking, and Xavier replies he thinks he has.
Claire had a fight with her parents and shows up wanting to crash at Nicole’s. She insists she never wanted to hurt Maddie and knows she owes her an apology. Nicole lets her spend the night.
Wally’s wandering the hallways at night when he spots Mr. Martin. He chases him into Mr. Anderson’s classroom, but Mr. Martin disappears.
The group continues reading Janet’s journal and can’t understand why she’s written that she hopes they’ll forgive her for what she’s taken from them. Maddie keeps reading, and it turns out Janet is the one who took the items they had with them when they died. Charley now believes Janet stopped following Mr. Martin’s orders and learned how to do much more than just make a pot that doesn’t reset. That would have threatened Mr. Martin.
Rhonda thinks Mr. Martin learned from Janet, and that’s how he locked her in the fallout shelter.
Wally informs the group that he saw Mr. Martin, and a red light was behind him. He disappeared, but it seemed like he was terrified. Quinn suggests Mr. Martin locked Janet up to protect all of them.
Janet sets her grandmother’s house on fire and doesn’t try to escape the flames.
Season two episode two wraps up with Simon and Xavier being stopped by a cop as they drive up to the fully engulfed house. The cop says a firetruck’s on its way but doesn’t confirm if there’s anyone inside the home.
Jess Gabor, Peyton List and Josh Zuckerman in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Paramount+’s School Spirits season two episode one starts right where season one’s finale left off, with Maddie hungry for answers about her death. Season one’s shocking cliffhanger revealed that Maddie’s body is out in the real world, possessed by Janet the body-swapping ghost.
And now on to a full recap of the much-anticipated season two premiere. Spoilers ahead!
Maddie (Peyton List) wants to know why Mr. Martin (Josh Zuckerman) kept quiet about what happened to her. A flashback shows Mr. Martin in the fallout shelter, arguing with Janet right as Maddie opened the door. Janet rushed out and into Maddie’s body, pulling off a dead/living switcheroo. Janet pushed Maddie into the boiler, where they found her blood. She escaped by possessing Maddie’s body, while Maddie became trapped in the high school in ghost form.
Mr. Martin takes off running, with Maddie hot on his heels, begging for answers. Maddie’s chasing him through the hallways while Charley (Nick Pugliese), Wally (Milo Manheim), and Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin) look for a way out of the locked fallout shelter. Wally finally pries open the door to a tunnel that leads off school property. And, of course, that means they’re each transported back to the spot on campus where they died. Fortunately, Charley grabbed one of Mr. Martin’s journals before they left the shelter.
Mr. Martin warns Maddie to leave it alone and confesses he wishes he never would have pursued this. What “this” is isn’t explained. Mr. Martin runs outside, through the marching band ghosts, and then disappears. Wally, Rhonda, and Charley catch up with Maddie outside and she reveals she knows more about what happened to her.
Checking in on the living, Simon (Kristian Ventura) is furious that he believed he was talking to Maddie’s ghost and that, instead, she’s just been hiding from everyone. He’s still upset that she stole Xavier’s truck and ran him over. In a fit of anger, he rips a photo of him and Maddie in two.
Rainbow Wedell as Claire Zomer and Kiara Pichardo as Nicole Herrera in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Xavier (Spencer MacPherson) is in critical condition at the hospital, and Nicole (Kiara Pichardo) and Claire (Rainbow Wedell) disagree on what to do next. Claire wants to tell the cops Maddie was driving the truck that hit Xavier, but Nicole thinks Maddie looked terrified and they need to find her. Nicole is also afraid that their involvement in the blackmail scheme will be revealed.
They decide to wait until Xavier regains consciousness to do anything.
Maddie fills Wally, Charley, and Rhonda in on what she learned, and they can’t believe Janet ran through her and that Mr. Martin knew what happened. Janet’s out there running around in her body, which means Mr. Martin lied to them that Janet had moved on a year ago. He’s been hiding her somewhere all this time.
Charley shows Maddie the journal Mr. Martin kept on him. (It was the only one he grabbed.) Martin wrote down everything they’ve ever said in group, and Rhonda adds that Mr. Martin’s been collecting everything they had with them when they died. Maddie wants Charley and Wally to grab everything before Mr. Martin does, while she and Rhonda search the school for him.
Janet, in Maddie’s body, has a backpack full of cash next to her on a bus. The bus stops for a restroom break and Janet panics when a security guard takes a seat opposite her. Janet doesn’t know how to behave in 2025 and asks the clerk for a taxi. She doesn’t understand what the clerk’s talking about when she suggests using an app on her phone to get a ride. Janet spots Maddie’s missing persons flyer, panics again, and decides to hitchhike.
Back at the high school, Rhonda and Maddie aren’t having any luck finding Mr. Martin. Rhonda’s convinced they’re missing some clue. She takes out her frustration on a tampon machine, but any further bathroom destruction is halted when they hear Wally screaming outside.
The fallout shelter remains locked, and Wally and Charley can’t make it to the tunnel hatch since it’s outside the school grounds. Rhonda’s pissed at them for ruining her secret attempt to understand Mr. Martin’s plans by butting in. Charley blames Rhonda for lying and Wally for making them flee the shelter without taking everything with them. Maddie plays peacekeeper and has them concentrate on getting back into the shelter. Charley suggests it might take a living person to open the door, which means they need Simon. Unfortunately, that won’t be easy since Simon is now convinced Maddie the ghost is a figment of his imagination.
Maddie and Charley watch as Simon arrives at school and debate just how crazy he thinks he is. Maddie believes he’s in a full mental breakdown … and she’s right. She tries to talk to him the second he steps into their classroom, but Simon freaks out and runs off.
Kristian Ventura as Simon Elroy in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Maddie follows him into the cafeteria, and once again Simon runs off. Charley has a tough time holding in his “I told you so” reaction.
Wally updates Maddie on his search for Mr. Martin and admits that nothing ever happened until she got there. He’s been in group therapy with Mr. Martin for 40 years and can’t believe he just blindly trusted him. As they talk, Wally finally realizes that if Janet’s out there running around, that means Maddie isn’t really dead. He wonders if she can go back to her life, and Maddie admits she’s not sure. He asks if she wants to, and Maddie doesn’t answer.
Wally looks at a map of the school, wondering where Mr. Martin might be hiding.
Over at the hospital, Nicole asks the nurse when Xavier’s going to wake up. She doesn’t know, but at least they’ve removed his intubation. Claire checks in with her parents, and the phone call goes badly; they don’t understand what she was doing at an abandoned house in the first place. Xavier’s dad arrives, and he’s exhausted from searching for the person who ran over his son. They found the truck, but don’t have any leads.
Simon asks Principal Hartman for a schedule change because being in that classroom is stressing him out. Maddie stands next to Simon, telling him he’s being dumb about all this, but he can’t see her since no one died in this area. Hartman agrees to the schedule change, but only because Simon discovered that Mr. Anderson was stealing from the school.
Maddie spots Rhonda outside screaming at the marching band to wake up. She can’t get them to stop playing and answer her question about Mr. Martin. When she storms off, one member of the band stops playing and stands still!
Rhonda confesses she should have trusted her intuition and never trusted Mr. Martin. Maddie wants to help, but Rhonda just lashes out–it’s what she does. She admits she’s not like Maddie and can’t let everyone in on her secrets. Rhonda also admits that she felt incredibly lonely watching Maddie and Wally kiss at the Homecoming Dance. She wandered off and found Mr. Martin reading her acceptance letter to Berkeley. He put it away when she confronted him and demanded to know why he had it. He claimed it’s part of a complex method of research that she’s not ready for. Rhonda was so desperate to know why he had it, she made a horrible mistake and told him about Maddie being able to talk to Simon.
Mr. Martin didn’t respond, so later, Rhonda followed him to the fallout shelter and found all their possessions. She rejects stabbing Maddie in the back, and Maddie says they need to stop lying and trust each other. (All this stuff is bringing up bad memories for Rhonda and she’s really struggling.)
Claire and Nicole learn Maddie might have gotten off a bus in Rockton. Claire thinks Nicole and Simon should go there tomorrow and look for Maddie. If they find nothing, then they should call the cops and tell them about Maddie.
Peyton List as Maddie Nears and Milo Manheim as Wally Clark in ‘School Spirits’ episode 1, season 2 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
Meanwhile, Maddie’s totally bored stalking Simon, and Charley and Wally have nothing to do since group therapy doesn’t exist anymore. They’re watching Simon at PE when Wally pulls a strange paper out of the satchel Simon’s journal was in. It has initials circled in red and Wally immediately recognizes it.
They head to the library and Wally grabs the school map. When placed over the map, the paper shows all the places where someone died. It may be possible for Maddie to ambush Simon in one of the locations where Simon doesn’t realize someone died. Maddie points out that someone died in the greenhouse, and Simon just got permission to take his lunch there instead of the cafeteria.
Wally warns Maddie to make this next encounter with Simon count. It might be their last chance.
Maddie slowly approaches Simon, reminding him of everything she’s told him he couldn’t have possibly known without her. (The band uniforms, stolen money, etc.) Simon packs up to leave and Wally tells Maddie to take a different approach. She describes what he did at her dad’s funeral, sharing memories they’ve never talked about and only they would know. Unfortunately, it proves nothing because he knows all of it and so this could all be in his head.
Frustrated, Maddie tells Simon a ghost took over her body and that he should google Janet Hamilton who died in ’58. Simon remains unconvinced. Nicole barges in and tells him Claire wants to turn Maddie into the cops. Maddie continues to insist she wouldn’t hit Xavier. Simon ignores her and tells Nicole they should turn Maddie in.
Janet stands in front of a deserted house, flooded with memories of dad and grandmother. She recalls that when her preacher father left the room, her grandmother gave her a special present: a lab coat embroidered with her name. Her dad would not approve, but her grandmother knew how much it would mean to her.
Peyton List as Janet/Maddie in ‘School Spirits’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo Credit: Ed Araquel/Paramount+)
The flashback ends, and Janet visits the family cemetery. She pauses in front of her grandmother’s tombstone, barely glances at her father’s, and kneels in front of her own tombstone. She rips away the grass and weeds.
Back at school, Emilio Figueroa thanks Simon for the letter from Charley he found and handed over at homecoming. Emilio says he’ll never forget that letter; reading it was surreal. “It was like my friend was right there with me. Maybe what they say is true. Maybe the dead never leave us,” says Emilio.
A short while later, Simon does as Maddie suggests and looks up Janet Hamilton. An article with a photo pops up, and Simon realizes Maddie might be telling the truth. Maybe he isn’t going crazy.
The ghost gang sits around the cafeteria, totally bored and stewing over Mr. Martin. They perk up when Simon walks in. He informs Maddie that she got the color of his tie wrong, and since he thinks about that day all the time, he wouldn’t have gotten it wrong if this was all just in his head. He’s all-in, again, and will do what he can to help.
Simon opens the fallout shelter door for the ghosts, and they rush in to grab all Mr. Martin’s research. Markings on the wall indicate Janet was kept in the fallout shelter for a long, long time.
The episode ends with Janet lying in her grave, crying, and Xavier waking up. As he walks through the halls, no one notices, and Xavier quickly realizes something’s off. There are people from all different decades in the waiting room, and the TV is showing a black-and-white news channel. A man offers him a seat as a woman puffs away on a cigarette. The man asks if he’s staying as Xavier sees medical staff rushing to his room. He stands beside his dad and watches as they try to resuscitate him.
His eyes pop open! Now the question is, will he remember seeing ghosts?
Phew… John Oliver is alive and well! However, the promo for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 12 playfully imagines otherwise, featuring a montage of show highlights set to “Amazing Grace.”
Thankfully, Oliver isn’t going anywhere—his sharp wit is as essential as ever. Season 12 premieres on February 16, 2025, with new episodes airing on Sundays at 11 PM ET/PT.
“A satirical, insightful, and meticulously researched look at current events in the U.S. and around the globe, the 30-time Emmy-winning series features Oliver’s hilarious, expertly honed perspective on today’s pressing political, social, and cultural issues, as well as lesser-reported topics that both inform and entertain,” reads HBO’s synopsis. “Shot in New York, this season will continue to feature the show’s weekly topical insights, signature deep dives, and distinctive comedy pieces.”
The critically acclaimed award-winning series is executive produced by John Oliver, Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday, and James Taylor. Avalon and Peyance Productions produce the series, with Paul Pennolino directing.
Poster for ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
CBS’s Survivor season 48 castaways include a debate professor, an attorney, a fire captain, and a stunt performer. The 18 new contestants will be attempting to outwit, outplay, and outlast their competitors and take home the $1 million grand prize.
Season 48 launches on February 26, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT with a two-hour episode. New 90-minute episodes will air on Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT.
Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst returns as host and serves as an executive producer along with Mark Burnett, Matt VanWagenen, Kahaia Pearson, and Jesse Jensen.
Survivor Season 48 Castaways
Name: Stephanie Berger
Age: 38
Hometown: New York City, N.Y.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Tech product lead
Name: Shauhin Davari
Age: 38
Hometown: East Bay, Calif.
Current Residence: Costa Mesa, Calif.
Occupation: Debate professor
Name: Eva Erickson
Age: 24
Hometown: Eagan, Minn.
Current Residence: Providence, R.I.
Occupation: PhD candidate
Oliver Jackson-Cohen in ‘The World Will Tremble’ (Photo Credit: Vertical)
Writer-director Lior Geller’s The World Will Tremble has been picked up by Vertical for theatrical release. Vertical announced they’re targeting a March 14, 2025 launch.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Wilderness), Jeremy Neumark Jones (The Feed), Charlie MacGechan (Pennyworth), and Michael Epp (The Brutalist) star. David Kross (The Reader), Michael Fox (Downton Abbey), and Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones) also star.
“The World Will Tremble tells the story of Solomon Weiner (Jackson-Cohen) and Michael Podchlebnik (Neumark Jones) who attempt a seemingly impossible escape from the first Nazi death camp in order to provide the first eyewitness account of the Holocaust,” reads Vertical’s synopsis.
The acquisition gives Vertical distribution rights everywhere except Israel and Bulgaria.
“We are proud to release Lior’s feature about the incredible true story of this heroic escape that alerted the world to the events of the Holocaust. Today’s audience needs to see this vital and dynamic film,” stated Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi. “We look forward to releasing the film in theaters this spring.”
Geller serves as a producer along with Arthur Landon, Phillip J. Roth, Sufo Evtimov, Saar Yogev, and Naomi Levari. Executive producers include Ben Silverman, Hal Sadoff, Erez Koskas, Yair Ilan, Jeffrey Beach, McKenna Marshall, Kristina Kambitova, Julian Bird, Ed Barratt, Nikola Nikolov, and Yaniv Tal.
Commenting on the acquisition, Lior Geller and Arthur Landon said, “We are honoured to partner with Vertical to bring this story to audiences worldwide. In an era of rising xenophobia and growing racial tensions, this film serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to bear witness in a world increasingly vulnerable to denial and the eradication of truth.”
Geller’s behind-the-scenes team includes casting director Clare Harlow, cinematographer Ivan Vatsov, production designer Alexei Karaghiaur, costume designer Irina Kotcheva, and editor Tal Keller. (Geller also edited the drama.) Dr. Na’ama Shik and Yad Vashem serve as historical consultants.
CBS’s FBI season seven episode 10 finds Jubal attempting to get to the truth so the team can stop a terrorist attack. Directed by Alex Chapple from a script by Mike Weiss, episode 10 – “Redoubt” – will air on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT.
Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki plays Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto is Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, and Alana De La Garza is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola and Lisette Olivera plays Syd.
“Redoubt” Plot: Jubal’s longtime confidential informant brings intel of an impending large-scale terror attack to the team, but when the details don’t add up, Jubal must sift out the truth from a man who’s known him at his worst.
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI.
Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Special Agent Stuart Scola is an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence.
