Unraveling The Mystery Of "School Spirits": Insights From Kristian Flores

As the captivating series "School Spirits" unfolds on Paramount+, audiences are left yearning for answers surrounding the mysterious fate of Maddie. The show's compelling narrative has reached a pivotal moment, as Simon, Maddie’s best friend, grapples with the reality of her disappearance. This emotional journey is not just about the quest for closure; it's also a heartfelt exploration of friendship and grief.

In an exclusive conversation with HollywoodLife, Kristian Flores, who portrays Simon, shed light on the intricacies of his character and the deeper themes woven into the show. With each episode, the tension builds, and viewers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, questioning not only what happened to Maddie but also the nature of trust and innocence among the characters.

As we delve into the world of "School Spirits," we learn about the connections and challenges faced by its characters. The show masterfully balances suspense with poignant moments, as Simon navigates his unique bond with Maddie while confronting his own fears of loss. Let's explore the insights shared by Kristian Flores, providing a richer understanding of this hauntingly beautiful tale.

School Spirits is very much in session. The hit Paramount+ series is past the midway point of the season, and everyone wants to know: what happened to Maddie? Simon, Maddie’s best friend and the only living person who can see her, is determined to find out what happened to her. While those answers will bring closure, they will also bring a wave of sadness.

HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Kristian Flores about the “tragic payoff” of answers about Maddie. He discussed the status of Nicole’s innocence, as well as the “rope between Simon and Maddie.” The actor also noted that the theory that Simon killed Maddie is a “reflection of trust in the modern age.” Read our full Q&A below:

We’re really getting into the thick of things in episode 6. Simon has been determined to find out what happened to Maddie. They are best friends. Do you think when this is all done, do you think he’s ready to let go of her? I don’t know if he’s ready to accept her fate, whatever it is.

Kristian Flores: This is really the episode where he realizes he has no one to dance with. Not at homecoming, not in real life. He’s operating in this strange corner where he thinks all of his efforts are going to pay off. But really, it won’t. He will lose her. We’re kind of inching toward the grander realization that there is no payoff. He keeps asking her, “What’s gonna happen when you cross over?” And she goes, “I don’t know, but we got to work on this.” And he goes, “Okay, let’s work on it.” I think that he will break. Graduation’s coming up, so he kind of has to make a choice of whether or not he wants to move on. But I feel like the second he worries about that, about how he feels, he will break down. I think his knees will shake, and he won’t be able to help Maddie at all. I wouldn’t call it a coping mechanism, but I would call it more of some need, that he needs to help her so he doesn’t bawl and lose his mind.

He’s definitely compartmentalizing. The show really revolves around Maddie, but there’s a lot going on in Simon’s head. He can actually see her and no one else can. I feel like Simon carries a lot of the weight of the show on his shoulders. What’s that been like for you balancing having to take care of Maddie but also dealing with the real-life repercussions of what’s going on?

Kristian Flores: I approached it by making Simon a good actor. Since he’s such a lover of horror movies, and he would probably be the guy to watch School Spirits and be into a murder mystery, when he finally is involved in something like a murder, he’s bad at it at first. He’s scrambling. He doesn’t know how to talk to a teacher or break into a car. But around this middle of the season, he’s very, very good. I approached Simon’s trajectory and arc as let him be a very good detective. When he has to lie to Nicole, I’m trying to play the scenes as if he is a CIA operative. Because when your life depends on it, you’re going to be a good actor. Everyone’s like, “No, I wouldn’t be able to lie. I wouldn’t be able to lie to my best friend.” Well, if you don’t know who the murderer is, congratulations, you’re an actor.

At the very end of the episode, we see Nicole digging for something that’s obviously going to provoke a lot of talk. What can you tease about the fallout of that? Everyone’s keeping secrets one way or the other, and I genuinely have no idea who killed Maddie.

Kristian Flores: We are starting to X out everyone. We kind of Xed out Anderson. We Xed out Xavier. Personally, I Xed out Claire. The margin of suspects, the actual possibilities of people who killed her, are getting really small. I think it’s time that we kind of don’t give Nicole her innocence yet. Why does she deserve innocence? But I will just mention that she is early on in the friend group, we don’t really know where she comes from, or what she wants in high school. I think that her involvement in anything suspicious kind of has to do with what she wants out of life. That’s as far as I can go.

There are a bunch of theories surrounding why Simon can see Maddie. Will the audience learn why he’s able to see her?

Kristian Flores: Yes, and I can say that they will be forced to in the finale. Every single episode, every single step towards her murder, is also uncovering this second huge mystery of the show, which is that rope between Simon and Maddie. I had my own theories, and the core of my theory was that something was involved in her death, some kind of supernatural or cosmic occurrence. But I promise you, the writers will give you that answer. They aren’t terrible people. I want to see how close the Reddit community got.

It’s almost like he’s her tether to the real world. There are some solid theories out there. The most obvious one is that he killed her, and that’s why he can see her. But an interesting one I saw is that Simon is dying.

Kristian Flores: That’s wonderful. Almost like an illness.

It could be Maddie’s pulling him into the afterlife…

Kristian Flores: I will say that whatever the reason that they can talk to each other will evoke sadness and emotion. It’ll evoke strong feelings. It’s definitely not, oh, we can just talk.

In the afterlife, Maddie has found this new set of friends and people she’s bonded with like Wally and whatnot. It makes me feel really sad for Simon because it’s almost like he’s ostracized. I really feel for the guy because he can’t win no matter what.

Kristian Flores: I think that just in terms of the story, structurally, it will be a kind of tragic payoff because there is so much commotion with the comedy of the ghosts, the suspense from the thriller. And then, at the end of the dance, you see a guy popping balloons by himself because he has no one to dance with. We’re really going to feel that almost awkward melancholy that he’s going to go through of what the hell am I even doing? What for? So I could lose you faster? I think that if Maddie was stuck in that high school forever, I don’t believe he would want to go to college. I think he would stay and visit Split River at 35, 45, and 55 years old because they grew up together. He can’t operate without his other half. So I could just imagine if Maddie was stuck there, he would be at that school.

As much as there’s this ghostly and supernatural element to the show, I think