Who Janet Hamilton Really Is In School Spirits, Explained

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In most episodes of “School Spirits” Season 1, the character Janet Hamilton (played by Jess Gabor) remains mysterious and largely absent. Her existence as a school spirit since 1960 is first mentioned in the premiere by Charley (Nick Pugliese). It’s not until later that we discover she had taken over Madison’s (Peyton List) body in the boiler room, leaving her disembodied instead of killing her outright. Initially, it seems Janet is the antagonist. However, as more details emerge about her past, it becomes clear that there’s a lot more to her backstory than initially appears.

Although it may seem that Janet was portrayed as a villain and barely appeared in “School Spirit” Season 1, Season 2 provides a more nuanced portrait of this mid-century ghost. Instead, it is revealed that Mr. Martin was the real antagonist, a character who had been manipulating and tormenting Janet for years. The spirits in the series are all emotionally scarred, but Janet’s wounds run much deeper. To create the shocking plot twist, Gabor skillfully led the audience to dislike Janet before suddenly revealing the truth about her character.

Janet and Mr. Martin died together

Janet’s heartbreaking tale unfolds by detailing the circumstances surrounding her demise and continuing into the spiritual realm. In the Season 2 premiere, we get a peek into Janet’s domestic life and discover that she harbored aspirations to pursue chemical engineering after high school, despite her parents’ disapproval. These ambitions were nurtured by two individuals she held dear: Her grandmother Ruth (played by Beverley Elliott), and her chemistry teacher Mr. Martin. The faith Janet placed in Mr. Martin, both during her lifetime and in the afterlife, adds a layer of sadness to the truth behind her passing.

Following Janet’s discovery of a University of Chicago catalog among her possessions by her traditional and domineering father, Reverend Joseph (David James Lewis), he advises her to prioritize finding a husband and starting a family instead of pursuing education. In retaliation for the dismissal of Mr. Martin, who advocated progressive views on women in science, he initially intended to use the school’s gas lines to commit suicide but ultimately reconsidered his actions.

Unfortunately, when Janet arrived at the chemistry lab, there was still a lingering gas from an experiment that Mr. Martin had conducted earlier. This gas ignited and caused an explosion when she struck a flint to start her own experiment. Tragically, both of them perished in this accident. Unbeknownst to Janet, Mr. Martin had been the one who released the gas, and he spent decades letting her carry the burden of guilt for what happened. The term ‘gaslighting’ perfectly encapsulates his actions.

Why did Janet steal Maddie’s body?

Following their demise, the bond between Mr. Martin and Janet remained strong; a connection that was facilitated in part by Martin’s ability to forgive Janet, who seemed responsible for their passing. Eventually, they understood that spirits are linked to their “wounds,” residual energy imprints of the instant they perished, enabling them to re-live that moment repeatedly. The acceptance letter from Berkeley, sent to Rhonda (a beloved character in “School Spirits” named Sarah Yarkin), triggered Janet to recognize that items related to their deaths hold significance.

In a unique plan, Janet along with her instructor opted to tap into the energy stored within the spirits’ marks and keys. To harvest this energy, they concealed all the spirits’ keys for their private purposes. However, as years passed and experiments ensued, coupled with increasing time spent in her scar, Janet’s mental condition weakened significantly. Simultaneously, the boundary between the spirit realm and the living world became increasingly fragile.

In time, Mr. Martin transformed into an antagonist, locking Janet away in a fallout shelter while misleading others that she had betrayed them. After approximately six months, Maddie managed to open the door. Overwhelmed by her desire for freedom from the shelter and her previous mentor’s grip, Janet took possession of Maddie’s body, leading to the series’ events unfolding. With a deeper understanding of what she’s experienced, it becomes challenging not to view Janet as an antagonist, despite her act of taking over an innocent girl’s body.

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2025-06-21 23:30