I dont think I have any obvious trauma but the Midnight Mass touched me with its ideas cause they are similar to mine, also I think its the most compelling storywise film of his in my opinion
The juxtaposition of Sheriff Hassan and Ali praying their last prayer together on the beach with Bev’s unwillingness to accept her fate (not reverting to prayer at all) while witnessing their act of faith, was absolutely SUBLIME.
As an atheist who was raised Muslim in a Muslim majority country, I have to say, I've met so many Muslim versions of Sister Bev. There are some of those in every faith, I think
@@DizzyBusy as a current muslim i agree, but you have to learn about your faith on your own and always remind yourself, Allah is the only one to judge, so if ppl like her are judging you, shes only hurting herself
She's not, but unfortunately there are too many like her out here in the real world being terrible, cherry picking the gospel, and twisting the Bible into something horrific and cruel.
Yes she was such a great Karen. She was the only thing good about the show. Unless the Railey character and the priest had sex, which I didnt get to know because I fell asleep while they were engaging in one of their super loooong Sexually Charged Monologues oozing with flirtation and airborn lust.
I love how at the end, only Bev was more visibly terrified of death than any of the other townsfolk. She lived for power rather than the truth, that's why she didn't want to die yet.
Agreed, everytime we see her she was always scheming and was never truly nice for the sake of being nice. She even accepted without doubt that the vampire was a git of god and forced the townsfolk to settle with the oil corporation just so they could donate that settlement to the church. Truly an agent of evil and greed masked as an angel.
She had to have known in the end that there ain't no way her ass is getting into Heaven. That's why she was the only one who literally tried to claw her way out while everyone else accepted their fate. People like her are no different than televangelists who care more for money and power than the actual scripture they profit from.
And he succumbed to his injuries so he didn't have to witness his son burn up. 😭 And Ali putting his hand on his father one last time while he caught fire. 😭😭Ugh. Rahul Kohli is an incredible actor. The sheriff from Midnight Mass and the chef from Bly Manor were such different characters and he played both phenomenally.
I like how the Priest and Beverly can represent two sides to religion. One is earnest and true, misguided he might be, he truly believed, while the other is deceitful and sickly sweet, who twists the scripture to fit their horrible beliefs. Neither gets off scot free and both gets dissected and criticized.
I wouldn't say Bev twisted scripture to fit horrible beliefs. Bev wanted control and power over others. She wanted to feel important and superior. She used scripture to move herself into that position. But she missed the point of the scripture. The Bible are stories and instructions to govern your personal behavior, it is NOT how to govern others. The beliefs were not the issue. It was her lust for power. She is allowed to preach. She is allowed to point out sin. BUT only God can punish the sinners - which we all are.
Pruitt had good intention (although hell is full of good intentions), he wanted to save people specially the woman he loved, he just had a general lack of common sense, like common who the hell sees that freaky beast and assumes it's something divine? But Bev was just a mean butch from the start.
I think Erin cutting holes in the creatures wings was a call back to her story about her mom talking about having her wings clipped. Very cool parallel there.
There's so much of this like when the people went out with their candles and they looked like the distant stars that hunter gatherers mistook as people riley mentioned about during the boat scene ughh i think its fantastic
One scene that specifically stuck with me was where Bev has a rifle in her hand, and is shooting Hassan and then calls HIM a terrorist. That scene was played perfectly. The irony.
Hearing "do not cherry pick" from a hyper religious person made me scream at the screen during my viewing. This show is EXACTLY how those tele-evangelists and their minions would act in this situation. That's why it's so f-ing terrifying.
I just realized watching this that after Erin and Riley both talked about what they thought death would be like, they each experienced the death the other had described. Riley meets someone who had already passed in her healed state, and she sort of guides him into death, while Erin feels herself becoming one with the universe the way Riley described.
Erin also reencounters someone who had already passed and is now in his healed state when she is transported to Riley and their moment together in her living room. To me, that also felt like Riley had returned as a guide to create the space for Erin to feel safe while dispersing into death. I think that both characters felt a marriage of their personal sentiments blending with the other person's vision of death, going with the theme of how humans can strongly influence one another (the influence here being an enriching one as opposed to the destructive influence of the show's corrupted church). Riley receives a guide as he literally disintegrates into the universe in front of Erin, surprising himself with a death that felt less lonely than it sounded like he expected with Erin's spiritual sentiments potentially inspiring some of his vision of the healed woman who he accidentally killed. Then Erin receives Riley as a guide as she embraces elements of the afterlife that he inspired in her during their conversation together. I think that in this show, death and the afterlife are particularly centered around support systems, connecting relationships, and the positive/negative impact that we have on those around us.
Joe Collie, in a way, was instrumental in Leeza getting out safely at the end. If he hadn't been strong enough to resist the urge to drink and instead go see, and get killed by Monsignor Pruitt, Riley never would've gotten suspicious after hearing the lie that he'd gone to see his deceased sister. This would've had a huge butterfly effect where Monsignor Pruitt doesn't turn Riley after he gets attacked by the demon, Riley doesn't warn Erin by burning himself, Erin doesn't take Sarah and Mildred to church Easter Night, and therefore wouldn't be there to help Leeza, Sheriff Hassan, and Annie and her son escape the massacre and eventually make it to the canoes. By not giving in to temptation and overcoming his demons, Joe inadvertently saved the one person his drinking had harmed the most.
I can't believe it's been 8 months since you wrote this, and no one has commented yet. And it's exactly what I wanted to say, too. Wow. Excellent expression of this important moment!
"Do not cherry pick the glories of god" she says while cherry picking the glories of God. I have always found it funny when the say that you cant use interpretations of the bible to do what you want, but do that exact thing.
Every time I saw that monstrous hypocrite Beverly onscreen, I had a Shakespeare quote in my mind: “And thus I clothe my naked villainy in odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ; and seem a saint, when most I play the devil.” She’s definitely one of the most well-acted villains I’ve seen in a while. It takes a talented actor to play someone like that!
There are passages in the Bible that are metaphorical or exaggerations. There are other passages that are blatantly literal. The Bible show us the way to govern our own personal actions. It does NOT show us how to control the actions of others. But one of the things the Bible does encourage is for the followers to spread the word - which is true of all religions. Those that are strong in their personal faith should not be fearful or angry at those that wish to share their faith and ideas. That fear and anger gets "Muslims are terrorists" "Christians are gullible" "Atheists are heretics" and so forth. You can preach and spread your faith. You can point out sin. BUT only God can punish the sinners - which ALL OF US are.
That part made me sob. He could never forgive himself, but in the end, he was already forgiven (by the girl, by himself when he saw that the girl was whole and happy, and even by God for those who believe). Oof, that got me good.
Riley is me, I am a Muslim but I struggle with my faith cuz I have the same questions Riley has. About death, about the sufferings in this world, the making of religions. Riley is deeply flawed but his humanity and conscience saved him in the end.
it's beautiful, but i also couldn't help but think of those with suicidal ideations and how this could be really triggering. this is the second flanagan work that uses this troupe of "i must kms to not hurt others" which, just, rubs me the wrong way? i know that's not "the point" but the theme is definitely there
The "vampire eyes" they gain are actually a very accurate recreation of the real life *tapetum lucidum* that some animals have. Look at a dog's eyes at the right angle in pure darkness, and that's what you'll see. Considering the somewhat scientifically shown aspects of the blood and transformation in Midnight Mass, it's really really cool that they gain the realistic biological trait of seeing in the dark
Yup, I thought of my dog immediately. (In fact, she was chilling in the corner of my room so I could pretty much test it out immediately.) Mike Flanagan has an eye for detail and I have to respect it.
@@AlanDantes76 No animal can see in complete darkness. The eye receives light from objects that it reflects off of to send an image to the brain. It doesn't generate any light of it's own. Stick a cat in a cave 100 meters below the surface and it will see as well as you do if you were to take it's place.
In Christian paintings one of the fastest ways to recognize an angel from the devil is by the wings. If they're an angel they'll be birdlike, if they're a demon's, they'll be bat-like. So the thing that appeared to Pruitt at least from an art history perspective is a demon. Which in literature have been the constant inspiration for vampires.
Yup, I thought the figure looked like a demon too. Also, I thought only angels can exist in the light, so it seemed like it was a demon to me, not a vampire.
From an Islamic perspective, angels are beings made of light. They are extremely hard to look upon because they're made of light and they can be as big as a mountain. They do have wings but not just two, some have hundreds depending on their station. Angels usually come and speak to humans in a human form but they don't look ugly, in fact they are usually very beautiful or handsome to look on. They don't eat or drink because like I said they are made of light and they don't need food or drink to live. I'm pretty sure Sheriff Hasan saw that thing and immediately thought "Nope. Not an angel."
I think that bc Pruitt was old and going senile he wasn't fully in his right mind when he met the creature & justified it to himself after that it was an angel because of how much clearer his head was & the potential he saw in its abilities.
I haven't watched the show but when Amanda showed that clip I was like "Uh, dude, that's a demon, not an angel" but clearly I was wrong. Although the way I've always viewed vampires is that they're some sort of demonic being, hence the weakness to holy water, crucifixes, and other traditional Catholic/Christian items. But that's just me.
@@xenicmark Yeah, Flanagan really hit the nail on the head over and over again. It’s a horror you can only know when you’ve lived it. Trying to explain why it got to me so much to friends who weren’t raised Catholic didn’t really work at all.
Something that stuck with me through the whole last 2 episodes is how differently everyone reacted to the situation compared to Riley. Riley approached it with so much thoughtfulness and skepticism and even grace. While everyone aside from Bev also were able to accept their deaths, I can't help but feel like it was in part because they didn't have any other choice at that point. Riley chose before anyone else to burn and I think he chose that out of consideration for his potential victims and also because he already knew the weight of ending a life. Almost everyone else franticly clawed in desperation for their chance at immortality and only accepted their deaths when there was no other option, but Riley was able to make the choice himself. The way he handled it just felt so much more beautifully tragic in comparison to everyone else.
I think the same could be said for his parents, actually. Remember that while everyone else was out attacking their neighbours and burning down houses, Ed and Annie Flynn were staying out of it and probably following the same thought processes we saw Riley follow. I might be wrong, but I don't think they were in the crowd waiting to get into the rec centre ... I think they were in the town square the whole time, waiting for the sun to rise. The way I see it, the two of them starting to sing "Nearer My God To Thee" was them picking up the reins of leadership and restoring the town's faith -- their true faith, I mean, not this mad dream of immortality.
Exactly! And I feel like a big part of that was his history with addiction, where 1. He was familiar with denying himself something he really wanted (he was 4 years clean at the start of the series) and 2. He was familiar with the affects addiction could have on others. He had already killed someone due to his addiction, and he never wanted to do so again.
I loved everything about this little gem but most of all, the scenes involving the Vampire in the Church. From that snap shot and appropriate sound que of his entry to the fact that faith has warped the people in that church to ignore the fact that their "angel" looks like a monster and the complete Jonestown style chaos after the poison is rolled out. I was shocked, tense, disgusted, really intrigued and clapping at the same time
Yes! When I saw that scene, I couldn't help but think of the Jonestown Massacre. Flanigan really nailed down the religious fanaticism and the overt horror of it all was just perfect.
I love the scene when Annie said to Bev, "You are not a good person". It hit her like a truck. Then she sacrificed herself. Basically all Flyn (except the youngest) sacrifice themselves
So well put! I'm a mess at the end of every series but Hill House hit me the hardest, too. I love how it depicted the lifelong impact of grief and trauma on the family as individuals and also their relationships with each other. Just *chef's kiss*
Vampires are too cool nowadays. Hell, they're the protagonist half the time. How do we make vampires really terrifying for today? Catholic vampires. I am afraid, well done.
That’s actually a pretty concise summary of most of the Bible: mankind trying and failing to follow through with God’s (often very explicit) instructions.
Riley's hero's journey was one of the most epic redemption arcs I've seen in recent entertainment history. The dude EXEMPLIFIES Aristolean virtue. He sacrifices himself in order to save everyone, and would rather die than give in to his vampiric vices.
Agreed. Atheists are often perceived as less moral than religious folk, but Riley's journey runs counter to that stereotype. His religion didn't prevent him from becoming an alcoholic and killing another person, but when faced with the choice between dying or killing others to survive, his atheistic worldview (one that is able to recognize and counter addictive/irrational thinking) pushes him to make the most moral choice in the series. I'm glad we got to see this representation of how to live a moral life outside of religious beliefs in popular culture.
Aidan Carroll because it underscores the difference between Bev’s beliefs and Father Paul’s beliefs. Bev’s idea was that if you were already “saved” and had been coming to church and taking communion, then you had nothing to worry about when death came because you’d get to transform. Essentially, you had to earn your salvation. But Father Paul’s view was that everyone deserved a chance at eternal life, not just the “righteous”. You can see that conflict between them after he lets Riley go, and then again after Riley dies, where Bev is FURIOUS that Riley would just give up the gift like that, while Father Paul is just sad.
There is another option for Father's Pruitt's death, that Bev was drugging him anyway. She is used to having control over the congregation and John Hill is an assault on that control. I also bet that she came up with the idea of sending Pruitt on pilgrimage and knew exactly how far gone he was.
He did vomit identically to the way Pike died. We also get a clip of her returning the rat poison to the cupboard shortly after. I assumed she poisoned him but never really thought beyond "she's just crazy". I like your theory that she wanted to regain control though, makes perfect sense.
considering how Bev is the one who comes to the ferry to pick Pruitt up, and walks into his house constantly without asking makes it seem like she was the one "caring" for Pruitt when he started to go senile, I would not be surprised if the "caring" included poisoning and manipulating an old aging Pruitt, it's very likely that before he had become a vampire she was the one controlling him and so when this new priest came she freaked out and poisoned him
right? I don't know much about the bible's contents so during the cave scene I thought that this really was supposed to be an angel, but like a horror version of one. Next episode I was like "no way that can't be right" lmao
Honestly since most of the villagers see the angel only in the last episode I think they had no choice. I mean the sheriff was even tied down and HE HAD A GUN lol. (Not angry at you btw)
I legit laughed at the scene in episode 7 when they find the "angel" feeding on someone and shoot at It, but it pays them no mind, only gets slightly annoyed, and continues feeding.🤣🤣
What I missed most was seeing some kind of sign that the Vampire/Angel was a rational being. He sometimes looked like he was planning and acting along (I mean, the church entrance was theatrical)..but other times he seemed moved only by hunger. I get it was not the goal of the series (it was about human interactions and the use of religion), but it was like we had this weird character not explored at all and kept me wandering....
Yeah, I really wish they explained why the monster felt so moved by Pruitt reciting the bible that it decided to not just revive him, but to follow him all the way to Crockett Island to help turn the others. It wore clothes to conceal itself, fed on animals rather than people (except for Bowl and the other casualties at the end), and even began to showboat at the church lol
I know right ? I was thinking the same thing. It was like I thought he would have a pivotal role or something. He was just like a crazed bloodlust creature at the end. The role was just not explored enough for me.
I felt like, given where Pruitt found it and the implication that it might have been in that cave for a VERY long time, it was once a person who had been a believer. Like that monstrous appearance and the wings were the final form of the change happening to the others. Hearing the scripture brought it back to itself to some degree and the human-seeming actions were all performative as though it was trying to be go back to what it used to be but was so far gone it could only achieve the most basic functions of humanity. Anything beyond the simplest pretense and it reverted back to the monster at the core. In some ways it seemed like a metaphor for the church itself, or at the very least for the church on the island. Something that might have once been good, twisted and deformed, corrupted power and self-interest, hiding behind a veneer holiness or spirituality.
Well, the vampire are certainly sentient and has a personality and thought process like other human beings. But, when the hunger strikes, he's basically a wild animal that has gone numb, drunk to satiate his hunger and not have any concern to anything besides his prey
How Sarah choices to believe the kids made it in the end I chose to believe that Erin helped kill that demon! Leeza was taking communion almost every day so the blood would still be in her system so I took her not feeling her legs in the end (and SMILING ) means that the vampire is dead.
I agree. I think the kids made it and I totally believe Erin ripping his wings helped kill him. I feel bad that leeza won’t be able to walk but she understood that the monster was dead so she’s ok .
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f its not offering an answer though is it? shes in her dying moments, reminisng on her faith and finally feeling at one with the earth. Its what she feels and what she beliefs and not the overall meaning of the show or the "right" answer
@@ragdollrose2687 the fact that Joe died broke me initially, he was trying so hard and went to the one person he thought he could turn too.. 😢 It was just the way Amanda worded it that had me laughing lol I thought back to the scene and was like, “She isn’t wrong.” 🤣🤣
I thought the monologues were perfect. I never had an issue with the pacing. I thought having all the context really increased the emotional and shock impact of those last 3 episodes.
@@japano62 right? I feel like people are looking for a completely “plot” driven show, When in reality it has a main story that’s used as a catalyst for everything else. Such a shame so many are missing that by insisting that the monologues were “pointless”
@@kaitlynm9463 The problem with the monologues wasn't that they were pointless, just that they felt out of place. It felt like suddenly watching a play. I can't speak for anyone else, but it took me out of the moment every time.
I felt like Erin’s second death monologue was fantastic. It was a beautiful blend of both of their ideas of death. it really hit for me. It’s an acceptance of the basic cycle of life, death, and the energy that flows between.
It reminds me of the “think of a wave” monologue from The Good Place (spoilers for that show if you haven’t seen it). Chidi tells Eleanor that he’s ready to return his being to the “ocean” of the universe. For a while he was a wave, something quantifiable and measurable but ultimately fleeting. After a wave crests it returns back to the ocean, but it never actually began existing and therefore never ends; it was just a different way for the water to be for a while.
Personally i loved a lot of the parts where the characters went off on long tangents. I cried the whole time that they were talking about death. As someone who deconstructed their "faith" while still trying to cope with the death of my father and grandpa it hit me really hard. And was a super impactful moment that I wouldn't want shortened for times sake
I loved those monologues too. I bawled during all three too, from the hope and kindness of what death may be. I hope they were a comfort to you. I understand how some things can feel too long in media, but I think that might come from how movies and TV are written these days. Heck, even things on the internet. _Especially_ things on the internet. We're used to short and punctuated. But none of the monologues here felt unnatural or long-winded. They all showed what happens when someone's willing to quietly listen. Monologues happen in real life all the time, when people are able to just tell their stories.
Same! I studied drama in high school and part of our exam was a monologue. I would have LOVED to have performed those death monologues, they were incredible
I love how character driven the show was, as opposed to plot driven. Although many monologues were definitely overdone, there were some that felt right too - especially Father Paul's. Whether he was talking to someone one-on-one or at a sermon, I hung onto every word. I didn't watch a trailer before starting the show, so I really enjoyed how the mythological aspects of the show were slowly but surely revealed.
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f is it pseduo philosophy or is it just an example of different beliefs? Never once did this show or any others come off as “this is mike Flanagan speaking his opinions at us” and I feel like you’re heavily implying that
@@kaitlynm9463 I get that it was just Erin's opinion, but as final monologue it felt like the final answer. Like it was not necessary to show that flashback. And I did like how the show handled religion etc. until that point.
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f i know it's been a year but it's because Erin and Riley get each other's afterlife, he gets the Christian heaven and she gets the one last dream
I was raised in a devoutly Catholic household. We never missed a Sunday mass or any obligatory days. The most terrifying part of Midnight Mass was how familiar the xenophobic, racist, fanatical language was. I've heard this before, stated in these seemingly innocuous but insidious statements. And that condescending look on Bev Keane's face is the look of real evil. As to the long monologues, I didn't mind it, but then again, I love a bit of internal commentary. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
Can you point out a single example of xenophobia, or racism in their monologs? I don't think I heard any of that, anywhere. I'm genuinely trying to find a single example. Maybe you don't know what those words really mean?
@Sanctus Paulus did you miss the Sheriff literally being called a r*ghead and a terrorist with "dirty blood"? Pretty sure that counts as racism bud. Also just because racism isn't an apparent problem in your catholic circles doesn't mean that it's not a problem in others, your experiences aren't universal.
I was disappointed in the Bev character. She seemed one dimensional. She obviously had a desire to feel important. She wanted control and power, and she used religion to achieve those goals. Other characters got backstories but not her. What traumatic event happened in her life to shape those desires? Was she excluded by her peers, leaving no place to be accepted but the church? She had to have gone into helping the clergy with a genuine desire to do good, so what twisted that into a power grab? I don't believe people are born bad.
@@timmeyer9191 There is no reason or justification for why people do evil. I think you are right when you say she worked in the church to feel powerful. It made her feel special. It wasn’t wanting to do good that drew her into the church, it was wanting to be the best in comparison with the people around her (by her own standards). I found her to be really intriguing even without the added layer of a backstory, maybe because there are so many similar people in church in real life that she already felt three-dimensional.
You are the only one I’ve heard voice an opinion about the long monologues just dragging along. I felt this series went along the same lines as the others, where the first few episodes are good overall, with some in the middle I could miss, and then episodes near the end I enjoyed.
I literally had to skip the scene but both of them are talking about what it feels like to die the minute it started going to his explanation and I just didn't want to hear it anymore I want to get to the vampire shit
One of my favorite parts of the end was the song. That was also allegedly the last song the band played on the titanic. It really hit hard on the townspeople accepting thier fate like the titanic passengers did
As someone who's parents escaped organized religion (Catholic and Jehovah's Witness) the monologues felt like a combination of theatre monologues and sermons. They were literally preaching to the choir. :/ I loved this show because it felt so uncomfortable to watch. It starts out more like a spooky vampire angel horror mystery and ends up being the downfall of a community because of a cult... it's sad.
Honestly those monologues reminded me so much of my pastors sermons as a child. It felt so accurate but as the monoluges started to linger, I started to get to the edge of my seat but also uplifted? Im atheist to the core but if a show unitinetially made me feel intwined with religion, it would be this show. It was powerful but Im still atheist lol. It also reminded me of how religious figures are portrayed and how they always gave out big speeches.
Also, people love to impregnate women against their will with demon babies and such but I thought Mike Flanagan was so unique in doing the opposite. *Chef's kiss*
As a person terrified of getting pregnant, I felt so much relief on that part. I know she was really sad to lose the baby but my instincts were just...
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f this. Her choice was taken from her. It wasn't like she elected for it. She wasn't even consulted. I don't think Paul knew that would happen, I believe he wanted more for those people than what happened. But not being consulted means not even being given the chance to consider the alternatives of what could occur. For that, he sucks.
Terribly written villain. Bev was one dimensional. Many characters were given back stories and histories (even Bowl) but not Bev- probably the main antagonist by the end. Where did these desires for power come from? Why does she have a zealous need to feel important? Was she vehemently excluded by her peers in her youth she saw the church as her only friend? What trauma would cause her to want to control destinies and decide who lives and dies? The writers failed that character cuz no one is born evil.
@@timmeyer9191 ...hmm is see your point but do all villains need backstories? Plus religion is a very wonderful but scary thing don'tcha think? I still stand by my opinion.
@@EmotionalCacti villains like faceless Stormtroopers or demons probably do not need backstories, but a complex human villain with a major speaking role does. If the villain was an African American inner city gang member, we would want a small insight to what brought him to that point. The Damsel is distress has motivations too. With a history, the audience could have understood Bev like Cersei in GOT or Magneto in X-Men. The villainous characters in Hill House and Bly Manor all had history and motivations. I expected more from Flanagan. It is almost as if they were afraid to make Bev even slightly sympathetic.
@@timmeyer9191 I see your point. To me, it wasn't necessary to give her a specific history because she acts like an archetype. I'm a devout Catholic so I have encountered maaaaaaaaaany Bevs in my life. I can see my own Bevs reflected on her and thus I give her their backstory/backstories in a more intimate, personal way. For me Bev as a villain worked: the actor was fantastic and I felt a familiar unease all the time because I know, I have *personally* met this woman. I don't know if I'm making sense here. Good day!
I loved every second of this show, especially the AA monologues in the middle of the show. Even small characters like Sturge who is Bevs lacky but in the end he asks a random kid for forgiveness cause he had no one.
I absolutely loved this show!!!! I’ve been waiting to here your opinion on it!!!! Bly Manor is my favorite of Mike Flanagan, but Midnight Mass now holds a special place in my heart. I’m Christian, and a Lesbian who’s father is a pastor, my name is also Rylee. So watching Midnight Mass was really interesting! I’ve been to small town churches, even a small town that wanted to secede from the United States. So a lot of the characters were familiar in a way. My favorite part in the show was the speech to bev, “ You hate the idea that God loves everyone just as much as he loves you.”. That was such a good point. I have so many more thoughts on the show, but no idea how to say them.
"You hate the fact that God loves everyone just as much as he loves you" this! I wish fellow Christians that went around cherry picking verses they don't understand could hear this
@@-Desire Exactly that just burns some folks up. All of their feined piety and public displays of righteous aren’t going to earn them any additional points.
Yes, God loves everyone equally. As a parent, I love my children, but I still need to punish them when they are bad. God will still love us, but does that mean we can break his laws without fear of his punishment? Does hell no longer exist? My children remind each other what is expected of them at home. I remind them too. Their teachers remind them of expectations at school. Their bosses remind them at work. The government reminds them in society. Should we be able to remind each other what God expects of us? We don't seem to like being called out when we break God's laws. Those that do point out sinful behavior are often ridiculed. "OMG" is still blasphemy, but there are many Christians who don't feel guilty about saying it and treat it as no big deal.
@@timmeyer9191 Except the point isn't about the sinfulness of humans in this conversation, but about a person using religious doctrine as a method of asserting their superiority over others by condemning them for their sins while overlooking their own. To reference the Bible itself, someone who points out the splinter in someone else's eye while ignoring the plank in their own, someone who shouts out their prayers in public so everyone can hear.
I loved the ending so much. I love how it showed that, while the church had caused so much pain and trauma for these people, their faith ultimately brings them together and gives them comfort. It does a great job of showing how religion can (and is) used for evil but can still be a force for good in people's lives. Also, when Father Pruitt said "you never felt like a sin"? That was so sweet wtf
The one complaint I had which I havent seen anyone touch on (which I guess no one really cared about) is the old people makeup for the doctor's mom and old Pruitt. I immediately noticed it in episode 1, which led me to believe that the character was going to de-age, because why else would you use old-people makeup instead of just casting an old person. Then in episode 3 when it shows Old Pruitt, it immediately made the connection that they are indeed going to be de-aged, so even though episode 3 lays out all the cards on the table, I connected the dots in my head before the actual reveal. I guess my question is, why not just use an old actor for those roles? The old people makeup was just so bad XD
I literally told my sister when watching it today for the first time, "that looks like a young person wearing makeup to look like an old person" so I feel ya
That church scene with the poison was terrifying and the sheriff being held down to watch his son die or i guess..”die”? It reminded me of Jonestown. I enjoyed the series so much! Not as much as Hill House or Bly though 😅
The sound design choices, those dark Cello riffs through out, made the experience so much more enjoyable too. Not to mention the Soundtrack! I have Neil Dimond playing through my ears daily now lol.
Re: Pruitt's death: I actually think Bev was slowly poisoning him when he got on the island and only stopped when she realized who he was. She knew Monsignor Pruitt had dementia and she liked basically running the congregation. She just wanted the new guy to get sick enough to leave so she could control things fully again. It's likely that he wasn't taking in enough vampire blood to fully counteract it, esp if she was still dosing him and wondering why he seemed to be fine. She might have hit him with too much at once before she stopped.
OMG totally what I think happened. I watched it w my partner and he was dead set on the death being part of the transformation but I thought it was Bev poisoning him (possibly speeding the transformation process along)
This was my favorite of Flanagan's Netflix series. Like yeah, the monologues do go on for a bit but really that was my only complaint about this. The nuanced takes on religion and faith rang so true and were handled so well IMO and plus, it has a vampire! Really loved it. Especially as a person of faith who has a really complicated relationship with Christianity.
I fully recognize all of the issues the show had but it still really worked for me. I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I also was really impressed with most of the performances, especially Hamish Linklater and Samantha Sloyan.
Samantha did a good job, but her Bev character was poorly written. It was one dimensional. Most of the main cast had backstories, and we had insights into their motivations. Even Bowl. But not Bev, probably the main antagonist by the end. Was she vehemently excluded in her youth that she thought the church her only friend? What trauma in her past gave her this need to control the lives of others? What twisted her desire to serve God into a lust for power? Hill House and Bly Manor, all the villainous characters had histories. I expected more from Flanagan. It was almost as if the writers were afraid to make Bev even slightly sympathetic.
@@timmeyer9191 I feel like it was made pretty clear that Bev had the bad impulses that all people have, but rather than pushing against that, the church validated it and made it worse over time. She was a product of a society that made no move to regulate the authority of the church or Catholicism in their towns, and from that learned to twist religion to her own desires. She was well fleshed out in the sense that her motivations and actions were realistic for the situation of the island and the power she had gained over time, she didn't need a traumatic reason to be an asshole, just years of validation for her actions until she could justify pretty much anything. The idea that to be a good character you need to be morally gray or fully explained is a weak one narratively.
@@user-xb5bz4fu9o they did not explain how she was a product of society at all. Why did she have those desires. No one is born bad.. The others had a monologue of the significant events in their past. Even Bowl the drug dealer was given some history as to why he did what he did. Everyone else made assumptions (true or false) about Bev, but nothing definitive. We got to see things thru John, Riley, Erin, Sarah, Leeza, the Sheriff, and even Joe's POV, but not Bev. No human being is as one dimensional as they made Bev. Great villains have history like Cersei in GOT, Magneto in X-Men, or Negan in Walking Dead. They had plenty of opportunities to give audience something other than surface level, and I found that disappointing. People want power for a reason.
@@timmeyer9191 but it... Doesn't have to be explained if it's implied? There are thousands of actual Bevs out there, and you don't need some kind of tragic backstory to be a well developed character just repeated validation for doing bad things. Riley's mom spells it out when she says Bev doesn't like the idea that god loves equally: she believes that her actions will win her love from God that other people won't receive, and that's what she craves. You can theorize about why, but we don't need to see that for her to be a satisfying villain
Goddamn the actress who played Bev was GOOD, she was absolutely incredible in all her monologues. dont get me wrong i hated her character and her pasisve aggressiveness (spoiler alert when she is told off by rileys mother i was like 😫😫😫 finallyyy)
The actress is good, but the character was poorly written. Bev was one dimensional. Many characters were given backstories but not Bev - probably the main antagonist. Even Bowl had a back story. It is obvious Bev wanted to feel important while desiring control and power. Was she excluded in her youth by her peers and that caused her to throw herself zealously into the church? What kind of trauma could have caused a desire to serve God into motivations to want control and power over others? No one is born bad.
@@timmeyer9191 At first I thought Bev was written as too much of a straw man, but as the show went on I started to think that she is someone with self-righteousness taken to the furthest extreme. Regardless of her background, she inherently thought she was better than everyone else because she daily attended church and memorized the Bible. I speak from experience. I have been a Bev, believing myself to be better than other people (who surely did worse things than me), when in reality I made someone else suffer with my actions or words (because everyone is an asshole sometimes). Bev was too prideful to have any self reflection, maybe because it feels so painful, but it is the first step to humility and growth. It isn’t trauma that creates a Bev, just pride.
@@4evertailor she killed a dog. No one goes down that path at her age without something in her past. The FBI always talk about stressors when dealing with serial killers/rapists, terrorists, and bombers, events that nudge someone over the edge. I'd say the writers were just lazy, but they gave Bowl a small history that allowed the audience to sympathize with why he dealt drugs to kids. They couldn't give Bev the same? They had ample opportunities to. Overall, I enjoyed the series, but I would have enjoyed it more knowing more about the antagonists.
@@timmeyer9191 I think it is more interesting in that way. literally so many villains have a backstory nowadays that might not excuse their actions, but somehow presents a justifiable reason for them. these kinds of things are very common in movies and shows. however, in real life, there are soo many people that are evil just because they can be. and i know, many famous criminals have tragic backgrounds but the ones with completely normal ones also exist and that's what makes them more interesting.
I loved this show, it's definitely my new Flanagan trauma. You're spot on with Bev loving power but the other half of that, and of most people like her, is her fear. She projects power and holier-than-thou because she's ultimately afraid. If she isn't right, then what does that mean? That's why she was so afraid to die. I agree about some of the monologues. The first one between Erin and Riley worked, but Erin last one was a little drawn out, especially since she repeated his ideas mostly. I was still ugly sobbing the whole time though. Really through the whole last episode.
@@uranuseuler9713 That seems kind of silly especially when the context of both scenes are entirely different. St Maud didn't invent being burned alive for dramatic effect. Lol
What I love about his work is that it goes beyond being a superficial horror flick. He tackles topics in all 3 TV series that are uncomfortable, hard topics. He also presents questions through his story that really make you sit back and think. Maybe think a little too much lol. It amazes me how thought provoking his work is
Riley never actually took communion, since he was no longer Catholic. Either the priest or the angel fed him their blood -- that's also why it took him so many hours to come back, when the others (who had already been taking sacrament) came back minutes after dying. Riley's death was also so well crafted. What he thought would happen when he died is a release of DMT, one last vivid dream. And when he dies, the dream he's had for the whole show continues. The woman he killed is with him in the boat, and the sun rises. Gorgeous.
Honestly these were some of my favourite parts of the show. It felt really natural to me. Felt like I was watching the kind of conversation I would have with my own friends or family.
As a lapse Catholic, this series brought so much conflict that I knew deep down still exist but had tried to forget: guilt, confusion, wanting to believe, but not agreeing with many of the churches' dogma. I had people like Bev in my own family and contrary to what they think, their action only served to push me away from the religion as I find that kind of behavior to be off-putting. This series is terrifying because as we see very recently, there are many people out there who are willing to blindly follow some conspiracy theory or religious dogma despite others proving them wrong.
Grappling with your faith can be hard. I hope you know that whatever you decide, there will be people who accept you into their community. You just might have to look for them. If you're interested in an atheist perspective, I recommend watching Genetically Modified Sceptic on youtube. I like him because it's clear how empathetic he is, and I know he's gone through deconversion himself. Only if you're interested of course(no pressure), and let me know if you want more recommendations (I may or may not be able to help).
I've heard the monologues are supposed to be like homilies and as somebody raised in church and now who attends a Lutheran church, which is considered to be diet Catholic, I can totally see that.
While I recognize Flanagan writes a lot of monologues that stick out after awhile, I don't mind them, and I was actually quite pleased with the length of this series. I actually didn't sleep the night it came out and watched it from beginning to end, sobbing as the sun came up during the finale.
I love this show so much, it made me rethink so many things. I grew up in a very religious household, went to church every week, so i understand "the religious community" pretty well. "Midnight mass" was scary in a very peculiar way, at the end I kinda wasnt sure about who actually lost the sense of reality and morality - people from the village or maybe me. Also somebody show this priest Wendigoon's video about angels, becuse it for sure wasnt an angel.
Riley’s death was one of the most impactful scene i’ve ever seen in anything, and as his death caused erin to seek out the doctor, it really feels like riley’s death saved them
While my mom and I were watching the last episode, we couldn't help but wonder if anyone on the mainland had noticed that Crockpot Island was on fire. Like, you'd think someone would notice and they'd send emergency services.
Im Christian and damn, that show scared me to death. Beverly is one of the best example of "christians" that change the whole meaning of the Bible and take everything literally and says that it's God's will, bullshit let me tell you. Anyway, loved the videos I was waiting for you review, so thanks.😆
@@beatrizmendes8431 like maybe, if the sheriff survived and stood by her waving her off or maybe even saying a prayer which I imagine would have really pissed her off, something like that would have been just a bit more satisfying.
She quoted scriptures wildly out of context too, that's the other problem. Even a new Christian who's mildly studying thr Bible could have destroyed her weak arguments. Her quotes made almost no sense, in context.
@@thesanfranciscoseahorse473 It's a shame my Christian friends won't watch a horror with me because I would really like their input on exactly these things, not being Christian I have no way of knowing that she's quoting things out of context and how badly. I would say that's the point of her character, to depict someone who manipulates text to her liking and townspeople to intimidated or blinded by her confidence to examine what she's saying and argue back. That stuff really happens.
I waited to watch this video as I wanted to check out Midnight Mass and I’m glad I did. The series hit different than almost anything I’ve watched. I was a devout Catholic and went to bible school in a small remote village about the size of the town portrayed (with most residents connected to the school on some way). I’m also a lesbian and hid that part of myself throughout this time - making me feel both like an insider and an outsider simultaneously. Most portrayals of religion don’t match my own experience. Even when it is Catholic, it doesn’t quite line up. But this? I found myself singing along with familiar hymns… speaking the words of the mass along with the priest. Even the details like the appropriate vestments for ordinary time… these details mattered to me at one point in my life. There have long been connections made between Catholicism and vampirism/cannibalism due to the church’s teaching of transubstantiation - that the Eucharistic sacrament is not merely an act of remembrance but the actual transformation of the offerings into the body and blood of Christ. Attention was paid to the details here and I found that meaningful. Everything from the wider context of the passages, the parallel to the journey of Saul/Paul, even the names of the episodes… everything was loaded with weight and meaning. I don’t think it was necessary to have all that context to still enjoy it, but it made it really enjoyable to me. I think we’ve seen manipulative petty holier-than-thou figures like Bev before, but I really appreciated the portrayal of Pruitt (sp?). He was well-meaning and earnest, but was blind to the true nature of the harm and danger he wrought. Lastly, midnight mass is not too common but certainly a heightening of special events. German tradition is you open presents on Christmas Eve. We would go to evening mass (too young for midnight mass :) ) and rush home. We’d have our big supper (you aren’t supposed to eat before mass if you are taking the sacrament), and open presents. I’ve only been to Easter Vigil once, but it was intense. Our bible school bussed in to a larger church. The very long service tied in prophecies throughout the Old Testament to culminate in showing Christ as the fulfilment of these scriptures in both his Passion and Resurrection. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this until now, but the particular school I went to was Charismatic (unusual for Catholics). Charisms of the spirit like speaking in tongues is usually associated with other sects of Christianity. But - not long after arriving at the school, and getting a whole talk about how the apostles demonstrated the gifts of the holy spirit and that it’s outpouring continued to this day, we were encouraged to try speaking in tongues. Imagined a church mostly filled with confused but devout young people being told to step out into that uncomfortable unknown (onto the rough water) and try despite being worried you’d seem foolish. A charismatic leader up front massaging your doubts and concerns with fragments of scripture and an implicit social pressure to conform with the rest of the believers. It really made me connect with the final scene with the cups being handed out. I’m not sure who will read this novel of a comment, but thanks for hanging in there. :)
the monologue of Erin at the end was eye-opening. "We are dreams of the cosmos itself". That monologue explained hinduism, buddhism and toaism beautifully
Very surprised no one has talked about the parallels between this show and the classic poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” It’s very apparent that this show was influenced by that story. It’s even referenced in the first episode with the line about “albatrosses being bad luck.”
Bev: RiLey wAsnT a GoOd peRson!. Also Bev: _poisons dog,_ _turns whole island into vampires,_ _racist asf,_ _wants to kill everyone who didn't go to church_
"Do not cherry pick, the Glories of God" in my experience, cherry picking is all the people who'd scream this do. I love the inclusion, as an obvious callout and commentary on the character.
The show was an absolute masterpiece. Growing up in the church it was nice to see a nuanced dissection of religion by making some characters awful like bev and some characters really great people like Mildred. The sermons brought up like visceral trauma responses, they were done so well. My only complaint was Siegel's final monologue because I feel like it undercut the entire message of the show. Like from the series itself I got a sort of "hey, some people are shitty with religion, but some people are still good people and use their faith to make themselves better, it really just matters what you do with the truth that you come to, and how you use your beliefs to hurt or help others" but then at the end Seigel's character kind of sums up basically "the truth is that there is no truth, we're all just atoms in the universe" and I'm like wait what lol idk the beautiful part of the ending is that you can come away with different things and what you come to probably varies widely based on your own experience with this subject but I felt like the monologue was telling the audience what to believe about the moral of the story, which felt condescending. Anyway the acting and writing in this show was just *chef's kiss*, probably in my top 3 favorite shows
I mean, not everyone did bad with the powers they got. Leeza forgave Joe, Sarah’s mom got Pruitt to realize what he’d done, and Riley ultimately found peace with his past.
Completely agree. I was groaning at Bev at first because I didn’t want a stereotypical evil religious Karen, but I think she ends up working pretty well because Mildred is there to act as her antithesis. I liked Erin too, but also found the ending monologue to be off. I don’t know what brought her to change her beliefs in that way, so it came off as the writer speaking rather than her.
Honestly I thought the ending monologue kind of worked. For me, I thought it was really cool that Riley when he was talking about death thought it would be more a burst of neurons and a really good dream, but when he actually died, he got more the stereotypical heaven based death with someone on the other side waiting to take him up. Erin is the exact opposite, with the expectation being that she’ll be taken to heaven kind of how they did with Riley, but the portrayal being more like what Riley was expecting, like a really good dream where she was experiencing the best of her memories while her brain just dumped all the happy chemicals to keep her calm at the end. That’s how I interpreted it at least. It shows that death is unpredictable and what you expect might not be what greets you on the other side.
Like Riley Hunter said the 2 deaths of Riley and Erin matched perfectly. Riley got to experience the dead that Erin described for her, going to heaven. And Erin got to experience dead how Riley kind of described, That we are all but a dream of the cosmos (universe) itself, our identity(self) is just an illusion of the experiences we had, like a long dream. Our conscious of being aware that we exist is just pure energy that is never been born or dies. And when the body no longer can hold our conscious(energy) it returns back from where it came, to the infinite energy itself that we call God. This is also kinda what Hinduism, Buddhism and Toaism is all about.
The last monologue, i fully see your point about it seeming unnatural but I honestly loved it 😭 it had me near sobbing. something about it just gutted me. Her first answer/monologue actually, about what happened to her baby, had me in tears too gah
For the dog scene, the time stamps (which someone put on the does the dog die site) are 34:09 - 36:48 if you need to skip it. Thankfully I looked on the site ahead of time and wasn't horribly traumatized.
"that ain't holy" 😂. I loved the series. The ending monologue dragged on though. I understand why people didn't. I grew up around holier than thou people so all the religious stuff wasn't too much for me. The actress that played Bev was on another level. I haven't hated a character so much in a long time.
I don't understand wanting it to be shorter. I loved all seven episodes. I felt the writing was very tight and a bunch of the monologues stayed with me.
When Riley burned up i was like.. you shouldve given her a lifejacket. Or at least a bucket. What if the boat catches on fire? XD she fkn drowns, what a failure
@Louise 22 y.o - check my vidéó yes it was beautiful, not questioning that - i just thought it was dangerous to not think ahead. what if the boat catches on fire as he dies.. what happens to her.
I was looking forward to this video being done ! Devoured the show day of release because I'm a sucker for small town spooky drama and really enjoyed it. Looking forward for more Flanagan, however the minor flaws his shows have, I'm digging the tension he creates and the way he deals with character writing. I feel like he's got some original stuff to show and tell, a feeling I don't get often in that particular genre. Beverley was just the most frightening and despicable character I've ever seen, the acting was incredible !
Something I really loved after watching it all in one binge was during the Sheriff's monologue when he declines to investigate the Church, I'm not gonna quote verbatim what he says because I don't remember off heart but he says something Bev said exactly at one point. It really felt like the town and everything had beat him down from the strong good man he was into being compliant for the short time he didn't want to take action.
As a person born into a turkish family in Germany I felt that racism to the bone.. I too was kicked out of a school and a small city where I worked as a teacher, the discrimination towards me made me almost lose my sanity and all faith in this world.. I thought I have escaped the turkish and arabic religious and traditional community in Frankfurt, where I was seen as a traitor, just to end up in another primitive hateful community..
Damn. I really liked the sheriff and wanted him to live. Though on another note, it would be cool to hear your review on the Underworld movies and how those vampires/werewolves are different from other media you have discussed.
I was just thinking the other day when I finished this show that I would love to see you make a video about it ! This series was awesome and I loved how it twisted the ideals of loyalty and faith into shortcomings for the too trusting townspeople!
Honestly, i love Erins closing monolog. It's the most beautiful description of an ego death, the realisation that there is no true separation of the individual and the universe. I assume Flanigan wrote this after a heavy pschedelic breakthrough.
Which Mike Flanagan trauma are you? I'm Bly Manor.
same
Doctor sleep. Father and Son issues and such.
Haunting of Hill House for me!
Same
I dont think I have any obvious trauma but the Midnight Mass touched me with its ideas cause they are similar to mine, also I think its the most compelling storywise film of his in my opinion
The juxtaposition of Sheriff Hassan and Ali praying their last prayer together on the beach with Bev’s unwillingness to accept her fate (not reverting to prayer at all) while witnessing their act of faith, was absolutely SUBLIME.
Yes!!
Dignity.
Especially when you consider that for Muslims dying during prayer is such a high honour, he was devout despite the end and she just was not at all
As an atheist who was raised Muslim in a Muslim majority country, I have to say, I've met so many Muslim versions of Sister Bev. There are some of those in every faith, I think
@@DizzyBusy as a current muslim i agree, but you have to learn about your faith on your own and always remind yourself, Allah is the only one to judge, so if ppl like her are judging you, shes only hurting herself
The actress playing Bev nailed the holyier-than-thou energy so well that I had to remind myself she's not real
She's not, but unfortunately there are too many like her out here in the real world being terrible, cherry picking the gospel, and twisting the Bible into something horrific and cruel.
She might not be real lol but that characteristics is!
Yes she was such a great Karen. She was the only thing good about the show. Unless the Railey character and the priest had sex, which I didnt get to know because I fell asleep while they were engaging in one of their super loooong Sexually Charged Monologues oozing with flirtation and airborn lust.
Bev is the new Karen. I'll start referring to self-righteous Christian people as Bev.
Samantha Sloyan NAILED it.
She was amazing. I couldn't believe it when I found out she played the neighbor/friend in Hush. She transformed for this role for sure.
I love how at the end, only Bev was more visibly terrified of death than any of the other townsfolk. She lived for power rather than the truth, that's why she didn't want to die yet.
Agreed, everytime we see her she was always scheming and was never truly nice for the sake of being nice. She even accepted without doubt that the vampire was a git of god and forced the townsfolk to settle with the oil corporation just so they could donate that settlement to the church. Truly an agent of evil and greed masked as an angel.
She had to have known in the end that there ain't no way her ass is getting into Heaven. That's why she was the only one who literally tried to claw her way out while everyone else accepted their fate. People like her are no different than televangelists who care more for money and power than the actual scripture they profit from.
@@ReverieNightengale exactly how I felt about her
@BARF that's all religions, especially Abrahamic religions.
@@barf2432 If you think that's Christianity as a whole, you missed the point of the story.
I sobbed hysterically when the sheriff and Ali prayed for the last time together. 😭😭😭😭😭
Same
It was such a beautiful scene
Me too
And he succumbed to his injuries so he didn't have to witness his son burn up. 😭 And Ali putting his hand on his father one last time while he caught fire. 😭😭Ugh.
Rahul Kohli is an incredible actor. The sheriff from Midnight Mass and the chef from Bly Manor were such different characters and he played both phenomenally.
Same
I like how the Priest and Beverly can represent two sides to religion. One is earnest and true, misguided he might be, he truly believed, while the other is deceitful and sickly sweet, who twists the scripture to fit their horrible beliefs. Neither gets off scot free and both gets dissected and criticized.
I wouldn't say Bev twisted scripture to fit horrible beliefs. Bev wanted control and power over others. She wanted to feel important and superior. She used scripture to move herself into that position.
But she missed the point of the scripture. The Bible are stories and instructions to govern your personal behavior, it is NOT how to govern others.
The beliefs were not the issue. It was her lust for power. She is allowed to preach. She is allowed to point out sin. BUT only God can punish the sinners - which we all are.
Faaaaaaacts. Like just think about how shit could have went had Riley been the one to discover the Priest and not Bev
@@timmeyer9191 amazingly well put
I liked the comment but it was on 667 after that, so I had to dislike it to keep the 666
Pruitt had good intention (although hell is full of good intentions), he wanted to save people specially the woman he loved, he just had a general lack of common sense, like common who the hell sees that freaky beast and assumes it's something divine? But Bev was just a mean butch from the start.
I think Erin cutting holes in the creatures wings was a call back to her story about her mom talking about having her wings clipped. Very cool parallel there.
Wow, thanks for point this out! I didn’t even make that connection!
For me it reminded me of the “minutes” thing. She had minutes to cut the wings, to make sure the creature had less minutes to get away
Ohh I didn't even connect it while watching!.
Thanks for pointing it out!
Fantastic connection!!
There's so much of this like when the people went out with their candles and they looked like the distant stars that hunter gatherers mistook as people riley mentioned about during the boat scene ughh i think its fantastic
One scene that specifically stuck with me was where Bev has a rifle in her hand, and is shooting Hassan and then calls HIM a terrorist. That scene was played perfectly. The irony.
And literally said he was lighting their houses on fire when she did that 😂
America personified
Hearing "do not cherry pick" from a hyper religious person made me scream at the screen during my viewing. This show is EXACTLY how those tele-evangelists and their minions would act in this situation. That's why it's so f-ing terrifying.
Especially when they cherry pick the most. Infuriating.
I just realized watching this that after Erin and Riley both talked about what they thought death would be like, they each experienced the death the other had described. Riley meets someone who had already passed in her healed state, and she sort of guides him into death, while Erin feels herself becoming one with the universe the way Riley described.
Ooh, love that
That’s beautiful
I never put this together before -- thank you for sharing your observation.
Erin also reencounters someone who had already passed and is now in his healed state when she is transported to Riley and their moment together in her living room. To me, that also felt like Riley had returned as a guide to create the space for Erin to feel safe while dispersing into death. I think that both characters felt a marriage of their personal sentiments blending with the other person's vision of death, going with the theme of how humans can strongly influence one another (the influence here being an enriching one as opposed to the destructive influence of the show's corrupted church). Riley receives a guide as he literally disintegrates into the universe in front of Erin, surprising himself with a death that felt less lonely than it sounded like he expected with Erin's spiritual sentiments potentially inspiring some of his vision of the healed woman who he accidentally killed. Then Erin receives Riley as a guide as she embraces elements of the afterlife that he inspired in her during their conversation together. I think that in this show, death and the afterlife are particularly centered around support systems, connecting relationships, and the positive/negative impact that we have on those around us.
Joe Collie, in a way, was instrumental in Leeza getting out safely at the end. If he hadn't been strong enough to resist the urge to drink and instead go see, and get killed by Monsignor Pruitt, Riley never would've gotten suspicious after hearing the lie that he'd gone to see his deceased sister. This would've had a huge butterfly effect where Monsignor Pruitt doesn't turn Riley after he gets attacked by the demon, Riley doesn't warn Erin by burning himself, Erin doesn't take Sarah and Mildred to church Easter Night, and therefore wouldn't be there to help Leeza, Sheriff Hassan, and Annie and her son escape the massacre and eventually make it to the canoes. By not giving in to temptation and overcoming his demons, Joe inadvertently saved the one person his drinking had harmed the most.
I can't believe it's been 8 months since you wrote this, and no one has commented yet. And it's exactly what I wanted to say, too. Wow. Excellent expression of this important moment!
WOW. amazing observation there!
Wow that’s a really good point
Wow. Love this
NICE! 😎👍
"Do not cherry pick the glories of god" she says while cherry picking the glories of God. I have always found it funny when the say that you cant use interpretations of the bible to do what you want, but do that exact thing.
Every time I saw that monstrous hypocrite Beverly onscreen, I had a Shakespeare quote in my mind: “And thus I clothe my naked villainy in odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ; and seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”
She’s definitely one of the most well-acted villains I’ve seen in a while. It takes a talented actor to play someone like that!
The religious zealot signature move.
@@theocean1973 Wow, that might be my new favorite Shakespeare quote. William sure knew how to go hard.
It’s a book. Like all books, the interpretation is up to the reader
There are passages in the Bible that are metaphorical or exaggerations. There are other passages that are blatantly literal. The Bible show us the way to govern our own personal actions. It does NOT show us how to control the actions of others.
But one of the things the Bible does encourage is for the followers to spread the word - which is true of all religions. Those that are strong in their personal faith should not be fearful or angry at those that wish to share their faith and ideas. That fear and anger gets "Muslims are terrorists" "Christians are gullible" "Atheists are heretics" and so forth.
You can preach and spread your faith. You can point out sin. BUT only God can punish the sinners - which ALL OF US are.
Was I the only one who kept expecting the whole “I know what you are” “Say it, say it out loud” “Vampire” back and forth from Twilight.
They intentionally never used the V word it seems, much like TWD did with the Z word.
Why did you have to remind me that Twilight exists?
@@ne3856 you can’t escape Twilight. It is omnipresent… like God.
@@zoe_astra I know. I see it everywhere
I did
I thought episode five with Riley was beautiful, finally seeing the sunrise and in a way forgiveness for what he’d done.
That part made me sob. He could never forgive himself, but in the end, he was already forgiven (by the girl, by himself when he saw that the girl was whole and happy, and even by God for those who believe). Oof, that got me good.
Riley was my favorite character
Riley is me, I am a Muslim but I struggle with my faith cuz I have the same questions Riley has. About death, about the sufferings in this world, the making of religions. Riley is deeply flawed but his humanity and conscience saved him in the end.
It was so beautiful, he was finally free from that guilt. I loved that most of the deaths on this show were full of meaning.
it's beautiful, but i also couldn't help but think of those with suicidal ideations and how this could be really triggering. this is the second flanagan work that uses this troupe of "i must kms to not hurt others" which, just, rubs me the wrong way? i know that's not "the point" but the theme is definitely there
The "vampire eyes" they gain are actually a very accurate recreation of the real life *tapetum lucidum* that some animals have. Look at a dog's eyes at the right angle in pure darkness, and that's what you'll see. Considering the somewhat scientifically shown aspects of the blood and transformation in Midnight Mass, it's really really cool that they gain the realistic biological trait of seeing in the dark
Yup, I thought of my dog immediately. (In fact, she was chilling in the corner of my room so I could pretty much test it out immediately.) Mike Flanagan has an eye for detail and I have to respect it.
Low levels of light. No animal can see in the dark
@@sorzin2289 Plenty of animals can see in the dark. That's why they're called nocturnal. And yes, they can see in complete darkness.
@@AlanDantes76 No animal can see in complete darkness. The eye receives light from objects that it reflects off of to send an image to the brain. It doesn't generate any light of it's own. Stick a cat in a cave 100 meters below the surface and it will see as well as you do if you were to take it's place.
@@AlanDantes76 And nocturnal means active during the night.
In Christian paintings one of the fastest ways to recognize an angel from the devil is by the wings. If they're an angel they'll be birdlike, if they're a demon's, they'll be bat-like. So the thing that appeared to Pruitt at least from an art history perspective is a demon. Which in literature have been the constant inspiration for vampires.
Yup, I thought the figure looked like a demon too. Also, I thought only angels can exist in the light, so it seemed like it was a demon to me, not a vampire.
From an Islamic perspective, angels are beings made of light. They are extremely hard to look upon because they're made of light and they can be as big as a mountain. They do have wings but not just two, some have hundreds depending on their station. Angels usually come and speak to humans in a human form but they don't look ugly, in fact they are usually very beautiful or handsome to look on. They don't eat or drink because like I said they are made of light and they don't need food or drink to live. I'm pretty sure Sheriff Hasan saw that thing and immediately thought "Nope. Not an angel."
That’s what i thought! And wondered why no one noticed….
I think that bc Pruitt was old and going senile he wasn't fully in his right mind when he met the creature & justified it to himself after that it was an angel because of how much clearer his head was & the potential he saw in its abilities.
I haven't watched the show but when Amanda showed that clip I was like "Uh, dude, that's a demon, not an angel" but clearly I was wrong. Although the way I've always viewed vampires is that they're some sort of demonic being, hence the weakness to holy water, crucifixes, and other traditional Catholic/Christian items. But that's just me.
Being raised in an Catholic household this show was for me the most terrifying mike has made 😳
Yup. Easily his best work to date!
Same. Took a few days to be able to sleep. Not because of the content, but because of the memories it brought up.
@@Grimalkins Yeah, it was the memories for me too.
@@xenicmark Yeah, Flanagan really hit the nail on the head over and over again. It’s a horror you can only know when you’ve lived it. Trying to explain why it got to me so much to friends who weren’t raised Catholic didn’t really work at all.
100% it did trigger some memories that had a lot of anger attached to them, especially Bev, I knew some like her.
Something that stuck with me through the whole last 2 episodes is how differently everyone reacted to the situation compared to Riley. Riley approached it with so much thoughtfulness and skepticism and even grace. While everyone aside from Bev also were able to accept their deaths, I can't help but feel like it was in part because they didn't have any other choice at that point. Riley chose before anyone else to burn and I think he chose that out of consideration for his potential victims and also because he already knew the weight of ending a life. Almost everyone else franticly clawed in desperation for their chance at immortality and only accepted their deaths when there was no other option, but Riley was able to make the choice himself. The way he handled it just felt so much more beautifully tragic in comparison to everyone else.
I think the same could be said for his parents, actually. Remember that while everyone else was out attacking their neighbours and burning down houses, Ed and Annie Flynn were staying out of it and probably following the same thought processes we saw Riley follow. I might be wrong, but I don't think they were in the crowd waiting to get into the rec centre ... I think they were in the town square the whole time, waiting for the sun to rise. The way I see it, the two of them starting to sing "Nearer My God To Thee" was them picking up the reins of leadership and restoring the town's faith -- their true faith, I mean, not this mad dream of immortality.
Exactly! And I feel like a big part of that was his history with addiction, where 1. He was familiar with denying himself something he really wanted (he was 4 years clean at the start of the series) and 2. He was familiar with the affects addiction could have on others. He had already killed someone due to his addiction, and he never wanted to do so again.
It says something that the atheist was cast as a Christ figure who made the ultimate sacrifice for other people's sins.
@@idrabohm3678 very good point!
Yes absolutely
I loved everything about this little gem but most of all, the scenes involving the Vampire in the Church. From that snap shot and appropriate sound que of his entry to the fact that faith has warped the people in that church to ignore the fact that their "angel" looks like a monster and the complete Jonestown style chaos after the poison is rolled out.
I was shocked, tense, disgusted, really intrigued and clapping at the same time
Yes! When I saw that scene, I couldn't help but think of the Jonestown Massacre. Flanigan really nailed down the religious fanaticism and the overt horror of it all was just perfect.
I was literally waiting for someone in there to go: “Nah, I think that’s the other one”
@@ceciliathompson7533 Indeed! The man knows his craft and he proves it every chance he gets
yeah dude pretty sure my heart stopped when they showed the creature in the robes... i'm like yep... they all finna die.
but bible accurate angel look like a monster
I love the scene when Annie said to Bev, "You are not a good person". It hit her like a truck. Then she sacrificed herself. Basically all Flyn (except the youngest) sacrifice themselves
Haunting of Hill House is my trauma. Oof. Also you know it's a Flanagan production if you're more emotionally devastated than scared at the end of it
So well put! I'm a mess at the end of every series but Hill House hit me the hardest, too. I love how it depicted the lifelong impact of grief and trauma on the family as individuals and also their relationships with each other. Just *chef's kiss*
1000000% agree with that. crying at the end of a horror series was the last thing i expected until i stumbled upon mike flanagan
Vampires are too cool nowadays. Hell, they're the protagonist half the time. How do we make vampires really terrifying for today?
Catholic vampires.
I am afraid, well done.
Lmao! Same.
Without fangs. I just assumed from Rileys neck, it looked more like a zombie bite than vampire.
Its more like a ghoul for me somehow especially with the abrahamic religion stuff
Agreed. Lasombra are one of the creepier Kindred clans. Lmao.
I was more afraid of Bev than the creature so that's saying something.
To sum up everything: the problem isn't God, the problem is His fanbase
That’s actually a pretty concise summary of most of the Bible: mankind trying and failing to follow through with God’s (often very explicit) instructions.
@@MistyWarden He did set a precedent for miscontruing his instructions after the whole Abraham ordeal
@@evak5673 "The Abraham Ordeal" sounds like the title of a spy thriller with a Hassidic bent.
... and vampires.
Those "God's Army" stans will to it to you every time😋....
"he can feel god moving inside him" are you sure it isn't just renesmee
I actually laughed out loud at this comment 😭
YOU WON YOU WON YOU WON
Lmaoo the best comment here
HELP LMAOOOO
Omg 🤣🤣🤣
Riley's hero's journey was one of the most epic redemption arcs I've seen in recent entertainment history. The dude EXEMPLIFIES Aristolean virtue. He sacrifices himself in order to save everyone, and would rather die than give in to his vampiric vices.
Agreed. Atheists are often perceived as less moral than religious folk, but Riley's journey runs counter to that stereotype. His religion didn't prevent him from becoming an alcoholic and killing another person, but when faced with the choice between dying or killing others to survive, his atheistic worldview (one that is able to recognize and counter addictive/irrational thinking) pushes him to make the most moral choice in the series. I'm glad we got to see this representation of how to live a moral life outside of religious beliefs in popular culture.
@idrabohm3678 absolutely agreed..❤❤
Riley never took communion, so it’s likely that “Father Paul” fed him his blood as Riley was knocking on death’s door.
thought this too. pretty sure that’s what he’s doing at the start of the 5th episode
Yeah this part was weird to me, why make a big thing about Riley not taking communion but then have him turn anyway?
or perhaps the vampire did
Aidan Carroll because it underscores the difference between Bev’s beliefs and Father Paul’s beliefs. Bev’s idea was that if you were already “saved” and had been coming to church and taking communion, then you had nothing to worry about when death came because you’d get to transform. Essentially, you had to earn your salvation. But Father Paul’s view was that everyone deserved a chance at eternal life, not just the “righteous”. You can see that conflict between them after he lets Riley go, and then again after Riley dies, where Bev is FURIOUS that Riley would just give up the gift like that, while Father Paul is just sad.
@@egg9206 that's a good point, thanks
There is another option for Father's Pruitt's death, that Bev was drugging him anyway. She is used to having control over the congregation and John Hill is an assault on that control. I also bet that she came up with the idea of sending Pruitt on pilgrimage and knew exactly how far gone he was.
He did vomit identically to the way Pike died. We also get a clip of her returning the rat poison to the cupboard shortly after. I assumed she poisoned him but never really thought beyond "she's just crazy". I like your theory that she wanted to regain control though, makes perfect sense.
considering how Bev is the one who comes to the ferry to pick Pruitt up, and walks into his house constantly without asking makes it seem like she was the one "caring" for Pruitt when he started to go senile, I would not be surprised if the "caring" included poisoning and manipulating an old aging Pruitt, it's very likely that before he had become a vampire she was the one controlling him and so when this new priest came she freaked out and poisoned him
i know angels are described as terrifying, but there's no way in this world i would have watched that vampire demon thing and think it was an angel...
right? I don't know much about the bible's contents so during the cave scene I thought that this really was supposed to be an angel, but like a horror version of one. Next episode I was like "no way that can't be right" lmao
Exactly
I don’t know, that halo over his head when he was eating Father Pruitt really had me fooled! /s
Honestly since most of the villagers see the angel only in the last episode I think they had no choice. I mean the sheriff was even tied down and HE HAD A GUN lol. (Not angry at you btw)
John Pruitt had a complete absence of common sense, his thought process around the "angel" was complete nuts.
I legit laughed at the scene in episode 7 when they find the "angel" feeding on someone and shoot at It, but it pays them no mind, only gets slightly annoyed, and continues feeding.🤣🤣
What I missed most was seeing some kind of sign that the Vampire/Angel was a rational being. He sometimes looked like he was planning and acting along (I mean, the church entrance was theatrical)..but other times he seemed moved only by hunger.
I get it was not the goal of the series (it was about human interactions and the use of religion), but it was like we had this weird character not explored at all and kept me wandering....
Yeah, I really wish they explained why the monster felt so moved by Pruitt reciting the bible that it decided to not just revive him, but to follow him all the way to Crockett Island to help turn the others. It wore clothes to conceal itself, fed on animals rather than people (except for Bowl and the other casualties at the end), and even began to showboat at the church lol
I know right ? I was thinking the same thing. It was like I thought he would have a pivotal role or something. He was just like a crazed bloodlust creature at the end. The role was just not explored enough for me.
I felt like, given where Pruitt found it and the implication that it might have been in that cave for a VERY long time, it was once a person who had been a believer. Like that monstrous appearance and the wings were the final form of the change happening to the others. Hearing the scripture brought it back to itself to some degree and the human-seeming actions were all performative as though it was trying to be go back to what it used to be but was so far gone it could only achieve the most basic functions of humanity. Anything beyond the simplest pretense and it reverted back to the monster at the core. In some ways it seemed like a metaphor for the church itself, or at the very least for the church on the island. Something that might have once been good, twisted and deformed, corrupted power and self-interest, hiding behind a veneer holiness or spirituality.
@@alexriley5580 I really like your explanation. It makes a lot of sense with the story and its themes.
Well, the vampire are certainly sentient and has a personality and thought process like other human beings. But, when the hunger strikes, he's basically a wild animal that has gone numb, drunk to satiate his hunger and not have any concern to anything besides his prey
How Sarah choices to believe the kids made it in the end I chose to believe that Erin helped kill that demon!
Leeza was taking communion almost every day so the blood would still be in her system so I took her not feeling her legs in the end (and SMILING ) means that the vampire is dead.
I agree. I think the kids made it and I totally believe Erin ripping his wings helped kill him. I feel bad that leeza won’t be able to walk but she understood that the monster was dead so she’s ok .
Mike himself said this was not the case. He said the reason she could not feel her legs is because the vampire blood was leaving her system
Man I thought Erin's final monologue was the most emotionally impactful of the series. I was tearing up.
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f It’s just her fucking beliefs? It doesn’t have to have a point or be convincing you of anything, it’s literally just her belief lmao
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f Y’all take 1 philosophy course and start critiquing anything with philosophical value lmfao, chill out
Me too
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f its not offering an answer though is it? shes in her dying moments, reminisng on her faith and finally feeling at one with the earth. Its what she feels and what she beliefs and not the overall meaning of the show or the "right" answer
“Drained Joe like a go-gurt”
BEST. LINE. EVERRRR.
Came here to say the same! I cackled. My dogs were perturbed.
@@jessica.L.edwards was honestly crying, my husband thought I was loosing my mind lol
I was SHOCKED by that scene omg! The timing of his death is already sad, but dude gets this treatment on top of it 😂
@@ragdollrose2687 the fact that Joe died broke me initially, he was trying so hard and went to the one person he thought he could turn too.. 😢
It was just the way Amanda worded it that had me laughing lol I thought back to the scene and was like, “She isn’t wrong.” 🤣🤣
@@savanagonzalez1668 Yeah definitely! She highlighted the absurdity of sucking someone's skull perfectly 😂
I thought the monologues were perfect. I never had an issue with the pacing. I thought having all the context really increased the emotional and shock impact of those last 3 episodes.
Exactly!
The monologues were the best parts, they made show not feel like a cheesy horror story.
@@japano62 right? I feel like people are looking for a completely “plot” driven show, When in reality it has a main story that’s used as a catalyst for everything else. Such a shame so many are missing that by insisting that the monologues were “pointless”
@@kaitlynm9463 The problem with the monologues wasn't that they were pointless, just that they felt out of place. It felt like suddenly watching a play. I can't speak for anyone else, but it took me out of the moment every time.
The monologues were incredibly thematically appropriate. The cadence of sermonising is why they work.
I felt like Erin’s second death monologue was fantastic. It was a beautiful blend of both of their ideas of death. it really hit for me. It’s an acceptance of the basic cycle of life, death, and the energy that flows between.
It reminds me of the “think of a wave” monologue from The Good Place (spoilers for that show if you haven’t seen it).
Chidi tells Eleanor that he’s ready to return his being to the “ocean” of the universe. For a while he was a wave, something quantifiable and measurable but ultimately fleeting. After a wave crests it returns back to the ocean, but it never actually began existing and therefore never ends; it was just a different way for the water to be for a while.
Personally i loved a lot of the parts where the characters went off on long tangents. I cried the whole time that they were talking about death. As someone who deconstructed their "faith" while still trying to cope with the death of my father and grandpa it hit me really hard. And was a super impactful moment that I wouldn't want shortened for times sake
I loved those monologues too. I bawled during all three too, from the hope and kindness of what death may be. I hope they were a comfort to you.
I understand how some things can feel too long in media, but I think that might come from how movies and TV are written these days. Heck, even things on the internet. _Especially_ things on the internet. We're used to short and punctuated.
But none of the monologues here felt unnatural or long-winded. They all showed what happens when someone's willing to quietly listen. Monologues happen in real life all the time, when people are able to just tell their stories.
@@lunacouer 💕
Same! I studied drama in high school and part of our exam was a monologue. I would have LOVED to have performed those death monologues, they were incredible
I love how character driven the show was, as opposed to plot driven. Although many monologues were definitely overdone, there were some that felt right too - especially Father Paul's. Whether he was talking to someone one-on-one or at a sermon, I hung onto every word. I didn't watch a trailer before starting the show, so I really enjoyed how the mythological aspects of the show were slowly but surely revealed.
100% agree. Linklater was absolutely brilliant as Father Paul. His “Army of God” homily at the Good Friday mass was especially captivating.
I agree. Erin's monologue really took me out of the story. There was way more pseudo-philosophy than I can take: "I am that I am".
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f is it pseduo philosophy or is it just an example of different beliefs? Never once did this show or any others come off as “this is mike Flanagan speaking his opinions at us” and I feel like you’re heavily implying that
@@kaitlynm9463 I get that it was just Erin's opinion, but as final monologue it felt like the final answer. Like it was not necessary to show that flashback. And I did like how the show handled religion etc. until that point.
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f i know it's been a year but it's because Erin and Riley get each other's afterlife, he gets the Christian heaven and she gets the one last dream
I was raised in a devoutly Catholic household. We never missed a Sunday mass or any obligatory days. The most terrifying part of Midnight Mass was how familiar the xenophobic, racist, fanatical language was. I've heard this before, stated in these seemingly innocuous but insidious statements. And that condescending look on Bev Keane's face is the look of real evil.
As to the long monologues, I didn't mind it, but then again, I love a bit of internal commentary. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
I was raised Catholic(Agnostic now) but same i didn't mind the monologues.
Can you point out a single example of xenophobia, or racism in their monologs? I don't think I heard any of that, anywhere. I'm genuinely trying to find a single example. Maybe you don't know what those words really mean?
@@thesanfranciscoseahorse473 Wow, you kind of sound like Bev :0
@@lulu7.765 omg literally
@Sanctus Paulus did you miss the Sheriff literally being called a r*ghead and a terrorist with "dirty blood"? Pretty sure that counts as racism bud.
Also just because racism isn't an apparent problem in your catholic circles doesn't mean that it's not a problem in others, your experiences aren't universal.
Every time Bev opened her mouth I wanted to punch my screen 🤧😂
Same 😂!
We all did 🤣
Yes me too.
I was disappointed in the Bev character. She seemed one dimensional. She obviously had a desire to feel important. She wanted control and power, and she used religion to achieve those goals. Other characters got backstories but not her. What traumatic event happened in her life to shape those desires? Was she excluded by her peers, leaving no place to be accepted but the church? She had to have gone into helping the clergy with a genuine desire to do good, so what twisted that into a power grab? I don't believe people are born bad.
@@timmeyer9191 There is no reason or justification for why people do evil. I think you are right when you say she worked in the church to feel powerful. It made her feel special. It wasn’t wanting to do good that drew her into the church, it was wanting to be the best in comparison with the people around her (by her own standards). I found her to be really intriguing even without the added layer of a backstory, maybe because there are so many similar people in church in real life that she already felt three-dimensional.
You are the only one I’ve heard voice an opinion about the long monologues just dragging along. I felt this series went along the same lines as the others, where the first few episodes are good overall, with some in the middle I could miss, and then episodes near the end I enjoyed.
As a catholic myself
I’m entertainingly confused
I literally had to skip the scene but both of them are talking about what it feels like to die the minute it started going to his explanation and I just didn't want to hear it anymore I want to get to the vampire shit
Hi ot great to see you here (:
excessive monologuing is the most common complaints I've seen of this show, not sure where you're seeing reviews
Agreed, it was so drawn out but I did enjoy the last few episodes the most
One of my favorite parts of the end was the song. That was also allegedly the last song the band played on the titanic. It really hit hard on the townspeople accepting thier fate like the titanic passengers did
Whoa 😳
As someone who's parents escaped organized religion (Catholic and Jehovah's Witness) the monologues felt like a combination of theatre monologues and sermons. They were literally preaching to the choir. :/ I loved this show because it felt so uncomfortable to watch. It starts out more like a spooky vampire angel horror mystery and ends up being the downfall of a community because of a cult... it's sad.
Honestly those monologues reminded me so much of my pastors sermons as a child. It felt so accurate but as the monoluges started to linger, I started to get to the edge of my seat but also uplifted? Im atheist to the core but if a show unitinetially made me feel intwined with religion, it would be this show. It was powerful but Im still atheist lol.
It also reminded me of how religious figures are portrayed and how they always gave out big speeches.
agreed, it was done so much to a point that i figured it must be intentional. my adhd was struggle bussing through it though😮💨
After _Far Cry 5_ failed to acknowledge even slightly how cults progress, it was refreshing to see Flannigan did his homework here.
Also, people love to impregnate women against their will with demon babies and such but I thought Mike Flanagan was so unique in doing the opposite. *Chef's kiss*
As a person terrified of getting pregnant, I felt so much relief on that part. I know she was really sad to lose the baby but my instincts were just...
@@KarolYuuki Free abortion amirite.
Okay pretty distasteful joke for some, but I'm also terrified of getting pregnant lol
Vampire blood be like "fuck you" * unconcieves your baby *
Both are equaly terrible. Both are aimed at women's body agency. Eitherway it was unvoluntary.
@@user-ok4xb1rd9f this. Her choice was taken from her. It wasn't like she elected for it. She wasn't even consulted. I don't think Paul knew that would happen, I believe he wanted more for those people than what happened. But not being consulted means not even being given the chance to consider the alternatives of what could occur. For that, he sucks.
Bev reminds me of Umbridge. I was so frustrated with her as episodes progressed. Wonderful villain.
I actually thought of Umbridge too while watching this, although even Umbridge seems rather nice in comparison to Bev.
Terribly written villain. Bev was one dimensional. Many characters were given back stories and histories (even Bowl) but not Bev- probably the main antagonist by the end. Where did these desires for power come from? Why does she have a zealous need to feel important? Was she vehemently excluded by her peers in her youth she saw the church as her only friend? What trauma would cause her to want to control destinies and decide who lives and dies? The writers failed that character cuz no one is born evil.
@@timmeyer9191 ...hmm is see your point but do all villains need backstories? Plus religion is a very wonderful but scary thing don'tcha think? I still stand by my opinion.
@@EmotionalCacti villains like faceless Stormtroopers or demons probably do not need backstories, but a complex human villain with a major speaking role does. If the villain was an African American inner city gang member, we would want a small insight to what brought him to that point. The Damsel is distress has motivations too.
With a history, the audience could have understood Bev like Cersei in GOT or Magneto in X-Men. The villainous characters in Hill House and Bly Manor all had history and motivations. I expected more from Flanagan. It is almost as if they were afraid to make Bev even slightly sympathetic.
@@timmeyer9191 I see your point. To me, it wasn't necessary to give her a specific history because she acts like an archetype. I'm a devout Catholic so I have encountered maaaaaaaaaany Bevs in my life. I can see my own Bevs reflected on her and thus I give her their backstory/backstories in a more intimate, personal way. For me Bev as a villain worked: the actor was fantastic and I felt a familiar unease all the time because I know, I have *personally* met this woman. I don't know if I'm making sense here. Good day!
I loved every second of this show, especially the AA monologues in the middle of the show.
Even small characters like Sturge who is Bevs lacky but in the end he asks a random kid for forgiveness cause he had no one.
After shooting Bev and she was like " *We have 5 minutes* ". That was an unexpected but pleasant joke lmao
I absolutely loved this show!!!! I’ve been waiting to here your opinion on it!!!! Bly Manor is my favorite of Mike Flanagan, but Midnight Mass now holds a special place in my heart. I’m Christian, and a Lesbian who’s father is a pastor, my name is also Rylee. So watching Midnight Mass was really interesting! I’ve been to small town churches, even a small town that wanted to secede from the United States. So a lot of the characters were familiar in a way.
My favorite part in the show was the speech to bev, “ You hate the idea that God loves everyone just as much as he loves you.”. That was such a good point.
I have so many more thoughts on the show, but no idea how to say them.
And yes, I did bawl when they started singing right before they all died.
"You hate the fact that God loves everyone just as much as he loves you" this! I wish fellow Christians that went around cherry picking verses they don't understand could hear this
@@-Desire Exactly that just burns some folks up. All of their feined piety and public displays of righteous aren’t going to earn them any additional points.
Yes, God loves everyone equally. As a parent, I love my children, but I still need to punish them when they are bad. God will still love us, but does that mean we can break his laws without fear of his punishment? Does hell no longer exist?
My children remind each other what is expected of them at home. I remind them too. Their teachers remind them of expectations at school. Their bosses remind them at work. The government reminds them in society. Should we be able to remind each other what God expects of us?
We don't seem to like being called out when we break God's laws. Those that do point out sinful behavior are often ridiculed. "OMG" is still blasphemy, but there are many Christians who don't feel guilty about saying it and treat it as no big deal.
@@timmeyer9191 Except the point isn't about the sinfulness of humans in this conversation, but about a person using religious doctrine as a method of asserting their superiority over others by condemning them for their sins while overlooking their own. To reference the Bible itself, someone who points out the splinter in someone else's eye while ignoring the plank in their own, someone who shouts out their prayers in public so everyone can hear.
I really enjoyed this show. It was not all what I was expecting but I found myself completely hooked.
I loved the ending so much. I love how it showed that, while the church had caused so much pain and trauma for these people, their faith ultimately brings them together and gives them comfort. It does a great job of showing how religion can (and is) used for evil but can still be a force for good in people's lives. Also, when Father Pruitt said "you never felt like a sin"? That was so sweet wtf
I wonder if Ali became so intrigued with the church because deep down he thinks the “shared miracles” could somehow bring his mom back.
The one complaint I had which I havent seen anyone touch on (which I guess no one really cared about) is the old people makeup for the doctor's mom and old Pruitt. I immediately noticed it in episode 1, which led me to believe that the character was going to de-age, because why else would you use old-people makeup instead of just casting an old person. Then in episode 3 when it shows Old Pruitt, it immediately made the connection that they are indeed going to be de-aged, so even though episode 3 lays out all the cards on the table, I connected the dots in my head before the actual reveal. I guess my question is, why not just use an old actor for those roles? The old people makeup was just so bad XD
I literally told my sister when watching it today for the first time, "that looks like a young person wearing makeup to look like an old person" so I feel ya
Yeah I noticed it too and it was distracting and annoying
(i know this is a late reply) i didn’t notice it so id assume the average viewer couldn’t tell😭
I love Mike Flanagan. Honestly Next time they want to give M. Night some money just give it to Mike.
That church scene with the poison was terrifying and the sheriff being held down to watch his son die or i guess..”die”? It reminded me of Jonestown. I enjoyed the series so much! Not as much as Hill House or Bly though 😅
The sound design choices, those dark Cello riffs through out, made the experience so much more enjoyable too. Not to mention the Soundtrack! I have Neil Dimond playing through my ears daily now lol.
Re: Pruitt's death: I actually think Bev was slowly poisoning him when he got on the island and only stopped when she realized who he was. She knew Monsignor Pruitt had dementia and she liked basically running the congregation. She just wanted the new guy to get sick enough to leave so she could control things fully again. It's likely that he wasn't taking in enough vampire blood to fully counteract it, esp if she was still dosing him and wondering why he seemed to be fine. She might have hit him with too much at once before she stopped.
OMG totally what I think happened. I watched it w my partner and he was dead set on the death being part of the transformation but I thought it was Bev poisoning him (possibly speeding the transformation process along)
This was my favorite of Flanagan's Netflix series. Like yeah, the monologues do go on for a bit but really that was my only complaint about this. The nuanced takes on religion and faith rang so true and were handled so well IMO and plus, it has a vampire! Really loved it. Especially as a person of faith who has a really complicated relationship with Christianity.
I fully recognize all of the issues the show had but it still really worked for me. I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I also was really impressed with most of the performances, especially Hamish Linklater and Samantha Sloyan.
The first sentence... Exactly. Like as much as I don't think the monologues were perfect if that's what Mike Flanagan has to do then I'm ok with that
Samantha did a good job, but her Bev character was poorly written. It was one dimensional. Most of the main cast had backstories, and we had insights into their motivations. Even Bowl. But not Bev, probably the main antagonist by the end.
Was she vehemently excluded in her youth that she thought the church her only friend? What trauma in her past gave her this need to control the lives of others? What twisted her desire to serve God into a lust for power?
Hill House and Bly Manor, all the villainous characters had histories. I expected more from Flanagan. It was almost as if the writers were afraid to make Bev even slightly sympathetic.
@@timmeyer9191 I feel like it was made pretty clear that Bev had the bad impulses that all people have, but rather than pushing against that, the church validated it and made it worse over time. She was a product of a society that made no move to regulate the authority of the church or Catholicism in their towns, and from that learned to twist religion to her own desires. She was well fleshed out in the sense that her motivations and actions were realistic for the situation of the island and the power she had gained over time, she didn't need a traumatic reason to be an asshole, just years of validation for her actions until she could justify pretty much anything. The idea that to be a good character you need to be morally gray or fully explained is a weak one narratively.
@@user-xb5bz4fu9o they did not explain how she was a product of society at all. Why did she have those desires. No one is born bad..
The others had a monologue of the significant events in their past. Even Bowl the drug dealer was given some history as to why he did what he did. Everyone else made assumptions (true or false) about Bev, but nothing definitive.
We got to see things thru John, Riley, Erin, Sarah, Leeza, the Sheriff, and even Joe's POV, but not Bev. No human being is as one dimensional as they made Bev. Great villains have history like Cersei in GOT, Magneto in X-Men, or Negan in Walking Dead. They had plenty of opportunities to give audience something other than surface level, and I found that disappointing. People want power for a reason.
@@timmeyer9191 but it... Doesn't have to be explained if it's implied? There are thousands of actual Bevs out there, and you don't need some kind of tragic backstory to be a well developed character just repeated validation for doing bad things. Riley's mom spells it out when she says Bev doesn't like the idea that god loves equally: she believes that her actions will win her love from God that other people won't receive, and that's what she craves. You can theorize about why, but we don't need to see that for her to be a satisfying villain
You've heard of the Velocipastor, now get ready for the Vampriest
This show made me relive catholic trauma I didn’t know I still had. 10/10.
Oooof, very that
YUP!!!
Sames. Additionally, high school trauma of wanting to do those stupid, or insipid things to fit in. It's a FOMO tale.
Same
This show made me realize I *had* Catholic trauma 😳 went to a Catholic school as an unbaptised child, not a fun time
Goddamn the actress who played Bev was GOOD, she was absolutely incredible in all her monologues. dont get me wrong i hated her character and her pasisve aggressiveness (spoiler alert when she is told off by rileys mother i was like 😫😫😫 finallyyy)
The actress is good, but the character was poorly written. Bev was one dimensional. Many characters were given backstories but not Bev - probably the main antagonist. Even Bowl had a back story. It is obvious Bev wanted to feel important while desiring control and power. Was she excluded in her youth by her peers and that caused her to throw herself zealously into the church? What kind of trauma could have caused a desire to serve God into motivations to want control and power over others? No one is born bad.
@@timmeyer9191 At first I thought Bev was written as too much of a straw man, but as the show went on I started to think that she is someone with self-righteousness taken to the furthest extreme. Regardless of her background, she inherently thought she was better than everyone else because she daily attended church and memorized the Bible. I speak from experience. I have been a Bev, believing myself to be better than other people (who surely did worse things than me), when in reality I made someone else suffer with my actions or words (because everyone is an asshole sometimes). Bev was too prideful to have any self reflection, maybe because it feels so painful, but it is the first step to humility and growth. It isn’t trauma that creates a Bev, just pride.
@@4evertailor she killed a dog. No one goes down that path at her age without something in her past. The FBI always talk about stressors when dealing with serial killers/rapists, terrorists, and bombers, events that nudge someone over the edge.
I'd say the writers were just lazy, but they gave Bowl a small history that allowed the audience to sympathize with why he dealt drugs to kids. They couldn't give Bev the same? They had ample opportunities to.
Overall, I enjoyed the series, but I would have enjoyed it more knowing more about the antagonists.
@@timmeyer9191 I think it is more interesting in that way. literally so many villains have a backstory nowadays that might not excuse their actions, but somehow presents a justifiable reason for them. these kinds of things are very common in movies and shows. however, in real life, there are soo many people that are evil just because they can be. and i know, many famous criminals have tragic backgrounds but the ones with completely normal ones also exist and that's what makes them more interesting.
i think it made her a bit of a mystery and someone that makes you think "is she real? how is this woman so evil?" well, that is my personal opinion
I loved this show, it's definitely my new Flanagan trauma. You're spot on with Bev loving power but the other half of that, and of most people like her, is her fear. She projects power and holier-than-thou because she's ultimately afraid. If she isn't right, then what does that mean? That's why she was so afraid to die.
I agree about some of the monologues. The first one between Erin and Riley worked, but Erin last one was a little drawn out, especially since she repeated his ideas mostly. I was still ugly sobbing the whole time though. Really through the whole last episode.
The scene where Riley burns in the canoe gave me major end of St. Maud vibes.
I got end of 30 days of night vibes 🤣
Indeed.
@@LibrasReact 30 Days of Night was the first thing that came to mind. Both scenes hurt.
Indeed, to the point where I would call it bad plagiarism.
@@uranuseuler9713 That seems kind of silly especially when the context of both scenes are entirely different. St Maud didn't invent being burned alive for dramatic effect. Lol
Ms. Keane was definitely rocking the Nurse Ratched vibes. She was just so manipulative, passive-aggressive, and thusly a coward in the end.
What I love about his work is that it goes beyond being a superficial horror flick. He tackles topics in all 3 TV series that are uncomfortable, hard topics. He also presents questions through his story that really make you sit back and think. Maybe think a little too much lol. It amazes me how thought provoking his work is
Amanda's endless love for Alice just makes me tear up happy rainbows
I look like Alice, no wonder I found her super cute and stylish back then when I was in high school lmao..
Ditto
Riley never actually took communion, since he was no longer Catholic. Either the priest or the angel fed him their blood -- that's also why it took him so many hours to come back, when the others (who had already been taking sacrament) came back minutes after dying.
Riley's death was also so well crafted. What he thought would happen when he died is a release of DMT, one last vivid dream. And when he dies, the dream he's had for the whole show continues. The woman he killed is with him in the boat, and the sun rises. Gorgeous.
I really enjoyed Midnight Mass, although some of the monologues could have been a little shorter. It made me cry several times.
Honestly these were some of my favourite parts of the show. It felt really natural to me. Felt like I was watching the kind of conversation I would have with my own friends or family.
As a lapse Catholic, this series brought so much conflict that I knew deep down still exist but had tried to forget: guilt, confusion, wanting to believe, but not agreeing with many of the churches' dogma. I had people like Bev in my own family and contrary to what they think, their action only served to push me away from the religion as I find that kind of behavior to be off-putting. This series is terrifying because as we see very recently, there are many people out there who are willing to blindly follow some conspiracy theory or religious dogma despite others proving them wrong.
Grappling with your faith can be hard. I hope you know that whatever you decide, there will be people who accept you into their community. You just might have to look for them.
If you're interested in an atheist perspective, I recommend watching Genetically Modified Sceptic on youtube. I like him because it's clear how empathetic he is, and I know he's gone through deconversion himself. Only if you're interested of course(no pressure), and let me know if you want more recommendations (I may or may not be able to help).
I've heard the monologues are supposed to be like homilies and as somebody raised in church and now who attends a Lutheran church, which is considered to be diet Catholic, I can totally see that.
While I recognize Flanagan writes a lot of monologues that stick out after awhile, I don't mind them, and I was actually quite pleased with the length of this series. I actually didn't sleep the night it came out and watched it from beginning to end, sobbing as the sun came up during the finale.
The episode where Riley dies in the boat is in my opinion the most haunting end credit sequence I have ever seen.
I love this show so much, it made me rethink so many things. I grew up in a very religious household, went to church every week, so i understand "the religious community" pretty well. "Midnight mass" was scary in a very peculiar way, at the end I kinda wasnt sure about who actually lost the sense of reality and morality - people from the village or maybe me.
Also somebody show this priest Wendigoon's video about angels, becuse it for sure wasnt an angel.
I actually loved Erin's end monologue. I thought it was nice to know what she truly believed but also heartbreaking
YES I was hoping you’d do a vid about this show. It’s been sitting heavy in my gut. Supremely beautiful. The ending was perfect.
Riley’s death was one of the most impactful scene i’ve ever seen in anything, and as his death caused erin to seek out the doctor, it really feels like riley’s death saved them
While my mom and I were watching the last episode, we couldn't help but wonder if anyone on the mainland had noticed that Crockpot Island was on fire.
Like, you'd think someone would notice and they'd send emergency services.
Im Christian and damn, that show scared me to death. Beverly is one of the best example of "christians" that change the whole meaning of the Bible and take everything literally and says that it's God's will, bullshit let me tell you. Anyway, loved the videos I was waiting for you review, so thanks.😆
Her ending wasn't satisfying enough.
@@parteh_kitteh YES. I got a lil bit frustrated but anyway🤷
@@beatrizmendes8431 like maybe, if the sheriff survived and stood by her waving her off or maybe even saying a prayer which I imagine would have really pissed her off, something like that would have been just a bit more satisfying.
She quoted scriptures wildly out of context too, that's the other problem. Even a new Christian who's mildly studying thr Bible could have destroyed her weak arguments. Her quotes made almost no sense, in context.
@@thesanfranciscoseahorse473
It's a shame my Christian friends won't watch a horror with me because I would really like their input on exactly these things, not being Christian I have no way of knowing that she's quoting things out of context and how badly.
I would say that's the point of her character, to depict someone who manipulates text to her liking and townspeople to intimidated or blinded by her confidence to examine what she's saying and argue back. That stuff really happens.
I waited to watch this video as I wanted to check out Midnight Mass and I’m glad I did. The series hit different than almost anything I’ve watched. I was a devout Catholic and went to bible school in a small remote village about the size of the town portrayed (with most residents connected to the school on some way). I’m also a lesbian and hid that part of myself throughout this time - making me feel both like an insider and an outsider simultaneously. Most portrayals of religion don’t match my own experience. Even when it is Catholic, it doesn’t quite line up. But this? I found myself singing along with familiar hymns… speaking the words of the mass along with the priest. Even the details like the appropriate vestments for ordinary time… these details mattered to me at one point in my life. There have long been connections made between Catholicism and vampirism/cannibalism due to the church’s teaching of transubstantiation - that the Eucharistic sacrament is not merely an act of remembrance but the actual transformation of the offerings into the body and blood of Christ. Attention was paid to the details here and I found that meaningful. Everything from the wider context of the passages, the parallel to the journey of Saul/Paul, even the names of the episodes… everything was loaded with weight and meaning. I don’t think it was necessary to have all that context to still enjoy it, but it made it really enjoyable to me. I think we’ve seen manipulative petty holier-than-thou figures like Bev before, but I really appreciated the portrayal of Pruitt (sp?). He was well-meaning and earnest, but was blind to the true nature of the harm and danger he wrought. Lastly, midnight mass is not too common but certainly a heightening of special events. German tradition is you open presents on Christmas Eve. We would go to evening mass (too young for midnight mass :) ) and rush home. We’d have our big supper (you aren’t supposed to eat before mass if you are taking the sacrament), and open presents. I’ve only been to Easter Vigil once, but it was intense. Our bible school bussed in to a larger church. The very long service tied in prophecies throughout the Old Testament to culminate in showing Christ as the fulfilment of these scriptures in both his Passion and Resurrection. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this until now, but the particular school I went to was Charismatic (unusual for Catholics). Charisms of the spirit like speaking in tongues is usually associated with other sects of Christianity. But - not long after arriving at the school, and getting a whole talk about how the apostles demonstrated the gifts of the holy spirit and that it’s outpouring continued to this day, we were encouraged to try speaking in tongues. Imagined a church mostly filled with confused but devout young people being told to step out into that uncomfortable unknown (onto the rough water) and try despite being worried you’d seem foolish. A charismatic leader up front massaging your doubts and concerns with fragments of scripture and an implicit social pressure to conform with the rest of the believers. It really made me connect with the final scene with the cups being handed out. I’m not sure who will read this novel of a comment, but thanks for hanging in there. :)
Yeah, the social pressures are real
the monologue of Erin at the end was eye-opening. "We are dreams of the cosmos itself". That monologue explained hinduism, buddhism and toaism beautifully
The monologue at the end had me ugly crying because it finally put into words what I think death is.
Very surprised no one has talked about the parallels between this show and the classic poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” It’s very apparent that this show was influenced by that story. It’s even referenced in the first episode with the line about “albatrosses being bad luck.”
Bev: RiLey wAsnT a GoOd peRson!.
Also Bev: _poisons dog,_ _turns whole island into vampires,_ _racist asf,_ _wants to kill everyone who didn't go to church_
"Because it's technically based on one of the most classic pieces of literature there is:"
Me: "'Salem's Lot."
"The Bible."
"Oh, yeah."
I thought the exact same thing
This show is beyond a masterpiece and nobody can change my mind.
same, I feel it is leagues better than hill house AND Bly Manor- it really is a modern day masterpiece
"Do not cherry pick, the Glories of God"
in my experience, cherry picking is all the people who'd scream this do. I love the inclusion, as an obvious callout and commentary on the character.
I mean Jesus was a guy who said that you shouldn't follow everything.
Being raised in a very religious environment this serie feels very familiar and scary a the same time. Thank God I got out.
In Flanagan we trust.
Literally
The show was an absolute masterpiece. Growing up in the church it was nice to see a nuanced dissection of religion by making some characters awful like bev and some characters really great people like Mildred. The sermons brought up like visceral trauma responses, they were done so well. My only complaint was Siegel's final monologue because I feel like it undercut the entire message of the show. Like from the series itself I got a sort of "hey, some people are shitty with religion, but some people are still good people and use their faith to make themselves better, it really just matters what you do with the truth that you come to, and how you use your beliefs to hurt or help others" but then at the end Seigel's character kind of sums up basically "the truth is that there is no truth, we're all just atoms in the universe" and I'm like wait what lol idk the beautiful part of the ending is that you can come away with different things and what you come to probably varies widely based on your own experience with this subject but I felt like the monologue was telling the audience what to believe about the moral of the story, which felt condescending. Anyway the acting and writing in this show was just *chef's kiss*, probably in my top 3 favorite shows
I mean, not everyone did bad with the powers they got. Leeza forgave Joe, Sarah’s mom got Pruitt to realize what he’d done, and Riley ultimately found peace with his past.
Completely agree. I was groaning at Bev at first because I didn’t want a stereotypical evil religious Karen, but I think she ends up working pretty well because Mildred is there to act as her antithesis. I liked Erin too, but also found the ending monologue to be off. I don’t know what brought her to change her beliefs in that way, so it came off as the writer speaking rather than her.
Honestly I thought the ending monologue kind of worked. For me, I thought it was really cool that Riley when he was talking about death thought it would be more a burst of neurons and a really good dream, but when he actually died, he got more the stereotypical heaven based death with someone on the other side waiting to take him up. Erin is the exact opposite, with the expectation being that she’ll be taken to heaven kind of how they did with Riley, but the portrayal being more like what Riley was expecting, like a really good dream where she was experiencing the best of her memories while her brain just dumped all the happy chemicals to keep her calm at the end. That’s how I interpreted it at least. It shows that death is unpredictable and what you expect might not be what greets you on the other side.
I liked Erin's end monologue the most tbh.
Like Riley Hunter said the 2 deaths of Riley and Erin matched perfectly. Riley got to experience the dead that Erin described for her, going to heaven. And Erin got to experience dead how Riley kind of described, That we are all but a dream of the cosmos (universe) itself, our identity(self) is just an illusion of the experiences we had, like a long dream. Our conscious of being aware that we exist is just pure energy that is never been born or dies. And when the body no longer can hold our conscious(energy) it returns back from where it came, to the infinite energy itself that we call God. This is also kinda what Hinduism, Buddhism and Toaism is all about.
Flanagans next project, Midnight Club, sounds really promising. And by promising I mean heart wrenching, soul crushing and amazing
The last monologue, i fully see your point about it seeming unnatural but I honestly loved it 😭 it had me near sobbing. something about it just gutted me. Her first answer/monologue actually, about what happened to her baby, had me in tears too gah
For the dog scene, the time stamps (which someone put on the does the dog die site) are 34:09 - 36:48 if you need to skip it. Thankfully I looked on the site ahead of time and wasn't horribly traumatized.
Thank you for sharing the time! I saw it coming, and fast forwarded it thru it… I would have been really upset otherwise.
@@fieryhellkitten I'm happy to save anyone distress from it.
As soon as it started I fast forwarded but DAMN looking at those numbers… they made that last A While
@@SecondclassKid yeah they definitely made it last a bit longer than necessary.
This makes me kinda laugh. Can see your fellow humans get tore up by a vampire but heaven forbid a you see a dog lay down and moan for 20 secs lol.
"that ain't holy" 😂. I loved the series. The ending monologue dragged on though. I understand why people didn't. I grew up around holier than thou people so all the religious stuff wasn't too much for me. The actress that played Bev was on another level. I haven't hated a character so much in a long time.
I don't understand wanting it to be shorter. I loved all seven episodes. I felt the writing was very tight and a bunch of the monologues stayed with me.
Yeah, anything that could be taken out would change the feel/story. Anyone who says otherwise did not watch the show closely enough lol
I liked Erin's end monologue the most tbh.
When Riley burned up i was like.. you shouldve given her a lifejacket. Or at least a bucket. What if the boat catches on fire? XD she fkn drowns, what a failure
@Louise 22 y.o - check my vidéó yes it was beautiful, not questioning that - i just thought it was dangerous to not think ahead. what if the boat catches on fire as he dies.. what happens to her.
I was looking forward to this video being done ! Devoured the show day of release because I'm a sucker for small town spooky drama and really enjoyed it. Looking forward for more Flanagan, however the minor flaws his shows have, I'm digging the tension he creates and the way he deals with character writing. I feel like he's got some original stuff to show and tell, a feeling I don't get often in that particular genre. Beverley was just the most frightening and despicable character I've ever seen, the acting was incredible !
Something I really loved after watching it all in one binge was during the Sheriff's monologue when he declines to investigate the Church, I'm not gonna quote verbatim what he says because I don't remember off heart but he says something Bev said exactly at one point. It really felt like the town and everything had beat him down from the strong good man he was into being compliant for the short time he didn't want to take action.
As a person born into a turkish family in Germany I felt that racism to the bone.. I too was kicked out of a school and a small city where I worked as a teacher, the discrimination towards me made me almost lose my sanity and all faith in this world.. I thought I have escaped the turkish and arabic religious and traditional community in Frankfurt, where I was seen as a traitor, just to end up in another primitive hateful community..
Damn. I really liked the sheriff and wanted him to live. Though on another note, it would be cool to hear your review on the Underworld movies and how those vampires/werewolves are different from other media you have discussed.
I was just thinking the other day when I finished this show that I would love to see you make a video about it ! This series was awesome and I loved how it twisted the ideals of loyalty and faith into shortcomings for the too trusting townspeople!
Honestly, i love Erins closing monolog. It's the most beautiful description of an ego death, the realisation that there is no true separation of the individual and the universe. I assume Flanigan wrote this after a heavy pschedelic breakthrough.