This is honestly my favorite episode. Although your reaction (non-Patreon) doesn’t include Rahul Kohli’s monologue on Islamic correspondences with Christianity, I’m still of the opinion it’s the scene that underscores Flanagan’s careful balance. In this series, Flanagan is looking at power dynamics in an isolated community. Specifically through the lenses of religion & faith. It’s so easy to write this off as a blanket critique against religion. But the Sherriff’s monologue demonstrates Flanagan isn’t as anti-religion as he is Anti- abuse. The subplot of addressing addiction/alcoholism with the threat of vampirism is so well targeted too. Really enjoying your videos- thanks!!
So now you know what's going on. Father Paul, in his dementia mistook the vampire for an angel and now wants to spread the good word. Things take off from here so buckle up!
There were two incidents with the doctor's mother, Mildred, which you seem to be confusing together. - Father Paul comes by the house and Mildred calls him John and seems to recognize him (now we know she actually did) - at night Mildred calls out in fright, claiming she saw someone outside her window and telling Sarah "I thought it was your father," to which Sarah replies "Dad's been dead for 15 years."
Just wanted to point a moment out that I think a lot of people miss in the chaos of that final scene. When Father Paul suddenly comes back to life, Bev calls him "Monsignor" -- she had already figured out who he truly was because she'd seen that old newspaper photo, but now the others in the room know who he is too (there's so much going on in that moment, but the others do look at each other in confusion when Bev calls him Monsignor). So that's Bev, the mayor (Wade), the mayor's wife (Dolly), and Sturge (whatever his job is) who know for sure that Father Paul is actually Monsignor Pruit returned from his pilgrimmage miraculously de-aged.
I absolutely love Liza & Joe’s scene in this episode. Her rage & compassion are so palpable, and Joe’s broken gasp of shock lurches the heart. Both actors gave so much in that scene, and it brings me to tears every time. Definitely one of my favorite scenes from the whole Flannaverse. Love seeing you both work through your theories. Great vid as always
I will say this. As an atheist, the actor who plays the priest is so damn good at this role that it makes me want to believe in God. And the scene between Joe and Lezza gets me every time. I literally have to look away. Tremendous acting and writing.
RE: that moment at 5:40 when Father Paul is stumbling out of the church after Leeza’s “miraculous” healing-it always makes me think of the adage we often cite in fantasy storytelling (I’m a book editor) to help keep magic systems believable: “Magic always needs to exact a price.” It’s like the first law of thermodynamics: energy is neither created nor destroyed…only changed 👀👀👀
100%. I thought the same thing at the time. Has something been converted/transferred into her and is Father Paul suffering because of it? The ending of this episode just threw out more questions.
Midnight Mass is a perfect modern vampire story, an amalgation of the old legend of Nosferatu and much newer stories like Vampire The Masquerade. The creature makes me think of the Sabbat faction or even Tzimisce.
You’re definitely starting to piece it together pretty well. Great point about the doctor’s mom. You’re onto something. Aside: Father Pruitt would not have been a Monsignor when he was young and new. You guys are amongst the best reactors - thorough and intelligent in your earnest reviews! Thanks for all the effort! You deserve a wider following and I’m sure it will come. Note who is getting healthier - Leesa, Riley’s dad’s back, his mom’s vision (good catch on the glasses!), etc. All folks who have been at Mass or receiving Communion at home. Stick a pin in that. Obviously Flanagan who grew up Catholic is playing on the parallel between the “cup of eternal life” in the Eucharist and the vampiric legend of eternal life via vampire blood. Note the lack of communion wine as mentioned by the altar boys and Fr Paul / Pruitt using his own stash. So yeah you’re on the right path. You’re on the right path. Especially the one of you on the right in red (sorry guys I’ve never memorized your names). Not everyone goes to Mass or receive communion if they attend (Riley sits back, the doctor, Sheriff and his son, Joe, others on island). Note as well that Bev calls Fr Paul “Monsignor” - showing she knows and now everyone in that room knows Pruitt is Paul.
Yeah, I'd love it if our dear reactors would introduce themselves occasionally, or even put a brief caption on-screen to let us know. I've been watching their reactions for ages and feel a bit dopey with just "bald friend" or "guy on the right." 😔
I loved the "Vampires are seen as angels" take in this one. Makes a lot of sense from the viewpoint of an elderly, dementia ridden Monsignor that gets cured of all ailments and is made young again by a winged creature he encountered in a temple somewhere in the desert of the holy land. You can even see a sort of halo around the creature's head in that one scene. Don't even need to suspend my disbelief that these people have never seen a vampire movie/book before. Pruitt is a deeply religious (and mentally confused) person already believing in God and angels, of course he's gonna interpret everything through this lens. And the other people on the island haven't yet seen any vampire-like events. They see people's health getting better, the crippled being able to walk again and a select few get to witness the (bloody) resurrection of a holy man. None of it screams "vampire" yet, even if you'd know them from movies already. Also, if you remember last episode: Sarah (the doctor) mentioned to her friend how Monsignore Pruitt always used to stare at her when she was a child, just like father Paul did in the last episode. Now we know why - Pruitt and Paul are the same person. Though we're not yet sure why he's always staring at her like that. Also worthwhile to remember father Paul initially picking the "wrong" color of his robe, which Bev asks about. If he's Pruitt, he clearly should have known better and would have been familiar where the correct robe would have been stored. So it probably was a deliberate choice by him, because he thought it'd better fit the occasion and the miracles that're about to happen. This twist also explains why father Paul seems to know a lot about the island and its inhabitants already, like Riley having fallen out of grace or the "crock pot luck" tradition.
So do you think there's a part of his dementia that didn't get cured and is a factor in why he sees the vampire in such a way, or is it purely because of him being deeply religious?
Oh god, i can’t wait till next episode. 😂 i love you guys reactions. This is an amazing show, you should listen to some of the interviews that FLanagan does for the show. He grew up Catholic and a lot of that colored the show. This show has some of the most meaningful monologues. I also grew up catholic and there is a lot of the lore from the religion here, and how religion in general can be used to influence a community (not saying that Catholics are the bad guys, it’s more about how using religion in general to control a community is wrong) Bev, for example, her rhetoric is always used to manipulate the people around her to get what she wants.
@ I think she has been doing it so long that this is just how she sees reality. She is so convinced of her reality that she can’t understand anyone else’s point of view. Don’t get me wrong, what she did to the dog tells you all you need to know about her.
I've only watched the third episode, but I now have a theory about the doctor's true father based on the after episode discussion! Like all Flanagan shows, it feels like it would be a good rewatch.
If you like this show, and you will, there's a great Stephen King miniseries called Storm of the Century that this really reminds me of. This is actually a combination of Storm of the Century and Salem's Lot to me. The best Stephen King story King never wrote. Even King himself loves it.
Its a bit of a cross-over infectious disease and Vampire lore it seems. Vampirism seems to be like and infection that renews the body until death, which creates the final form. The infectious vector is in the body fluids and blood of the host, which are transferred to the victim, when bitten. The priest is infected with "life" until his body in completely consumed and he dies. Small amounts are slow and take some time to overwhelm the victim, but are ultimately fatal.... If the attack is vicious enough to be soon fatal and enough infectious blood is transferred then the victim before the death.. poof you get a new vampire.
It SHOULD be noted that the entire concept of vampires don't exist in this world. I won't spoil anything but that's why you will NEVER hear the word 'vampire.' People define things based on their current knowledge and if they can make it fit into their religious worldview they'll look at things with blinders on to make it work. It's laden with symbolism and metaphor so I'll trust the both of you to figure it out but I might comment on the last episode's video too.
Ahh ok. I saw it as it does exist, but his faith doesn't allow him to see the creature in that way. "People define things based on their current knowledge" - Well said.
This irritated the hell out of me when I first watched the show - I was just constantly going, "it's a bloody vampire, what is WRONG with all of you?" When I realised their universe simply didn't have vampire lore that made it easier to swallow. Without that lore, I can see how they would arrive at 'angel'.
14:11 That forgiveness lifts a weight off if you believe you deserve it. If you don't then it's more guilt because they're giving you a gift you feel.you didn't earn.
This is honestly my favorite episode.
Although your reaction (non-Patreon) doesn’t include Rahul Kohli’s monologue on Islamic correspondences with Christianity, I’m still of the opinion it’s the scene that underscores Flanagan’s careful balance.
In this series, Flanagan is looking at power dynamics in an isolated community. Specifically through the lenses of religion & faith.
It’s so easy to write this off as a blanket critique against religion. But the Sherriff’s monologue demonstrates Flanagan isn’t as anti-religion as he is Anti- abuse.
The subplot of addressing addiction/alcoholism with the threat of vampirism is so well targeted too.
Really enjoying your videos- thanks!!
It's an important conversation and it must be so hard for him to have.
So now you know what's going on. Father Paul, in his dementia mistook the vampire for an angel and now wants to spread the good word. Things take off from here so buckle up!
Such an amazing twist...and so early on
There were two incidents with the doctor's mother, Mildred, which you seem to be confusing together.
- Father Paul comes by the house and Mildred calls him John and seems to recognize him (now we know she actually did)
- at night Mildred calls out in fright, claiming she saw someone outside her window and telling Sarah "I thought it was your father," to which Sarah replies "Dad's been dead for 15 years."
Is it him? Those two sentences would point to it being him. But the "dead for 15 years" is throwing me off.
@@RamblersInc the commenter is simply pointing out that you combined these two separate incidents.
To reinterpret Dracula is a big job. To outdo it is incredible.
💯. Incredible writing.
I absolutely love the post episode discussion on this episode. You must revisit it after you are done with the series.
I was laughing the whole time. Those of us who have seen the whole show know. 😂
Just wanted to point a moment out that I think a lot of people miss in the chaos of that final scene. When Father Paul suddenly comes back to life, Bev calls him "Monsignor" -- she had already figured out who he truly was because she'd seen that old newspaper photo, but now the others in the room know who he is too (there's so much going on in that moment, but the others do look at each other in confusion when Bev calls him Monsignor).
So that's Bev, the mayor (Wade), the mayor's wife (Dolly), and Sturge (whatever his job is) who know for sure that Father Paul is actually Monsignor Pruit returned from his pilgrimmage miraculously de-aged.
So unsettling just how settled she is with it.
I absolutely love Liza & Joe’s scene in this episode. Her rage & compassion are so palpable, and Joe’s broken gasp of shock lurches the heart. Both actors gave so much in that scene, and it brings me to tears every time. Definitely one of my favorite scenes from the whole Flannaverse.
Love seeing you both work through your theories. Great vid as always
Joe is so broken. It's heart-breaking. And very mature of Leeza to tell him to forgive himself.
I will say this. As an atheist, the actor who plays the priest is so damn good at this role that it makes me want to believe in God. And the scene between Joe and Lezza gets me every time. I literally have to look away. Tremendous acting and writing.
I don't blame her for holding on to that rage.
Amazing acting from Robert Longstreet and Annarah Cymone in that trailer scene!
Heart-breaking scene
RE: that moment at 5:40 when Father Paul is stumbling out of the church after Leeza’s “miraculous” healing-it always makes me think of the adage we often cite in fantasy storytelling (I’m a book editor) to help keep magic systems believable: “Magic always needs to exact a price.” It’s like the first law of thermodynamics: energy is neither created nor destroyed…only changed 👀👀👀
100%. I thought the same thing at the time. Has something been converted/transferred into her and is Father Paul suffering because of it? The ending of this episode just threw out more questions.
Humble pie on the menu soon.....
Uh oh. for who?
Couldn't possibly comment.......🤫🤔😆😆
@@AMBattyright!
Love it
The doctor’s mother is the only person on the island who is the same age as Monsignor Pruitt.
🤔
@@FilmBuff54 Considering the discussion after watching there might just be a little rethinking by one of the guys 🤫🤔😵💫😆😆😆
Favorite episode. So excited for this.
You should never let someone bully you out of your own thoughts 😮😜
😂 He's going to be apologising soon isn't he?
Depends which one you are.....😉👍🤔🤣🤣
🥚
14:10 Yup! Can feel even worse 😲
22:08 Yaho! THÈ Twilight moment♥
29:34 ..bread AND "blood"?
Yeh I realised eventually . If you don't feel like you deserve it, it's even more weight.
That is NOT Twilight 🤣🤣🤣
been waiting 😂
😂
Midnight Mass is a perfect modern vampire story, an amalgation of the old legend of Nosferatu and much newer stories like Vampire The Masquerade. The creature makes me think of the Sabbat faction or even Tzimisce.
It's the first time I've seen a mythical creature portrayed or at least interpreted like this. Genius.
You’re definitely starting to piece it together pretty well. Great point about the doctor’s mom. You’re onto something. Aside: Father Pruitt would not have been a Monsignor when he was young and new.
You guys are amongst the best reactors - thorough and intelligent in your earnest reviews! Thanks for all the effort! You deserve a wider following and I’m sure it will come.
Note who is getting healthier - Leesa, Riley’s dad’s back, his mom’s vision (good catch on the glasses!), etc. All folks who have been at Mass or receiving Communion at home. Stick a pin in that. Obviously Flanagan who grew up Catholic is playing on the parallel between the “cup of eternal life” in the Eucharist and the vampiric legend of eternal life via vampire blood.
Note the lack of communion wine as mentioned by the altar boys and Fr Paul / Pruitt using his own stash. So yeah you’re on the right path.
You’re on the right path. Especially the one of you on the right in red (sorry guys I’ve never memorized your names).
Not everyone goes to Mass or receive communion if they attend (Riley sits back, the doctor, Sheriff and his son, Joe, others on island).
Note as well that Bev calls Fr Paul “Monsignor” - showing she knows and now everyone in that room knows Pruitt is Paul.
Yeah, I'd love it if our dear reactors would introduce themselves occasionally, or even put a brief caption on-screen to let us know.
I've been watching their reactions for ages and feel a bit dopey with just "bald friend" or "guy on the right." 😔
Such an amazing twist in a vampire story mixed with faith.
We'll start putting our names in the videos 😊
I loved the "Vampires are seen as angels" take in this one. Makes a lot of sense from the viewpoint of an elderly, dementia ridden Monsignor that gets cured of all ailments and is made young again by a winged creature he encountered in a temple somewhere in the desert of the holy land. You can even see a sort of halo around the creature's head in that one scene. Don't even need to suspend my disbelief that these people have never seen a vampire movie/book before. Pruitt is a deeply religious (and mentally confused) person already believing in God and angels, of course he's gonna interpret everything through this lens. And the other people on the island haven't yet seen any vampire-like events. They see people's health getting better, the crippled being able to walk again and a select few get to witness the (bloody) resurrection of a holy man. None of it screams "vampire" yet, even if you'd know them from movies already.
Also, if you remember last episode: Sarah (the doctor) mentioned to her friend how Monsignore Pruitt always used to stare at her when she was a child, just like father Paul did in the last episode. Now we know why - Pruitt and Paul are the same person. Though we're not yet sure why he's always staring at her like that.
Also worthwhile to remember father Paul initially picking the "wrong" color of his robe, which Bev asks about. If he's Pruitt, he clearly should have known better and would have been familiar where the correct robe would have been stored. So it probably was a deliberate choice by him, because he thought it'd better fit the occasion and the miracles that're about to happen.
This twist also explains why father Paul seems to know a lot about the island and its inhabitants already, like Riley having fallen out of grace or the "crock pot luck" tradition.
So do you think there's a part of his dementia that didn't get cured and is a factor in why he sees the vampire in such a way, or is it purely because of him being deeply religious?
Oh god, i can’t wait till next episode. 😂 i love you guys reactions. This is an amazing show, you should listen to some of the interviews that FLanagan does for the show. He grew up Catholic and a lot of that colored the show. This show has some of the most meaningful monologues. I also grew up catholic and there is a lot of the lore from the religion here, and how religion in general can be used to influence a community (not saying that Catholics are the bad guys, it’s more about how using religion in general to control a community is wrong) Bev, for example, her rhetoric is always used to manipulate the people around her to get what she wants.
I wonder if she knows she being manipulative or she just thinks it's the right way of doing things.
@ I think she has been doing it so long that this is just how she sees reality. She is so convinced of her reality that she can’t understand anyone else’s point of view. Don’t get me wrong, what she did to the dog tells you all you need to know about her.
Oh yeah, really reaching in these discussions. Some wild stuff in there. 😂
😂
I've only watched the third episode, but I now have a theory about the doctor's true father based on the after episode discussion! Like all Flanagan shows, it feels like it would be a good rewatch.
Hmm 🤔. Could it be though?
If you like this show, and you will, there's a great Stephen King miniseries called Storm of the Century that this really reminds me of. This is actually a combination of Storm of the Century and Salem's Lot to me. The best Stephen King story King never wrote. Even King himself loves it.
Love the banter at the end of this episode. 😋 🥧
Its a bit of a cross-over infectious disease and Vampire lore it seems. Vampirism seems to be like and infection that renews the body until death, which creates the final form. The infectious vector is in the body fluids and blood of the host, which are transferred to the victim, when bitten. The priest is infected with "life" until his body in completely consumed and he dies. Small amounts are slow and take some time to overwhelm the victim, but are ultimately fatal.... If the attack is vicious enough to be soon fatal and enough infectious blood is transferred then the victim before the death.. poof you get a new vampire.
This island is in trouble.
It SHOULD be noted that the entire concept of vampires don't exist in this world. I won't spoil anything but that's why you will NEVER hear the word 'vampire.' People define things based on their current knowledge and if they can make it fit into their religious worldview they'll look at things with blinders on to make it work. It's laden with symbolism and metaphor so I'll trust the both of you to figure it out but I might comment on the last episode's video too.
Ahh ok. I saw it as it does exist, but his faith doesn't allow him to see the creature in that way.
"People define things based on their current knowledge" - Well said.
This irritated the hell out of me when I first watched the show - I was just constantly going, "it's a bloody vampire, what is WRONG with all of you?" When I realised their universe simply didn't have vampire lore that made it easier to swallow. Without that lore, I can see how they would arrive at 'angel'.
I arrived at demon before angel, myself..
Great react! Can you watch Pride and Prejudice (2005)? Maybe for valentines day since it's a romance
We'll add it to the watchlist 👍
14:11 That forgiveness lifts a weight off if you believe you deserve it. If you don't then it's more guilt because they're giving you a gift you feel.you didn't earn.
That's a good point. Joe definitely felt like he didn't deserve it.
25:52 Isn't it?
Wait.........is it? It's her dad? But she said he'd been dead for ages.
@@RamblersInc 🤷🏻♂️