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MIDNIGHT MASS - SEASON 1 EPISODE 5 - BOOK V - GOSPEL (Patreon)

Published:
2023-10-02 13:06:15
Imported:
2024-06

Files

C - MM 1 X 5 - FULL

Comments

Jessi

Hooray! I was so glad to see this today! It’s October and so I’m SO in the mood for things like this. I did want to write my thoughts (manifesto? LOL) on Riley’s character - for obvious reasons. From this point forward, I’ll have a lot of spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the show up to and including this episode (I’ll avoid anything regarding Episodes 6 and 7 as they deserve a long post all their own!) So, anyone who hasn’t seen the first five episodes should stop now. Also, just so anyone knows, I was raised Catholic and now consider myself more of the Epioscopal/Anglican persuasion. So, my views may very well be not the same as yours, and they’re just my views alone. Feel free to think they’re all a bunch of crap. ;) So. Riley. I kind of want to start by talking about “Pretenders” and how powerfully they are and have been on display in Riley’s life. Starting with the story of the mouse. I love how you immediately caught on that there was something VERY wrong with this story. How a priest, and mentor of a young boy, responds when the boy pleads for a miracle from God to save a dying mouse. Instead of speaking to the boy about the rarity and power and PURPOSE of miracles…the priest chooses instead to manipulate the boy and tell him that it was an act of God that “restored” the mouse instead of the truth - that the mouse was dead as is the way of nature and the body of the mouse can now serve a further purpose. He could have chosen then to talk about life and death and purpose and show how even the death of the mouse can be a miracle of God (where would we be without the cycle of life renewing itself and feeding the earth?) But he didn’t. He saw God, through his delusion, in an act of manipulation. And that mindset is what got him to where he is. The second Pretender is easily spotted - Beverly Keane. She’s a real monster and it’s a testament to the actress (Samantha Sloyan) because I absolutely LOATHE her. It took me two watches of Midnight Mass to even realize that she’s the same actress who played Steve’s wife in Haunting of Hill House! But her “ability” to spout scripture to prove her point and get her way is almost admirable but wholly terrifying. Admirable in that she must be an absolute genius to be able to recall word-for-word the exact passage to put God “on her side” in an instant. Terrifying because she is able to drag anyone she desires into her web - particularly those looking for an answer from God (like poor Sturge - who is completely under her spell). Unlike Paul, she’s not deluded in the least. She’s calculating and knows exactly what she’s doing. Hearing only HER voice speaking God’s words...it’s evil. Back to Riley now. He grew up with faith - faith fed from manipulation from his priest, but faith nonetheless - and I honestly think that Riley never gave up believing in God. He just gave up on the idea that God loves him. He threw the Bible away - the one with the loving message from his mother - because it reminded him of how much, in his mind, he didn’t deserve love. He wanted to avoid church and was uncomfortable (not angry or dismissive) to receive a blessing on Ash Wednesday. He doesn’t think that he deserves God’s love - he feels lost, confused, abandoned, and - above all - guilty. When he said that he felt “jealous” because Father Paul had no guilt for killing Joe, I don’t think it means at all that he wishes he could not feel guilt because of what he’d done. I think he’s just tired of being tortured and is literally just jealous of the condition of being “at peace” which is something he doesn’t think he deserves. Speaking of torture: That’s 100% what Paul was doing to Riley for almost half of this episode. Systematic spiritual torture. It’s hard to watch. Next, I did want to hit on the end of the day-long torture session, when Riley told Paul that he was, “at peace.” I think this is when Riley made his decisions about how his story would end, and he was at peace with it. He cleansed himself of the poisonous words of Paul and Beverly by simply walking in silence after they freed him. Where Paul saw wonder in how their condition changed the world, Riley was terrified. He looked to the stars with fear and knew, after the incident with Beverly, that he wouldn’t be able to help himself from hurting more people - people he loves. His decision solidified on his long walk and his silent goodbyes to his sleeping family. I always find that scene particularly beautiful - the combination of the song, the look on Riley’s face at every “wonder”, and his ultimate decision to end up at Erin’s door. Riley said he wasn’t brave enough, but it’s his last words, “I did my best” that get me choked up every single time. He did. He was imperfect. He was flawed. He was good. He was insecure and jealous and human and kind and all of those things at once. The decision to leave Erin’s screams running through the credits really brings this beautiful realization and Riley’s ultimate forgiveness to a screeching halt - and episode 6 and 7 will bring everything to a head in a very brutal yet beautiful way. I can’t wait to watch with you! (The end. LOL)