Netflix’s Midnight Mass features a particularly subtle detail when it comes to setting the show time, and Father Paul has it planned to perfection.
The popular Netflix show Midnight Mass portrays the vampire’s brilliant plan through many clever details. Mike Flanagan’s sad and endearing tale of the religious fishing town of Crockett Island mixes both discussions of faith and death with classic vampiric horror. One detail in particular, however, proves just how regarded writing is.
In the first episode, audiences are introduced to God worshiper Crockett with the return of ex-convict Riley Flynn. We also learn that the old Monsignor Prewitt of the city has returned from a pilgrimage. Instead, the unknown and young father Paul arrives in his place, charming Crockett almost instantly. When she arrives, the city sees miracles: a teenager who uses a wheelchair is able to walk, an elderly woman’s deteriorating health is restored, illnesses are healed, and eyesight is repaired. It is later revealed that Father Paul is actually Monsignor Prewitt, brought back to his youth by a vicious winged monster whom the father calls an angel. From this moment, Father Paul leads his crusade to bring eternal life to the city through the wine of communion mixed with the blood of the angel. The story reaches a crescendo on the night of the paschal vigil as the majority of the city is persuaded to choose death to be reborn, to become bloodthirsty and immortal.
There are many debates to be had about the true nature of the creature and its origins. Most would be inclined to believe that he is not an angel at all and that he is only called so because of Father Paul’s religion. He is often referred to as the vampire, after all, due to the resemblance to vampiric creatures. A thirst for blood, immortality and intolerance of the sun. No matter what it is, it’s clear that the vampire’s plan is perfect from the moment he first appears. If holy water sensitivity is also added to the list, the shine really begins. There is the argument that the fact that it is not mentioned makes it irrelevant, but when setting the time of Midnight Mass is taken into account, we show how well everything is thought out. The vampire’s plan takes place during Lent. It may still seem out of place, but a tradition for some parishes during Lent is to remove holy water from the church. It is not a universal practice, and yet with Midnight Mass, it is not a far-fetched idea that it is something that Father Paul could have introduced or taken advantage of to protect himself during his quest for the “salvation” of the city.
This detail is further reinforced by the fact that Father Paul avoids the classic things that tell about vampires. As soon as his inner “angel” settles in, he swells in the sun and cannot celebrate mass until nightfall. After a chance encounter with Father Paul and the angel, Riley is forced into this bloodthirsty existence and ends up committing suicide because of the sun. This only further shows the true escape of Father Paul. The viewer also knows straight away that lying is not something they are against. He lies about who he is to hide his renewed youth and the immortality bestowed upon him, and he lies about the death of fellow Islander Joe Collie. It may appear that his methods are fractured at times, but it is clear that nothing could stop Father Paul from accomplishing his religious goal and implementing the vampire’s plan. Not the sunlight, his desire for blood or to keep secrets. It’s far from hard to believe that he would use the time of year to his advantage. Lack of holy water – something else that could harm him – is a way for him to keep his secret, even if the plot ultimately fails.
The show lacks an explanation to fully support this theory. Missing confirmation of what the creature is means nothing can be said for sure. Everything is up for grabs, of course, but this could easily be another of the Easter eggs so prevalent in all of Mike Flanagan’s works. Midnight Mass It was unlikely to be any different in that regard, and this subtle detail not only shows the intelligence of the vampire’s plan, but also how it really was executed at the perfect time.
