Reflections on Midnight Mass

A Captivating Yet Flawed Experience

Midnight Mass was a deeply engrossing show. I stayed up until nearly 3:30 a.m. finishing it because of how captivating it was. The writing at times was ingenious, filled with striking analogies and metaphors. Yet the show also suffered from long, meandering monologues that often slowed the pacing and failed to advance character development. Extended singing sequences of Christian hymns added little, and at times distracted from the momentum.

Twisting Scripture to Justify Evil

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect was the constant misuse of scripture. Many Bible verses were taken out of context, distorted to serve the selfish or violent aims of characters. The priest John, for example, preached that Jesus died, therefore his followers must also physically die to be saved—a deeply flawed theology. Jesus died so that humanity would not have to perish; salvation through his sacrifice does not mean repeating his physical death. Watching characters repeatedly justify murder, blood-drinking, and deception as “God’s will” was both frustrating and disturbing.

This distortion mirrors real-world dangers: religions and leaders have long twisted scripture to justify violence. The show clearly intended some level of religious and social commentary, but by leaning so heavily on misquoted verses without offering counterpoints, it left a bitter aftertaste.

Erin Greene’s Inconsistent Arc

Erin Greene began as one of the show’s most compelling characters, offering a heartfelt Christian vision of heaven in her conversations with Riley—describing how she would one day be reunited with her loved ones, including her miscarried child grown and whole, where she would feel God’s love and dwell with her Creator. That early speech was beautiful and resonant. Yet by the end, her character inexplicably adopted Riley’s atheistic, scientific perspective—that humans are nothing but atoms, part of the cosmos. She even used the phrase “I am that I am,” words reserved for God Himself. This sudden shift was not believable. It weakened both her arc and the story’s coherence.

John, the Priest, and His Deception

Father John brought the so-called angel back to the island, ultimately admitting that his motive was personal: he longed for a second chance with his wife and daughter. This revelation painted him as selfish and manipulative. While the show tried to redeem him in the final episodes, framing him as regretful, his actions throughout—preaching deception, enabling murder, and feeding his congregation blood—were psychopathic in nature. His late remorse felt hollow compared to the immense harm he caused.

Beverly Keane: The Face of Fanatical Evil

Beverly was perhaps the clearest embodiment of evil in the series, though even she was never explicitly named as such. Her manipulations, cruelty, and self-righteous justification for killing others positioned her as the most malevolent character. For instance, when she denied safety to latecomers during the sunrise, effectively condemning them to death, her cruelty was evident. Yet the priest described her actions merely as “monstrous,” stopping short of labeling them evil.

The show missed an opportunity to explore Beverly’s backstory. Why was she so fanatically devoted? Was it fear, personal brokenness, or genuine allegiance to a demonic force? Without this context, she appeared one-dimensional: an unrelenting fanatic rather than a fully realized character.

The “Angel” That Was Really an Evil Creature

Central to the story was the winged creature, called an “angel” but more convincingly a demon. Its grotesque appearance, evil smile, and blood-drinking behavior were far closer to a vampire than any biblical angel. Yet not one character named it for what it was—evil. The priest insisted it was holy. The congregation, terrified, still submitted. Even Erin, Riley, and John’s wife never once spoke the obvious truth: that this was an evil creature.

This omission created a gaping hole in the story. Evil was constantly disguised as good, yet no one dared to say so. That lack of moral clarity left the narrative muddled.

A Missing Distinction Between Good and Evil

Ultimately, the show’s greatest failure was its refusal to define evil. "Good" was constantly spoken of, but always through the mouths of characters with dark intentions. "Evil" was never named. By contrast, in stories like The Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter, evil is clearly defined, and audiences find hope in seeing good triumph over it. Human life may often feel clouded by gray areas, but stories resonate most when they draw a clear line: good and evil both exist, yet they are distinct, driven by different purposes and motives. While we as humans frequently live in the gray—or deceive ourselves into believing we are entirely righteous—God never does. He is wholly and perfectly good, untouched by ambiguity.

Final Reflections

Despite its flaws, Midnight Mass contained moments of beauty. Erin’s first depiction of heaven was powerful. Love and sacrifice surfaced occasionally in moving ways. Yet the overwhelming distortion of scripture, the underdeveloped arcs of key characters like Beverly and John, and the failure to clearly name evil left the series unsatisfying.

For me, the experience reinforced timeless truths:

• Good exists.

• Evil exists.

• God exists, and God is entirely good.

• Evil often disguises itself as good.

Even Satan quoted scripture in his attempt to deceive Jesus, but Jesus countered with the truth of God’s word. That is what the show lacked: acknowledgment of real truth and the unshakable goodness of God.