Netflix’s The Midnight Gospel first debuted on the streaming platform back in April, but the animated adult series has since gained a steady following with its thought-provoking commentary on life and spirituality. The show follows space podcaster Clancy exploring alternate versions of Earth to interview each planet’s inhabitants about life, death, and every existential question in between.
The animated show sets pre-recorded podcast interviews that had previously been conducted by star Duncan Trussell for his podcast with various guests onto an Adventure Time-esque fantasy world. Every episode is packed with many meditative moments, but here are some of the most existential quotes from Clancy’s space casts.
“When We Set An Intention, Somehow The World Seems To Magically Come To Meet Us.”
In the fourth episode of The Midnight Gospel, Clancy lands himself on a medieval planet and strikes up a conversation with Trudy the Love Barbarian, who is on a quest to avenge her lover. As Clancy journeys through the forest with Trudy, they discuss the significance of intention and connectedness. Trudy says the above quote to Clancy, underscoring the importance of intention as creating meaning in one’s life. In many ways, this is like the concept of manifestation; the world is waiting for people to declare what matters most to them to allow them to have it.
“The Time Of Death Is Uncertain, But Death Is Certain.”
Clancy talks about how he regrets not having listened more to a person who ended up dying in a car crash sometime after their conversation. Interviewee Trudy responds that if individuals really understood and accepted that death is certain, they would have fewer moments of regretting having wasted their time.
For instance, Trudy brings in the example that those who have a terminal diagnosis often say they feel the most alive. To acknowledge the inevitability of death is to seize every opportunity in life. This, she suggests, is the key to a mindful life.
“I Do Think That We Suffer More If We Resist The Flow Of The River.”
In the last episode, Clancy discusses with his mother the anticipation of death and what happens after death. She acknowledges that she does not know what lies on the other side of physical death, but she encourages individuals not to fight that flow of the river, the course of life. Rather than fighting against the reality of death, it might serve the spirit better to let go of the physical attachment and flow with the spirit within the body.
“I Felt Terror That If I Stopped Drinking I Would Never Write Again, Because I Needed That Misery. I Needed That Edge.”
In an early episode, Clancy lands in “Clown World” and speaks with two deer-dogs, Annie and Raghu, about creating from pain, as many artists seem to create the most impactful pieces when they are hurting. Annie says she used to fear recovery from alcoholism because if she were “fixed,” she would no longer have a pain to draw from when she writes. Clancy responds dismally that there is nothing eviler than the world saying that should an individual become happy and healthy, they can no longer do the thing they love most
“Put The Past Aside And The Future Aside And Get Sense Into [Your] Bodies.”
Clancy asks his mother for advice about the process of coming into truth. She responds that the easiest thing to do is simply to be present. By leaving the past in the past and the future to come, an individual can simply feel themselves presently in their bodies. Starting from the fingertips to the whole body, by sensing every tissue of the body, an individual can experience themselves as they truly are, and this is when they finally come into truth -- when they accept their present reality.
“And The Amazing Thing About Letting Go Into It Is That You Find That This Thing Called Love Is Supportive, That It Holds Us.”
To let go is to accept the truth of life and, consequently, of death. Clancy’s mother is optimistic that though death is heartbreaking, it is not the end. The love that surrounds an individual coping with death -- love for the lost one or vice versa -- is a force strong enough to prop a person back up through even the hardest times. Love is benevolent, and love is magnified by the emotions a person feels when they simply and finally let go and accept their reality.
“There’s No Way To Stop A Heartbreak. How Do You Do That? You Cry.”
Heartbreak is inevitable. Coping with heartbreak, though, is doable. Clancy asks his mother in his final space cast how to face heartbreak, to which she responds that the person must simply cry. Heartbreak cannot be prevented, but it can be felt and passed over.
Clancy’s mother encourages him to cry, to let out the pain that has been built up by heartbreak, and in that final episode, Clancy does cry. In fact, he cries multiple times as his mother reappears and disappears, coping with the pain of potentially losing his mother to cancer by crying out the heartbreak.
“[Death] Opens Your heart. It Breaks Your Heart Open. Our Hearts Have Been Closed Because We’ve Closed Them. We’ve Defended Ourselves Against Pain.”
In a vulnerable moment in the series, Clancy faces his mother and her date with death (in real life, Trussell’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away soon after the podcast was released). Clancy says accepting that she is dying is the greatest run-in with the truth he’s had his whole life. His mother responds that death is an inevitable truth that many avoid acknowledging, but once they accept death, people open themselves to the feeling of pain they’ve long tried to avoid, and with it, a heartbreaking love.
“I May Leave This Plane Of Existence Sooner Rather Than Later, But The Love Isn’t Going Anywhere.”
This is the very last line that Clancy’s mother says in the last episode when she fades into the void of death. She acknowledges death, addressing it as a departure of the spirit from the physical body. More importantly, though, she emphasizes the permanence of love in the face of death. Just because her physical body has succumbed to death does not mean her love for her son (or his love for her) has died along with her body. While she may leave Clancy’s world, his mother’s love for him remains.
“Even The Hurt Transforms Because If You Inquire Into The Hurt You Know What You’re Experiencing Is Love.”
As Clancy faces the reality of his mother’s impending death, his mother acknowledges his pain but reminds him also about the power of love. Clancy says that death breaks the heart open in a way that really hurts, and he is frustrated that such pain is so tangible. His mother, however, emphasizes that with hurt also comes an impenetrable love. In examining the hurt a person feels, an individual will actually find that they are hurting because they once (and perhaps still) love. It is because they have so much goodness within them that they can feel such pain, and as she says in the same episode, that kind of love will never die.