Mike Flanagan's Netflix horror series Midnight Mass has many riveting characters, and Bev Keane (Samantha Sloyan) is one of the most complex. The show follows Father Paul Hill's (Hamish Linklater)'s relocation to tiny Crockett Island and the strange, supernatural results of his arrival. As residents begin to heal and teenager Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) is able to walk after an injury that landed her in a wheelchair, the stunning truth about Father Paul comes out, and it changes everyone.
While the show focuses on Riley Flynn's (Zach Gilford) homecoming as well as several mysteries such as why deceased cats show up on the beach, Bev Keane's Midnight Mass character is a crucial part of the story. Although vampires are not mentioned on Midnight Mass, they are the central threat that the residents face, and Bev plays a key role in the events on this previously peaceful, quiet island.
Bev Keane Is A Cruel School Administrator
Bev Keane is the school administrator in Crockett Island who treats everyone around her harshly. She is introduced in episode 1, "Book 1: Genesis" as a religious woman who lives an isolated existence. Right away, it's evident that Bev inserts herself into every situation on the island, as she wonders why Monsignor Pruitt, the community priest, hasn't arrived on the ferry. She takes an active interest in why he isn't there and it's clear that she expects to be told what is happening at all times. Throughout the miniseries, she is an aggressive, overly confident person.
Compared to the other main characters on Midnight Mass, Bev is the most unlikable. She is racist and disrespectful toward Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli), a kind character trying to raise his son to be compassionate, and doesn't like to listen to other people's opinions. When, in episode 3, "Book III: Proverbs," he suggests that she doesn't use community meetings as a venue to give children Bibles because not everyone is Christian, she dismisses him. Bev's intense personality is an early sign of the troubles to come.
Bev Supports Father Paul Without Noticing Anything Strange
Bev becomes overly concerned with Father Paul and visits him several times at the house where he is staying at the beginning of the series. It's telling that instead of thinking that he's odd or mysterious, or wondering why a new priest is taking control of the community church so easily, she accepts whatever he says. When Bev learns the twist that Father Paul is really Pruitt, but 40 years younger, she doesn't feel afraid or worried. Instead, she shows that she is loyal to the town priest no matter what and listens to everything that he says.
Bev also isn't concerned when, in episode 4, "Book IV: Lamentations," Father Paul feeds on Joe Collie's (Robert Longstreet) blood after murdering him. While the typical response would be to run away in case he does the same thing to her, Bev simply accepts that this is the reality she is living in now. She helps save Father Paul's image and hides the crime. While it's evident that Father Paul is a villain on Midnight Mass, Bev doesn't see him in a negative light, which proves that she is partly responsible for what happens to the island's residents.
Bev's reaction to this pain and violence is very different from Riley's. While he understands the truth and tells Erin Greene (Kate Siegel) that a vampire hurt him and he doesn't want to live like this, Bev only sees what she wants to see. Bev's Midnight Mass character isn't a questioner and doesn't want to help people, as she has strict and rigid ideas of right and wrong, and she never thinks that anything is amiss. The powerful reveal that Pruitt thinks the vampire is an angel leads Riley to realize the sinister truth. But only Riley is afraid of Father Paul giving people the angel's blood through communion wine.
Bev Encourages The Turned Crockett Island Residents To Infect Others
In episode 6, "Book VI: Acts of the Apostles," Bev reveals her true nature: she is fine with the destruction of Crockett Island and the other characters turning into vampires. After Erin points a gun at Bev and tries to kill her, Bev is brought back to life and wants every turned resident to attack the others so they can also follow Father Paul's plan. She has no regrets about what she is doing and boldly moves forward.
The ending of Midnight Mass shares a message about religious belief, and in the episodes leading up to the finale, Bev Keane's Midnight Mass character is an example of someone holding strong beliefs without thinking about consequences. Bev is overly confident that she can gain control of her situation, and this ends up being her downfall. It's compelling to watch Bev take over from Father Paul, as she doesn't think that he is fit to lead the turned residents. She demands that the characters set fire to the island's buildings but wants to hide in the recreation center and also the church so the sunlight doesn't kill her.
Bev's desire for everyone to become a vampire is a way for the show to explore right from wrong and good from evil. Bev is a smart character because she has power and influence over Crockett Island and no one realizes what she is doing until it's too late. While the others see Bev as a terrible person because of her actions, she believes that she is following the path that Father Paul/Pruitt began, and she doesn't care that the other characters disagree.
Bev Dies In The Sunlight
Bev Keane's Midnight Mass ending is unforgettable as she attempts to hide in the sand prior to the sun rising and killing her. This is a cowardly move as she pushes aside any care or compassion for the other characters and wants to only protect herself. Bev is too slow and her memorable death in Midnight Mass makes sense, as it would be unsatisfying to watch her succeed after the pain she caused her fellow Crockett Island residents.
Bev Keane's Midnight Mass death scene emphasizes her self-centered personality and the resentment that she begins to feel toward Father Paul and the other residents. She wants to be the person who everyone listens to and instead of convincing the turned residents to help each other, she is convinced that this tragic situation is her opportunity to be the ruler. Bev's harsh, uncaring, and unsupportive personality leads to her demise.