Horror fans across the world were very excited for the drop of Midnight Mass on Netflix this week, but the popular streaming service accidentally spoiled the show’s biggest plot twist. The seven-episode mini-series was created and directed by Mike Flanagan, the well-known horror auteur who previously brought The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor to Netflix. Fans have long waited for the release of Midnight Mass to see what new scares Flanagan has put to screen.
The show focuses on the isolated community of Crockett Island on the coast of Washington state. When Father Paul (Hamish Linklater) arrives on the island to replace the elderly Monsignor Pruitt as the priest at St. Patrick’s Church, miraculous things begin to occur. These amazing events in Midnight Mass bring increased attendance at the church as island inhabitants flock to the pews to hear Father Paul preach about God and all attendants are rejuvenated as they participate in mass.
While most of the islanders come to believe that Father Paul is truly a messenger from God, Episode 3, “Book III: Proverbs,” shows that there are much darker forces at work. Father Paul is revealed to be Monsignor Pruitt, who was returned to a more youthful state after being turned into a vampire after a chance encounter with a vampiric creature on a pilgrimage in Israel. Father Paul believes the vampire to be an angel and believes that the new life he has been given is a gift from God which he must share with others. The appearance of a vampire in Midnight Mass was very unexpected and is one of the show’s biggest and best twists. Netflix, however, has accidentally spoiled this twist for some viewers.
When browsing Netflix recommendations related to Midnight Mass, vampire shows often appear as a genre. These recommendations include popular shows such as The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals. Although some may not notice the connection, those who are paying close attention may realize that these recommendations are appearing because Midnight Mass also features vampires as the main plot point.
Flanagan’s Netflix shows are known for having a few key plot twists, such as the Bent-Neck Lady twist from The Haunting of Hill House. The twists are well thought out and hard to predict, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats and clamoring for the next episode. The Midnight Mass storyline depends on the vampire twist revealed in episode 3 because it is the throughline the show follows through the succeeding episodes. Flanagan took to Twitter to ask fans to take “the vow of silence” and not post spoilers on social media that would ruin the show for those who might not be able to binge the show in one viewing or watch on release day at all.
With Midnight Mass getting rave reviews and being called one of Flanagan’s best works, it’s understandable why he would want to keep it from being spoiled. Unfortunately, the show is being spoiled by the very platform on which it is exclusively available. Netflix should perhaps consider altering how the show is labeled within the streaming algorithm so that it doesn’t appear alongside more traditional vampire shows. This would be in line with Flanagan’s wishes for people to go into Midnight Mass spoiler-free and keep unsuspecting browsers from accidentally coming across the plot twist.