Mike Flanagan's limited series Midnight Mass on Netflix explored many philosophical questions, while leaving several head-scratchers unanswered. The seven-episode horror mystery set itself in an isolated fishing community on an island with less than 200 residents. When a mysterious new pastor came to town and strange events began to unfold, residents seemed content to dismiss the happenings as miracles of God -- so much so that when eventual hell broke loose, there were far too few willing to stop it.
Flanagan and producing partner Trevor Macy signed an overall deal with Netflix following the success of The Haunting of Hill House, and it's an investment that appears to be paying off for the streaming giant. Midnight Mass confidently strikes a contradictory balance of being both a tightly woven narrative with little padding while at the same time managing to find real estate for profound - and unabridged - conversations about existence. The pair are steadily amassing a portfolio of chilling and mind-bending thrillers, and this might be their best one yet.
However, with every mystery comes questions both solved and left unanswered. While Midnight Mass took significant strides to close up most of the threads it introduced, there were a few intriguing plot twists that begged for resolution. Here now are a few of the more significant questions remaining.
Was Riley Psychic?
Zach Gilford's Riley Flynn opened Midnight Mass as perhaps the most unlikeable character. Yet, Riley ended the show making the ultimate sacrifice to save humankind. He had several dreams and visions of the girl he killed while driving drunk, suggesting remorse for what happened that fateful night. However, what he saw showed something else entirely: Riley might have been psychic.
Riley dreamed of a canoe with two different occupants joining him on the water - one dead, the other alive. His visions turned out to be prophetic because he incinerated himself with Erin in the canoe then found the girl he killed waiting for him on the other side. Many strange things happened on the island that could be explained due to the tainted communion wine. However, Riley started his visions before returning to the island, meaning his dreams were something different.
How Does It Take Sarah So Long To Raise Alarms?
Annabeth Gish's Dr. Sarah Gunning was perhaps the most stunning disappointment in terms of character. Monsignor Pruitt seemingly goes missing just before The Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time and the big climax comes Easter weekend. That's approximately two months.
Yet, Sarah didn't raise alarms until comparing notes with Kate Siegel's Erin Greene following Riley's death. She witnessed blood igniting in sunlight, a paralyzed patient able to walk suddenly, and a 20-week-old fetus disappear from Erin's uterus overnight. Add to that the fact Sarah watched as her senile and bedridden mother pulled a Benjamin Button. Why did the good doctor wait so long?
Why Did Father Paul Give Up So Easily?
Hamish Linklater's Father Paul started the series a vibrant and persuasive man with unwavering conviction. Yet, after coming back to life following a gunshot wound to the head, he seemed to throw in the towel. Granted, the church Father Paul built had just become the site of a mass vampiric feeding event, but still.
Father Paul was the man who caused it all. He could have opened the angelic vampire's chest and killed the thing plenty of times. Instead, the priest was willing to kill his entire parish in the name of faith. Could he have been that arrogant to think creating several dozen hungry bloodsuckers wouldn't backfire? Was it Mildred shooting him that made the difference? Regardless, Father Paul knows the dangers the entire world is in once he's seen the tragedy at the church. Taking a seat while carnage overtook the island was a surprise move for the priest who tried to help many.
What Happened To The Angel?
When the Midnight Mass monster, the angel, fed on Erin, she wisely used her last moments to cut the creature's wings and cripple its flight capabilities. Bloodlust appeared to be why it ignored the injuries as they occurred, which is questionable in itself. Even so, what happened next?
Warren and Leeza (Annarah Cymone) last see the creature attempting to fly to the mainland and seek shelter before the sun rises. While the damage to its wings implied the angel didn't survive, its vampiric capabilities could have kicked in and repaired the wounds just in time. In the end, the angel's fate remained uncertain. However, that answer could become more apparent if news drops of a sequel to Midnight Mass.