You've witnessed miracles, blood drinking,
and saw much fire.
Let's answer some burning questions.
Here is everything you need to know
about Midnight Mass.
That wasn't an angel, was it?
No. It really, really wasn't.
What Monsignor Pruitt found in that cave in the desert
was an all-out
Nosferatu-style vampire creature
with bonus wings.
While he genuinely
initially saw it as a saviour,
this was, in fact, an ancient vampiric being
hiding in the shadows.
As showrunner Mike Flanagan was growing up,
he was learning about communion wine
at the same time as getting into horror
and he saw direct parallels
between drinking the blood of Jesus
and what he was reading in Bram Stoker's Dracula.
This is where
this particular monster comes from.
And Midnight Mass' executive producer,
Trevor Macy, has explained that this creature
actually has very basic needs.
It eats, it seeks shelter, and it has enough brains
to not just murder the Monsignor,
but let him take him back to Crockett Island.
But to fully explain what happened here,
it's important to talk about blood.
In vampire lore, in order for a human
to transform into a bloodsucker,
the monster must feed on you,
and then, as life drains from your body,
they force you to drink their blood.
The consumption of vampire blood is key.
This then creates a fully-fledged vampire
and this transformation
is what we see take place violently in the church
as the congregation come back to life
with that tell-tale light in their eyes.
As we all know,
on top of an insatiable desire
for blood,
vampires have an aversion to sunlight
as it literally cooks them alive.
And, of course,
despite this one looking pretty crusty,
they also have eternal youth
and the power of fast healing.
Why was Monsignor Pruitt
able to go out in the sunshine initially?
This is a great question.
If he'd been transformed into a vampire,
how could Monsignor Pruitt wonder around in the sun
when he initially arrives on Crockett Island?
Well, it turns out
that the monster didn't kill him
in that cave.
Despite the transfusion of vampire blood
making him young again, and taking him back
to the best version of himself,
he was still human and could, therefore,
transport the monster in a box to the island.
It is only after
further consumption of vampire blood
that Monsignor Pruitt eventually succumbs,
as we see him die
on the floor of his own home.
It's from this moment
that he becomes a full-on vampire.
Which means the switch over to nighttime ceremonies
from here on out.
Why did everyone in the congregation
resurrect?
Unbeknownst to them,
the entire congregation of Crockett Island
has been swigging vampire blood
from the moment
that the Monsignor returned to the island.
It turns out
that he's been lacing the communion wine
with the stuff,
meaning he's been gradually infecting the church-goers
with the blood.
Early on, we catch a glimpse of him
tipping a hip flask into the wine
before the altar boys take it out.
Later on, we then see, at the same time as Riley,
that the creature has been opening a vein
and bleeding directly into the communion wine.
Mmm, delicious.
This means
that everyone has gradually been consuming the creature
and evolving in a similar way
to the Monsignor.
This is why the members of the congregation
have been so ready to dance again
and even no longer need glasses.
It also fully explains
the early miracle of Leeza Scarborough
regaining the use of her legs.
Despite being shot in the spine by Joe,
the consumption of vampire blood
gives her the power to walk again.
Vampires are hunters.
They require speed, strength, and agility.
When Monsignor Pruitt says
he's the best version of himself,
that's what everyone else is gradually becoming.
This means that when everyone dies,
they have enough vampire in them
that they will resurrect.
And it doesn't seem to matter
how you die either.
Whether it's shooting...
throat slitting...
or the Jonestown-like mass poisoning,
if you've had the communion wine at some point,
you'll come back with a serious thirst for gore.
It is worth noting, though,
that Riley was turned by the monster
when he was killed,
as he hadn't been drinking the communion wine.
How did Erin lose her baby?
Erin losing her baby is directly correlated
to the consumption of the vampire blood.
Sarah's scientific conclusions
about the infection riding the body of the baby
is absolutely right.
Vampire, in essence, are dead.
They don't give life and they don't procreate.
They consume and consume only.
Unless you're watching Twilight,
babies and vampires don't mix.
The idea of the baby just disappearing, though,
is particularly unique.
And Erin's test results,
showing that there was never any baby at all,
means that her blood results at that point,
are still normal,
even if, clearly,
they didn't put it in direct sunlight,
like Sarah.
Fucking bonkers.
Why did so many people turn evil?
Once half the congregation of Crockett Island
resurrects in the church,
they turn on the still human half,
treating them like Bic Macs on legs.
And this is before they're unleashed
upon the rest of the island.
But we have already seen
that Riley could still make important decisions,
choosing to die
instead of facing his future as a blood hungry monster.
And with the Monsignor's help,
he fights against his initial urges,
even the Monsignor manages to fight his hunger.
In the incident with Joe,
he manages to convince himself
it's God's message.
Riley's parents, Annie and Ed,
also retain complete control.
I'm starving too, but...
I didn't.
So, the congregation do have the choice,
but they give in to their hunger,
immediately becoming the mob
and consumed with the idea of being saved.
Before he realises the error of his ways,
the Monsignor has them so convinced
that they are the army of God,
that they succumb to mob rule.
The right-wing conspiracy theorist subtext
is strong here
as they slaughter their family members
and drink their blood.
Only stopping with regret
when the truth, quite literally,
dawns on them.
I don't know, but I think I killed my mom.
Why didn't the Monsignor die
when he got shot in the head?
Vampires aren't zombies.
It did take the Monsignor a little while to resurrect
after he was shot in the skull,
but even a bullet to the brain
can't stop a vampire.
We never see the old-fashioned garlic
or stakes being tried, but the ancient vampire
is happy to wear a religious robe
and walk in a church.
What we do see, though,
is that the Monsignor's hand bleeds
when he holds a Rosary.
So, perhaps, this vampire
does have some more stereotypical aspects.
Namely, a serious allergy to touching crosses.
What was the relationship between Monsignor Pruitt
and Sarah's mother?
It was a bit of a late game reveal,
but it turns out that Sarah is the illegitimate child
of the Monsignor and her mother.
The reason
that the Monsignor passionately made sure
he was giving her mother the communion wine every day
was to restore the woman he loved so much.
This cures her dementia and gradually de-ages her,
making her look even younger than her daughter.
A conversation on the step of the church
reveals that Sarah is their daughter
and that their lives could never have been entwined
even if he had left the church for her.
It's another devasting reveal,
especially as the Monsignor professes
how proud he is of Sarah
as she attempts to destroy the church.
No, I've so proud of you and I just wish,
I just wish that...
that we had gotten to know each other.
Why could Leeza no longer feel her legs at the end?
Leeza's sudden realisation
that she's once again paralysed,
also might answer the question
as to whether the creature managed to fly away.
As Crockett Island burns
and its inhabitants are incinerated
by the morning sun,
Leeza being paralysed one more
is an indication that the spell is broken.
I can't feel my legs.
The power of the blood has been eradicated.
She is no longer a vampire in waiting
and is a mere human again.
The irony is heart breaking,
but Leeza is no longer going to become
a creature of the night.
The sun is rising on a new day
where the vampire has not won.
It also means Erin's painful sacrifice
was not in vain
as she shredded the creature's wings
with that knife.
It might not feel like a happy ending,
but the survival of Warren and Leeza
and a lack of the vampires' power,
would suggest that the nightmare
is indeed over.
So, hopefully, that's all your questions
from Midnight Mass answered.
Let us know your theories in the comments below
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