Midnight Mass – Episode One – Book 1: Genesis – The Introduction to the World
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Zach Gilford, Henry Thomas, Annabeth Gish, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linktater, Michael Trucco, Rahul Kohli, Kristin Lehman
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Midnight Mass, Episode One, Book 1: Genesis starts 4-years after a accident Riley Flynn (Gilford) is released from prison, returning to Crockett Island, where his parents Ed (Thomas) and Annie (Lehman) call home. We go on to meet the residents of the island, with Sheriff Hassan (Kohli), the town drunk Joe, the town doctor Sarah Gunning (Gish), stuck up resident Bev (Sloyan) along with Riley’s little brother Wade (Rigney) who spends his free time with friends getting high.
The residents on the island are preparing for a storm to come their way, as an unusual package arrives on the island, one that will see the mysterious cat island seeing the cats picked off and a stranger Father Paul (Linklater) taking over the church for a few weeks, add to the suspicious nature of what is happening on the island.
Thoughts on Midnight Mass, Episode One, Book 1: Genesis
Thoughts – Midnight Mass, Episode One, Book 1: Genesis is the introduction to the characters, giving each character a chance to be introduced, given enough to help us understand their place on the island, while giving us the main surprise within the introduction of a new figure on the island. This episode is the perfect set up for something bigger in the future, wanting to let us know what is coming with the storm, the uncertainty of a legend around the island too. If you are looking for the pure horror side for this episode, we only get the nightmare visions Riley lives through due to his own creation and the mystery about what is around the island.
Star of the Episode – Riley – with this being an introduction episode, it is hard to pinpoint the star of the episode, but with the haunting living nightmare visions Riley goes through and the regret, pain he lives through, because of his own mistake, this is the character you want to learn more about in the episode.
Best Part of the Episode – Is that someone in the storm?
Final Thoughts – Midnight Mass, Episode One, Book 1: Genesis is a great introduction to the world we are going to be entering for the series.
