I just finished midnight mass and there's been a lot of talk about what it's about, including what Mike Flanagan thinks it's about except we believe in death of the author around here and his view is only as valid as everyone else's ANYWAY
I think midnight mass is about forgiveness. It's asking what can you be forgiven for. What atrocities can you commit and still be seen as human and worthy of forgiveness. And the answer is, anything, if you ask and if you are willing to pay the price.
In the last moment, when they are all willing to die for their transgressions, they are all forgiven. Sturge and Ooker forgive each other specifically, in so many words. John Pruitt is forgiven by Mildred. Everyone else (except Bev) just joins in the song, calling for God. The Christian God can forgive any of his followers' sins provided they confess and suffer for atonement. They do not find it necessary to do anything else, apart from Pruitt somewhat and maybe Ali, if you consider him to have done anything requiring forgiveness, no one who acted to bring about the end of the horror required forgiveness.
It's very peculiarly Christian that it is death in most of these cases which brings forgiveness. Riley is the most interesting case of course, because he's the most real, we begin the series with him calling to God and getting asked the question that reverberates throughout the show: why was it you who was saved? Why did you deserve it? Why are some people chosen and others not? He is the most obvious of those who are the metaphor of the Christ, who dies for the salvation of all his people, but equally, so is Erin, who invites the angel-monster to drink her blood, so she can cripple it and save the world.
It's just very interesting to me that the answer to "who can be forgiven" lies in what each person is willing to suffer.
pixelskylines
romaincrisis
