User Reviews

Let me start ny saying I'm not the biggest fun of Flanagan's Midnight Club, even though I loved his other work. I enjoy this one too, but I think the thing I don't like is the constant drop of the main storyline to get the kids stories. Some are good, some are not, none are worth it that much.

Except for this one. This one was well worth it, powerful, creepy and sad, deliveres an intense section with a gut punching ending that sometimes hits close to home. I won't get into detail, but you'll be gripped, that's for sure, I know I was.

Flanagan, sometimes you miss and most times you hit. This episode was the latter.

This one might be my favorite story told by the group. And they way they do it is a little different, but that makes it all that more powerful and emotional. Such a great concept. At the end, it all ties together beautifully. I loved how it was so creepy throughout and had the audience really questioning what is going on here. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And it gives you a little more perspective on one of the characters by filling you in on some of their backstory. It also brings two characters even closer together which is what we all wanted to see anyway. Compelling and meaningful episode with dark but realistic undertones. Loved this one.

I feel these episodes can be reviewed in two parts, the Midnight-mini story, and the mystery TV show story. For this particular episode, the Midnight story is by far the stand-out part.

SPOILERS: TURN BACK

Ilonka is suffering so badly with main character syndrome, that she automatically believes she is the one to go home when she eavesdrops Stanton saying one of the kids is not terminal any longer. As most pseudo-science goes, Ilonka believes this was a result of the ritual, and that someone was saved, just not Anya.

While Ilonka is hanging out with her vegan-witch friend, Spencer spews a monologue onto his mother, which I'm sure meant more to other viewers than myself. But the primary story, the bland relationship between Amesh and Natsuki takes the reigns. It's clear Natsuki is severely depressed, in fact, she said so in the previous episode, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who expected someone to open her bedroom door and find that she hurt herself in some way. Instead, we get an intimate Midnight story. The kids dispersed after discovering the library doors were locked, but Amesh and Natsuki made their own fireplace and thus began her story.

I'm a sucker for subtle metaphors, so this was right up my alley. Although, it wasn't as subtle as it could have been; right at the end, the writers must have thought the viewers weren't paying attention enough to see the obvious clues in the introduction (tennis ball was on the nose), so they made sure to show us everything, even down to the meaning of each and every character in the story.

Reminiscent of Lost Highway, Natsuki drives endlessly down a misty and dark road. She picks up two rock-band hitchhikers, and stops at a gas station. The dialogue is dream-like and blatantly metaphorical. It's clear these characters are thin veils to mask the trauma and pain she is experiencing. It reminded me of a Shelley poem, where he warns, "do not lift the painted veil which those who live call life" and that "Fear and Hope, twin destinies" distort reality like shadow-play.

The longer she drives, the more disturbing things become, and she realises something is very wrong. Ultimately, she discovers in reality that she is dying from monoxide poisoning, and makes a great closing line, "it was the longest drive of my life, yet I didn't even leave the garage." (Not verbatim) After finishing her story, Natsuki admits it rings true for her own suicide attempt.

We are left on a cliff-hanger as the attention is pulled back to Ilonka, when she hears strange noises coming from the cult-basement. That scary woman is there again, and she's kind of pissing me off. But no! Bait and switch, it was... Steven!

At this point, do I really care? We've had very little revealed over the course of EIGHT episodes. I'm aware this will be more than just one season, but with the way Netflix is handling their shows, I'm expecting this to be cancelled prematurely. But who knows, it's apart of their "Flanaverse", whatever that means, and they've pushed it so much, it may well be protected from the axe.

But here I am...I've been moved. This episode and the story that is told, it hits so deep. They did a beautiful job telling this story. I don't want to spoil it, and I also don't want to start crying. The writer is a genius. They took a tale as old as time and retold it in an imaginative, mysterious, deep way but didn't leave you needing answers or explanation.

Then following the story, everything that was told to the guy in the library...yooo, I'm shook! I haven't been touched so many times by a show in YEARS! And last time it was an episode of SVU! Good job! Kudos to you! If you leave this earth doing nothing else, just know you put a work of art out into this world and it is truly loved by at least one person.

I'm GLAD this is my first review on this app, because this story really touched me. I love Mike Flanagan, I love how I can cry watching his series and I love feeling scared but then feel like "oh, this is a sad story actually". This episode is one of my favorites because they didn't do too much to explain something really complex like this.

And when I say, this is my favorite story from the series it's not because the other ones are boring, they are quite amazing too, but this one touched me like no other episode can, I felt it right here, you were the principal character, making decisions when you actually don't know what to do.

This episode holds the crown for the most dull story told in the series.

Besides the story, everything seems Well put together, and excellent screen casting. Just to bad the story that is told is with only 2 of the characters, one of them being the most boring in the series in my opinion. A character who is to easy to see through and figure out, they could have left her out.

The news being brought to one of the kids about his/her health, seems to want to change a bit for the group. We will see about that!

All in all, episode is ok but the midnight story told is most def not in top of anything.