Was There Really an Angel in ‘Midnight Mass’?

It wouldn’t be a Mike Flanagan project if you’re not left haunted, empathetic, and questioning the meaning of life and humanity. That’s especially true of Midnight Mass, the creator’s latest limited series about a mysterious priest and an island brimming with miracles. But there’s one mystery in Midnight Mass that’s more haunting than the rest.

At its core, this series is about faith. What does it mean to have faith in God and your religion? How do human desires influence that faith? And when does that faith cross the line to become something grotesque? These conversations are told through the appearance of a creature known as an angel. So what’s the deal? Is there really an angel in Midnight Mass?

Was the Creature Really an Angel?

That question gets to the heart of Mike Flanagans’ gorgeously acted limited series. The creature first appeared to Monsignor Pruitt (Hamish Linklater) while he was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Unbeknownst to his congregation and group, Monsignor Pruitt’s mental health was in decline, an ailment that led to him losing the group he was with and wandering on his own through the desert. It was while he was exploring that he got caught in a sandstorm and sought shelter in a cave. That cave was home to the creature that attacked him, restored his youth, and would later go on to torment Crockett Island.

Repeatedly, Monsignor Pruitt calls this creature an angel. But the series keeps the truth a bit murkier. Midnight Mass never declaratively labels this creature, but it does imply that it’s certainly not a creature from heaven. That implication comes in “Book VII: Revelation” when Monsignor Pruitt explained to his lost love Mildred (Alex Essoe) why he brought the creature back home with him in the first place.

“But if I’m honest, and there’s no point in being anything else anymore, it was you. It was you and Sarah. That’s why I did it. That’s why I put that thing in my trunk. That’s why I bribed and lied and smuggled it back here. That was the reason. I didn’t want you to die,” Monsignor Pruitt said. That revelation establishes that this man of God never captured this creature because it was the Lord’s will. And that selfish act distances the creature further from God.

Later, when confronted by his former righthand woman Bev (Samantha Sloyan), Monsignor Pruitt clarified what he thought of this being. “I was wrong. We were wrong. We are wrong. And this needs to stop,” he said. So while Midnight Mass never declaratively says what this thing is, it’s pretty obviously not an angel. Instead, Monsignor Pruitt and his congregation’s belief in this “angel” is a reflection of their own faith paired with the hope that God can solve their earthly problems.

Why Did Monsignor Pruitt Believe the Creature Was an Angel?

It all comes down to faith. Monsignor Pruitt was desperate to find a cure for Mildred’s dementia and was terrified to watch her die. So when a creature appeared that had the ability to restore youth, he convinced himself this was a gift from God. He even used passages from the Bible to justify his hopes. Almost every time an angel appears in the Bible, they start by saying something along the lines of “Fear not.” These words have appeared in the books of Genesis, Luke, Matthew, Acts, and Daniel. The implication that there may be something terrifying about seeing a real angel was used to justify Monsignor Pruitt’s belief that the creature he smuggled was in fact from God. It’s a detail that demonstrates the extent of his hope.

Do Vampires Exist in Midnight Mass?

A creature that flies, sucks blood, and can make people immortal by feeding them its blood? That’s a vampire. So why does no one in Crockett Island immediately scream “vampire” when they see this winged monster?

There are likely one of two explanations for this particular budding plot hole. It’s clear that Monsignor Pruitt had a hold over his congregation. It’s possible that his belief in this creature’s identity was so absolute that certain members of his congregation didn’t even think to correct him. The rest of the island’s residents were likely too preoccupied with running for their lives to consider labelling this being. There’s also The Walking Dead possibility. According to creator Robert Kirkman, the reason no one says the word “zombie” in The Walking Dead is because that cultural concept didn’t exist in this universe before the zombie apocalypse. Midnight Mass could be following the same rules. After all, what would you call a vampire if you didn’t have the word for vampire?

Watch Midnight Mass on Netflix