2021, Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) -- Netflix
Nothing but spoilers from here on.
The remaining four episodes cover four key events: the death of Father Paul and his resurrection as a true vampire, the turning and subsequent true-death of Riley, the final plans for the islanders laid bare, and the final end of the island and all who lived upon. In writing that I didn't want to just throw it all there for you, but to comment on the apothegmatic manner in which Flanagan tells the tale. Each episode is integral, each episode tells us so much, and all in four short episodes.
Of note, I am never apothegmatic, but I love the word.
We already knew this all involved a vampire, an old creature revealed in an Israeli desert, and brought back to the US by a priest who believes the monster to be an angel of the Lord. The ties to Christianity in this show are rather disturbing. I already mentioned that Stoker displayed those bones in Dracula but the manner in which Flanagan lays it out for us had me pondering, "Really? Wouldn't that be terrifying if it ALL was based on a vampire myth, one that took over the Judaist myths of the time." He is not just postulating a thematic connection, but an actual origin story of Christianity being less than Heavenly. Far less. But of course, the real monsters were the people. Mostly Bev.
OMG Bev, this woman! She comes off as sweet but stern, helpful but loyal, but SHE KILLED PRUITT ! I came to that realization while walking back from lunch today. We see Pruitt die, pink froth pouring from him, only to return a short moment later. No three days for him. I had assumed the constant drinking of wine mixed with old vampire blood had run its course, but it never occurred to me that Bev sought to supplant him. Her end goal? Hasten the change? Doubt she knew that much; more likely, she just wanted him out of the way so she could return to controlling the community that the doddering old Monsignor Pruitt had barely cared for all these years. She was the real power behind the altar. But little did she know what she was unleashing. Though once revealed, she rolls with the punches soooo smoothly. And the island is doomed. Bev sucks. Pun intended.
Riley has never really trusted Pruitt, but when the priest slips up about the disappearance of his new friend, and fellow recovering alcoholic Joe Collie, he comes to confront Father Paul. And the old vampire is revealed to him. And it takes him. And he is turned. Riley has been presented, thus far, as the main character, the person returning from off island, our view into its strangeness. That we are given an episode where it is very apparent (OK, it takes most of the episode for us to guess where it is going) we are losing him was shocking to me. I may have yelled at the screen. I did that a lot during this show.
Riley faces his fate, faces the sun, reveals to Erin what is happening on their island, and finally is received into a Heaven in which he does not believe. That final scene, so beautiful from his viewpoint, almost fully conflicting his scientific atheistic idea of what happens when you die, is less a long running final dream, and more a reveal of a beautiful true angel forgiving and welcoming him; it is so fucking tragic. It is so tragic because, seconds later we see what Erin sees, and hear her torturous screams. Her best friend, the man she has just confessed love for, and received it back in return, he has just burned up before her eyes. She has lost so much, but also been left with so much more terrible knowledge. She cannot escape the island like he asked her to, she must try to help.
I am recapping apparently. I didn't intend on it, but the economy of story is so well done, and I enjoyed it all so much, I want to impart upon you dear reader (all 3 of you) the tale that captivated, when so much (so so SO much) does not.
As the penultimate episode played out, Marmy commented, "Another cult viewing," commenting on how we went from the goofy evil cult of Midsommar to this show. I disagreed, believing she was applying her opinions of Catholicism (in much the way Flanagan has done) to this show, equating Catholics as Cultists. All religion is a cult? Maybe, but I disagreed, despite the evidence laid out before me. But as soon as Bev pulled out the plastic cups filled with her favourite rat killer, I retracted ... heavily. His parallels were overt and intended. Gah.
The Cult of Bev (by this time Pruitt seems as much a pawn as the rest) has setup the island for ... conversion. Easter Mass will be held at midnight. The boats of the island have been disabled. The ferries sent away. The power cut off. The cell tower sabotaged. They are cut off in the dark, and the non-Christians of Crockett (and there are some) are oblivious to what is going on, on their peaceful sleepy little island. But Erin, and now the doctor and her "miraculously" de-aged mother join the congregation, as much out of curiosity (what is the end game?) as fear (not joining means being outed as transgressors). And nervous Sheriff Hassan attends the congregation as well, as his lost son has also joined the flock, much to Hassan's sorrow. He joins to oversee. Bear witness, as you may.
Into the cult ceremy is introduced the Angel of the Lord -- a fucking demonic vampire with giant bat wings and full Nosferatu look. "Its a fucking demon!" I yell at the screen, but such is the sway of Bev (fuck Bev) some are shocked, but most follow suit. But not even her and Pruitt's control of the congregation can hold back the evil of born again vampires. They lose control to those that hunger. All goes to Hell. It is shocking, horrifying and bloody. Even Pruitt is shocked.
The final episode is about The End. Some escape, but that is not the point. Everything is lost. By giving into Bev blindly, they are all lost. The non-Christians become fodder for the Catholic vampires. Erin and survivors burn the boats, knowing that if these vampires reach the mainland... Bev and her fanatics are burning the island's structures, seeing fire as the new Biblical flood, something to wash the old world away, bringing on the new. Where will they sleep come dawn? In the nicely outfitted community centre paid for by Bev's embezzlement of Church funds. That is, until Erin and Hassan burn it down.
All the island burns. But Erin's faith in God is not burned away. Even as she dies, she does his Good Work and disables the master vampire. Even as she dies, she adjusts her beliefs to see her connection to everything. It is beautiful, it is peaceful. It is without doctrine. The sun rises, the new born vampires are not prepared enough to survive; even Bev's feeble attempts to bury herself are for naught. The island is cleansed, as she intended.
It was grand story telling filled with thinly veiled metaphor and allusion and oh so filled with great performances. It was blasphemous (so much so, I am surprised the protests were not everywhere -- I guess they are busy being anti-mask and anti-vax) and uplifting. As much as it was dismissive and derisive of Christianity, it also acknowledged loudly that Good People do Good Work. And that is always how I felt. I am not fond of Christianity and all its corruptions, but I do see Good People all around it. I just wish they were able to be a better influence on the structures, instead of more often weighed under the terrible things.
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