"The moment you accept things as they are, you don’t need to hope anymore, because you realize where you are is kind of okay.” Clancy discovers this in one of the episodes of The Midnight Gospel. Recalling hope as one of the biggest lies that humanity bestowed upon itself, the show will continuously encourage viewers’ cognitive space and minds to engage with absurd yet deep topics. Depicted in colorful and surreal scenery, the series will be a feast for your heart and a remedy for your soul.

Consisting of eight episodes lasting approximately 25 minutes each, The Midnight Gospel is directed by the animator Pendleton Ward, who is well known and has a devoted fanbase thanks to his Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. The Midnight Gospel marks Ward’s animation entrance into adulthood with explicit jokes. It also consists of real conversations from the podcast “Duncan Trussell Family Hour,” hosted by the co-director Duncan Trussell. Guests of Trussell’s podcasts are all represented with unique characters in the show in a fantasy world where the topic ranges from spirituality and consciousness to human experience.

Where It All Began

In the beginniing, Clancy lives in the Chromatic Ribbon, a world where simulation-farmers use bio-computers to stimulate and harvest technology, Clancy can be described as a lonely resident who lives with his pet dog Charlotte. The only meaningful interactions are with his simulations and his self-sufficient artifical intelligence (AI) home called Computer. His life before entering different realities is quite mundane; he is pretty much isolated and neglects things around him, which can be observed from how he once failed to take proper care of Computer, causing it to malfunction.

Before entering the multiverses with his simulator, Clancy lives in his own bubble where he destroys his own chances of connecting with others and instead focuses on developing his mindset. Before mingling up with his podcast guests and diving deeper into their thoughts, Clancy can be seen not paying attention to the residents around his home, as he runs away from interacting with them when unnecessary. He does not engage with his fellow simulator-farmers and Captain Bryce, a multiverse simulator repairman, and only interacts with them when he needs something. However, he is fully focused during his virtual interview simulations where he actively listens and participates in conversations. His virtual conversations all affect his thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, changing his way of living. Clancy’s experiences with the virtual interviews through the multiverse simulator feed the algorithm of the device, which eventually leaves him with the conversations he needs most.

One thing particular to note is how Clancy can customize his avatar for each of his trips to different realities. This feature of his machine turns out to be a true case of convenience, as he modifies himself to gain confidence and adjust to his new surroundings. Sometimes he is a Hulk look-alike buff character during a zombie apocalypse, sometimes an octopus sheriff, and sometimes even a baby Clancy. For each new simulation, he collects an item from the places he visits and adds it to his talisman collection as a memory from his adventures. Clancy’s interest in his simulations also reflects how the virtual world can act as a coping mechanism for him against the questions in his head. It even serves as an escapism method for him at times as when he fails to feel connected to others in his own reality, he resorts to finding comfort in the digital worlds.

A Moment to Remember 

One of the most important messages the show tries to convey is that it is undeniably salient to actively listen and be mindful of others as The Midnight Gospel invites its viewers to cultivate empathy towards to world around them. Throughout the show, Clancy comes across various characters who are different than him: from the president of a land who gets infected with zombies to Darryl, a fish-man in a robot suit. In one way or another, his encounters with them allow him to understand their similarities as well as answer questions about topics such as life, death, meditation, love, and even drugs.

At first, Clancy was quite stubborn with his opinions. If he did not agree with the opinion of another character, he resisted their advice. In one of the episodes, he disagreed with another character called David, a meditation master. Clancy does not agree with David’s perspective and starts lashing out at him. Opposed to Clancy, David stays calm and chooses to be mindful. Eventually, David’s kindness and patience with Clancy made their interaction successful and hence provided him with another podcast topic. As the show progresses, so do the insights and beliefs of Clancy. He fully goes under a character development where he finally accepts his sister’s attempts to form a sibling bond, explores who he truly is, and lets himself grieve for his mother’s death.

The final episode is the most memorable one yet as Clancy has a one- on-one dialogue with his mother. However, it is not actually Clancy’s mom; it is actually based on a real podcast episode Trussell’s late mother recorded in 2013, three weeks before she passed away. The viewers are provided with the chance to indirectly meet Trussell’s mom, Deneen Fending, who was a psychologist with three children. His mom’s shooting voice and the warmness of their conversation leave viewers teary as the two have an intimate conversation. Trussell’s idea of finishing the show with such an episode where he exposes his personal life to his viewers is the hook, line, and sinker that makes fans attached. To cry, to laugh, and to enjoy being in the moment, The Midnight Gospel is everything the viewers need to embrace the true meaning behind living in this universe.

Television Series Information

Genre: Science, Fantasy, Surrealism, Comedy

Creator: Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell

Starring: Duncan Trussell, Phil Hendrie, Joey Diaz

Running Time: 20 to 25 minutes per episode

Streaming Platform: Netflix