Roundtable Discussion: “Angel Heart”

This week on Midnight, Texas, we learned about Joe’s history as well as how he and Chuy got together – and why they’re hiding out in Midnight. We also met an angel bent on revenge and delved a little deeper into various relationships. Join Roz, Leah, Lisa, Cara, and Mel for a roundtable discussion of “Angel Heart”.

So not only is Joe a fallen angel, but he chose to leave Heaven because he fell in love with a demon. Did you suspect that was Chuy’s secret? Did this episode change how you feel about Joe?

Roz: I’ve been saying that Chuy had to be something, but I wasn’t expecting a demon. Though now that it’s revealed it makes tons of sense – you don’t Fall for less than a sworn enemy. I don’t think it changes much about Joe; he’s still choosing love over hate and compassion over bloodlust. That first scene make it clear he didn’t like killing, even with a purpose, so he’s much better suited to killing for very specific reasons where others are at risk.

Leah: If anything I like Joe more. I can’t imagine leaving heaven is an easy decision to make and clearly it was the right one for him as he and Chuy are still happily together centuries later. I don’t know what I suspected Chuy was, but demon works for me in the scheme of things.

Lisa: I agree, I knew Chuy was something but a demon didn’t cross my mind. I liked Joe before but that makes me like him more. What a love story!

Cara: I didn’t suspect he was a demon, but when they revealed it, it made sense. The more we know about Joe, the more I like him. I’d like to see more of Joe and Chuy and who they are outside the problems of Midnight.

Mel: Now see, I was pretty sure from the start that Chuy was a demon. It seemed like the simplest explanation for why Joe was Fallen because of whom he chose to love. Joe is quickly becoming my favorite character, with Chuy a close second. If we get a second season, I hope we have more focus on them.

Speaking of relationships, this episode dealt with a lot of relationship drama. Creek and Manfred broke up. Bobo and Fiji appear to be coming back together. Olivia and Lemuel acknowledged that their relationship has an expiration date. Any feelings to share?

Roz: This finally makes me start feeling something for Creek and Manfred, but I think that all relationships have ends – or stops – and this episode just highlighted how everyone in Midnight is on a timetable.

Leah: Oh I have some feelings to share alright. Olivia telling Lem about their expiration date didn’t fit for me. The look of surprise when she said she didn’t want to be turned made it seem like that wasn’t something they had discussed before. Seemed like an odd time to bring it up.

Creek – What? Your man sees dead people. He doesn’t read minds. Not to mention you kept your brother/family as far away from Manfred as you could. If you want to take a break fine, but I’m pretty sure you have moved yourself into his house. What is your plan? Have a plan!

That leaves Fiji. I get she has some demon hunting her and that can’t be fun, but I am confused why she is so wary of Bobo. As soon as he found out what his family was he left. He was 17 and he took off. He didn’t stay and just not participate for a few years. He left and has been basically on the run ever since. You aren’t defined by your family and he clearly isn’t defined by his. The look of surprise on her face when he offered to just sit on her porch was ridiculous. HE LOVES YOU. Of course he is going to want to be there for you.

Leah: Preach Leah preach!! Ok, I agree with everything Leah said but what got me the most was Olivia and Lem. I don’t want that relationship to expire. She needs to re-evaluate her situation. I do not accept that answer. Bobo telling Fiji he loves her and her response was “ok” did not sit with me either. He does love her and she needs to decide if she can accept his past and who his family is. True his family doesn’t define him, but they are his family and she knows being with her would cut them out for good. There would be no acceptance for him after that no matter what. That’s a lot to take in. I can understand why Fiji is hesitant but she needs to make a decision and stick with it.

Cara: Fiji and Bobo have a lot of issues to sort out, and they’re the kind of thing that takes a little time. But, Bobo is not pressuring her, and I think it took a lot for him to admit to missing his family, despite what they are.

Creek needs to figure out who she is, but so does Manfred, it seems. Is he the kind of guy who sticks around to fight battles that aren’t his own? Now that his personal reasons for being in Midnight are gone, he needs to figure out of he’s going to stay or keep running.

Mel: Wow, we have some opinions here! First, with Olivia and Lem, we have heard this from Olivia before. In the second episode where we meet Zachariah, remember? There’s some talk about turning Olivia and she shuts it down immediately. Lem was there. This isn’t news to him although he may not have thought about it in the context of their relationship.

I think I’m willing to cut Fiji a little more slack than Leah and Lisa are, too. Yes, she needs to figure out whether or not she can move forward with Bobo, but she also has the small issue of A DEMON HAUNTING HER. Priorities, people. (I do appreciate that Bobo isn’t pressuring her. Points to Bobo.)

Creek and Manfred…are very young. And dealing with some heavy stuff. I can be a little more patient with them when I remember those two facts.

What did you think about the Bowie storyline?

Roz: She’s more than a little obsessed with killing, but I like that she was able to give us more about Joe and Chuy. I don’t want to say I liked her, but she opened up the story in a larger sense. How much should anyone believe Joe’s prophecy?

Leah: I really could have done without her. It was a lot of overacting and complete crazy. I guess it opened up more of the Joe/Chuy story but overall she was just too much. If she is fallen and wreaking havoc where was the angel hunting her?

Lisa: Lord, I’d call that Bowie anything but an angel. She was a crazy hot mess! She served a purpose but she was over the top.

Cara: Bowie was definitely a lot to handle. The character’s unchecked anger made me wonder where the angelic part of her was. It’s not all wings and white light, is it?

Mel: I wanted to like this storyline. It had promise. But as Leah said, it was overacted and crazy. I can handle some cheese – obviously – but this was like eating an entire carton of Velveeta in one sitting.

Bowie had a throw away line about knowing how Madonna got the money to purchase and run Home Cookin. We don’t find out Madonna’s backstory until the third book, but it sounds like we might get into it in the first season of the TV show. Care to speculate?

Roz: I think she made a deal with something evil, but beyond that, I’ve got no clue. It’s nice to know she has a past, since we seem to only focus on the truly evil in Midnight (Connor) or the supernatural elements. What else brings all the people to Midnight?

Leah: I’m going with bank robbery. I actually have no idea but I like the idea of her robbing a bank and fleeing to Midnight to open a restaurant that caters to the hodgepodge of Midnighters.

Lisa: I’ve read the 1st book and half of the second so I have no idea what her back story is but I’m excited to see that we are going to find out. I think it has something to do with a child. Maybe she stole a baby or gave a baby away or was the cause of the death of a child. I feel like it’s something really bad if the angel could hang it over her head like that.

Cara: Madonna was just a little too normal for Midnight. She’s got to have some reason for being there. Also, didn’t she patch up Manfred earlier? Where did those medical skills come from?

Mel: I have read all of the books, but I cannot remember Madonna’s backstory! And I’m refusing to go look it up because I want to be surprised. I do remember that in the books she has a husband, Teacher, although she appears to be single on the show. Maybe she let him take the fall for a bank robbery and kept the money?

Joe told Manfred about the prophecy and his belief that Manfred is the one who will seal the veil. So Manfred did “what he does best – run.” What will bring him back to Midnight? Is he the one who can save the world?

Roz: My guess is that Creek will bring him back because she’s his biggest root to the town. Once she figures out who she is (and man does she need to do that), I think she’ll want Manfred back. Or something else truly evil will be in Midnight and Manfred is the only one who can remove it.

Leah: With all of the evil being pulled to Midnight I am guessing Manfred will run into someone on the road out of town and realize he needs to get back.

Lisa: I agree with Roz, I think Creek will bring him back. If not her, then Dead Grandma will say something to him to make him turn that RV around.

Cara: I’d like to see Manfred come back on his own, without Creek asking. I think being committed to the people of Midnight, and not just Creek, is important, especially if he’s to be the one to seal the veil.

Mel: I agree that Creek will be what brings Manfred back. Maybe she’s in danger and he hears about it? Or maybe Olivia tracks him down and convinces him to return. We’ve certainly been set up to believe Manfred is the person who can save Midnight/the world, but what if he’s just the final piece of the team? Like, all these disparate people with their gifts and abilities have to come together to do it?

VIP?

Roz: I’m giving this to Chuy even though he’s a bad looking demon. He did kill Bowie and his demon side is awakening too much to stay, which means things are only going to get worse before they get better.

Leah: I’m not a huge fan of Creek but Sarah Ramos did an excellent job tonight.

Lisa: Yeah, Sarah Ramos has been giving great performances the last 2 episodes ( but I’m not a fan of Creek either). My MVP goes is Chuy as well.

Cara: I’m for Chuy, he was willing to sacrifice his own humanity for Joe. That’s pretty big.

Mel: Chuy the character and Sarah Ramos the actor. Good stuff!

Favorite scene or line?

Roz: Watching Gran be in Manfred’s head when Bowie first stopped by was gold!

Leah: “Because the two of us hiding in a closet is making my head explode.” (Chuy to Joe) That line cracked me up.

Lisa: Manfred’s southern accent while Bowie was in his head cracked me up! I love how well Francois Arnoud plays the different characters that take over his body. He does a good job of that. I also liked when Joe spread those wings! Every time those wings come out, it’s awesome.

Cara: Chuy’s line to Joe was pretty good, but Manfred channeling Grandma is probably my favorite moment.

Mel: Definitely Manfred channeling Xylda. I’ll bet that was fun to film!

Midnight, Texas airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.