Roundtable Discussion “Last Temptation of Midnight”

Midnighters – if you had “Last Temptation of Midnight” preempted by storm coverage you can (and should) catch up here before you continue reading.

Also remember Midnight, Texas is airing an all new episode on a special day. Tune into NBC Wednesday the 13th for a Fiji centric episode.

Manfred deals with his decision to flee Midnight. After some heart wrenching flashbacks, and some pretty bad withdrawals in the desert, Manfred makes his return to Midnight. Not a moment to soon either as Midnight, Texas has been dealing with the demon that is after Fiji. The demon is getting stronger and starts calling to others in Midnight, tapping into their sadness and general anger.

Grandma broke my heart this episode. There is no question. Just I’m going to miss her.
Roz: But she went out how she wanted, which I can’t fault.
Mel: So are we just going to ignore the FACELESS DEMON WHO KILLS PEOPLE AND WEARS THEIR FACES??? And Xylda put Manfred in a truck with it???? I mean, yeah, getting to see Manfred as a “sweet, weird kid” and some of his history with Xylda was lovely, but … FACELESS DEMON.
Leah: I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought Xylda should have maybe checked the truck before telling Manfred his ride was there. I am sad to see Xylda go though. She was a great sounding board for Manfred when he was feeling alone.
Roz: Well, that demon is creepy as hell, but I think Xylda is doing the right by trying to rid the world of that demon by putting Manfred in plenty of danger.
Cara: Xylda was great, but as she said, everyone’s got to move on. Although, I’m with you all. Why didn’t she notice that truck had a bed full of corpses and a demon at the wheel? Maybe she felt it was part of Manfred’s destiny?? I don’t know.

Manfred returned and found his true calling along the way. How do we like his handy power to control the dead?
Roz: It’s a nice way to have the bad of the week get Manfred back into Midnight. And the power is pretty useful when the town is overrun with dead souls.
Mel: Mel: Pretty freaking handy skill to have as your town is about to be inundated with dead people. Thank goodness Xylda reminded him about it before moving on.
Leah: I have to admit. i would have thought that was a skill Xylda could have used in their con days. Seems odd to me it was forgotten, or pushed aside. I’m glad she remembered and I’m glad he can still use it.
Cara: It is definitely a handy skill to have. I also think it’s good that we first saw it as Manfred playing with the ghosts as friends. It makes it seem less sinister somehow.

Creek and Manfred….Fiji and Bobo. They each have a sweet moment. Do you see our couples coming back together before too long?
Roz: Fiji and Bobo have more of a chance to me than Creek and Manfred, but everyone is more focused on how all the evil is spilling out than anything else. Let’s keep the town alive before we worry about some fun.
Mel: I see Creek and Manfred getting back together soon. As for Fiji and Bobo…I’m pretty sure I know why the demon is after Fiji in particular, and Bobo can help, um, take away part of her appeal if she’ll let him. But like Roz said, maybe focus on surviving the coming apocalypse first?
Leah: Still not sold on Manfred and Creek. I’m going to hope they get back together because it seems to make Manfred happier but meh. Bobo and Fiji now they need to move things along. I’m totally partial to Dylan Bruce so that probably has something to do with it.
Cara: I think both Manfred and Creek still need a little time to get themselves sorted out, though Manfred’s return to Midnight is a pretty big step in the right direction for his own personal growth. I think the demon is a big part of why Fiji is keeping Bobo at arm’s length. She’s has been doing her best to shut out the others and protect them from the demon, so I think she’s eventually going to realize that she needs the help of others.

Uh….Lem starts to lose it, Olivia stakes Lem, she cuts her hair and then they throw down. Discuss.
Roz: I took the staking and Lem’s aggression as all the demon work, though watching that demon try to get everyone to kill themselves and give into their nature (see Rev and that very raw steak).
Mel: Apparently I was wrong about Lemuel knowing that Olivia didn’t want to be turned. I really thought they’d discussed it by the way Olivia dismissed the idea in episode 2. Lemuel nearly forcing Olivia to turn was…disturbing. If the demon taps into the supernaturals’ true desires and exposes them, that could be the stake that ends Lemuel and Olivia (pun intended).
Overall, this is sort of the plot of the third book, where people are drawn to the Midnight crossroads to commit suicide, influenced by the demon who needs multiple sacrifices. The suicide part is a good allegory for depression, how your brain turns on you and tells you that “everything will be better if I die”. The faceless demon offering its own sacrifice, that’s just demented.
Leah: I love that she had time to cut her hair between staking Lem and then strategically placing weapons around the apartment. I don’t know how they come back from this with her trust issues but he was under the influence of a demon so maybe this will eventually be forgiven?
Cara: I agree that the demon does work metaphorically as depression. Lem’s attempts to turn Olivia were so much like a sexual assault, that it can’t help but bring up a lot of emotions from her past. I think coming back from this is going to take a lot of work. Trust doesn’t come easily for Olivia. I had a real “What the….” moment when I saw the haircut. It was just a weird, bizarre moment in the midst of a lot of action. However, chopping off long hair is a tried and true method for getting over a heartbreak, so maybe this is the beginning of Olivia moving on. She and Lem do have an expiration date, after all.

MVP of Favorite Scene?
Roz: Xylda for sure! She took the time to finally tell Manfred more of the truth and got him back on the way to Midnight without it being about Creek.
Mel: Olivia and Lemuel’s fight! That was spectacular! Best fight of the series so far.
Leah: I loved the fight and the scene where Xylda originally died. Both really well done.
Cara: My favorite scene was Xylda letting go. It was very touching. I also thought the moment when Lem is released from the demon’s power was very powerful. He looks so utterly devastated at what he has done. The fight scene was really great, but that moment between them at the end, was heartbreaking.

Midnight, Texas airs Monday 10/9c on NBC