Does Riley die in Midnight Mass?

Another Mike Flanagan project is in the books! Midnight Mass, the new seven-episode horror series, debuted on Netflix this morning and it’s bound to really blow viewers away. Flanagan is already well-known in the genre and has finally pushed boundaries with this show. If you’re looking for something fun and light, this is not it!

Midnight Mass tells the story of a small town called Crockett Island, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. It’s a religious place, with most of its inhabitants going to church every Sunday and fully trusting their priest. So when he disappears and another, younger priest shows up in his place, it’s definitely a big deal.

But what the townspeople don’t know is that Father Paul’s (Hamish Linklater) arrival is about to change everything.

Spoilers ahead for Midnight Mass.

One of the cool factors about Midnight Mass is that there are a handful of main characters. Though Father Paul becomes a central part of the story pretty quickly on, Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) is actually the person we’re introduced to first and we get to see most of what goes on through his eyes.

Riley is going through a particularly complicated time at the beginning of Midnight Mass; he went to jail for accidentally killing a young woman in a drunk driving accident and is now back at Crockett Island, living with his parents and younger brother. It’s a crucial moment in his life as he’s back in the real world and has to figure out what to do from here.

Although his family is very religious, Riley makes it pretty clear from the beginning that he is not. He does not want to take communion at church and only goes at all because his parents want him to. Father Paul is very kind to him despite his beliefs, and the two get pretty close throughout the show.

Because Riley was in jail for a fatal drunk driving accident, he’s supposed to go to Alcoholics Anonymous, which is only hosted off on the mainland. When Father Paul hears about this, he decides to open up a chapter right at the recreation room in Crockett Island to be convenient for Riley. At first, the sessions start with just the two of them, but soon enough they enlist Joe Collie (Robert Longstreet) to join, the town drunk who’s wanting a better life for himself.

Although Riley explains why he doesn’t follow Christianity, he still gives Father Paul his time and energy. The priest definitely has a charming and warm way about him, one that the people of Crockett Island are drawn to.

One night, Riley appears at their AA meeting and asks where Joe is. Father Paul explains that Joe is visiting his sister off on the mainland. Riley remembers a previous conversation with Joe, where Joe shared that his sister had passed away. Riley doesn’t say anything at this point, but he knows the priest is lying.

Riley decides to come back to the rec room that night to confront Father Paul, and when he does, something extremely shocking happens. A frightening creature is in the room with Father Paul, and when Riley tries to leave, it attacks him. We later find out this is an angel who is following the priest.

By the looks and sounds of it, Riley is dead. The angel has him pinned down and is feeding on his neck in a chilling scene. But this is not the end of his story.

How does Riley come back to life in Midnight Mass?

In the next episode, Riley appears at Erin’s (Kate Siegel) door. Just as viewers are, she’s shocked to see him as she hadn’t heard from him and thought something might’ve happened. Riley is short, but says he needs to take her out on the rowboat so he can explain everything.

On the water, Riley talks about religion, and we get a flashback of Riley waking up on the rec room floor to Father Paul comforting him. “See, God still has a plan, and death isn’t part of it anymore, not for all of us. We don’t have to be afraid ever again,” Father Paul tells Riley.

When Riley is fully coherent, he tries to leave the rec room but when he opens the door, the sun burns his skin like a vampire. He demands answers and Father Paul confirms that he’s really Monsignor Pruitt, the town’s beloved priest. In so many words, he says that everything happens for a reason and that God chose to resurrect him back from the dead.

Riley explains all of his to Erin on the boat, and as the sun comes up, he burns up in the sun. Erin’s screams are absolutely bloodcurdling, which makes for such a shocking scene. And that’s it for Riley. He has to show Erin what happens so she can go back to town and warn people.

Riley goes through a whole lot throughout the show, and ultimately sacrifices his life so that others can be saved. There are still two more episodes after he dies for good, and it only gets wilder. Trust me!

Be sure to stream Midnight Mass on Netflix right now.