"To those before, to those after. To us now and to those beyond. Seen or unseen, here but not here." The axiom that opens every story told my the Midnight Club is never explained, much like many of the elements introduced in Mike Flannigan's newest offering.
What Flanigan does best is write great dialogue, and tell great stories, all packaged up in the horror genre. And, principally, that is what he has done here. Supported largely by Flannigan's incredible cast of regulars, the stories told in The Midnight Club are beautiful and endearing.
I think when approaching this series, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Mike Flannigan adapted a novel written for young adults. So, the scares are a bit less scary, and the psychological thrills are a bit less thrilling than what we are all used to.
2. To make up for #1, Flannigan shows us the "ghost stories" that the kids tell at midnight. But those stories fall flat. More on that later.
3. The Midnight Club was written and produced as season one of a series, not a limited series or a mini-series. A first for Flannigan, and he feels his way around how much to reveal to the audience in the end, and how many questions to leave unanswered for a season 2.
In the end, I don't think Flannigan got it right. The "ghost stories" that the kids tell are a distraction from the central story...and I found the central story to be much more interesting to watch. But, I don't think he got it entirely wrong either, because I did find the central story, the music, and the cast of characters to be absolutely captivating to watch. The show had some phenomenally poetic moments, but overall it just left me feeling there were too many missed opportunities for something a bit more cohesive and fulfilling. Better luck next time, Mr. Flanigan.
What Flanigan does best is write great dialogue, and tell great stories, all packaged up in the horror genre. And, principally, that is what he has done here. Supported largely by Flannigan's incredible cast of regulars, the stories told in The Midnight Club are beautiful and endearing.
I think when approaching this series, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Mike Flannigan adapted a novel written for young adults. So, the scares are a bit less scary, and the psychological thrills are a bit less thrilling than what we are all used to.
2. To make up for #1, Flannigan shows us the "ghost stories" that the kids tell at midnight. But those stories fall flat. More on that later.
3. The Midnight Club was written and produced as season one of a series, not a limited series or a mini-series. A first for Flannigan, and he feels his way around how much to reveal to the audience in the end, and how many questions to leave unanswered for a season 2.
In the end, I don't think Flannigan got it right. The "ghost stories" that the kids tell are a distraction from the central story...and I found the central story to be much more interesting to watch. But, I don't think he got it entirely wrong either, because I did find the central story, the music, and the cast of characters to be absolutely captivating to watch. The show had some phenomenally poetic moments, but overall it just left me feeling there were too many missed opportunities for something a bit more cohesive and fulfilling. Better luck next time, Mr. Flanigan.