Series review: The Midnight Gospel

A trippy, educational whirlwind.

Contrary to the name, I must absolutely recommend that you don't watch this at midnight. That is, unless you belong to the category of people who sleep in the day, in which case, go ahead and fulfil the consumption of the gospel message at midnight as the creators intended.

Obviously I’m looking to far into the title, I propose that it just sounds cool and memorable. In comparison, “Duncan Trussell podcast animated” may have lacked the same captivating tone; that is what this is in fact. Initiating myself into, what I can only describe as utterly unique television idea, was one of the strangest, yet most fascinating experiences I've had as a media consumer.

My threshold for concentration has been compromised greatly by the flashy world I've grown up in as a Gen Z member. We googled book reviews as kids, and demanded 7 second videos as our entertainment. We certainly did not sit quietly and absorb truckloads of knowledge and perspective from very intelligent and experienced interviewees. I make this disclaimer because I think it’s important that anyone who plans to watch this prepares themselves for a very challenging series.

Please don't put ‘challenging’ as my assessment in font size 22 in a magazine, only say this because both the dialogue and the absurdly irrelevant animation are equally enticing. Yet, if you forget to pay attention to either, you're stuck in limbo and the watching experience takes a big hit.

I must say, despite my praise for the concept and the first impression, I personally didn't find interest in every episode. Some I was completely engrossed, and others my mind wandered. But, I distinctly remember three episodes including the pilot being fantastic watches, and I would say that objectively that one with more of an attentions span and/or personal investment in the topics would consider this an absolute masterpiece. I certainly saw that potential.

The animation was whimsical, random and often extremely deep. The dialogue was gold dust on occasions, and I would highly recommend to anyone who has read this with interest.

Rating: 8/10