I've been incredibly moved and entertained by this show. Many of the criticisms made by other commenters may be valid to their personal experience or their expectation going-in, but they ultimately miss the point of what The Midnight Gospel is about.
At its core, this is an animated podcast with elements of dialogue scripted and recorded by podcast guests much after the podcast's original creation. You have to accept fundamentally that the show's dialogue will not be fully coherent with the "plot" of each episode. While watching the first episode, I was very confused why the Little President character was referencing Ram Dass and Buddhism while also fighting off zombies. But I quickly came to realize that the dialogue was very intentionally detached from the show's "plot." You must accept that this is the nature of the show. Some of these podcast guests are not entertainers or voice actors so it is understandable why the dialogue seems less natural than a traditional cartoon.
There is an over arching plot to the midnight gospel. However, It develops slowly over the course of several episodes. I found Clancy's character development and plot interesting. I likely would have found a show solely based in fiction and the Clancy character just as interesting as a standalone project. But watching the Midnight Gospel you have to except that exploring the simulated worlds and Clancy's life is not the only or even primary purpose of the show.
Many of the podcast guests are genuine professionals in their fields. Other commenters have argued that the dialogue seems dumb-ed down or simply stoner talk. But you have to remember that each episode of the midnight gospel condenses a several hour long conversation into a digestible short format. Of course each conversation is not going to reach its full potential. But there are many genuine insights to be found through the conversations on the show. Interestingly, each guest has their own interpretation of mindfulness and existentialism some of which contradict each other. The show does not place a value judgment on these philosophies but merely offers them up for the viewer to interpret and judge themselves.
If you are not the kind of person who is interested in existential philosophy, Zen Buddhism and death acceptance then the midnight gospel simply won't appeal to you; but it's not fair to leave a negative review because the nature of the show's philosophy is disquieting to your worldview.
The art style is incredible. It's psychedelic nature is certainly drawing on inspiration from other adult cartoons yet develops its own unique character. Psychedelic adult cartoon is certainly becoming a form of entertainment and art in itself, especially in our culture which is becoming more accepting and open about the use of marijuana and LSD for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. But on the first go, I would watch the midnight gospel sober in order to enjoy the philosophical discussions.
The final episode, which hosts a conversation between Duncan and his late mother, was incredibly moving and has stayed with me for days. Especially paired with the penultimate episode, where Caitlin Doughty discusses the death acceptance movement in the United States and the idea of being mindful and prepared about the nature of our own mortality and the mortality of our loved ones.
Enjoy this genre bending show with an open mind!
At its core, this is an animated podcast with elements of dialogue scripted and recorded by podcast guests much after the podcast's original creation. You have to accept fundamentally that the show's dialogue will not be fully coherent with the "plot" of each episode. While watching the first episode, I was very confused why the Little President character was referencing Ram Dass and Buddhism while also fighting off zombies. But I quickly came to realize that the dialogue was very intentionally detached from the show's "plot." You must accept that this is the nature of the show. Some of these podcast guests are not entertainers or voice actors so it is understandable why the dialogue seems less natural than a traditional cartoon.
There is an over arching plot to the midnight gospel. However, It develops slowly over the course of several episodes. I found Clancy's character development and plot interesting. I likely would have found a show solely based in fiction and the Clancy character just as interesting as a standalone project. But watching the Midnight Gospel you have to except that exploring the simulated worlds and Clancy's life is not the only or even primary purpose of the show.
Many of the podcast guests are genuine professionals in their fields. Other commenters have argued that the dialogue seems dumb-ed down or simply stoner talk. But you have to remember that each episode of the midnight gospel condenses a several hour long conversation into a digestible short format. Of course each conversation is not going to reach its full potential. But there are many genuine insights to be found through the conversations on the show. Interestingly, each guest has their own interpretation of mindfulness and existentialism some of which contradict each other. The show does not place a value judgment on these philosophies but merely offers them up for the viewer to interpret and judge themselves.
If you are not the kind of person who is interested in existential philosophy, Zen Buddhism and death acceptance then the midnight gospel simply won't appeal to you; but it's not fair to leave a negative review because the nature of the show's philosophy is disquieting to your worldview.
The art style is incredible. It's psychedelic nature is certainly drawing on inspiration from other adult cartoons yet develops its own unique character. Psychedelic adult cartoon is certainly becoming a form of entertainment and art in itself, especially in our culture which is becoming more accepting and open about the use of marijuana and LSD for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. But on the first go, I would watch the midnight gospel sober in order to enjoy the philosophical discussions.
The final episode, which hosts a conversation between Duncan and his late mother, was incredibly moving and has stayed with me for days. Especially paired with the penultimate episode, where Caitlin Doughty discusses the death acceptance movement in the United States and the idea of being mindful and prepared about the nature of our own mortality and the mortality of our loved ones.
Enjoy this genre bending show with an open mind!