Midnight, Texas Review: Riders on the Storm (Season 1 Episode 9)

The penultimate episode of Midnight, Texas Season 1 seriously ramps things into high gear, while also exploring Fiji’s history in Midnight and her origins as a powerful witch.

All season long, I’ve really enjoyed Fiji and Parisa Fitz Henley’s portrayal of her. So, unsurprisingly, I love that we get an entire episode’s worth of flashbacks for her on Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 9, “Riders on the Storm.”

The Fiji flashbacks are easily the best and most interesting that we’ve seen on the show so far — well beyond anything in Manfred’s Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 8 flashbacks or Lem’s Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 3 flashbacks.

Present-Fiji is just so incredibly different in her ten years ago incarnation. Freshly arrived in Midnight to live with her now-dead aunt (whose style Fiji seems to have, at some point, absorbed), Fiji looks and acts nothing like the woman we’ve come to know over these past eight episodes.

Instead, this Starbucks-loving chick’s got long, straight hair, tons of eye makeup, and quite a lot of emotional baggage, with emotional instability to boot. I really want to see more of Fiji’s story, to see exactly how she transitioned from the edgy girl who arrived in town a decade back to the peace-loving, earthy witch she is now.

And I want to find out what happened to her aunt!

The addition of Jeremy is an intriguing one. It’s heartbreaking to discover that Fiji once accidentally killed a boy she loved — right before they were about to have sex! Fiji’s first time having sex, no less! Burning him to death with her feelings! It’s just a cavalcade of awful.

I’m always glad to see Ryan McCartan show up in just about anything. I’ve loved him since I saw him as JD in the off-Broadway musical version of Heathers several years ago. He’s pretty great.

The role of Jeremy isn’t exactly very involved or meaty, but the show brings him back in the present (as one of the maybe-demons ushering Fiji to give herself over to the creature that’s been haunting her) in a really smart way that fits well within the narrative.

It also logically makes sense for the episode to end with Fiji voluntarily giving herself over to the demon, right as Manfred comes back from the dead with just the intel they need to seal the veil. Jeremy, a man Fiji accidentally killed because of her powers, is exactly the right person to convince her she’s better off staying away from everyone so they don’t get hurt (by the demon) because of her.

(Speaking of the demon who has set his sights on Fiji due to her virgin witch status — I can’t for the life of me remember that dude’s name. Kokoro? Corcoran? Coronado Springs? Help me out here.)

Here’s hoping that the crew will be able to rescue her before she actually goes through with it and accompanies dead ex Jeremy into the arms of La Cucaracha. Or whoever.

In other news, Olivia and Lem are continuing to have issues after their demon-induced confrontation on “Last Temptation of Midnight.”

Olivia is understandably untrusting of Lem after he attacked her under the influence and threatened to turn her. She’s more sure now than ever that she absolutely does not want to be a vampire. Ever. And now, she’s moved up her timeline for their inevitable breakup.

In a heartbreaking moment, Olivia tells Lem that she intends to leave Midnight as soon as this whole apocalypse thing is handled. I can’t say I blame her, but it’s still a really sad scene, well-acted by both Peter Mensah and Arielle Kebbel.

I’m almost positive that the events of the finale will reconcile whatever issues Olivia and Lem are facing (at least for the meantime). But we’ll just have to see how it all shakes out in next week’s last episode of the season.

Stray Thoughts:

• Three cheers for Creek turning around and coming back to Midnight in the nick of time, saving Manfred and Mr. Snuggly in the process.
• I’m all about that shade Mr. Snuggly throws Fiji about never having liked her — and also everybody’s reaction to the fact that holy hell, this cat talks and is sassy as heck? Too funny.
• I really like the song the episode ends with. It’s a perfect fit for the mood and moment.
• Bobo continues to be utterly useless. Come on, Bobo! Get it together, dude.
• In all seriousness, though, I don’t see this season ending without Bobo sacrificing himself to save Fiji. Preemptive RIP, Bobo.

What did you think of this episode of Midnight, Texas? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Midnight, Texas airs Mondays at 9/8c on NBC.

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