Midnight, Texas Season Finale: Top 5 Moments From “The Virgin Sacrifice” (Season 1 Episode 10)

The first season of Midnight, Texas wraps up with an episode that could easily be a series finale. Strangely, it almost feels like it is definitely a series finale, rather than a season finale — as if cancellation is a foregone conclusion and the potential for Season 2 is an afterthought.

With that said, here are the top 5 biggest, most game-changing moments of Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 10, “The Virgin Sacrifice.”

1. Bobo and Fiji do the deed

These two have spent virtually the entire season dancing around their feelings for one another, so this is easily the most ~satisfying~ moment of the finale.

At first, Bobo is wracked with guilt over Aubrey and totally clueless about the fact that Fiji is in love with him. Then, once the pair finally confess their mutual feelings, they’re quickly ripped apart by the revelations about Bobo’s white supremacist family and past. When Fiji is finally ready to start getting past her misgivings, they’re interrupted yet again by the whole demon situation.

All in all, the couple hasn’t had much luck all season.

That’s why it’s so satisfying to see their hook-up play out this way. It’s equal parts about their actual relationship, Fiji’s character development (she trusts herself and controls her power now!), and the actual plot — a smart congruence of plot threads all coming together into one decently hot (for NBC, anyway) sex scene.

There’s also no denying that Dylan Bruce and Parisa Fitz-Henley have plenty of romantic and sexual chemistry, so that aspect of the development is fantastic.

I also like that the moment feels natural and not shoe-horned in. Yes, it’s slightly ridiculous that Fiji and Bobo are remotely in the mood when there are demons literally at the door step and the apocalypse is nigh — but it also *technically* makes sense for them to have sex when they do.

After all, Kolkonar specifically wants Fiji as his sacrifice because she is a powerful virgin witch. By taking out the “virgin” aspect, they render the sacrifice useless. Of course, Kolkonar is just ready to wipe out the whole town when he realizes Fiji is no longer a virgin witch, but Manfred takes care of that situation anyway.

And luckily, Fiji doesn’t burn Bobo to death the way that she burned Jeremy to death!

Although I have to admit it would’ve been slightly funny if Fiji had accidentally killed Bobo in the midst of everything, only for Manfred to save the day regardless.

Bonus points for Fiji instantly turning into a horn dog after that first time.

2. Creek and Manfred exchange “I Love You’s”

Despite my own oft-noted “meh” feelings about this ‘ship, this moment comes across as super sweet.

I’ve enjoyed Creek’s development as a character over the past several episodes. I like that they don’t drag out the Creek/Manfred reconciliation too much. Manfred telling Creek “I love you” as they’re on the phone right before he risks his life to defeat the demon feels perfectly natural and matter-of-fact. I like it specifically for its lack of sentimentality.

Francois Arnaud and Sarah Ramos play the moment perfectly. I also think their exchange before Creek says “I love you too” is adorable.

I’m definitely not about to start stanning these two, but I’ll say that they’ve grown on me since their groan-inducing, far more melodramatic moments earlier in the season.

3. Manfred defeats Kolkonar by allowing multiple demons to possess him

This is inarguably the biggest moment of the finale: Manfred (presumably) fulfills his destiny as the town’s savior by closing the veil and sending Kolkonar (as well as the demons possessing him) back to hell.

Unfortunately, this all goes off far too easily to be particularly effective or interesting.

I just find it hard to believe that allowing multiple demons to possess him has no repercussions whatsoever. Throughout the entire episode, everything feels surprisingly low-stakes, despite the fact that we’re meant to believe any one of these characters can die at any minute.

Then, Manfred comes up with this harebrained scheme that he kinda-sorta bases on an interpretation of what the shaman told him when he was dead on Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 9. He welcomes in the demons, goes all gravelly-voiced when he takes on Kolkonar, then destroys the demon and easily expels his possessors with no trouble at all. Huh?

The fact that this is all so easy to accomplish is a head-scratcher, and I absolutely can’t suspend my disbelief long enough to buy it. I went in at least expecting a scene where Creek needs to “talk down” Manfred from the demon possession (sort of like Joe did for Chuy back on Midnight, Texas Season 1 Episode 7).

Instead, there’s none of that. Manfred saves the day presumably through sheer force of will. And it’s, to be frank, really predictable, illogical, and boring.

I’m at least hoping that, should the show be renewed for a second season, some sort of demon possession side effect is revealed. But the finale gives no indication that that’ll be the case.

4. Olivia nearly dies, but Lem saves her using vampire blood

Olivia and Lem have been at odds for much of the last several episodes — but there’s nothing like a little near-death experience to clear that right up!

Wraith-Jeremy burns Olivia by wrapping his arms around her stomach as she’s running to Fiji’s house, so she spends much of the finale in an about-to-die-no-seriously-any-minute-now state.

Alas, I don’t for a second believe that she’ll die, even when she demands that Creek pass along her message to Lem (that Olivia would’ve come back to him after all) if she croaks.

That’s why it’s no big surprise when Lem shows up at the hospital in the nick of time to save Olivia using his blood.

What I am surprised about is the fact that Olivia has virtually no problem with the use of his blood to save her. I feel as though, since she was so up in arms and against being turned, she might’ve had some issue with the use of blood for healing purposes. But I guess not.

5. Olivia and Lem get married

All that said, the wedding between the two that acts as the coda of the season is sweet. And also, Olivia’s wedding look is GORGEOUS.

It’s a great set piece to show all of the major characters in the aftermath of the “big” battle (despite the fact that said battle doesn’t feel particularly large or high-stakes at all).

That said, my pre-season interview with the show creator, Arielle Kebbel (Olivia), and Peter Mensah (Lem) made it very clear that the show was, at its core, all about relationships.

Given this, the finale manages to underscore that theme perfectly. Between Manfred/Creek, Bobo/Fiji, and Lem/Olivia, the Season 1 finale is all about resolution and next steps for the characters. I just can’t quite see how they’ll continue on from here. The events of the finale (save the construction lady coming to renovate the hotel) feel very complete and wrap up all loose ends.

Stray Thoughts:

• Lem’s perfectly-delivered “Shut up, my skin is burning” to interrupt Manfred’s rally makes me laugh out loud.
• Perhaps the biggest twist of the hour is that Madonna is apparently in communication with Olivia’s estranged father and keeping tabs on her for him! I’m most just impressed that she actually has a modicum of a storyline to round out the season.
• I have to wonder — where was Chuy hanging out while everything was going down in Midnight?
• I can’t get over how much better the shorter hair looks for Olivia.
• Criminal underuse of Ryan McCartan. Very bad!
• I still don’t really understand the purpose of the Reverend. As characters go, he’s sort of been useless all season long and hasn’t had much of a storyline of his own.

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

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Midnight, Texas airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.

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