“The Midnight Club” doesn’t either, but it does take a gentler easing into those deeper waters. As wild as the genre elements could get, Pike never shied away from controversial subject matter like abortion, gun violence, drugs, suicide, and death- especially death. Much of what made Pike’s work resonate with teens in the ’90s was the refusal to talk down to his audience he treated his teen characters like adults. Those familiar with Pike’s work might also take a bit to get used to the changes in tone and pacing.

It’s through their stories that we get to know them. Or to realize just how much the stories they share reflect their fears, worries, past histories, and hopes. So do the variations in each character’s varying storytelling styles.

The first half of the season takes a while to get acclimated to the world and its characters. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2022Īs Ilonka stumbles to find a foothold in her new surroundings and friend group, so does the series. (L to R) Aya Furukawa as Natsuki, Ruth Codd as Anya, Annarah Cymone as Sandra, Iman Benson as Ilonka, Sauriyan Sapkota as Amesh, Igby Rigney as Kevin, Chris Sumpter as Spencer in episode 104 of The Midnight Club. Guiding them all through their emotions about their impending deaths is Brightcliffe founder Dr. Her transition to Brightcliffe is equally discordant, with multiple cringe-inducing and volatile meetings with fellow patients Cheri ( Adia ), Sandra ( Annarah Cymone ), Natsuki ( Aya Furukawa ), Spence ( Chris Sumpter ), Amesh ( Sauriyan Sapkota ), Anya ( Ruth Codd ), and Kevin ( Igby Rigney ). “The Midnight Club” makes its 1994 setting abundantly clear from the outset, introducing Ilonka in ’90s suburbia with the appropriate but jarring fashion style and needle drops. Each night its members gather at midnight to tell each other stories and look for signs of life after death. The remote hospice harbors a mysterious past, and as Ilonka seeks to uncover its secrets, she also bonds with her peers through the Midnight Club. The determined hopeful begins researching a way to beat the odds, leading her to Brightcliffe, a hospice for teens like her. Series creators Flanagan and Leah Fong repurpose some of Pike’s prolific catalog, using The Midnight Club as a centerpiece, to explore what it means to live and die through stories.Ī terminal diagnosis sends Ilonka ( Iman Benson ) spiraling her college plans and bright future come undone by an unexpected illness. Its esoteric ruminations on death and storytelling feel like a natural extension of themes explored in Midnight Mass, only for a younger audience in mind. It makes sense why Christopher Pike’s 1994 novel, The Midnight Club, would appeal to Mike Flanagan.

The midnight club 1994