Meanwhile, Erin Greene (Kate Siegel) and the rest of the survivors attempt to stop the contagion from reaching the mainland, burning the boats except for the canoe on which teens Warren (Igby Rigney) and Leeza (Annarrah Cymone) can paddle out to safety.

Club spoke with series stars Siegel, Linklater, Sloyan, and Zach Gilford, who first takes us back to episode five, when “prodigal son” Riley Flynn makes a shocking sacrifice.

“When I got the job and signed on, I knew I was only in six of seven episodes,” Gilford shares, “so I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m assuming I die.’” While his assumption was correct, Gilford admits he was still completely blown away by Riley’s final act of redemption, in which he takes Erin out to sea and shares what happened to him at the community center—and then forces her to witness his own fiery death, knowing it was the only way to convince her of the danger threatening the rest of Crockett Island.

And then [Erin] gives him a little light in his life where it’s like, ‘Oh, maybe I deserve some morsel of happiness,’ Gilford says.

“It is one of my favorite moments of the whole show,” Gilford says.

While Erin, too, falls victim to a gruesome attack from the Angel, a sense of peace washes over her in her final moments as she reflects on one of her last conversations with Riley.

Religion saved her life, and supported her through the darkest times, so she comes out it with clear eyes and a full heart.” Joking reference to Gilford’s Friday Night Lights tenure aside, Siegel was floored by the way Erin’s story came full circle, all while underscoring Midnight Mass’s ultimately optimistic take on the affirming power of spirituality.

Differences aside, both Linklater and Sloyan find their characters at their most relatably human in the final seconds before the sun rises on Crockett Island.

On the other hand, Bev’s final moments are spent alone, filled with pain: “What brought those moments to life for Beverly was the fact that, unlike Paul, she never fully comes to the understanding that she was mistaken,” Sloyan says.

And though Midnight Mass ends conclusively, Sloyan and Linklater joke that Mike Flanagan could’ve found a way to save Bev for a part two—if she only dug deep enough: “I really tried to get in deep,” Sloyan says

For more from our conversations with Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, and Samantha Sloyan, check out the full video interviews embedded above