Whenever a conversation comes up about some of the greatest animated series of all-time, it’s damn near impossible that Adventure Time doesn’t make its way to the top. The adventures of Finn and Jake captured the hearts of generations of viewers for nearly a decade, and it is easily one of the most decorated animated series of the modern era. So, when I heard that Adventure Time creator, Pendleton Ward, was creating a new adult animated series for Netflix, its interstellar podcast concept and strangeness piqued my interest. Now with the first three episodes under my belt, it’s almost crazy how his new series, The Midnight Gospel, already proves to be something worth talking about because of how innovative and thought-provoking it is.
The series follows Clancy (voiced by series creator/writer Duncan Trussell, Animals), a spacecaster whose podcast, The Midnight Gospel, has him embark to dying planets to talk to residents about, well, everything. From drugs to dying, Clancy is looking to get different slices of life as he travels to different versions of Earth through his charming and chatty simulator (voiced by Phil Hendrie, Rick & Morty). Each episode, viewers will travel with Clancy and learn about the world as he interviews different guests while their world crumbles around them through strange and mysterious means.
It’s incredible how the series blends reality and animated fantasy through its podcast concept as Clancy’s conversations between each world’s residents are actually conversations between Trussell and guests. Not knowing a whole lot about The Midnight Gospel, it actually blew my mind when I realized that this series is essentially splicing in clips of Trussell and guests talking about things and how it actually felt like I was listening to a podcast.
From the audio quality to the way Trussell and his guests would lose track of what they were talking about, it’s crazy how even the smallest elements elicit this feeling of listening to a podcast with the backdrop of their world slowly crumbling. There’s even a great moment in episode two where Trussell’s guest, film producer Raghu Markus (Becoming Nobody), actually refers to Clancy as Trussell and it leads to a great meta moment of Clancy acknowledging it. As a fan of podcasts, like The Pop Break’s slew of entertaining and enlightening podcasts, it’s cool to have a series that’s just as engaging on an auditory level as it is on a visual level.
The animation definitely gives off that Adult Swim vibe that’s a perfect mix of whimsical, weird, and brutal that makes for an intriguing watch. Where Adventure Time was more like a mix between medieval and modern fantasy, The Midnight Gospel is a total mix of everything and anything that stems from the spacey, sci-fi premise of Clancy starting on his vacant planet. The character designs are unique to different worlds that Clancy visits and make their own impression through the conversations they have with Clancy. There’s even something about Clancy himself that’s so engaging and entertaining and it’s in large part due to Trussell’s voice work and the way the concept and execution of the podcast audio really works to spark thought within viewers.
The Midnight Gospel’s greatest strengths really come from the conversations Trussell has with guests on life and other aspects of it. They’re deep enough to make viewers reflect on their own experiences without coming off too preachy or pretentious. Like Clancy, Trussell is more interested in understanding and delving into nuts and bolts of life, like drugs or dealing with death, and the conversations he has with others come off so genuine and real that you find yourself very compelled to listen to what they’re talking about. There’s never any sort of message or idea they’re trying to imprint on viewers, but rather just bring out ideas and thoughts that viewers can mentally chew on. Even when there are times that Trussell and his guests’ conversations can go over some viewer’s heads because they’re just so knowledgeable, like his conversation with film producer Damien Echols (West of Memphis) on meditation and his life, there’s never too much of a disconnect that could lose viewers.
Viewer’s might also find themselves struggling to maintain focus at times because of how the conversations between Clancy and his newfound friends don’t always mesh with what’s going on around them. For instance, while I loved hearing Trussell talk about drugs with Dr. Drew Pinsky in the first episode, it was hard for me to focus on it sometimes because of the zombie apocalypse (also incredible to watch) unfolding around them.
In some ways, it’s funny how Clancy and his guests just go on with their conversations while the world burns around them seemingly ignoring all the horrors and craziness, but, as viewers, it can be a little challenging to figure out what you want to focus on. Like in the third episode, I couldn’t tell you what the hell was happening in the background with a fishbowl head captaining a ship full of cats. I will say though that the conversations and visuals are so engaging in just about twenty minutes that there’s some rewarding re-watchability for those wanting to understand every aspect of Clancy’s adventures.
Just as Bojack Horseman ends, Netflix seems to have already found a new animated series from Ward and Trussell that could easily become one of it’s most compelling and emotionally enriching experiences yet. Whether you’re looking for a show to make you think during these tough times, something wild, fun, and completely unexpected, or are just a fan of podcasts in general, The Midnight Gospel has something for everyone and is easily one of the most innovative and unique animated series as of late.
