User Reviews

I'm seeing a lot of reviews that make inaccurate assumptions about the nature of this show. It's not merely podcast-inspired, a large portion of the dialogue is actual interview clips taken from Duncan Trussell's (Clancy) podcast "The Duncan Trussell Family Hour". Pendleton Ward was a fan of the podcast and collaborated with Trussell to create this show. Because of this, the majority creative voice that comes through in the show is Trussell's, so if you're looking for more Adventure Time, you won't necessarily find it here.

With that being said, I'm going to evaluate the show 1) as animation, 2) as entertainment, and 3) as education.

1) The animation in this is show fantastic. It's psychedelic, colorful, and imaginative. There are tons of tiny details packed into the background to look for, and it makes use of different drawing styles and mediums in a really creative way. People have complained that the conversations that take place in the show don't relate to the animation at all, but that's just not true. The animation usually serves as metaphor for or exploration of the topic of the conversation; a lot of the time this is executed in really clever ways that become more clear as the episode progresses. A minor gripe is that the animation frame rate is noticeably low in places, but I think it is understandable considering how much more detailed this show is when compared with other animated shows.

2) This show has two main sources of value: the spectacle of the animation and the conversations that Clancy has over the course of the show. If you come to this show looking for the entertainment you would get from a traditional TV show, you're bound to be disappointed, because there's not much in the way of plot, character development, or narrative tension. However, that doesn't mean there isn't any at all, and the story that unfolds over the course of the show relates to the themes of the conversations Clancy is having (The best example of this is the episode "Annihilation of Joy").

It's hard to say whether Clancy himself has changed by the end of the final episode. I think that Clancy is supposed the represent the human condition, especially of someone living today. He seems to run away from everything in his life, retreating into his universe simulator and escaping by entering other's lives (cough, Netflix, cough). He's so desperate to do so he doesn't pay attention to the beauty of the world around him, the suffering or needs of others, or even the obvious warnings coming from the simulator itself. He doesn't pay attention to the present!

I think he also serves as a critique of the detached stoner that this show is marketed towards, because he seems to convey gaining genuine understanding and insight during his conversations, but then can't seem to apply that to his own life. I will say that one weakness of the show is that it does seem like Clancy has things illustrated or explained to him that he should already understand, because the podcast conversations themselves are from various different times in Trussell's life (For example, Clancy expresses interest in mindfulness in the first episode and then seems to be unaware of the concept of presence much later in the show).

My main problem with the show from an entertainment perspective is that I don't think it succeeds in becoming something truly cohesive. If you go into it knowing it is derived from a podcast, you can easily distinguish the podcast dialogue from the new dialogue, and it can kind of take you out of the experience. If you go into the show knowing nothing about it, then it is bound to cause you confusion because the dialogue simply does feel disjointed from the show at times. I can sort of understand why others mistakenly thought the podcast and the animation were done completely separately, or that the podcast dialogue itself was scripted. Basically, I'm not sure that the show as a whole is always more entertaining than either just the animation, or just the conversation.

3) I'm pretty upset that this show was released on 04/20/20 for marketing purposes, and to be honest I wonder if it was Trussell and/or Ward's decision at all. I watched the first episode while high and found it impossible to keep track of what was happening. Sure, the show has psychedelic animation that makes it amazing to look at while high, but the conversations that are being had are of a genuine and complex nature. It is difficult to pay attention to both and that is a weakness of the show. THERE ARE REAL INSIGHTS PRESENT IN THESE CONVERSATIONS that you can learn about and benefit from. One weakness of the show is that these conversations can seem very surface-level for someone who has already investigated these topics. However, I think part of the value that this show has is presenting conversations about these difficult subjects in a way that is appealing and accessible to people that haven't looked into them or heard about them.

Some of the guests in the show are real philosophical, spiritual, and medical experts and the dialogue is not mere pseudo-intellectual stoner LSD babble as some others have characterized it. While psychedelic drugs are often abused as mere playthings, they can give people genuine insight. Some psychedelics have been scientifically proven to alleviate depression. There is also scientific evidence for the benefits of mindfulness meditation, a kind of meditation derived from Buddhism which is discussed in the show.

Please, watch this show sober with an open and non-judgmental mind, and research the guests and their backgrounds. No matter how druggy, unrealistic, stupid, depressing, or strange you think it is at first, I promise that there is meaning to the madness. You don't have to agree with everything (I don't), but I think it is disingenuous to dismiss the dialogue as shallow dribble, and it might be worth giving these ideas a second thought.

In sum, I think this show succeeds in experimenting with pairing incredible animation and meaningful podcast conversation. Has it pioneered the next big thing (long-form podcast animation) that will be imitated and iterated on in the future? I'm not sure, but it seems unlikely. It's possible to watch this just for the animation and the humor, but I think the conversations have a lot to offer as well.

From the trailers I was expecting something more like King Star King.

I have done no research on this show but what I guess they have done is record real interviews, transcribe them and then adapt them into a workable script.

I have never seen anything quite like this. Reminiscent of its creator's other show, Adventure Time but very much a fresh experience, the episodes lose nothing from eschewing conventional plots in favor one long dialogue (in the Socratic sense) about various things we experience in our life from cultural perspectives on drugs to death to parenting. You hear a lot of opinions but it's never preachy or sanctimonious. Each episode was enriching and I'm tempted to say they basically just got better and better.

One episode actually does have a regular type plot and it's pretty fun.

These dialogues are always cast against astounding surrealist backdrops that are immense but never garish or excessive. Any lulls in the quality of discourse are barely noticeable against fabulous imagery that may or may not have a hidden meaning but is none the worse for that.

I didn't love the certainty that one shouldn't lie to the dying but that's not exactly a cross I'm going to die on.

One particular episode I suspect they had the main actors actual mother as an interviewee. I am very cynical about that kind of thing but it is one of the most moving things I have seen recently.

A triumph of experimental television.

The Midnight Gospel came from Adventure Time's creator, Pendleton Ward; except this show was also co-created by podcaster Duncan Trussell with the intent of giving absurdly over-the-top scenarios irreverent animated life through its deep conversations and deconstructions on philosophy, space and time and how the world's wisdoms bounce off one-another in the grand scheme of our lives.

This is a show that takes something as non-linear as podcast interviews and turns them into mad-lib storyline's about a 'Space-Caster' travelling across multiple worlds. This show might be a meditation for those suffering from the Five Stages of Grief: and this show might be a therapeutic way of the 'acceptance' part of that struggle. In that regard The Midnight Gospel is unusually important television, especially in 2020.

The Midnight Gospel will make Adventure Time fans feel right at home; and it's an ideal evolution from that show's imagination and style.

As others pointed out there are many 1,2 star reviews and I don't want others to think the show is bad. I think it's excellent, the conversations aren't scripted (since it's a podcast) so in a way, the conversations are much more real than the ones in any other show where the characters have dialog sheets that they have to follow.

I also think the animation style makes it worth watching each episode twice: once paying attention to the dialog, second time to the animation.

One of the ideas of mindfulness is not judging, to simply observe our thoughts and I think this show simply presents ideas. It doesn't judge, it's not saying "you should think this because X". It is simply presenting view points which I think is helpful to help anybody that wonders things like "what's the purpose of life?", "what's the deal with people talking about presence and meditation, is it all just false?", "what is enlightenment?", "why do people talk about a separation between the thinking mind and the conscious, observing self?", "why do I FEEL like I'm suffering?" etc. As such, the show simply presents ideas. It is up to everybody to decide which ideas (if any!) they accept. I don't think that makes the show bad, right?

Finally, I wonder if any of the bad reviewers have bothered to watch the full show, including the last episode. I think the last episode is an example of a level of truthfulness I don't think I've seen on any other series/film and tbh I ended up crying. I don't think one gets that from a 1-3 star show.

Since I discovered T.M.G. and Duncan Trussel, I stumpled towards many great, interesting and awesome conversations (mostly with his Podcast - Duncan Trussel Family Hour), and discovered many great people and teachers ( just a few: Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Ram Dass, David Nichtern,...). Check out DUNCAN TRUSSEL FAMILY HOUR...can't recommend it to much! Even the commercials are hillarious!!!

I'm truly thankeful for this show! LOVE the work that Pendelton Ward did, too! Amazing Show!!!

Do you enjoy podcast like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Joe Diaz but are not able to sit through them wether due to its length and or lack of visual stimulation? Well this is an amazing middle ground. This show has some excellent conversations with very interesting people and some great animation to go along with it. The way they handle the conversations and the events happening around the characters are amusing to say the least. I highly recommend checking it out. Edit: When I made the review I just finished the fourth episode. After finishing the series I realized that this is something special and I really mean what I say. This is something that's going to stay with me for a while. The last episode had me tearing up it's absolutely incredible.

It's basically an animated podcast. There's not really any plot just some guy interviewing people about....things but the animation is not related to the thing they're talking about at all. It's certainly unique and weird and...good? I...don't know. I mean I don't hate it but I'm just simply not interested about the topics and the conversations around those topics. They talked about life and death and god and spiritual things. Some people might considered their conversations deep and profound but I really don't. Maybe because I feel like I've listened to podcasts or interviews around these topics that's pretty much the same or even better. They just don't have the means to put it in animation. You really have to watch it yourself. I don't think there's definite good or bad about it. It's a conversation, you listen to it and you think about it and that's it.

Honestly the first episode sold me meditation and mindfulness in a way no other coach or book sold before. And I don't say this in a bad way, it's surprisingly insightful on the conversation but crazy on the visuals/actions which makes for a really weird (the good kind of weird) experience.

If The Midnight Gospel was an acid trip, then Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward are your spirit guides. This show is about sharing the personal lessons you learn alone in the dark. Adult themes are amplified here; gore, violence, drugs, and nudity are all amped to the nth degree. Beneath the fever dream is a prayer to human connection. For The Midnight Gospel, there is no such thing as small talk. Trussell's warm ability to connect with his guests on their most personal levels disarms you. Pendleton Ward's ability to weave a universe out of what is essentially a series of podcasts is masterful. The two, in harmony, balance each other perfectly. Here, Ward and Trussell succeed so often and in so many ways it's hard to unpack everything without wanting to sit back in for a second viewing.

The Midnight Gospel is this cute and weird mix between cartoons that we all love, and podcasts about religion, existential questions and general beliefs. The animation is great, and the colours are pleasing to the eye. The topics are enticing and the voices seem to know what they are talking about, but it's also about not having all the answers. If you like podcasts, give it a go. I do think the episodes might be a bit too much and too long at times, but to each their own.

Funny, smart, and surprisingly deep- The Midnight Gospel brings both a new standard for cartoons and television with its brave attempt to try for something truly original and unique, and it's almost perfect attempt at succeeding. The show is created by Adventure Time showrunner and creator Pendleton Ward, and his very ambitious new approach his very welcoming and very peculiar- in the best of ways. The shows characters and messages are very layered and the show wastes no time getting to the bottom of them. It's both a very unique approach to storytelling and format, and it feels very refreshing to watch. There are occasionally a few dull moments in 2 episodes that I remember, mainly one more than the other, but besides those moments, the show is very consistent and continuous with its success at storytelling and its very peculiar sense of enjoyment. The Midnight Gospel is not only very unique and original, but also incredibly deep and thought provoking- diving in on ideas, concepts, and many inner struggles that many face, and giving them all a new perspective to look at. It's a breathtaking, and incredibly successful attempt at trying something new, and I can't wait for more episodes as soon as possible. Here's hoping the show goes on! My Rating: 9.75/10

I mean it's interesting enough that I'll keep watching, but it is kind of like they had a team of animators, and a team of voice actors who both finished their work before ever coming into contact with each other, and then someone had to try and stitch the animation and the audio together.

It's not Adventure Time as some would tell you. It is it's own weird thing.

Aside from a well done soundtrack, Midnight Gospel's meandering discussions come off as self-important and superficial. With a complete lack of conversational depth, dull delivery, and disjointed animation, the whole package feels very lazy.

Sit down and relax, then zone out and enjoy the ride. The negative reviews are just people who don't like to take wild adventures. Duncan Trussell is fantastic, and the animation is mesmerizing. Such a refreshing show.

Covers some really awesome topics I wish more people had. Existentialist views towards self and spiritual development. The animations are awesome and out there as well and really love this show 13/10

Beautiful visually and in spirit. So much eye candy to consume that it almost distracts from the profound content of each episode. It is great for watching in bursts or individually, as each episode is its own self-contained psychedelic adventure for our protagonist. Recommend strongly.

Trippy, crazy and exceptionally good. Tackles a variety of topics in a clever way that I think is even worth a rewatch.

Thank You. Not only to the creators, collaborators, artist, interviewees, but THANK YOU TO THE DIVINE within them that wished to express such a beautiful experiment on the human psyche at this time. It's so much, and it's not too much. It's Absolutely perfect..as much as the impermanence of relativity can experience.

At first I was enjoying it until I realized it's just a faux podcast of "discussion" but there's really no discussion. Just one main topic and both the host and guest repeatedly agreeing with each other. Felt very one-sided and incredibly biased.

Cool concept, deep thoughts and topics, but lacking the sense of real time discussion I think they were going for. Or perhaps they weren't going for that at all, perhaps it's all just opinions and thoughts the producers favored and decided to make it look like we would all agree with them based upon the facade of "open discussion." Fail.

Artwork and animation and music are really good though. Voice acting feels real, lots of Rick and Morty type studdering and stammering as if it's a live recording of a talk. I guess I mostly just have a problem with the execution.

Best thing I've seen in a long time. It's not only relevant por extremely well made. This is the things we need to consume as human beings to achieve a more conscious mind and more loving heart.

Going into the show, I didn't know anything about it, I just dived right in. I also had no idea who the people behind the show were, this was my first mistake that made me miss out on quite a lot during the first few episodes. You know how life is these days, you put on a show, movie... and, you take out your phone during the first minute or two while the logos and such are over the thing actually starts. Thing is, you never really go back to it, you just keep drifting out subconsciously to some numb or click-baity thing you saw on your phone, whether that be social media, videos, or reading something.

That was my second mistake with this one. Using my phone, instead of paying attention and actually listening to what the characters were discussing.

That is why I'm writing this review, to warn you, if you are checking the reviews here before committing to watch this show. Please, turn of your phone or place it somewhere where you can't reach it during the duration of the episode, it's 20 minutes per episode, you can survive that long without checking your phone. Trust me, you will thank me later.

Instead, just give yourself to the show, like I said, it's 20 minutes of deep and genuine discussions about actual people, religion, meditation and experiences.

Pay attention, sit back and enjoy this, beautifully crafted "spacecast"

I'll re-watch it again, this time dedicating it my full attention and avoiding the distractions of social media. Because the show deserves it. I'll update my rating after.

THIS SHOW SUCKS. The animation is great, the worlds they go to for the most part seem interesting, but you find out very quick that you won't get the opportunity to explore any of it because two people you don't care about from real life are just going to talk over it the whole time. It honestly feels very lazy, as instead of actually creating characters or an actual story, you have completely unrelated audio on top of completely detached animation. It makes the show incredibly hard to follow because the talking is NONSTOP. Its so annoying. Its very easy to get taken out of the show too when these animated characters just start talking about jesus or the bible, when they're supposed to be robot fish people living in a world where jesus shouldn't even be a thing. OR when the podcast guests just say things like "hey I've known you for so long so I can tell you this" when in the show these "characters" literally just met. You can tell theres no care whatsoever into making the show cohesive in any way, obviously because its easier just to have random people talk for an hour and use that for audio rather than writing engaging characters with a plot and story. This show could MAYBE work, if the people in the podcast tried at all to act like a character in the show. I actually love the idea of a podcast between an interdimensional wizard and a deer about to be slaughtered, if those are the characters I'm listening to. But it never is, because having a podcast between fictional characters would require being clever. Which this show is completely void of in every way.

The title of my review sums up what this show is about. The show is a series of interviews about various things our species has pondered over the ages and in recent times and discussed. It is set to animation and music that blend perfectly to the subject matter. There are no resolutions or grand realizations, this show is a journey that attempts to help people form their own conclusions about things. It loses its focus partway through episode 5 when technical glitches start to happen for the main character but it rebounds nicely for a strong finish at the last episode which is the longest episode of the series. I recommend watching this series strongly to anyone that isn't afraid to sit down, watch, listen, and just be open to it as an experience to be remembered. I most certainly do not recommend watching this show while inebriated in any way. I think if you watched this show in an altered state of mind you are missing the chance to clearly revel in it and alter your own state of thinking without aid from substances.

I've been incredibly moved and entertained by this show. Many of the criticisms made by other commenters may be valid to their personal experience or their expectation going-in, but they ultimately miss the point of what The Midnight Gospel is about.

At its core, this is an animated podcast with elements of dialogue scripted and recorded by podcast guests much after the podcast's original creation. You have to accept fundamentally that the show's dialogue will not be fully coherent with the "plot" of each episode. While watching the first episode, I was very confused why the Little President character was referencing Ram Dass and Buddhism while also fighting off zombies. But I quickly came to realize that the dialogue was very intentionally detached from the show's "plot." You must accept that this is the nature of the show. Some of these podcast guests are not entertainers or voice actors so it is understandable why the dialogue seems less natural than a traditional cartoon.

There is an over arching plot to the midnight gospel. However, It develops slowly over the course of several episodes. I found Clancy's character development and plot interesting. I likely would have found a show solely based in fiction and the Clancy character just as interesting as a standalone project. But watching the Midnight Gospel you have to except that exploring the simulated worlds and Clancy's life is not the only or even primary purpose of the show.

Many of the podcast guests are genuine professionals in their fields. Other commenters have argued that the dialogue seems dumb-ed down or simply stoner talk. But you have to remember that each episode of the midnight gospel condenses a several hour long conversation into a digestible short format. Of course each conversation is not going to reach its full potential. But there are many genuine insights to be found through the conversations on the show. Interestingly, each guest has their own interpretation of mindfulness and existentialism some of which contradict each other. The show does not place a value judgment on these philosophies but merely offers them up for the viewer to interpret and judge themselves.

If you are not the kind of person who is interested in existential philosophy, Zen Buddhism and death acceptance then the midnight gospel simply won't appeal to you; but it's not fair to leave a negative review because the nature of the show's philosophy is disquieting to your worldview.

The art style is incredible. It's psychedelic nature is certainly drawing on inspiration from other adult cartoons yet develops its own unique character. Psychedelic adult cartoon is certainly becoming a form of entertainment and art in itself, especially in our culture which is becoming more accepting and open about the use of marijuana and LSD for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. But on the first go, I would watch the midnight gospel sober in order to enjoy the philosophical discussions.

The final episode, which hosts a conversation between Duncan and his late mother, was incredibly moving and has stayed with me for days. Especially paired with the penultimate episode, where Caitlin Doughty discusses the death acceptance movement in the United States and the idea of being mindful and prepared about the nature of our own mortality and the mortality of our loved ones.

Enjoy this genre bending show with an open mind!