The Midnight Club Season 1 Episode 1 Recap – The Final Chapter

The episode started with a girl narrating while vomiting on the toilet. She stands in front of a mirror while practicing and reading her salutatorian speech. After that, she changed her clothes and went down the stairs. Her father is on the phone with someone, so she prepares food for them. After the phone call, her father noticed her new hair and told her that it suits her and it would look good in her cap and gown. He also told her he wished that Maggie was there to see that because that is what she ever wanted.

Ilonka told Tim she is just a salutatorian, which means she is the second best. Tim told Ilonka to enjoy her life and to break some rules. After that, Ilonka went out, and someone is waiting for her outside. She asked for someone named Josie, but Lauren told her that she chickened out, so they will be the only two who will go to the college party. They arrived at the party.

Ilonka roamed to find water when someone also got water on the stool. He said that it is too hard to find some water around the house. He introduced himself as Brian and told Ilonka that he doesn’tdoesn’t see her much around. Brian asked for Ilonka’s major, and she said English. Still, she is surprised when Brian tells her that he is studying a major in English too. The two are having a good conversation when Ilonka suddenly coughs with blood. She went to the toilet to clean the blood, but she started to see an old man in the mirror, causing him to see different pictures in her mind.

Ilonka was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She asked the doctor about her possibility of surviving because she wanted to go to Stanford in the fall. The doctor said it is difficult to tell her what will happen because chemotherapy is a long process. Still, Ilonka told her that she is good with the odds, so she pushed through the operation. Ilonka celebrates her 18th birthday inside the hospital, and she tells her father not to lose another job for her. Ilonka is on the phone with Lauren and asks about her college life. Ilonka listened to the conversation between her father and the doctor as the doctor said that Ilonka’s cancer had already reached her lungs.

Ilonka searched for some cure for her illness when she saw a house that makes her see some pictures in her mind again. She told Tim about the house, and she insists on going there. Tim doesn’tdoesn’t want to let her go, but Ilonka is persistent. Tim drives her there, and Ilonka said it feels like déjà vu. She looked around and saw a guy sitting on a chair near the cliff. She approached the guy and asked if she ever meets him before. The nurse called them and said that the doctor is waiting for them.

They entered inside when Tim asked about the house. Ilonka was the one who told them about the history of the house. When she looks behind her, she saw an old woman looking at her before she fell unconscious. Ilonka woke up after some time and told the doctor that she had seen an old lady, but she didn’tdidn’t continue her sentence. They went inside the doctor’s office, and she said that Brightcliffe is about to fight the battle and leave there alive. She also told them that staying there is not a losing battle because living there daily is a win.

They toured around the house while the doctor when knocks on a door and assigned Spence to be the tour guide Ilonka around the house. Ilonka keeps looking at the picture frames hanging on the wall when Spence called her and showed her the therapy room. They entered the library, and Ilonka said that it is her favorite place. Spence introduced Ilonka to Amesh. Ilonka saw an old elevator, and she is supposed to ride it going down, when Spence stopped her and told her that she will see the morgue down there. They went to another room, and they saw a girl named Cheri while she is playing an instrument.

Ilonka complimented her on the music because it sounds so good. Spence and Amesh told Ilonka to watch out for Cheri because her story changes daily. They finally reached her room, and Spence said it was her and Anya’sAnya’s room when Tim entered it. Ilonka asked about Dr. Stanton, and Tim told her what he learned about the doctor. Ilonka is fixing the frames on the table when she saw some symbols under her bed.

Anya entered the room and told her that her old roommate Rachel probably draw them. Ilonka went out for dinner when Kevin told her someone would bring her food. The remaining students introduced themselves before they all talked about the house. Mark enters the dining room and gives Ilonka her food. He reminds Ilonka about the rules when Spence walks out, and they tell Ilonka that he hates Mark because he is young and is not dying. Ilonka is having some dreams about the house. Anya is awake in the night while Ilonka is pretending to sleep.

Anya left the room quietly, and Ilonka saw her ride the elevator go somewhere. Ilonka followed Anya using the stairs. Anya kicks the door, and Spence opens it for her. Ilonka hides when she sees Kevin coming. She sneakily entered the room, and she saw everyone at the table. They said they didn’tdidn’t invite her because they are not sure of her. Natsuki sits on the other end of the table, and she starts telling them the story of Ren. At the same time, Ilonka still hides in the room as she listens to the story of Natsuki.

The guy named Ren is walking in the neighborhood when he sees a girl in the window and asks him if he is lost. Ren said that he doesn’tdoesn’t know who he is when someone speaks from his behind, but he sees nothing there. Spence interrupted Natsuki and told her not to be lazy while telling the story. Natsuki continued, and the girls are scaring and startling Ren everywhere. Natsuki said that, except for the homeless cat, the street in the story is empty. Ilonka accidentally hits something, causing them to turn their heads to her. Anya asked for the wine and told Ilonka to take a sip so that maybe she can join their club.

Ilonka said that no one is allowed to get out of the room, but they all ended up having a meeting in the library, and Natsuki said they make ghost stories. Everyone started to tell Ilonka about the club. Still, Anya stopped them and told Ilonka to take a sip and tell them a story. Ilonka drinks up and sits at the table to tell them a story. Ilonka told everyone the story of Julia Jayne, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she falls in love during her time. She was left with no choice but to go to a hospice because there is no cure for her illness anymore.

Julia missed Nathan, and sometimes she can hear him at night. Julia went out of her room and rides the elevator, but the next day, Julia didn’tdidn’t show up for their breakfast. Everyone looks for Julia, but months later, she showed up, and the doctor checked on her. Julia said that she never left the house and her tumors shrink. Still, before she left the hospice, she started telling some weird numbers. Just like Julia said, the young man and woman died on the numbers that Julia mentioned. Julia doesn’tdoesn’t know her expiration date anymore.

Still, she looked curse because she knew the expiration date of the people around her. Anya asked about the story’s ending, but Ilonka told her to tell her the big thing about their club before she continues the story. Ilonka told everyone that they doesn’tdoesn’t know anything about the house, so if they have her again, she will tell them the stories about the house. She also said that everything she will tell them is the truth.

After the meeting, Kevin told Ilonka that she made a pretty good story and she could have been a writer because of that. Ilonka said that she could still be a writer. Kevin said that her story is not all made up, and they started looking at the picture frames on the wall. Kevin pointed at Julia Jaynes, and Ilonka told him she found her story when searching for thyroid cancer. Ilonka admitted that Julia Jayne’sJayne’s story is why she is there and will live. Kevin told her they should head back to their rooms in case the burse will tour around, but Ilonka told him that she would stay a little longer before she returned. Ilonka stayed for a bit and walked back to her room when a shadow followed her.

Our Thoughts

It was a great introduction to the character’s episode. A group of teenagers with illness meets in a hospice, and they start to form a group named Midnight Cub. They have a meeting every midnight to tell a story about anything. Ilonka was a Salutatorian in their class, and she is supposed to give her speech in their graduation. She attended a party with her friend when she suddenly coughed with blood. She had her check-up, and she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

She heard the conversation between Tim and the doctor that her cancer is already at a high level. She was supposed to study at Stanford, but she cannot do that anymore. She searched for a cure for her illness, and that’s when she found the story of Julia Jayne and her stay in Brightcliffe, so she started to convince Tim to let her stay in the hospice. There are so many stories about the hospice. She started seeing things in her mind, so she wanted to dig up and know more about the house because she wanted to live just like Julia Jayne’s life after staying there.