Attention, To All the Boys I've Loved Before fans, Midnight Mass includes a sneaky reference to your favorite series of Netflix rom-coms. Yes, a terrifying horror show is a weird place for Lara Jean and Peter to crop up, but this is Netflix's world and we're all just living in it. The good news is if you're spooked by the idea of watching Mike Flanagan's latest horror story just to see a nod to To All the Boys, the reference occurs in the very first episode. (The bad news is the first episode might actually be scarier than the last one.)
Early on in the episode, Warren and his friends ride by Leeza's house, and the teenager can't help but stop what he's doing to flirt with his crush. Now, here's where you have to really pay attention, because Leeza is reading when Warren stops to talk to her, and the book she's holding happens to be Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. It's a blink and you'll miss it moment, but the cover is on full display for a second before she lowers her hands.
Now, here's where things get interesting. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is the last book/movie in the To All the Boys... trilogy, and it includes the introduction of Peter's absentee father. You may remember that in the movie, Peter and Lara Jean first run into Mr. Kavinsky while they're out bowling, leading to an awkward father-son moment.
What you may not have realized is the actor who plays Peter's dad is Henry Thomas, who also happens to be one of Flanagan's most frequent collaborators. He previously appeared in the The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Doctor Sleep, and Gerald's Game. So it's no surprise that he's a key player in Midnight Mass, as well.
Granted he's rendered virtually unrecognizable thanks to his impressive mustache and some heavy old age makeup, but that is indeed Thomas playing Ed Flynn, Warren's dad. That's right, Thomas' character is the father of Warren, who has a crush on Leeza. So in essence, Leeza ends up dating the son of Peter Kavinsky's dad.
Seriously, have you ever seen a more perfect Easter egg? Leeza and Warren's budding romance doesn't get much attention in Midnight Mass, but their friendship is an important part of the show's endgame. And given just how much Leeza has to face as the series progresses, it's nice to know that at the end of the day, she's kind of dating Peter's brother from another mother as the world goes ti hell around her.
It's not the same as dating Peter Kavinsky himself, of course, but hey, you have to take what you can get in a place like Crockett Island.
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Images: Eike Schroter/Netflix; Netflix