Mike Flanagan’s “The Midnight Club” is not only scary but also has a great story. Today, we will talk about “Shasta,” also known as “Julia Jayne.” Samantha Sloyan plays the part of Shasta. We know her from “Midnight Mass,” another great Flanagan drama in which she played the role of “Bev Keane.” Both of these people are driven by their faith, so they are not that different. Let’s talk about everything we know about her, though.
Spoilers Ahead
Who is ‘Shasta’?
When Ilonka first met Shasta, she was wandering around in the forest looking for answers she hadn’t been able to find at Brightcliffe Hospice. She knew they had something in common from the moment she met Shasta. They both thought that there was a way to heal that was beyond human. Shasta When Ilonka asked Shasta what her name meant, Shasta told her that it was a Sanskrit word that meant “the teacher.” Shasta told her that the forest was full of plants like blackberry, lavender, comfrey, yarrow, and more. She also told Ilonka that her business, “Good Humor Naturopathic Wellness,” sold products made from natural ingredients. When Ilonka asked her about the carvings in the trees, the word “Paragon” came up for the first time. Shasta, on the other hand, wouldn’t say anything about “Paragon,” and she told Ilonka not to trust anyone until she knew the whole truth. Later, we find out that Ilonka had found the diaries of Julia Jayne and Athena Ballard, Regina Ballard’s daughter. She believed that she could save her roommate Anya from dying because of these diaries. Shasta helped Ilonka call for the “five sisters” so that Anya could get better. In Greek mythology, the healers were said to be five sisters. Asclepius and Epione had them as their children. Hygieia, Aceso, Iaso, Aegle, and Panacea are their names. Ilonka was too sick to understand anything beyond the rituals described in the diaries, so it was easy for Shasta to get her to think in a way that helped her achieve her goal. Toward what? We’ll talk about that in a bit.
Why Did Shasta Name Her Company ‘Good Humor’?
In Episode 8, Shasta asked Ilonka if she knew why she named her company “Good Humor.” Ilonka replied that it was because laughter is the best way to fix any kind of body problem. Shasta said that all medicine came from the ancient Greek idea of humor. They say that humor is the chemical system that keeps the body in check. In Ancient Greece, blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile were all called “humor.” They thought that if these four humors were in perfect balance, their bodies would never get sick. They also thought that too much black bile was what caused cancer. That’s why she named her business “Good Humor.” She also told Ilonka that Brightcliffe Hospice was built in a great place where the four humors could be quickly brought into balance.
What Was Shasta’s Real Identity? What Was Her True Intention?
Soon after Anya died, Ilonka overheard Dr. Stanton on the phone telling someone that one of the patients had been wrongly diagnosed with a fatal disease. This meant the person had a chance of getting better. Ilonka thought there was something wrong with the ritual, but it didn’t help Anya. It did, however, help someone else, who is now better. Ilonka thought it was her, and she told Shasta about it. Shasta also thought that Ilonka was the one who got better because of the ritual. But later, we find out that Sandra was the one who was cured. She told everyone that the doctor had made a mistake. She also said that the ritual had never really worked. People began to stop believing in Ilonka and her ritual. Ilonka left Brightcliffe angry and went to stay with Shasta, who had already helped her a few times. She went to Shasta and told her about Sandra. When Shasta found out, she tried to make her feel better. Shasta also told her that Sandra must have been healed by the ritual. Later, Shasta said that she was the best example of how the rituals worked, so no one could be more excited about them than she was. Ilonka figured out that Shasta was Julia Jayne, who had thyroid cancer when she was 17 and was treated at Brightcliffe. She also said that after she got better, she wanted to share the healing power of nature, which is why she started “Good Humor.”
Later, she told her that they had to break into the basement of Brightcliffe that night in order to help Ilonka get rid of the disease that would kill her. At the end of the day, Shasta and three other women went to Brightcliffe to complete the “five sisters” circle. Ilonka led them down to the basement, and Shasta began her ritual there. Ilonka quickly realized that something was wrong with the ritual. Shasta put herself in the middle so that Ilonka wouldn’t be there. Ilonka was suspicious of the way Shasta did things because they didn’t even give up anything personal except their blood. She knew this was not how Athena Ballard’s diary had taught her things. Anyway, there was a time during the ritual when everyone except Shasta had to drink tea. Everyone drank the tea except for Ilonka, who chose not to. Dr. Stanton will soon try to stop the rituals by going down to the basement through a different door. We see that the poison in their tea kills the other three people. Shasta got away from this mess in a smart way. Dr. Stanton later told Ilonka that Shasta was using her to get to the basement. Shasta was already sick, so these rituals were done to heal her again. So, whatever she did, she did it for herself and not for Ilonka.
Who Was ‘Julia Jayne’? What Became Of Her?
Julia Jayne was 17 years old when she was told she had cancer of the thyroid. Since she could sing well, her junior year at Sammamish High School was great. She used to practice with the choir, but one day she found a lump on the back of her neck. She tried to ignore it at first, but a planned visit to the doctor completely changed her mind. She just found out she had cancer and went to Brightcliffe Hospice. It had been open for a few years, and one night, she and seven other patients formed “the midnight club.” People used to make up ghost stories there and write them down in their diaries. Ilonka found the journal in the library sometime later. After a few weeks, Julia stopped showing up at the Hospice. Julia went looking for Regina Ballard, as we can see. She must have read about her in her daughter Athena Ballard’s diary.
When Julia went to see Regina, Regina was surprised to hear that people would come to her looking for the illegal rituals she did at Brightcliffe. Regina Ballard was famous for starting a cult called “Paragon” and doing illegal rituals to cure people with terminal illnesses. But in the process, she was able to kill the people who were following her. Athena told the police that her mother believed in dark magic too much. Julia thought that this was true and asked Regina to help her. Regina said she would help, but only if Julia didn’t tell anyone. So, they made up a story about Julia going missing. A few weeks later, Julia was sent back to Brightcliffe, but this time she was fully cured. Julia left Brightcliffe and became a story in the paper. Years later, she came back to Brightcliffe as Shasta. As time went on, the effects of the rituals began to diminish. So, she knew she had to do the same things over again. She bought the land next to Brightcliffe and waited for the appropriate time to get into the basement and do the rituals. But Dr. Stanton wouldn’t let anyone else wander around there, so she didn’t get the chance. She didn’t know she could get better until she met Ilonka. If she played her cards right, she might be able to go back into the basement and get better again. But thanks to Dr. Stanton, she didn’t get what she wanted, and both Ilonka and herself lived. Shasta, who is also known as Julia Jayne, left Brightcliffe. In Season 2 of “The Midnight Club,” she will probably become more desperate and a more dangerous threat.
See more: How Is Julia Jayne And The Hourglass Symbol Connected In The Series ‘The Midnight Club’?
