The Conjuring: Last Rites – The Tragic Death of Father Gordon Explained

The following contains spoilers for The Conjuring: Last RitesThe Conjuring: Last Rites is the end of the Warrens’ story, but it also kills off one of the franchise’s oldest characters. For the most part, The Conjuring movies have been focused on the Warrens. While the spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun would shift focus to other characters, the Warrens remained at the heart of the core series.

For the most part, this benefited the largely episodic nature of the mainline Conjuring films, which introduced new threats and victims. However, there were a few recurring figures in the series, with one supporting character even appearing in over half of the entire franchise. This makes his death in Last Rites all the more impactful.

Father Gordon’s Death In The Conjuring: Last Rites Explained

Father Gordon’s demise in The Conjuring: Last Rites raises the stakes for the Warrens, killing off the long-running ally after appearing in 5 films. Father Gordon is a member of the Catholic Church who often works alongside the Warrens. In Last Rites, he’s the one who initially investigates the demon in the Smurl house.

Although Gordon tries to recruit the Warrens to the case, Lorraine keeps Ed from getting involved. Sadly, this leaves Gordon to be targeted by the demonic entity that’s haunting the Smurl family, without any available backup to save him. Even when Gordon tries to contact the Church, the demon isolates him and forces him to commit suicide.

Within the narrative, Gordon’s death is a sign that the demon is more powerful than most of the evil entities that the Warrens have encountered over the years. Whatever force is behind the cursed mirror is able to follow Gordon away from the object it has tethered itself to, showcasing a massive radius of effect.

The demon being capable of overwhelming Gordon and possessing him despite being in a Church is proof that the demon in question won’t be simply defeated with the Warren’s usual tactics, either. This pays off in the finale when Ed’s bible proves ineffective, and the battle is only won by Judy and Lorraine combining their own powers to fight back.

From a storytelling perspective, Gordon’s death serves multiple purposes. It raises the stakes of the story by proving how dangerous the demon really is. This, in turn, forces the Warrens to get involved in the investigation, setting up the third act. It also raises the possibility that the Warrens might not survive their next encounter with the demon.

Father Gordon’s History & Importance In The Conjuring Movies

Father Gordon has survived a lot in the Conjuring movies, making his death in Last Rites a more meaningful turn. Father Gordon debuted in The Conjuring as one of the Warrens’ primary contacts with the Vatican. Gordon effectively served as an extension of the Catholic Church in the Conjuring films.

That’s very much the role he plays in the first Conjuring film. However, as the series progressed, Father Gordon became a more consistent ally and friend to the Warrens. He was an ally to the family in The Conjuring 2 and present for an exorcism in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, highlighting his own capabilities.

Father Gordon also briefly appeared in Annabelle Comes Home, where he played a crucial role in solidifying the barriers around the Annabelle doll to keep it secure in the Warrens’ cursed artifact storage. Father Gordon has endured in the series as one of the few fixtures outside the Warrens.

His death in Last Rites helps the movie accomplish its intended tone as a finale for this phase of the Conjuring universe. The Warrens also get a send-off, but need to survive their latest challenge before they can get their happy ending.

By having the demon kill Father Gordon, Last Rites raises the tension for the rest of the film. It further solidifies the film’s themes about the series heroes growing too old to continue the fight themselves. It’s notable that Gordon shares a moment with Ed, reflecting on both of them becoming “old men.”

Gordon’s death is also an important final lesson for the Warrens, especially Ed. Between this film and The Devil Made Me Do It, Ed’s health scares and heart problems have become more pronounced. Despite these challenges, it’s clear that Ed still wants to take part in the investigations into the occult.

Gordon even almost leads Ed straight into the mission that would get him killed. Ed might have suffered the same fate if it weren’t for Lorraine intervening and keeping him from going with. In this sense, Gordon’s death is a painful reminder that the Warrens are only ever at their most effective when they’re together.

Father Gordon was a charming and important fixture of the Conjuring films, serving as an exposition dump, ready ally, and dedicated friend whenever the films needed one of those. His death in The Conjuring: Last Rites is tragic, but it plays an important part in helping the film gain a real sense of finality.