The Last Temptations

About the show

On his deathbed during a winter storm, preacher Paavo Ruotsalainen relives his life in hallucinations. He remembers marrying Riitta, the harsh backwoods life and their baby’s death, his son Juhana’s murder, and Riitta’s death. He also relives being humiliated by church authorities and his exclusion from a university ceremony. Riitta and the blacksmith who first inspired his faith call him toward the island and Heaven’s gate. In his final moments, Paavo recognizes his family around him, settles his affairs and joins his family in singing his favorite hymn, believing he has overcome.