Evilabout was the first season. It featured a trio investigators who were charged with assessing possessions, miracles and other supernatural business for Catholic Church. They also had to set up the series' premise and introduce characters. It was surprisingly entertaining and enjoyable, despite the heavy season-one workload. Season 2, which saw Evil move from CBS to Paramount+, only added to that, allowing its characters and plots to develop and become more bizarre and ambitious in its surreal, frightening, yet still wryly funny world.
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Although the episode titles are reminiscent of entries in a children's book, F Is for Fire and C Is for Cop, Z Is for Zombie and others, they make sense considering the mystery-of-the week format within larger story arcs. This season's Evils main triopriest, David Acosta (Mike Colter), Kristen Bouchard(Katja Herbers), Ben Shakir (Aasif Mendvi), have investigated many cases. A man claims he is receiving angelic direction to help others, a girl who blames a Djinn for the strange fires that begin in her presence, and an (white) cop who says he was demonically possessed after he shot a Black woman unarmed.
This last plot is the best example of Evil's efforts to include timely storylines this season. David also shared his struggles with racism and was asked by the police to address the Catholic Church's orthodox faith.
Evil has more time to concentrate on the demons that haunt its main trio, while the weekly cases keep the action moving. Kristen still struggles with the decision to insert a climbing ax in Orson LeRoux's skull (Darren Pettie), the smarmy serial murderer who was released on a technicality last year and began threatening Kristen's four young daughters. As Mira, Kristen's homicide cop friend, puts it, "Some people deserve to die." However, she is concerned about being caught out and has valid concerns about the effects of the murders on her mind, soul, and body. We also see her struggle with her husband, who is long absent due to his mountain-climbing career, and with putting up a good face for her children, especially the one she conceived using the fertility clinic. This could be part of a plot by Satan to concoct bad seed agents. This is typical Evil stuff.
Ben, who was the least developed character in last season's series, is now getting attention. We now know more about Ben's troubled scientific past. It involved a grand quest for childhood diseases to end. Unfortunately, it went wrong thanks to Abbey (Ashley Edner), who has made a habit out of haunting him in his dreams, tormenting and even being alarmingly alluring. (Once again, typical Evil stuff. He was also able to make an extremely freaky solo trip in E Is for Elevator. This episode is Evil's most horror-movie-like.
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Some of the problems that David is facing this season have been discussed before, pun intended. But Evil's most vile villain is Leland Townsend (the charming Michael Emerson), who demanded an exorcism at the start of the season. It's mostly an attempt to get under David's skin. Lelands is on a mission stop David from becoming a priesthood member, for his own evil reasons. This is exacerbated by David bringing a huge tub of popcorn to see David address the congregation for the first-time.
Evil is a complex show with many moving parts. It also has a large cast. This makes it important that there are strong casting choices. Even though Evil loves the creepy kid trope, the young actors, especially the girls playing Kristens daughters are excellent. Even the smaller roles, such as Kurt Fuller as Kristens shrink, Peter Scolari, as Davids boss, Bishop Marx, Dylan Baker, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, have weight due to their performances. Both women are great supporting characters, with Christine Lahti playing Kristen's slightly snarky mother, Sheryl (dont call her Grandma, she prefers Rad G), who was previously engaged to Leland and briefly got on the warpath after he dumped her. She is currently trying to get her daughters back in her good graces. Sheryl is sneaky and manipulative, but she loves her family. Her quest for redemption might not be as simple as she thinks. And it's never good when a creepy doll gets in the picture. So we should be concerned when Sheryl lights candles and prays to a doll that she refers to reverently to Eddie.
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Sheryl is the boss, but Evil's new favorite character is Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin), an eccentric, badass nun who makes friends with David and knows more about the supernatural side than she lets on. She is smart, perceptive and not afraid to speak her mind. Her faith is so strong that Leland is terrified of her. Evil has made a sly comment about how the Catholic Church treats women within its ranks through Sister Andrea's presence.
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Evils has been on summer hiatus for several weeks. But it will be back on Sunday for the second part of season 2. This episode could be its own standalone episode. However, there will still be many installments to explore some of the bigger questions Evil has raised this season. It is possible that many police officers are wearing matching protection tattoos, which can also be used as demonic sigils. This was revealed on Leland's sinister map hidden behind a wall in his home. Will David be able become a priest? Or will Leland be able enough to get into David's brain to make him go away? Will Kristen be able move on from LeRoux's death? Or will she slip further into darkness What's the deal with that Satanic fertility center? Will Ben ever be able get rid of Abbey? What is Sheryl doing with this horrifying doll, called Beelzebub?
Evilwhich was renewed for Season 3 on Sundays on Paramount+.
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