Standalone narratives to start this season include the aforementioned portal to Hell, robo-dogs that might be racist, demonically possessed pigs, and a possession that takes language and coherence away from the afflicted. The first pair of episodes are absolutely brilliant, taking a slight dip in writing quality for the next two, but the season-long narrative and the rich character work to date holds it together.
The most tragic thing about the imminent end of “Evil” is how much more comfortable the performers have become with each passing season. Herbers, Colter, Mandvi, Emerson, Lahti, and even supporters like Patrick Brammall as Kristen’s husband Andy get richer as we share their complex histories with them. We’ve come to know the Bouchard family, David’s internal conflicts, Ben’s grappling with belief, and Leland’s pure evil—the writers use that shared knowledge to give their narratives greater power. The Kings aren’t just great writers because of their undeniable wit, but because they trust everyone, from their performers to their viewers, to go along for the ride.
The overall push to the potential end of the world will give this final full season its momentum. Still, my favorite thing about “Evil” is how it embeds new interpretations of its own title into every aspect of the show. The word evil has long conjured angels and demons, but it’s also now about social media, science that threatens to break reality, and bodily autonomy—the narrative arc of forced pregnancy does not seem accidental in the 2020s.
“Evil” doesn’t just want people to consider their relationship to faith, but to how good and evil work their way through life, both on the macro level of the things that control us and the micro one of how we interact with our families. You don’t have to believe a literal demon on Earth is trying to bring about the birth of the antichrist to consider the impact of evil on our day-to-day lives. It’s a wonderfully entertaining show that’s also incredibly rich in conversational topics, the kind of program that can be unpacked and dissected after every chapter.
While I’m confident the Kings could end this series on a high note in August if that ends up being the show’s fate, I truly hope Netflix sees how successful the first two seasons have been on its service and rescues “Evil.” After all, the world is only getting weirder.
First four episodes screened for review. Premieres on Paramount+ on May 23rd.
