Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy a good haunting — or, at least a potential one. If you’re looking for a quick binge this December but aren’t quite in the mood for the usual Christmas trimmings and trappings (although there is one holiday episode), then consider shifting your attention to Evil — the show, not the concept; please don’t be evil — before it leaves Netflix on December 31st. Right now, the first three seasons of this CBS-turned-Paramount+ supernatural drama are available on the streaming giant, and the binge will have you itching for more.
‘Evil’ Teeters the Line Between the Mundane and the Supernatural
What made Evil an inspired take on the supernatural procedural is that, especially in its first season, the show spent most of its time debunking demonic possessions or miracles. Created by a married duo of believer and skeptic, Robert and Michelle King, the series followed psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), Catholic priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter), and ex-Muslim Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) as the trio is hired by the Catholic Church to investigate the bizarre and seemingly unexplained. The show originally aired on CBS as your standard procedural fare, with the first season especially teetering the line between religious explanations and secular reasoning. But while the network ended up renewing Evil for Season 2, Paramount+ soon became the home for the program throughout the remainder of its run.
Perhaps this doesn’t come as a surprise, but Evil was a show that often lived up to its name. While it certainly spent a fair amount of time examining the demonic and dealing with concepts of the otherworldly, it surely revealed a dark picture of humanity that is sometimes hard to swallow. One episode features a child who unrepentantly kills another, while another reveals a nurse who takes delight in torturing and killing her patients. And that’s not to mention Kristen’s fears about her own children, one of whom may turn out to be the Antichrist, if dark prophecy is to be believed. The way that the show can bounce from fictitious demons haunting one’s dreams to very evil and horrific persons who wish only for the harm and misery of others is an impressive feat, and even more so as the show’s mythology expands, revealing the truth about the connection between the material and immaterial realms.
Of course, the reason Evil ultimately works so well is due to the chemistry of the show’s three leads. Kristen, David, and Ben play off each other with an impeccable ease that makes it seem as if the three had always been friends. Their loyalty and commitment toward one another is admirable, especially as the conspiratorial Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) works sinisterly against them. Although they often find themselves with different personal convictions and worldviews, they are united in a cause that would see evil eradicated wherever they find it. In addition to its three leads, Evil introduces memorable side characters like Kristen’s four daughters, her therapist Kurt Boggs (Kurt Fuller), and the bull-headed, no-nonsense nun Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin), who is easily one of the best parts of the show — and has no tolerance for any demonic activity whatsoever.
After Four Seasons, ‘Evil’ Ended on a Relatively High Note
The truth is, there will never be another show like Evil. The series could masterfully take concepts like brain fog or a religious vow of silence and not only construct entire episodes based on them (one with a demon perfect for the respective task), but make them vital to the series in the end. The way the show was able to tie everything together — even if it did certain characters a major disservice — was always impressive, and in the fourth and final season, we get to see how the shadow war between good and evil plays out. The ending is a bit of a curveball, but perhaps not too surprising considering where these characters have been… After all, the longer the series went on, the more willing it was to lean fully into the horror elements that set it apart from its network and streaming contemporaries. In the end, the mythology of Evil expanded into something unprecedented, leading to a (largely) satisfying conclusion that feels earned.
Despite fans’ desire for more adventures with Ben, Kristen, and David (even Stephen King wants more Evil), Paramount+ opted to end the series at four seasons. Although the cast has been clear that they’d love to keep the show going — and there are plenty of ways it could continue, especially considering where David and Kristen end up in the series finale — it appears that the story is closed. Fortunately, this isn’t one of those shows that was canceled before its time, as Paramount was wise enough to give the series time to end on its own terms. Everything boils down to where the series finale ends, and it’s one of those narratives that benefits from the audiences’ attention to the small details along the way.
So, if you’re in the mood for a wintertime binge that has nothing to do with the holidays, then embark on the adventure that is Evil. Full of complicated characters, fascinating world-building, and monsters that look better than most horror movies, the show is truly a one-of-a-kind drama. The first two seasons largely consist of monster-of-the-week cases that feel akin to your typical “spooky cop” show, but by the third season the mythology begins to develop in full force. If you get incredibly invested in the first three seasons that you’re able to binge on Netflix and want more, hop on over to the Paramount+ platform to finish it up. Just be sure not to watch it too late…
Evil Seasons 1-3 are available for streaming on Netflix through December, while the complete series is available for streaming on Paramount+.
- Release Date
-
2019 – 2023
- Showrunner
-
Michelle King
- Directors
-
Michelle King
- Writers
-
Michelle King
