Evil (2019) s03e01 – The Demon of Death

The opening titles for this episode show up about halfway through the forty-five-minute episode. They’re full “movie” credits, getting all the guest stars, going through the entire crew; big stylistic flex because “Evil” knows it’s earned it, at least for this episode.

The action starts right where we left off, Katja Herbers and Mike Colter finally giving in to their sexual tension—he just needed to become a priest for them to give in—and it’s an intense scene. It’s got episode-long repercussions; it’s a long-threatened plot point, and the show delivers on it. Actually, lots of this episode is just “Evil” fulfilling promises.

For example, there’s no more delay with Herbers telling her kids Michael Emerson is a bad guy and needs to be treated as such. Of course, she doesn’t mention the reason he’s interested in Maddy Crocco is because they got her at a demonic sperm bank or something, but the kids have a good plot in this episode. The show’s obviously still doing its “this online thing is probably dangerous for your kids,” but it’s a valid one this time and has a solid conclusion.

Then Patrick Brammall’s back home, seemingly throwing a wrench in Herbers and Colter’s timing, but then he decides to pick a fight with literally demonic mother-in-law Christine Lahti. Lots of promise for that story arc coming up; a couple of Lathi’s scenes are particularly great. The character’s got much more potential when not playing rube to Emerson.

The investigation plot involves a twenty-one grams-type experiment. Scientist Ruthie Ann Miles (who’s good but barely in the episode) wants the Catholic Church to provide her with someone dying so she can measure the weight to the picogram. They give her dying, bah humbug priest Wallace Shawn. Only when they try to weigh his death… Shawn comes out alive and cured. The show doesn’t get into the science, instead focusing on a rejuvenated Shawn’s new outlook, including his friendship with monsignor Boris McGiver. It’s probably McGiver’s best acting on the show, though he’s never had anything particularly difficult before. And Shawn’s a delight.

Also regulars Andrea Martin and Kurt Fuller show up for a little scene together, which also has Martin and Herbers meeting for the first time. Again, it’s future promise stuff, with everyone thinking about Herbers and Colter only not knowing what’s really going on. Though Herbers and Colter have different perspectives as well.

Aasif Mandvi doesn’t get anything to do but support. He’s excellent as always, just wish he’d had a little something more but setting the tone for the season—they get to use curse words intentionally now, with this season their first written from scratch for streaming versus broadcast—is more important.

Written by series creators Michelle King and Robert King (he also directed), it’s one of the stronger hours of “Evil” I can remember. Partially because it doesn’t make any significant fumbles, but also because the cast does so well with the material.

Evil (2019) s02e07 – S Is for Silence

Silence is a humdinger of a concept episode. It’s so good it doesn’t even matter at least two plot questions never get resolved or even seriously addressed. However, one of them presumably will come up later in the season, involving an unexpected character. The team is investigating a possible sainthood at a monastery. It’s a silent monastery—it figures into the plot—so no talking. It’s also super-sexist, so Katja Herbers can’t play with the boys when they’re doing the saint investigation.

Instead, Herbers has to bond with young nun Alexandra Socha, who’s doing a bunch of manual labor while the monks sit around and pray. The monastery makes wine, and Socha gets the taste of recycling bottles and whiskey-soaking the barrels to sell said wine to hipsters. Socha turns out to be really important to the episode mystery, and the relationship between her and Herbers is easily the best single episode character development the show’s ever done. Excellent acting from Herbers and Socha, who never get to talk.

While Herbers has that arc—and generally gets cast aside from the main plot for her girl parts—Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi also have their own plot lines. They’re only ever able to talk when they can get off the property (otherwise speaking will unleash a demon in the monastery because Catholicism is silly), so everyone’s got to get through their own plot, mostly on their own. Mandvi’s investigating the miracles and the demon and gets scared. He also gets to bond with one of the monks over geek stuff.

Colter bonds with boss monk Kenneth Tigar (a very familiar character actor who’s delightful here) and thinks about maybe joining the silent order and just escaping the world. Colter gets the best self-reflection scene, which includes thought subtitles. They’re well-executed and well-written, but also really funny. And remind when “Evil” might be able to have a little more fun. This episode’s a break from the travails of the main plot lines; it’s almost wholly detached, save one of the big unresolved plot questions, which—thanks to some horrifying events—works out reasonably well.

Great acting from everyone, excellent direction—from show co-creator Robert King (he and other co-creator Michelle King get the script credit). It really shows off the potential of “Evil,” given the cast's ability and the creators' imagination.

There’s also a “Star Trek” reference, which seems really appropriate for “Evil” (now streaming exclusively on Paramount+), and an excellent sense of humor. The bonding arc between Herbers and Socha will probably be a series high, though I’d be surprised if they’re ever able to get a better overall episode out, either. Silence is a sublime success.

Evil (2019) s01e01 – Genesis 1

I’ll just say it now. “Evil”’s religious politics are either going to get it in a lot of trouble or they’re going to do some “Heaven is for Real” shit. It’s going to be one or the other. And the pilot really makes it seem like it’s going to be the former, but not in any daring way; “Evil” is very safe.

Katja Herbers is a forensic psychiatrist who consults with the district attorney’s office. She’s a professional witness and has to be because she’s got an absentee rock-climbing, thrill-seeker husband off in the Himalayas, four daughters at home (you’d love to see the show bible on how Herbers managed to have all those kids, go to college, be a celebrity rock-climber, go to graduate school, become professionally successful, and not yet be forty; but whatever). It’s all going fine until she gets the case of serial killer Darren Pettie. See, Pettie says he just blacks out during his murders. But Pettie’s attorney says Pettie’s possessed. Herbers ends up quitting because the D.A. wants her to lie about something with the possession angle.

Couple days later, Mike Colter shows up to offer Herbers a job. He’s with the defense… sort of. He’s actually with the Catholic Church; he and partner Aasif Mandvi triage possession and miracle reports for the Church. Herbers needs paycheck and she’s also hot for Colter’s bod, so she signs up.

The rest of it is them finding a religiously informed clue, then a rational, scientific explanation. Non-believer Herbers talking to believer Colter about his faith and blah blah blah.

It’s all fairly predictable. Though maybe not when Michael Emerson shows up as an evil forensic psychiatrist out to make the world a worse place by encouraging people to do bad things. Hence the show title.

Also seems like show creators Robert King and Michelle King really liked that similar and dumb subplot from Halloween H40.

Herbers is likable and pretty good. Colter is likable and pretty good—he’s much more suited for this part than the Hero of Harlem. Mandvi’s fun.

There’s some poorly executed nightmare stuff and the script fails villain Pettie; both those fails seem foreboding for the future and the show’s potential. It’s uneven but has a lot of good pieces.