Whether the readership likes to admit it or not, I – as a critic – am really an awful lot like them.
For example, I’ve always had troubles reviewing episodic television. Of course, any examination of the Reviews Page within SciFiHistory.Net will clarify that I’ve done it with several programs or I’ve dissected individual installments of some of our collective favorite programs. However, with shows like HBO’s House Of The Dragon or Disney+’s The Mandalorian, I’ve often pushed back completely or even ‘low balled’ some reviews because I find it exceedingly difficult to effectively determine what I think about any storyline if it’s incomplete. This new focus on long-form storytelling has been challenging for critics as questions posed in, say, Episode 1 might not get effectively answered until, say, Episode 4, so what are we to make off all these dangling teases in the interim? This is why I’ve generally been opposed to taking on so many terrific genre shows: unless you can binge a season (or multiple episodes, at least), authentic and impactful commentary is sometimes an uphill battle.
Thankfully, not every program under the sun operates this way. While some do rather obviously try to incorporate ideas over the course of several adventures, the writers’ rooms have gotten better about containing a good deal of the action into specific episodes; and this tactic alleviates some of the concern I expressed above. Shows like Fox TV’s The X-Files – still a fabulous working example – very cleverly balanced long- and short-form storytelling by having both stand alone hours as well as what fans called ‘mythology arcs’ that gave regular watchers more involved exercises to keep them captivated. While there have been other shows who’ve experimented in varying degrees, I’d argue that X has so far done it best, and that’s one of the reasons why the Chris Carter enterprise has been such a tough act to follow.
Back in 2019, CBS Television debuted Evil, a show that from the first episode clearly had stuff of similar magic that made The X-Files hum. Created by Michelle King and Robert King, the property introduced audiences to a team of exorcist assessors who went about investigating supernatural occurrences on behalf of the Catholic Church, mainly working to disprove the need for further analysis but sometimes committing the clergy to perform the required rites. Sadly, it only got a single season on broadcast television as – for reasons expressly tied to the show’s dark subject matter – CBS opted to transition it behind the paywall that (at that time) was known as CBS All Access. Those of us who caught those early episodes were understandably disappointed as it finally looked like creatives were giving us something thematically similar to The X-Files … if not an almost spiritual counterpart.
Despite being shuffled elsewhere, Evil lasted an impressive four seasons. My subscription to Amazon Prime Video gave me the opportunity to eventually see Seasons Two and Three; and now a new distributor relationship I’ve cultivated with the kind folks at Warner Archive gave me access to the latest DVD release. As of this morning, I’ve had the good fortune of binging the first nine episodes (out of fourteen); so I wanted to get up some observations about where the whole adventure started as well as where it’s heading (and likely heading) for interested parties. Simply put, it’s been a doozy of a ride – with some respectable highs and lows – and I strongly encourage genre fans to discover this one while they have the chance.
For example, I’ve always had troubles reviewing episodic television. Of course, any examination of the Reviews Page within SciFiHistory.Net will clarify that I’ve done it with several programs or I’ve dissected individual installments of some of our collective favorite programs. However, with shows like HBO’s House Of The Dragon or Disney+’s The Mandalorian, I’ve often pushed back completely or even ‘low balled’ some reviews because I find it exceedingly difficult to effectively determine what I think about any storyline if it’s incomplete. This new focus on long-form storytelling has been challenging for critics as questions posed in, say, Episode 1 might not get effectively answered until, say, Episode 4, so what are we to make off all these dangling teases in the interim? This is why I’ve generally been opposed to taking on so many terrific genre shows: unless you can binge a season (or multiple episodes, at least), authentic and impactful commentary is sometimes an uphill battle.
Thankfully, not every program under the sun operates this way. While some do rather obviously try to incorporate ideas over the course of several adventures, the writers’ rooms have gotten better about containing a good deal of the action into specific episodes; and this tactic alleviates some of the concern I expressed above. Shows like Fox TV’s The X-Files – still a fabulous working example – very cleverly balanced long- and short-form storytelling by having both stand alone hours as well as what fans called ‘mythology arcs’ that gave regular watchers more involved exercises to keep them captivated. While there have been other shows who’ve experimented in varying degrees, I’d argue that X has so far done it best, and that’s one of the reasons why the Chris Carter enterprise has been such a tough act to follow.
Back in 2019, CBS Television debuted Evil, a show that from the first episode clearly had stuff of similar magic that made The X-Files hum. Created by Michelle King and Robert King, the property introduced audiences to a team of exorcist assessors who went about investigating supernatural occurrences on behalf of the Catholic Church, mainly working to disprove the need for further analysis but sometimes committing the clergy to perform the required rites. Sadly, it only got a single season on broadcast television as – for reasons expressly tied to the show’s dark subject matter – CBS opted to transition it behind the paywall that (at that time) was known as CBS All Access. Those of us who caught those early episodes were understandably disappointed as it finally looked like creatives were giving us something thematically similar to The X-Files … if not an almost spiritual counterpart.
Despite being shuffled elsewhere, Evil lasted an impressive four seasons. My subscription to Amazon Prime Video gave me the opportunity to eventually see Seasons Two and Three; and now a new distributor relationship I’ve cultivated with the kind folks at Warner Archive gave me access to the latest DVD release. As of this morning, I’ve had the good fortune of binging the first nine episodes (out of fourteen); so I wanted to get up some observations about where the whole adventure started as well as where it’s heading (and likely heading) for interested parties. Simply put, it’s been a doozy of a ride – with some respectable highs and lows – and I strongly encourage genre fans to discover this one while they have the chance.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the series’ IMDB.com page citation:
“A skeptical psychologist and scientist join a Catholic priest-in-training to investigate the church's backlog of unexplained mysteries, miracles, and demonic possessions.”
Back in 2003, ABC Television debuted Miracles, a weekly procedural about an ex-Vatican spiritual detective who disenfranchisement with the Church forced him to leave his job but continue his investigative work on behalf of a shadowy private organization. Starring Skeet Ulrich in the lead, the program lasted a scant fourteen episodes; and the short-lived series somehow recaptured the weekly magic that made the early seasons of The X-Files appointment televisions. Granted, the hours had a stronger spiritual theme than those intrepid Special FBI Agents would likely have pursued; but for those of us who showed up wanting only good stories it was a return to form, the likes of which genre fanatics just don’t get often enough.
A little over a decade and one-half later, CBS tapped the same creative vein flowing with the blood of Christ when it premiered Evil, giving fans of Miracles a chance to see what the program could’ve become had it been given the chance to grow. Of course, there are structural differences big enough to keep one program from being sued over plagiarism, and yet I think the foundations are similar enough to warrant my bringing it up today. Evil stars Katja Herbers in the role of Kristen Bouchard, a humanly flawed psychologist who consults on behalf of the Church cases that may or may not warrant spiritual intervention. Mike Colter plays Father David Acosta, a modern era priest who has learned to ‘think outside the box’ on matters of demonic possession and other unexplained matters. Aasif Mandvi rounds out the team in the role of Ben Shakir, a devout non-believer whose scientific expertise is used to establish more Earthly explanations for things that go bump in the night.
And – suffice it to say – there have been plenty of things going bump in the night as – with the show’s concluding season – Evil has stretched to an impressive run of 50 episodes, has taken home three awards wins (against 44 nominations), and has done so without ever getting ‘preachy’ despite the fact that the subject matter has invoked the Catholic Church one dozens of occasions.
Similar to the aforementioned X-Files, Evil has utilized some long-form ideas to establish an ongoing mythology for the entire run. In these uniquely troubled times, Evil itself has taken on a corporate visage, operating much like any Fortune 500 company would with respect to establishing profitability, maintaining a mission statement, and even electing of board of trustees to oversee the (snicker snicker) demise of man. Though we’ve not learned (to date) what the DF company’s letters stand for (“Dark Father”? “Devil’s Friends”?), we’ve watched the institution’s movers and shakers tie up the commerce of wrecking mortal souls all while trying to instigate the birth of the Antichrist, an event tied directly to one of Kristen’s eggs gone mysteriously missing from clinical storage without her knowledge. What can I say? It’s a glum business but somebody’s gotta do it.
From the series’ IMDB.com page citation:
“A skeptical psychologist and scientist join a Catholic priest-in-training to investigate the church's backlog of unexplained mysteries, miracles, and demonic possessions.”
Back in 2003, ABC Television debuted Miracles, a weekly procedural about an ex-Vatican spiritual detective who disenfranchisement with the Church forced him to leave his job but continue his investigative work on behalf of a shadowy private organization. Starring Skeet Ulrich in the lead, the program lasted a scant fourteen episodes; and the short-lived series somehow recaptured the weekly magic that made the early seasons of The X-Files appointment televisions. Granted, the hours had a stronger spiritual theme than those intrepid Special FBI Agents would likely have pursued; but for those of us who showed up wanting only good stories it was a return to form, the likes of which genre fanatics just don’t get often enough.
A little over a decade and one-half later, CBS tapped the same creative vein flowing with the blood of Christ when it premiered Evil, giving fans of Miracles a chance to see what the program could’ve become had it been given the chance to grow. Of course, there are structural differences big enough to keep one program from being sued over plagiarism, and yet I think the foundations are similar enough to warrant my bringing it up today. Evil stars Katja Herbers in the role of Kristen Bouchard, a humanly flawed psychologist who consults on behalf of the Church cases that may or may not warrant spiritual intervention. Mike Colter plays Father David Acosta, a modern era priest who has learned to ‘think outside the box’ on matters of demonic possession and other unexplained matters. Aasif Mandvi rounds out the team in the role of Ben Shakir, a devout non-believer whose scientific expertise is used to establish more Earthly explanations for things that go bump in the night.
And – suffice it to say – there have been plenty of things going bump in the night as – with the show’s concluding season – Evil has stretched to an impressive run of 50 episodes, has taken home three awards wins (against 44 nominations), and has done so without ever getting ‘preachy’ despite the fact that the subject matter has invoked the Catholic Church one dozens of occasions.
Similar to the aforementioned X-Files, Evil has utilized some long-form ideas to establish an ongoing mythology for the entire run. In these uniquely troubled times, Evil itself has taken on a corporate visage, operating much like any Fortune 500 company would with respect to establishing profitability, maintaining a mission statement, and even electing of board of trustees to oversee the (snicker snicker) demise of man. Though we’ve not learned (to date) what the DF company’s letters stand for (“Dark Father”? “Devil’s Friends”?), we’ve watched the institution’s movers and shakers tie up the commerce of wrecking mortal souls all while trying to instigate the birth of the Antichrist, an event tied directly to one of Kristen’s eggs gone mysteriously missing from clinical storage without her knowledge. What can I say? It’s a glum business but somebody’s gotta do it.
In a parallel running tract, Evil has also expanded upon ideas involving just how ‘corporatized’ and ‘institutional’ the Church has restructured over the years, responding as they have to various crises and developments in human understanding. The show’s first and second seasons chiefly used a map of sigils – demonic symbols representing specific unholy entities with a foothold on reality – as a backdrop to several of the team’s investigations: the Vatican’s purpose was to track down and eliminate those affiliated with these individual missions of sin, giving the Church an almost CIA wing that conducted businesses abroad. Naturally, Father Acosta was conscripted into this secretive organization, an allegiance he eventually confessed to his partners; and the balancing of right versus wrong was the source for a good deal of debate between David, Kristen, and Ben.
Yet Evil has gone to great lengths to provide weekly storytelling that very comfortably meshed with its burgeoning mythology. With a format that understandably could’ve been overrun with simple acts of exorcism, the property has kept those encounters under control, instead seeing the assessors being assigned to evaluate what role belief may or may not have played in a variety of extraordinary circumstances. From debunking superstitions to evaluating remote viewing on up to the possibility of particle accelerators forcing open the Gates of Hell, Evil has boldly gone where few hourly TV series have gone before; and I’ve been smitten with the show since discovering it five years ago.
As for my two cents on its final season?
Yet Evil has gone to great lengths to provide weekly storytelling that very comfortably meshed with its burgeoning mythology. With a format that understandably could’ve been overrun with simple acts of exorcism, the property has kept those encounters under control, instead seeing the assessors being assigned to evaluate what role belief may or may not have played in a variety of extraordinary circumstances. From debunking superstitions to evaluating remote viewing on up to the possibility of particle accelerators forcing open the Gates of Hell, Evil has boldly gone where few hourly TV series have gone before; and I’ve been smitten with the show since discovering it five years ago.
As for my two cents on its final season?
Well, here’s the honest truth as I framed above: I’ve five hours yet to go before I’m willing to pronounce a final verdict as of today, but I wanted to give a kinda/sorta ‘state of the union’ if for no other reason that it’s been so much damn fun. So while I’ll stop short of discussing where it’s all headed (there are a few obvious signs, along with a few obvious distractions), I still have plenty of reasons to praise these first nine hours. They contain the kind of thoughtful interplay and signature performances audiences would expect of a quality genre show, and Evil deserves as wide an audience as it could ever earn. It’s that good, and I hope that – unlike Supernatural, which was dumbed down a bit for palatability – I’m hoping it ends with the opportunity to be continued in whatever format storytellers could explore. I don’t want my time with these folks to end, though it may for one or two.
Because this season has been structured as a narrative swan song, it’s fairly clear that the writers opted to put these characters through some of their most personal cases yet. Kristen and husband Andy’s relationship intersected in a way that no one saw coming, and he’s been absent for understandable reasons. A chance encounter with a stream of atoms has opened Ben’s mind to a whole world of possibilities, many of which defy his understanding of rational thought. David discovered that his ability to ‘see things’ may extend beyond his gift of Biblical understanding, and he’s been forced to come to grip with the darkness that stir mens’ souls in ways he never imagined he would. The war for the future being waged behind the corporate mask of DF has grown to a feverish pitch as Sheryl Luria (Christine Lahti) and Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) have thrown down their gauntlets, both maneuvering for control of the company.
And, yes, the Antichrist was born … but he may not turn out to be the force of Evil everyone intended for him to be.
Still, I’d be remiss in my duties of discussing the show if I failed to mention one of its greatest strengths.
Unlike damn near anything in production and mass distribution these days, Evil has benefitted from one of the best ensembles in all of television. This stretches beyond the work of Herbers, Colter, and Mandvi – each of them handle their work as leads with fabulous nuance – and involves some wonderful talent who might otherwise languish in obscurity. Actors like Wallace Shawn and Kurt Fuller – familiar character actors who’ve appeared in hundreds of projects combined – are senior(ish) Thespians who get their own respective arcs to play out against the bigger stories; and both deliver winningly. Lahti is another one I’d never have guessed to step into the role of a weekly procedural and deliver convincing big hits; and – while I haven’t been all that enamored with her storyline – she just keeps showing up, hitting her marks, and doing something special even in the smallest of exchanges. Lastly, I’ve cherished the work of Andrea Martin all the way back to her days in Canada’s SCTV; the fact that I’m getting to see her decades later still shouldering an incredible weight on her shoulders in a Horror show makes me love her all that much more. Yet, it can be little more than comic relief at times … but whose hands would you trust more than hers in the role of the learned Sister Andrea? I’m coming up empty because she’s just that damn good.
Because this season has been structured as a narrative swan song, it’s fairly clear that the writers opted to put these characters through some of their most personal cases yet. Kristen and husband Andy’s relationship intersected in a way that no one saw coming, and he’s been absent for understandable reasons. A chance encounter with a stream of atoms has opened Ben’s mind to a whole world of possibilities, many of which defy his understanding of rational thought. David discovered that his ability to ‘see things’ may extend beyond his gift of Biblical understanding, and he’s been forced to come to grip with the darkness that stir mens’ souls in ways he never imagined he would. The war for the future being waged behind the corporate mask of DF has grown to a feverish pitch as Sheryl Luria (Christine Lahti) and Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) have thrown down their gauntlets, both maneuvering for control of the company.
And, yes, the Antichrist was born … but he may not turn out to be the force of Evil everyone intended for him to be.
Still, I’d be remiss in my duties of discussing the show if I failed to mention one of its greatest strengths.
Unlike damn near anything in production and mass distribution these days, Evil has benefitted from one of the best ensembles in all of television. This stretches beyond the work of Herbers, Colter, and Mandvi – each of them handle their work as leads with fabulous nuance – and involves some wonderful talent who might otherwise languish in obscurity. Actors like Wallace Shawn and Kurt Fuller – familiar character actors who’ve appeared in hundreds of projects combined – are senior(ish) Thespians who get their own respective arcs to play out against the bigger stories; and both deliver winningly. Lahti is another one I’d never have guessed to step into the role of a weekly procedural and deliver convincing big hits; and – while I haven’t been all that enamored with her storyline – she just keeps showing up, hitting her marks, and doing something special even in the smallest of exchanges. Lastly, I’ve cherished the work of Andrea Martin all the way back to her days in Canada’s SCTV; the fact that I’m getting to see her decades later still shouldering an incredible weight on her shoulders in a Horror show makes me love her all that much more. Yet, it can be little more than comic relief at times … but whose hands would you trust more than hers in the role of the learned Sister Andrea? I’m coming up empty because she’s just that damn good.
As I’ve said, I have a few more episodes to go, but mind you I will be back in this space – or perhaps another piece – to do a proper summation. Evil has been the kind of ride audiences just don’t appreciate enough when we get it, and we’re more inclined to reminisce over it after-the-fact. That’s a shame because it’s the kind of experience that – back when folks used to talk instead of email or text – this is precisely why we’d gather around the water cooler at work. Like Twin Peaks. Like The X-Files. Like Lost. That’s the company that Evil keeps, and I hope and pray more folks discover it on their journeys through entertainment.
Evil: The Final Season was produced by King Size Productions and CBS Television Studios. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional across all episodes. I’ll admit that occasionally there’s been a bit of CGI that – meh – may’ve been undercooked, but it kinda/sorta goes with the tone of the show so it doesn’t spoil anything. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, the only thing I’ve found thus far are a handful of deleted scenes; but it would’ve been grand if longtime fans had been given something a bit deeper. Maybe on a complete series collection?
Highly Recommended.
Though I was a bit turned off by the increasing presence of comedy in the show, Evil: The Final Season still managed to maintain a reliance on stand-alone stories while strategically widening the core mythology throughout this fourth season. Some of the humor was a bit dark – nothing wrong with that at all – and some of it was a bit goofy in spots, but I’ve seen this happen on like-minded programs when they get a few seasons under their belts. Debatably, this has been one of the best ensembles in all of television – certainly in the last few years – and it’s a shame that the powers that be opted to bring it to a close. The world is full of evil – in one guise or another – and I can see this one continuing. Let’s hope that the Kings – the married couple behind it all – haven’t signed off on a big finish as the franchise could have great legs if continued in perpetuity. One of the best binges I’ve ever experienced … and that’s saying something.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary DVD of Evil: The Final Season by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Evil: The Final Season was produced by King Size Productions and CBS Television Studios. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional across all episodes. I’ll admit that occasionally there’s been a bit of CGI that – meh – may’ve been undercooked, but it kinda/sorta goes with the tone of the show so it doesn’t spoil anything. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, the only thing I’ve found thus far are a handful of deleted scenes; but it would’ve been grand if longtime fans had been given something a bit deeper. Maybe on a complete series collection?
Highly Recommended.
Though I was a bit turned off by the increasing presence of comedy in the show, Evil: The Final Season still managed to maintain a reliance on stand-alone stories while strategically widening the core mythology throughout this fourth season. Some of the humor was a bit dark – nothing wrong with that at all – and some of it was a bit goofy in spots, but I’ve seen this happen on like-minded programs when they get a few seasons under their belts. Debatably, this has been one of the best ensembles in all of television – certainly in the last few years – and it’s a shame that the powers that be opted to bring it to a close. The world is full of evil – in one guise or another – and I can see this one continuing. Let’s hope that the Kings – the married couple behind it all – haven’t signed off on a big finish as the franchise could have great legs if continued in perpetuity. One of the best binges I’ve ever experienced … and that’s saying something.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary DVD of Evil: The Final Season by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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