It’s been two years since Evil’s third season came to an end, leaving us with two big cliffhangers and unanswered questions. This summer, Robert and Michelle King’s (The Good Fight) horror drama is back with its fourth, and sadly, final season. However, the 10-episode season will have four additional episodes, which the creators see as a mini-season 5. Hey, we’ll take what we can get!
Season 4 picks up right where we left off in the finale with Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) unknowingly walking into a baby shower for the antichrist at her mom’s office, confirming the location of her missing egg. With Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) as the father, the future hellion inside Sheryl’s (Christine Lahti) assistant, Leslie (Molly Brown) will arrive in a little over a month.
At this point, Kristen’s had her fill of Satanic nonsense and just leaves without saying a word with Leland following her to gloat about “their child.” Kristen’s response? Laughing in his face because if there’s anyone who doesn’t understand what lies ahead (sleepless nights, endless crying, changing diapers, late-night feedings) it’s this smug menace. Parenthood can be a nightmare on its own but raising the literal antichrist is on another level.
Meanwhile, David (Mike Colter), aka Father Acosta, who spent last season being taunted by a mosquito demon in the form of Kristen donning a sexy schoolgirl outfit, is still trying to decode his ominous vision of an angel telling him: “Woe to Babylon, 38 days.” Victor LeConte (Brian d’Arcy James) from the Entity returns to assign David inconvenient tasks with no clear explanation of anything.
The show has always explored the concept of evil and its relation to technology and psychology. And while last season really focused on cryptocurrency, doomscrolling, and algorithms, this is a science-heavy season.
Father Frank (Wallace Shawn), taking over for the late Monsignor Matthew Korecki (Boris McGiver), oversees their assignments, which are increasingly more ridiculous, if you can believe it. And we love to see it. Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) finds himself dealing with a taunting jinn after one of their first assessments takes them to an eerie underground facility housing a particle accelerator and a pit that’s either a portal to hell or a black hole. In the following episodes, they’ll also have to stake out a cemetery looking for a werewolf and investigate the possibility of possessed pigs.
Last time we saw Andy (Patrick Brammall), he was recovering after being kidnapped and drugged by Leland and Edward Tragoren (Tim Matheson) and made to think he survived an avalanche in Nepal. And by recovering, I mean walking in on a demon party at his house with Dr. Boggs (Kurt Fuller) inexplicably in attendance. He’s not doing any better this season, but what’s truly going on with him isn’t revealed in the first four episodes available to screen, so it remains another unsettling mystery for now.
Sheryl’s story continues to make no sense. Her scenes are an equal amount of fun and frustrating because I don’t still don’t know what she’s up to, but Christine Lahti is great to watch. She’s not under his influence and dabbles in the dark arts for a sense of power, but not in the same way as Leland.
She continues to protect her granddaughters — Lynn (Brooklyn Shuck), Lila (Skylar Gray), Lexis (Maddy Crocco), and Laura (Dalya Knapp) — from Leland but also tries to protect Leland from being exposed by her granddaughters. Her motivations elude me, but at least it’s entertaining. But seriously, what the hell is her endgame?
After using a shovel to beat several demons infesting the Bouchard residence to death, Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin) has essentially become a part-time, verging on full-time, demon slayer. There are plenty lurking around the church to keep her busy but she still has time to counsel David.
DPs Fred Murphy (Freddy vs. Jason) and Petr Hlinomaz (Daredevil) continue to kill it with the cinematography, shooting Guillermo del Toro-worthy monsters in the best ways. Special character designer Joel Harlow (NOS4A2) crafts creatively creepy demons and creatures that, upon first reveal, can be genuinely terrifying. But they can also get pretty goofy, especially when they encounter Sister Andrea and the slapstick comedy becomes straight-up Looney Tunes.
With everything going on at once (antichrist baby, unwell husband, bonkers work assignments), Kristen’s doing her best, one canned margarita at a time. Katja Herbers perfectly communicates Kristen’s range of emotions — joy with her daughters, amusement with Leland, and heartbreaking helplessness with Andy. The final scene of Episode 4 is particularly emotional, and she delivers.
Since its debut in 2019, Evil has consistently delivered entertaining, thought-provoking, and surreal storytelling. In its fourth season, Robert and Michelle King take us on a final wild ride with our favorite unholy trio as they take on more demons, miracles, and the antichrist. While it’s a tragedy that the fourth season will be its last, Evil more than made its mark in the horror genre as a delightfully wicked series. Let’s hope for a Sister Andrea spin-off that follows her bloody battle against demons.
The final season of Evil premieres May 23, 2024, on Paramount+. Season 3 is currently streaming for free on YouTube.
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