Evil Season 2 review: Paramount Plus Show still has an evil side

Believing in anything can be messy, so it makes sense that “Evil” is too. The show, which launches season 2 this weekend on Paramount +, billed itself as a kind of kaleidoscope of beliefs when its first season aired on CBS proper in late 2019 and early 2020.

The show’s initial catchphrase came from the ubiquitous but cordial disagreements between Catholic Church assessor David Acosta (Mike Colter) and psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), each tasked with working together to assess the claims of the otherworldly forces in the lives of people in and around New York City. Every inexplicable phenomenon that they and the universal skeptic Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) encountered during this first season has encountered a series of theories arising from the unwavering adherence to the doctrine (the presence of evil spirits determined to manipulate humans’ best instincts) to simple scientific explanation (usually an abundance of a household chemical only meant to be used in small amounts).

It would be easy to claim that Season 2 offers more of the same, but that would underestimate the extent to which these new episodes have a far greater dose of “more” than “same”. Having already built something of a unified theory that tied most of the mysterious events of Season 1 together, “Evil” retains some of that framework and spends the start of this new season adding rather than refining. Here are invocations in archaic languages, accidental amputations and lucid confessions of crimes punishable by life imprisonment.

“Wrong”

Elizabeth Fisher / CBS

“Evil” is always a show preoccupied with contradictions, but it’s not the simpler “science versus faith” struggle that may have gotten the hook in the beginning. It’s not just that Kristen, Ben and David had their respective contact with the Unexplained. (Starting in Season 2, all three have new reasons to question what they see with their own eyes.) There’s a certain threshold that has been crossed, a blur between what is meant to be real. and what is supposed to be a simple perception. As frustrating as it can be at times from an episodic storytelling perspective, there is a certain method to this obscurity that puts the viewer on a par with the main trio whose perception of what it takes believing has been altered by visions of vengeful archangels wielding false devils and disco dance moves from the most unlikely sources.

The challenge with this show will always be balancing the high-speed maximalism of its supernatural elements and the calmer character moments that it sprinkles throughout. When these two manage to sync up, like Kristen navigating the complicated realities of her marriage or David’s not exactly approved efforts to communicate with the sublime, it’s a pleasure to have a show that can skillfully handle both. at the same time. The group dynamic, whether it’s between our three lead investigators or Kristen’s four daughters, grows stronger with every scene that passes together. There is a feeling that everyone is becoming more comfortable with each other, even when the powers swirling around them are more of an enigma than they’ve ever been.

After settling into a groove at the end of last season, Season 2 takes a sufficiently different approach that these opposing forces at times leave the series somewhat disjointed. “Evil” has a lot of characters that the show’s writers are understandably reluctant to give up, most notably Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson). Diabolical and theatrical in a hyper-controlled way that seemingly only Emerson can tap into, he’s also one of the show’s practical conduits for describing what’s at stake. (“It’s so heartwarming to pray for power instead. weakness, ”Leland says, describing his wives with the devil.)

Keeping him around is more of a blessing than a curse, but the twists “Evil” has to do to keep him involved sometimes indicates that the show has streaks of success at times. If there is a reason for concern, it is that this season offers even more chances for “Evil” to go astray. After hinting at the end of last season that a fertility clinic might hold the key to explaining everything, “Evil” continues to add cases. So far, the series has resisted using multiple episodes to really consider a single instance. If this continues at this rate, there is the potential for very rapid exhaustion.

“Wrong”

Elizabeth Fisher / CBS

Even if it does, there’s still a lot of value in how the show challenges to treat individual religious traditions like monoliths. It is an antidote to the idea that the invocation of a particular deity (or a belief in the absence of one) should be an automatic justification for any course of action. Many of the show’s arguments spring from a theological starting point, but the “Maleficent” big tent approach draws on discussions of power, patriarchy, bigotry, the nature of righteousness, and prevalence. modern surveillance tactics. Whether there is enough real estate to give rise to meaningful conversations or whether those moments are failures about to sort out all the details of the episode by the time 41 minutes have passed, remains in the eye of the spectator. (Of the first four episodes of Season 2, only the fourth is written by series creators and executive producers Robert and Michelle King. It’s also the one that comes closest to a full season 4 crossover. of “The Good Fight,” although the two shows’ DNAs are still recognizable in some way.)

On some level, welcoming the elastic approach from episode to episode of the series means accepting that there is a part of “Evil” that will always feel a little elusive. The show has room for dissections of cognitive behavior, considerations on the ethics of certain Church practices, banter with dream demons covered in prosthetics, and a handful of psychedelic-induced hallucinations for good. measured. It’s a combination that is confusing in the best possible way.

The deeper “evil” penetrates into his mythology, the more he feels like a magician offering insight into how they do their tricks. For those who love “Evil” for its network of seals and exorcisms, Season 2 still has a lot to offer. Peel off the layers of CGI appearances and simple effects flair (each episode begins with an intricate pop-up book motif) and you still have the unsettling little touches of the series: a scream from a scrambled vocal recording or a noise. strange occurring just out of sight or a mirror looking back with a sinister smile. These are all threads of a bizarre tapestry that may not always make sense when you look at it closely. But take a step back for the full view, and there’s nothing quite like it on TV.

Rating: B +

“Evil” Season 2 releases new episodes Sundays on Paramount +.

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