Warning: Spoilers for the Evil series finale
Summary
Evilcreators Robert and Michelle King disagree about the series finale, especially the horror thriller’s last scene. In a closing episode that stretched for close to an hour, Kristen (Katja Herbers) and David (Mike Colter) test out continuing the Assessor Program in Rome after dispensing with Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson). Even though Ben (Aasif Mandvi) stays behind, favoring his high-paying job, the trio are in a good place.Except that Kristen sees, for a brief flash, thather baby may be the Antichrist.
In an interview withTV Insider, the Kings were asked whether Timothy might still have the potential to be the Antichrist despite the fact that he was baptized by Sheryl (Christine Lahti) earlier in the season. In the quotes below, Michelle and Robert King offer divergent responses. Robert, who directed the finale, explains howtheir disagreement speaks toEvilas a whole:
Michelle: Yeah, I think there are flashes of the—Robert, I don’t know if you have a different point of view—demonic in baby Timothy, but in fact, when Sheryl [Christine Lahti] had him baptized, it did clear the way for a primarily angelic baby that there were still flashes thereof. So I think the 60 is right to move on from him. I don’t think he’s a great candidate for them, but you never know, as with any baby, how they’re going to mature.
Robert: Michelle and I disagree, which is why the show can work both ways, but I think it is the Antichrist, that Lexis, that tale was really her true satanic nature in her and that Kristen has been chosen partly because she would be a good mother to protect this baby as it makes its way to manhood and some demonic Antichrist presence.
That to me is the punchline at the end of the joke, that we love Kristen, but also is she the mother of the living Antichrist? Did Leland get his way in the end? That’s why it’s really good that Michelle and I both disagreed because then the audience can disagree, too.
Evil Ended By Staying True To Itself
There Were No Concrete Answers
Eviltook a more character-based approach in its series finale. Rather than answering the lingering questions that the series has set up since its beginning, the Paramount+ thriller bowed out by making sure that the viewers had a good sense of where Kristen, David, and Ben were in their lives. The central trio were in a good place, even if they were not all working together, and the villainous Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) was partially vanquished by being carted off to a silent retreat for nuns where he will be spending time with his nemesis Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin).
If the cancellation ofEvilisn’t reversed, and if the horror thriller isn’t picked up elsewhere, there’s at least a bit of solace to be had in the fact that the characters themselves are doing just fine.
The finale arguably punted on addressingEvil’s lingering questions, including about Timothy’s status, but that has always been the show’s way of operating.It could just as easily be said that the sight of Timothy, with scary eyes and sharp teeth, is just Kristen’s worries leading her to imagine things. It might even be an argument that Ben makes himself, since the series has always maintained a fair amount of skepticism about its own supernatural happenings.
That may not be wholly satisfying for those hoping that the Kings would neatly wrap everything up.If the cancellation ofEvilisn’t reversed, and if the horror thriller isn’t picked up elsewhere, there’s at least a bit of solace to be had in the fact that the characters themselves are doing just fine. Even in the case of Dr. Boggs (Kurt Fuller), he escapes the series unscathed and perhaps with a newfound level of fame.
Evil
Cast
Evil is a psychological mystery series that follows a skeptical forensic psychologist, Kristen Bouchard, who teams up with a Catholic priest-in-training and a tech expert to investigate purportedly supernatural incidents. The series delves into complex themes of religion, science, and the nature of evil through its deeply layered narrative and character development. The show stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi.
