I Love Evil and You Should Too
Back in 2020 I was bored just about all of the time and binged plenty of shows. Out of the abundance that I watched, a few stood out, specifically Evil. The first season actually started in 2019, but I bought it on DVD because I was interested back in mid-2020. It aired on CBS, one of the few basic cable networks that are still free. In a similar vein to Lost, which made serialized drama/mystery more popular on basic television, Evil continues in its footsteps. It is a horror show, as you might have guessed, and it follows three main characters as they examine cases of possession or demonic presence for a local church.
The characters are so well balanced in their character building, and the horror is surprisingly spooky, with great practical effects rarely using CGI. Evil is such a niche show, so I was dumbfounded when I found out it aired on basic television. But, it makes sense then that the second season is airing on the streaming service Paramount Plus. I’m through about ten of the episodes, because at the time of writing it's not over yet (There are 13 episodes a season).
The first season couldn’t swear, which I know isn’t that big of a deal, but there were a couple of times when it felt awkward because a character goes off on another and no f-bombs could be dropped. In that aspect the second season is better because it can uncensor all of the blood, violence, cussing, and story themes they couldn’t traverse on public television. The series is not the best ever, but I admire it for thinking outside the box and making something different, despite restrictions from CBS. Now, without those minor restrictions, it flourishes even more, and I urge anyone reading to go watch it.
One episode in the new second season is almost completely devoid of dialogue, but their storytelling comes across very well. The expertise of the writing pair Michelle and Robert King who both head the show is on par with subscription channels like HBO or Showtime, which is fitting because the pair also wrote a recent Showtime series named Your Honor. They also wrote The Good Wife, which ran on CBS for eight years, plus the sequel series (The Good Fight) that is still going today. They are well versed in writing extremely well thought out, sprawling series, and Evil has the potential to be the next big pop culture streaming show.
Right now the only thing it doesn’t have is notoriety in popular culture. So that’s where this article comes in. It’s almost Halloween, so I encourage you to get that free trial for Paramount Plus and binge the series. Before the second season was even halfway aired, a third season was announced to be in the works due to the stellar reviews, so hop on the hype train before you miss out.
