CBS' 'Evil' is off to an intriguing start with demons, a Joker-like psychopath and strong sexual chemistry between its leads
This article contains spoilers for 'Evil' episode 1.
CBS just premiered with its latest psychological horror 'Evil' and as meta as the name might be, the series does a remarkable job in revolutionizing what we truly mean by the term evil - is the concept restricted to the supernatural sinister spirits or is there a more human aspect to it with terrorism and horror being orchestrated all over the internet?
The plot revolves around Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), a clinical psychologist, and skeptic to the core, who comes in contact with David Acosta (Mike Colter) - a former journalist and priest-in-training, who is in charge of investigating cases of demonic possessions. Kristen is introduced to David on a professional basis, when a particular case she has to testify for gets murkier and far more twisted than imagined. There's a serial killer being detained and Kristen refuses to use her experience to testify against him because the killer claims he blacked out the exact moment he was murdering a family in cold blood. Even the killer's wife and defense argue that there were supernatural forces contributing to what he did which makes him medically unfit to stand trial as he keeps complaining he was possessed by a demon that urged him to commit the murders.
Kristen, with David's assistance and also a little help from the carpenter Ben Shakir (Asif Mandvi), dives into mingling her nonbeliever's stance with David's faith to dig into the realities of cases like these. But as they meander through what is right or wrong, and where the lines are drawn or blurred, the most down to earth aspect of their dynamics is the obvious sexual chemistry between the two that gets highlighted right from the very beginning of the series.
In that, CBS' Evil does not spend a lot of time beating around the bush or pinning two extremely attractive people together who are oblivious to the potential they have in becoming a thing. Kristen's life as a separated mother of four, with the husband and father absent from the picture, finds a decent balance in David's commitment towards his faith. And sparks might not be flying right away, but the ignition has already been revved so expect something big coming soon.
And if that dynamic chemistry between the two doesn't catch your attention, it is the chaotic devastation loving Heath Ledger's Joker-like killer on the show that is sure to unsettle you and yet intrigued you. The cold-blooded killer (not to be confused with the self-proclaimed possessed family killer) is called Leland Townsend and Michael Emerson does a crisp job in playing the psychopath who kills for fun. Robert King, who created the series with wife Michelle, has remarked in the past that Townsend is "like the Heath Ledger character in The Dark Knight. He’s someone who likes disruption because it’s fun and it’s how he makes himself happier.” And Emerson's performance doesn't disappoint and keeps it still fresh and unique for reception, just like season 2's wide array of real-life serial killers on 'Mindhunter'.
'Evil' airs on Thursdays at 10/9c only on CBS.