'Evil' Episode 2 tackles medical malpractices and bias against people of color in the middle of a supernatural investigation
This article contains spoilers for Episode 2
This week, episode two of CBS' horror mystery 'Evil' takes a human form yet again, through medical malpractices and racial discrimination exercised by doctors when it comes to the treatment of white and black patients.
The episode opens with a new case in Dr. Kristin Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and her investigation partner, David Acosta's (Mike Colter) hands, where a woman mysteriously wakes up mid-autopsy, two hours after she was pronounced dead.
Upon investigating, the non-believer and priest-in-training duo learn that it wasn't a miracle, but more of a medical issue as the medical director considers it was the fault of the EMT who performed CPR on the girl.
The director does this to avoid a medical malpractice suit, but the supernatural element in the scene is added by a mysterious angelic white shadow leaving the girl's side as the people in the ER try saving her.
Even as Kristen and David bring together the forces of science and religion to figure out what exactly happened, in the end, the matter turns out to be a more human factor.
David digs up facts that clearly state the lack of effort doctors put into saving a person of color, as opposed to their efforts in saving a white person.
David explains that the entire situation is not a miracle, but clearly a lack of competence and efforts from the medical team purely because of how quickly they called the time of death for Naomi when compared to a white patient at the same hospital, who passed away an hour earlier.
This allows them to rule Naomi's case as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the establishment is slammed with charges of medical malpractice eventually.
This brings back memories of 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' in season six's episode 21, where the host discussed the issue of bias in medicine exercised towards women and people of color.
Wanda Sykes, a special guest in the segment, quipped about how the best way to voice your ailments in a medical establishment is to get it done by a white male as doctors are more likely to believe you then.
The comedian cited a real-life anecdote where she was sent home after a double mastectomy with "ibu-f**king-profen" whereas white people get prescribed opioids "like they're Tic-Tacs".
Playing along the same lines, CBS' 'Evil' offers a brilliantly weaved take on the issue once again. 'Evil' airs on Thursdays at 10pm/9c only on CBS.