'Devils' Episode 4 Review: Traumatic past does not make predictable characters interesting amid financial crises
Spoilers for 'Devils' Season 1 Episode 4
There is just something about The CW's finance thriller 'Devils' that takes any or all leftover intrigue away. It could be its complicated plotline and unexplained narratives running at a slow pace and riddled with uninteresting details. But most importantly, its biggest flaw is poor characters.
That, or 'Devils' should have invested time in providing its protagonists with backstories. When Season 1 of 'Devils' began, it immediately jumped into the financial crisis in Greece, then came in the humanitarian crisis in Libya, followed by the Irish crisis in the latest episode till it also gave us a flashback into an Argentinian bank's failure. Four episodes in, 'Devils' now tells us that in the midst of all this is an ambition so strong that it takes over the world.
By now, there is no doubt that Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey) is somehow linked to all of this. In a quick and dramatic flashback that has zero adherence to time, we find out the reason why Sofia Flores (Laia Costa) wants revenge of him and the bank he represents NYL. When their bank in Argentina declared bankruptcy, Sofia's brother died by suicide by shooting himself in the head. It was a quick and painless death but one that filled Sofia with a lifelong urge to avenge her dead brother.
Fast forward all these years, she is unstoppable in her pursuit. And now joined by Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), who is on his own quest, Sofia is ready to take down NYL and, more importantly, Dominic Morgan.
But here's the thing, right, traumatic past doesn't always equate to an interesting character. In fact, Sofia's character was more alluring when audiences thought she was only a hacker-activist who was working for Julian Assange-like activist Daniel Duval (played by Lars Mikkelsen). The revelation that she has a personal agenda at the heart of it all, takes away the mysterious charm surrounding Sofia, leaving her redundant and predictable.
Here's the flaw of 'Devils', it gave audiences zero backstories into its most important characters presuming they'd generate intrigue. But all that it did keep viewers at a distance - it is difficult to care about any of these people and why they care so much about Dominic Morgan.
Is money really powerful? We wouldn't know because 'Devils' hasn't told us that even once. In episode 4, The CW show reiterates that finance is the most powerful weapon of the modern world, but in doing so, it doesn't instill any feelings in its audience that can hardly bring itself to care.
'Devils' will air Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW.