Despite Devilish As the series on Paramount+ races towards its end, there is still time for the case of the “Demon of the Week,” which Kristen Bouchard, Ben Shakir and Father David Acosta are to investigate. Even though “Fear of the Other,” Season 4 Episode 12, is a somewhat disjointed episode, both stories seem absolutely crucial to the series and continue to convey the sense of impending doom that the narrators want to evoke in the audience.

Leland Townsend’s legal troubles continue — although his hulking, demonic lawyer known as Henry Stick somehow manipulates the judge into dismissing the case. Meanwhile, David learns that his promotion to pastor of St. Joseph’s Church is due to the archdiocese desecrating the grounds and selling them to an online retailer for $45 million. Kristen was supposed to get the $800,000 from Leland’s ally Edward Tragoren, but he instead settled with her soon-to-be ex-husband Andy for 10 cents on the dollar. Even Sister Andrea must confront a shameful part of her past while helping a young man who is possessed and considering ending his life. In this episode, Ben, Kristen and David discover their own doppelgangers and lives they didn’t live.

Leland Townsend is in court and has to fight for his life … somehow

The villain of evil is in serious trouble – until he isn’t

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In a scene from “Fear of the Other” that CBR exclusively premiered, Leland’s attempt to defend himself on the grounds of insanity is thwarted. He tried to threaten Dr. Kurt Boggs to declare him insane, prescribe him medication, and ensure he’ll be free in a few weeks. Instead, Dr. Kurt says Leland should be locked up for life, prompting Leland to remark to his lawyer, “Well, he’s dead.”

However, Boggs may still be able to go on his book promotional tour as the Leland case is dismissed after Judge Jared Jeter kills Leslie, the surrogate mother of Leland and Kristen’s son Timothy. It is also encouraging to watch Kristen’s testimony in court; she comes prepared with evidence and puts on a little show in court about Leland’s denigration of her mother. Sheryl’s death in Devilish Finally, Season 4, Episode 10, “How to Survive a Storm,” led to Leland’s arrest.

There’s also another great moment with Sister Andrea when she confronts Henry Stick and tells him that she can see his demonic form. She reiterates what Leland said about Stick being the “evil coming to New York,” meaning the lawyer could play a significant role in the final two episodes. While Leland may have won this round, the important battle is still ahead.

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Season 4, Episode 12 is a clear victory for Leland

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Fans of legal dramas might be a little frustrated with DevilishCourt scenes, from the lack of cross-examination to the ex parte meeting that led to Leslie’s murder. The loss of Leslie as a witness should not have resulted in the case being dismissed. Of course, since this was a pretrial hearing, Judge Jeter could have dismissed the case for almost any reason he wanted. The lack of legal reality is not such a big disadvantage, because the point of this story was to turn Kristen’s victory into a loss.

There is a lot of story in “Fear of the Other,” but it sometimes makes the episode seem disjointed. The personal defeats suffered by Kristen, David, and even Ben – due to his fear of success – seem unrelated to the demon assessment. Yet they provide context for the story of how a man named Paul feels driven to suicide when he finds his doppelgänger on the internet. These events take their toll on the characters’ souls, but the episode doesn’t have enough time to delve into them.

The best-executed story is Kristen’s, as she believes that losing her lawsuit, losing her $800,000 salary, and losing her job are pushing her to do something better. She renounces all religion and clears her house of the books and Catholic and Buddhist iconography she had collected. But David and Sister Andrea find hope in the final shot of the episode, where they sit at the piano, playing the Heavenly Chord, and see the “light of God” in the room.

Evil uses doppelgangers to investigate the trauma of suicide

Paul Junior’s story contrasts with the struggles the heroes face

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The series of defeats that the characters in Devilish Season 4, Episode 10 revolves around Ben and Kristen’s curiosity about doppelgängers. Ben finds his doppelgänger – a seemingly successful man with a happy family – while Kristen finds both her and David’s doppelgänger. The latter is a mixed martial arts fighter who believes in God, but also speaks openly about using the body “God gave him” for physical intimacy. So much so that she has an explicit dream about him due to her professed affection for David. Kristen’s doppelgänger is a happy musician, seemingly free of the burden of responsibility she carries in her life.

The story centers on Paul Junior, who believes that his doppelgänger’s suicide led to his obsession and his own suicidal thoughts. His father, Paul Senior, loved Sister Andrea and committed suicide when she wouldn’t leave the church for him. Andrea is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, which David forgives in a beautiful confession scene. He reminds her that Paul Senior’s death is not her fault. Her guilt is also the reason she is so adamant about protecting his son from a similar fate.

Confronting their respective defeats and discovering their doppelgängers could have left Kristen, Ben and David feeling despair. It is only through their connection to each other – and in David and Andrea’s case, to God – that they do not face the kind of traumatic despair that leads some to take their own lives. Andrea may still feel guilty, but she focuses her energy on saving Paul’s son. When she learns that the church is lost, she turns to the Heavenly Chord and is overjoyed when she feels God’s presence in the room.

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But despite the impending defeat, the heroes remain hopeful

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Devilish has long tried to keep a secret about what is real and what isn’t – like when Ben was haunted in Season 2. While the TV series doesn’t take a real position on the reality of these magical events, it does show how the characters’ faith – be it their belief in the divine or in the real world – gives them power. Instead of despairing over Leland’s victory, the church’s closure, or anything else, the characters look to the future with hope. That’s what’s truly magical about the show.

Actually, Devilish Season 2 nearly redeemed Leland when he underwent an exorcism to taunt David and the Church. While the series seems to promise a grand, metaphysical conflict that brings about the apocalypse, the real battle and victory may be more emotional and personal. If “Fear of the Other” is any indication of what’s to come, the characters will find redemption in each other, regardless of what horrors the 60 demon houses plan to unleash on New York. The series has always focused on the characters’ relationships with the divine, the demonic, and each other more than anything else — and this episode is a prime example of that.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8 or the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S.

The new episodes of “Evil” appear on Thursdays on Paramount+.

Evil Season 4, Episode 11

Ben and Kristen meet their doppelgangers. Leland’s trial takes a sudden and violent turn. Sister Andrea is confronted with a trauma from her past.

Release date

26 September 2019

Creator

Michelle King, Robert King

Pour

Mike Colter, Brooklyn Shuck, Katja Herbers, Dalya Knapp, Marti Matulis, Maddy Crocco, Kurt Fuller, Michael Emerson, Skylar Gray, Aasif Mandvi, Christine Lahti

Seasons

4

Streaming service(s)

Paramount+, Netflix, Prime Video

Per

• Great work from the series’ ensemble, especially Sister Andrea and Father David.
• Excellent balance of humor and horror in an extremely dark episode.
• Good balance between big narrative movement and demon-of-the-week story.

Disadvantages

• The connection between the characters’ stories and the episode’s demon story may be left too much to the subtext.
• In the last two episodes there is only a small foreshadowing of the villains’ final plans.
• The end of the episode is nice, but doesn’t feel as final as it could have.

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