Evil season 1 debuted in 2019 on CBS, but the supernatural horror series moved to Paramount+ for season 2 and it made the story even better than it was before. Evil follows David Acosta, a Catholic priest in training, forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard, and technical expert Ben Shakir as they investigate cases that are a cross between science and religion. While the show did well on CBS, it really caught the attention of viewers when it began streaming on Netflix last year. Considering the content and themes Evil touches upon, the move to Paramount+ felt natural.
The series has always been dark, exploring what it means to be evil, systemic racism in healthcare, demonic possessions, and all other manner of scary things that quite often blur the line between the paranormal and reality. To that end, Evil is a unique show because it goes where other shows haven’t, combining its horror elements with logic in an enthralling and deeply thoughtful way. On CBS, Evil was beholden to the rules of broadcast television, which meant certain things — sexuality, horror, darker themes, and language — had to be cut. That isn’t an issue now that the series is on Paramount+.
When it comes to the show’s relationship with science, technology, and faith, it has long remained ambiguous. However, Evil season 2 has been able to delve deeper into these themes and new subjects without as much restraint thanks to its new streaming home. In fact, showrunners Robert King and Michelle King revealed the move was great for them precisely because they had more creative liberties on a streaming service. Their artistic efforts have certainly shown up in Evil’s season 2 episodes. This season has been weirder, darker, somewhat more gruesome and, yes, more sexy, than season 1.
Leland Townsend, in particular, has become more of a bizarre antagonist than simply a creepy one. Ben now has his own night terror demon who is arguably creepier than George and yet just as awkwardly humorous. In a recent episode, Evil covered the topic of racism in the Catholic church, with David beginning to question why he wasn’t allowed to broach the topic of racism as a sin in a sermon. It’s something that may not have made it to air if the show was still on CBS. What’s more, George is now narrating at the end of each episode, teasing the audience regarding upcoming season 2 storylines. The demon breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience and commenting on the plot and character dynamics.
Aside from being fun, the narration suggests, much like Leland’s ludicrous taunting, that Evil is a drama that doesn’t necessarily take itself way too seriously. Would George have narrated the show if it was still airing on CBS? Eh, probably not. There are ultimately a lot of benefits to having Evil on Paramount+ — plus, each episode doesn’t have to be exactly 42 minutes long to adhere to network standards and commercial breaks, which is yet another benefit. The series is bolder in season 2, now able to include more horrific elements, darker themes, and even more absurd moments and storylines without moving away from its core.
