Evil

:

Season 2
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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Critic Reviews

  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Darren Franich
    Jul 19, 2021
    100
    The series juggles a demon-embryo mythology with spiritual inquisition. Doing all that, while also bringing artful sensitivity back to the procedural genre? Calling Evil a miracle is too modest. It's a revelation. [Aug 2021, p.59]
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  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Saloni Gajjar
    Jun 18, 2021
    91
    Once again, Evil smartly plays with these themes without revealing the truth. ... While exploring the ramifications of possible paranormal activity, Evil season two proves [it] isn’t to be missed.
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Jul 1, 2021
    90
    Dynamite entertainment. ... So gorgeously twisted I can only conclude it was Heaven-sent. [5 - 18 Jul 2021, p.9]
    All this critic's reviews
  5. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Richard Lawson
    Jun 17, 2021
    90
    Cheery Evil is not. But it remains riveting television, mordant and sinister with a faint sadness hanging around its edges.
  6. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Kelly Lawler
    Jun 18, 2021
    88
    Naturally levels up in the new episodes, deepening its characters and the big life questions the scripts routinely ask.
  7. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Steve Greene
    Jun 21, 2021
    83
    The deeper that “Evil” gets into its mythology, the more it feels like a magician offering an inside look at how they do their tricks. For those who enjoy “Evil” for its web of sigils and exorcisms, Season 2 still has plenty to offer.
  8. Slate
    Reviewed by: Daniel Schroeder
    Jul 14, 2021
    80
    From the moment Emerson appears, it’s clear he knows what show he’s on, just waiting for the rest of the cast to catch up. And as of Season 2, which saw the series jump from CBS to Paramount+, they have. ... Evil knows the evils of humanity are human, and by not taking the face of religion seriously, it can access a real truth: At night, fear of the boogeyman can keep us safe—but so can laughing in the daylight at those same scares.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Jun 21, 2021
    80
    Delaying tactics are the price of doing open-ended horror 13 episodes at a time. Happily, the business in the foreground of “Evil” remains more than sufficiently entertaining. ... Beyond what some might consider a too-deliberate pace, there isn’t a lot to complain about with “Evil.”
  10. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Allison Keene
    Jun 17, 2021
    74
    Unburdened by the constraints of broadcast, Evil is leaning into freedom so hard that it’s done away with any guardrails that previously made its complex story work. In opening up every possibility for its cases and characters regarding the push and pull of the secular and the divine, the series does occasionally need to stop hiding in the lofty ideals of its narrative agnosticism and pick a side.
  11. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jun 18, 2021
    70
    “Evil” is the rare show that’s both frequently scary — one jump-scare was enough that my reaction scared my dog sitting next to me on the couch — but in a generally sophisticated way. ... Episodes three and four of “Evil’s” second season, particularly three, are less commendable, splitting up the lead trio for too long and sending characters on paths that lack clear motivation.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best TV Season of 2021

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 3 out of 16
  1. jim_taltontish
    Sep 12, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I'm definitely not on the same page as the people who commented thus far. To me, everything except the clever intros with the "book of evil" are a serious downgrade from the first season. How is the grandma now a demon insider (and obviously quite evil herself)? Why is the head priest who assigns the team their assignments so obtuse and doing the opposite of everything his team suggests (e.g., why yes, this super evil guy you're battling donated money so let's humor him)? Why are one-sided, ham-fistedly presented social issues being preached?

    They are trying too hard to expose America's and the world's power structures and it's diminishing the quality of their supernatural horror stories.

    I was so happy to find a new, creative IP that let me escape political agendas that I already see too much of in documentaries and the news (both liberal and conservative, plus both printed and filmed). The virtue signaling has taken a front seat in almost every episode. It's still a good show, but it's often too hard to suspend disbelief enough to fully enjoy it. I really hope they get back to "story first" over "social agenda in all storytelling in all media is crucial for human survival."

    Still, I love the cast and it's a creative show with entertaining, spooky ideas. I just hope they can get closer to how they handled season one and don't go even deeper into pushing social agenda over story in season three.    … Full Review »
  2. asmanraj
    Jul 28, 2021
    10
    I thought this show couldn't get any better, but it somehow did. It's cerebral, riveting, and eerie, and it's the best horror series to air onI thought this show couldn't get any better, but it somehow did. It's cerebral, riveting, and eerie, and it's the best horror series to air on a major broadcast network in the US since Hannibal. The fourth episode, E is for Elevator, had one of the scariest scenes I've seen in a show since Buffet Froid, the tenth episode of Season 1 of Hannibal. I'm so happy this show got renewed for a third season. Some people have complained that this show is too "woke", but I'm a socialist horror lover and I love it. I also love how this show has a Muslim character and discusses Islamic beliefs. I'm so glad there's gonna be a third season!… Full Review »
  3. jamess
    Jun 23, 2021
    8
    Season two picks up following the events of season one and hits the ground running, or in the case of this series, hits the ground walking atSeason two picks up following the events of season one and hits the ground running, or in the case of this series, hits the ground walking at a measured pace. Which is a good thing. The easiest analogy is it's the best series since the X-Files to examine good versus evil from the viewpoint of the believer and non-believer. And the cast is sterling as before, with Michael Emmerson relishing his role, just as Tom Huddleston is doing with Loki, with a performance and character they seem born to play. Hard to believe this came from the network of endless CSI spinoffs and Chuck Lorre comedies, but give CBS/Paramount+ credit for a thoughtful and actually scary series.… Full Review »
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