Evil: “Vatican III” (S1E7)
Evil’s Vatican III is an episode of the supernatural drama Evil. The assessors investigate a potential possessed serial killer.
Evil is a supernatural drama created by Michelle King and Robert King; this review covers “Vatican III.” The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, and Christine Lahti. It originally aired under CBS before moving to Paramount+. As of this review, itâs available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The Vatican sends its best operatives to interrogate the assessors on Grace Ling while a potential liability issue sends the team to the edge. Leland (Michael Emerson) mentors a troubled youth. David (Mike Colter) stands up for his team. Kristen (Katja Herbers) and Ben (Aasif Mandvi) help uncover a serial killer.
What I Like about Evil: “Vatican III”
Lelandâs corruption of a vulnerable person feels uncomfortably real. It follows a familiar pattern young men and boys fall into in the modern era, nurturing unhealthy character flaws by blaming society. In short, the pathway to incel-dom. Not to linger on the point, but “Vatican III” shows Lelandâs brand of charisma follows that same toxic stream of male ârole modelsâ that continuously bring out the worst by making attraction and desire a competitive sport.
The various interrogations conducted by the “Vatican III” provide a somewhat humorous set of priorities in assessing a literal prophet. The interrogators focus on the moral qualities of the assessors to inform their own âunbiasedâ opinion of the potential prophet. Furthering into this religious bureaucracy are the protections that a literal murder confession receives under the care of their priests. Again, it creates a wide range of possible exploitations that Evil seems to ease into the narratives.
While Ben doesnât have his own plot in this episode, he certainly delivers his skepticism. The dynamic provides a much-needed refute of the mounting supernatural forces that seem to act in the background while providing some small moments of levity to otherwise tense moments. However, itâs not the kind of levity that undermines the story but adds to its execution by amplifying how intense and unsurmountable these moments seem.
Both these plots bring an uncomfortable reality to the supernatural horror of Evil. As “Vatican III” allows for natural interpretations, it becomes increasingly clear that the element of supernatural influence doesnât exactly matter. Evil remains a prevalent and real force in this series, interwoven into society through exploitation and manipulation. Itâs these moments where Evil excels.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Perhaps more than most episodes, “Vatican III” deals extensively with the earthly issues of the Catholic church, which might rub some the wrong way.
Incels and misogynistic radicalization drive the narrative for the secondary plot, as alluded to earlier.
Dissociative personality disorder becomes a potential diagnosis for a murderer, which leads to the mentally disturbed trope. However, this doesnât remain a viable confirmation for reasons I canât reveal for the plot.
What I Dislike about Evil: “Vatican III”
A key issue of the series takes root here as Evil establishes a hierarchy of demons. The concept of these houses evokes interest, but the execution seems off. The series throws in these houses for various procedural mysteries. “Vatican III” includes one such example. Instead of making the forces of evil all-encompassing, it makes them feel small and manageable.
This fact does lessen the natural evil that “Vatican III” produces through its plot. Where the story shows us how the concept and forces of evil appear across all aspects of life, the overarching narrative of diabolical houses suggests these forces are finite. Itâs an issue that doesnât inherently damn the show but often waivers in execution, depending on the episode.
Final Thoughts
“Vatican III” builds upon the natural forces that define Evilâs narrative. While Evil still lingers between supernatural and psychological horror, it shows that the origins of these forces hardly matter when the influence remains the same. However, that dynamic remains slightly challenged with these new houses of evil. Regardless, “Vatican III” earns its place as an engaging episode.
(3.5 / 5)
Movies n TV
Evil: âA is for Angelâ (S2E2)
âA is for Angelâ is an episode of the supernatural drama, Evil. The assessors investigate a potential angelic possession.
âA is for Angelâ is an episode of the supernatural drama, Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. It originally aired under CBS before moving to Paramount+. As of this review, itâs available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors investigate a potential angelic possession. David (Mike Colter) meets a helpful nun (Andrea Martin as Sister Andrea). Kristen (Katja Herbers) talks to the police. Sheryl (Christine Lahti) takes out her frustration on someone who deserves it. Leland (Michael Emerson) makes a haunting confession.
What I Like about Evil: âA is for Angelâ
While âA is for Angelâ fears depicting a biblically accurate angel, it still evokes a haunting terror such angels evoke. Brandon J. Dirdenâs Raymond/Archangel Michael provides an unsettling performance that directly comments or alludes to actions that angels take in the bible.
This episode introduces Sister Andrea, who will become a key character of the series, acting as a spiritual advisor and mentor to David specifically. Sheâs interesting enough to evoke lasting memorability, given more attention than debut characters in their introductory episodes.
Lelandâs confession to David gets dark, revealing much of the personal relationship the two had before the series began. While nothing remains confirmed, and Leland clearly aims to antagonize David, Davidâs reaction suggests that some truthful admissions linger within the deception. However, itâs ultimately a viewerâs decision to weigh these claims.
âA is for Angelâ creates a rather terrifying dynamic that evokes a haunting narrative. Where the previous episode focused more on what comes next, âA is for Angelâ dives into the horrific implications of the procedural plot.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
As mentioned earlier, the procedural plot involves an angelic possession and some Old Testament godliness, which might upset some viewers. Some points suggest sexism and abuse, but little of this receives attention beyond the claim.
A character potentially murdered their wife, suggesting spousal abuse, but the reality of the situation seems blurred. Regardless, the victim tries to leave their abuser, which is a common source of abuse in domestic violence.
While nothing remains confirmed, a child molester apparently receives angelic punishment. The viewer takes the word of the angelâs supposed host on this claim, which hardly means an absolute confirmation.
Suicide, potentially assisted suicide, is another plot point alluded to in the episode. Little remains a proven fact, but the suggestion seems plausible considering what the viewer knows of the situation. As this remains the only confirmation, the claims seem interpretable.
What I Dislike about Evil: âA is for Angelâ
Again, âA is for Angelâ puts a lot of focus on the horrifying concept of an angel but doesnât try to depict a biblically accurate angel. Frankly, itâs a wasted opportunity, considering the haunting nature of their descriptions. Such descriptions rival that of Lovecraftian abomination in horrifying potential. It seems like a perfect opportunity for a show or film like Evil. Even as âA is for Angelâ challenges the depictions, it hesitates to open itsâ trillions of eyes to the opportunities available.
Leland allows the assessors into his home and leaves valuable evidence for the team to find. For such an intelligent character, these oversights seem uncharacteristic. Viewers might assume this frantic response is a ploy, but his reactions suggest otherwise.
Final Thoughts
âA is for Angelâ returns Evil to the horror roots that the previous episode hadnât lingered on. The episode unravels some mysteries of the past that better contextualize relationships. If youâre eager for Old Testament godly intervention, this episode brings out a proper dose of it.
(3 / 5)
Welcome to Nightvale is an incredibly popular podcast created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. It’s well-loved by horror and fantasy fans alike.
I think itâs, well, fine.
The book Welcome to Nightvale is the first of a series about the same nameless Midwestern town. And it was, well, not that great.
The story
We begin our tale with Jackie. Sheâs a nineteen-year-old who works at the pawn shop in Nightvale. She has been a nineteen-year-old for decades. Her life is simple. She works and she goes home. At home, she doesn’t do much but listen to the radio.
That is until a strange man comes to her shop.
Meanwhile, a mother named Diane is struggling with her son. He is a shapeshifter, and also a teenager. He appears to be struggling with both. Diane is trying to help him, but he doesnât want her help. She’s feeling unloved and unappreciated. Which makes sense, because he is sure acting like he doesn’t love or appreciate her.
Then, his father returns to town.
What worked
The Nightvale world is, if nothing else, a creatively dark world full of illogical Eldridge horrors. There are simply dark things lurking, without any rhyme or reason. Fantastical and horrifying people live side by side with literal miracles. This is easily the most entertaining part of the whole book.
What didnât work
That being said, all the lovely world-building in the world isnât worth anything if there isnât a decent story in place. Itâs like a gorgeous set for a play that goes nowhere.
And it felt very much like this story went nowhere. Or, at least it took forever to go anywhere.
The story felt incredibly repetitive. For instance, we went over and over how Jackie was nineteen and had been nineteen for decades. We didnât need to do that. Itâs bad enough that sheâs choosing to not move forward in her life. We donât need to experience it with her.
This over-explanation kind of killed the one part of the story I liked. It took all the fantastical, unexplainable parts of the story and killed them with over-explanation.
Maybe this wouldnât have mattered as much if I had been gripped by the characters. But I just wasnât. Both Jackie and Diane felt boringly real, despite their fantastical lives. They seemed stuck in their ways and unwilling to do anything to change them. And that is just not a character that I want to read about.
In the end, this just isn’t Fink’s best work. If you’re looking for something great from him, read Alice Isn’t Dead.
Or maybe itâs just not for me. I, after all, appear to be the only person on the planet who doesnât like this podcast. If you enjoy the Welcome to Nightvale podcast, you might enjoy this book. But if youâre just looking to start your Halloween reading, there are better options.
(2 / 5)
Movies n TV
Evil: âN is for Night Terrorsâ (S2E1)
âN is for Night Terrors” is an episode of the supernatural drama, Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The assessors assess a friend of the Cardinal.
âN is for Night Terrors” is an episode of the supernatural drama, Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, and Christine Lahti. It originally aired under CBS before moving to Paramount+. As of this review, itâs available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors assess a donor and personal friend to the Cardinal. Kristen (Katja Herbers) confesses to Dr. Boggs (Kurt Fuller). David (Mike Colter) struggles to balance his work and studies. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) meets a demon.
What I Like about Evil: âN is for Night Terrorsâ
Kristen returns from her season 1 finale with a strangely unreliable playfulness. With what the viewer knows, the performance creates an unnerving new norm for season 2 to unpack. While subtle, the trauma creates a domino effect across all her relationships. Everyone knows somethingâs off, even if they donât understand what.
Leland receives the most material to execute, allowing him ample opportunity to build meaningful hostile relationships with all three assessors. The viewer sees a perfect example of this through his new interactions with Ben, with whom Leland had no previous direct interactions.
David further indulges in dangerous behaviors to evoke his visions, replacing his old habits with pain to access these visions with renewed clarity. David needs God’s attention, forcing him into unhealthy cycles. Itâs a particularly unsettling pattern to witness.
As Ben is the least affected by the supernatural forces in the show so far, âN is for Night Terrorsâ sets season 2 as the correction of this grievous error. This dynamic creates a synergy between the first and second seasons, having already built Ben as the least tolerable to the supernatural shenanigans.
Of all the seasons, season 2 establishes my personal favorite title gimmick across the seasons. While some episodes of season 1 have great titles that tie in the episode’s procedural plot, season 2 achieves this standard while matching the tone and overarching plot.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Leland directly abuses the bureaucracy of the Catholic church to get what he wants. While season 1 explores potential corruption in the Catholic church, âN is for Night Terrorsâ shows this corruption in action.
As mentioned above, David uses pain to activate his visions. Itâs clearly shown as a negative with real repercussions on the body, but it does work. This wonât be a lasting solution for Davidâs visions, but that doesnât help âN is for Night Terrorsâ communicate the toxicity of this behavior. Aside from this claim, one moment shows the toxicity of this behavior as David misses a call from the person heâs attempting to help.
What I Dislike about Evil: âN is for Night Terrorsâ
The episode begins with a recap but also lingers on the ending of season 1 after this recap. It seems a strange point to linger on. The streaming era makes this a more exaggerated issue as a viewer gets bombarded with the same information three times.
Because of the personal relationship that all but one of the assessors have with the subject they are assessing, it seems inappropriate that they would continue assessing them. The more obvious their bias, the less sensible Bishop Marx seems when he keeps them on this assignment.
Lastly, the focused trajectory of season 1 takes a backseat to the procedural plot. While itâs an understandable writing decision, it does step back from the initial focus. In a structural sense, this deviation becomes an obstacle specifically placed in their way, but it does reduce tension.
Final Thoughts
âN is for Night Terrorsâ re-accompanies the viewer with the dynamics of the Evil series following season 1. It plays a little too safe, afraid of expanding too much beyond the refamiliarization, but it adds a few new dynamics for season 2 to follow.
(2.5 / 5)
