“B is for Brain” (Evil: S2E8)
“B is for Brain” is an episode of the supernatural drama Evil. The assessors investigate new brain mapping research.
“B is for Brain” 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, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors investigate new brain mapping research that might expose others to God and Hell. Kristen (Katja Herbers) struggles with aggression as Andy (Patrick Brammall) returns from his expedition. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) struggles with what he sees while in the brain mapping process. David (Mike Colter) returns to the basics to find God.
What I Like about “B is for Brain”
“B is for Brain” provides a unique opportunity for viewers to gain more insight into Ben’s past. While not his episode, as “B is for Brain” balances the leads nearly perfectly, he has his most emotional moment in the series so far. Despite the lower stakes, it provides a more vulnerable moment than “E is for Elevator.”
Leland (Michael Emerson) and Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin) meet again on more equal terms and establish their hostile relationship. Sister Andrea proves herself to be a woman who doesn’t back down when a Satanist tries to intimidate her. It also raises the necessity of David’s training, creating a more tangible threat.
Kristen’s deteriorating relationship with Andy reaches a boiling point as her impulsiveness and hostility reach new heights. It seems her sabbatical to the monastery might have increased the evil influences. “B is for Brain” builds upon what “S is for Silence” introduces and creates an interesting interpretation of the last episode’s events.
“B is for Brain” brings a new dynamic to its horror by focusing on how technology, science, and religion intersect. There’s an incredibly diabolical conversation on how this technology could induce fear to empower religion. This idea evokes a more subtle horror than most episodes.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
There is a potential nay-theist trope. By that, I mean there’s a single line where one can interpret an atheist character turned from God because God turned from them. It’s a single line that remains interpretable, but it’s worth mentioning.
There’s a moment of self-harm with clear implications that this is a pattern with the specific character. This harm has some implication of demonic influence, but this remains unconfirmed at the moment. I will mention this becomes more obvious as the season continues.
What I Dislike about “B is for Brain”
Unfortunately, such a big reveal for Ben’s character doesn’t have time to get fully explored in “B is for Brain.” While the focus between the three is great, a few big reveals only earn a light address. It’s less that Ben doesn’t get a fair amount of attention and more that these subjects don’t receive that attention.
A similar point remains relevant about the claim of using brain mapping as a way of evoking religious conversion. That point merits interrogation from the characters and the plot, but it’s only lightly touched on. Further expanding these points is that there’s only light reference in the future specifically about brain mapping.
Final Thoughts
“B is for Brain” gets placed into two memorable episodes, diminishing its lasting power. While not a fault of the episode, it does overlook some potentially big reveals. Some of the more relevant character moments will receive the attention they deserve in later episodes, but it doesn’t aid “B is for Brain” in execution. While a strong and enjoyable episode, diving into those moments might have created an episode that haunts the viewer.
(3 / 5)
Released in 2023, Late Night with the Devil is a found-footage movie about a late-night host who’d do anything to have the top-rated show.
Don’t worry, it’s not about Jay Leno.
The story
Our story begins, as many found footage films do, with a quick explanation. What we are going to see is the surviving footage from the last episode of a late-night show, along with some never-before-seen footage of backstage during the fateful night everything went wrong.
We then meet Jack Delroy. He’s a late-night host of the show Night Owls. And a year after the death of his beloved wife, he worries that his show is going to be canceled. The ratings are freefalling. So, on Halloween, he invites a girl named Lilly on the show who claims to be possessed.
Because that’s going to go well.
The show begins with a monolog, like most late-night shows. We then meet the first two guests, a claimed psychic named Christou and a stage magician slash skeptic named Carmichael Haig. After hot-reading the audience, Christou appears to have a real psychic vision. One that involves Jack’s deceased wife. He then proceeds to vomit black sludge all over the stage.
You’d think that would be the end of things. It would be stupid to still bring on the possessed girl after a warning like that.
But, of course, the show must go on.
What worked
Late Night with The Devil dedicated itself to the found footage vibe. As such, it felt very much like you were watching something from the 70s. The whole movie is at a lower, grainy resolution, unlike some other horror films that eventually and subtly switch out for a more modern and clear picture. The clothes, the music, the cheap and cheesy costumes. It all reminds one of a good episode of the Brady Bunch or Bewitched. Even when someone’s puking black blood or has worms pouring out of their freshly opened gut.
I was also quite impressed by the acting in this film. Especially that of David Dastmalchian, who played Jack Delroy. This role was performed to perfection. Jack manages to come off as a kind, compassionate man. The sort of person you’d be comfortable talking to, even about the most horrible moments of your life. You get the feeling that you could tell him about the worst moments of your life and he’d thank you for sharing.
This kind facade never slips. But we also see his true motivations. He doesn’t care about anyone, no matter how kind he acts. The show must go on is his entire drive and mission. He didn’t let a little thing like a guest dying stop him. Or a mental breakdown on stage. Or even his dead wife calling to him from beyond the grave.
The show must go on. And on, and on.
Even Dastmalchian is outshined, however, by Ingrid Torelli who played Lilly.
Lilly was a creepy character from the first time we saw her. There is something so unnerving about a child who knows far more than they should. This is a hallmark of demon possession films, all the way back to Reagan. But there’s also something else about the way she behaves that has little to do with the possession. She is always looking to either June or Jack for direction. As much as she speaks to the adults like she knows one, she is still always looking to please the adults around her. She is eager to look at the right camera at the right moment. She is eager to be obedient. It’s hidden, but for someone who has seen enough cult content, it’s easy to spot. She played a former cult victim very well. And that was perhaps the most terrifying part of that character.
What didn’t work
This was almost a perfect movie. Then, like so many others, it just couldn’t stick the landing.
Near the end of the film, there is a strange scene that doesn’t seem to mesh with the rest of it. It appears to be a collection of Jack’s memories. Whether they are true memories or not is left to our interpretation. But they explain the entire reveal of the whole movie. In dull, excruciating detail.
This series of scenes was insulting. It was the equivalent of asking someone if they got the joke. But are you sure you got it? Wait, let me explain it and really just kill the effect altogether.
We were already laughing. Or, to step away from this metaphor, we were already creeped out. We were already grossed out. We were already living in the scene, sitting in the audience right next to the lady who lost her son or the man dressed as a skeleton. Rather than explain the twist, which didn’t need explaining, this scene pulls us rudely out of that audience and deposits us back in the real world.
All that being said, Late Night with The Devil is still a terrific horror film. It was dark, it was gorey, and it left us with unsettling questions even after the ill-planned info dump. If it isn’t already on your Halloween watch list, it certainly deserves a spot.
(4 / 5)
Movies n TV
“S is for Silence” (Evil: S2E7)
Evil: “S is for Silence” is an episode of the supernatural drama. The assessors investigate two miracles of a potential saint.
“S is for Silence” 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, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors investigate two miracles of a potential saint in a secluded monastery. David (Mike Colter) struggles to commune with God. Kristen (Katja Herbers) endures the sexism of the monastery. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) finds himself out of his element.
What I Like about “S is for Silence”
As the name implies, this is a largely silent episode with only a few breaks of audible discussion. This decision forces the actors to convey emotions with their expressions and allows the cinematography to experiment. Evil brings its A-game to create one of the most unique episodes in “S is for Silence.”
Diving further into the creative decisions, “S is for Silence” plays around with internal monologue, maintaining the silence through visuals or subtitles. It’s one of those moments of commitment worth appreciating because it adds to the finality of that silence.
Alexandra Socha’s Sister Fenna plays a key role in the plot, delivering an amazing performance to a character with no lines. As the character only speaks Dutch, it provides an additional barrier that the team, specifically Kristen, must navigate to communicate with her. It’s a demanding role for a character who only appears in this episode.
A particular scare seems to utilize stop motion or imitate stop motion with its special effects. Regardless, something is jarring about the sudden movements that unnerve a viewer when done right. “S is for Silence” does this right.
“S is for Silence” dives harder than previous episodes in the supernatural elements, taking us into a monastery with a demonic item in its possession. It also returns to the dark comedic tone “C is for Cop” didn’t linger in. The combination of creative decisions, overwhelming silence, and acting makes this a haunting and unique episode of Evil.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
The monastery segregates between sexes, clearly displaying a disparity between the nuns and priests in great favor to the priests. It’s depicted as sexism and misogyny, lacking only a confrontation to solidify any particular perspective.
Body horror and insects play a large role in the plot. I wouldn’t say the body horror is overt, but the insects certainly have a more dominant influence.
What I Dislike about “S is for Silence”
There’s this strange moment between Kristen and Sister Fenna, which lacks clarity. It’s almost depicting a romantic moment or some attraction when the relationship seems more mother/daughter. A later episode will confirm this mother/daughter dynamic in a small reference. Perhaps something is cut from the released episode, but it strikes me as odd. Another addition to the above point is when the nun undresses, creating a voyeuristic aesthetic that seems misfitting.
Despite ruling out one miracle, an entirely different miracle remains uncontested. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, but the main goal is to assess the miracles. Regardless of the initial reason for investigating, I assume the assessors’ need to refute that miracle or investigate another potential miracle regardless.
Final Thoughts
“S is for Silence” is a haunting episode of Evil, channeling what makes Evil so effective as a supernatural drama. It utilizes its dark comedic tone but never undermines its horrific or unsettling moments. This episode truly stands out and still lingers in my mind as the series nears its end.
(5 / 5)
We’ve reached episode six of Marvel’s Agatha All Along. And finally, we’re getting some answers. Yes, if you’ve been waiting to find out who Teen really is, this is the episode.
The story
We begin this episode three years in the past with a young man named William. It is his thirteenth birthday, the day of his bar mitzvah. But his party is cut short when something happens with the anomaly over Westview.
On the way home, he and his family are in a car accident. It appears that William died in that accident. And the person now inhabiting William’s body is not him.
We then see Billy, the person who’s taken over William’s body, learn more and more about Wanda, Agatha, and what happened in Westview. This includes a delightful cameo by Evan Peters.
Eventually, Billy goes to find Agatha, and we quickly catch up to where we are in the story.
And where we are is on The Road, with just Agatha now. But at least we’ve all finally been properly introduced.
What worked
One of the funnier parts of this episode, and the series so far, was seeing Billy’s side of things when Agatha was still trapped in Wanda’s spell. He is amused, she is acting like a crazy person. I would almost like to see the whole first episode from the point of view of the other people she was interacting with. It was probably confusing and startling as hell for them. I bet it was a blast.
Now, onto the more substantial parts of this episode. We discover right away that William is Jewish. And this was super important to me, as a Marvel fan. Because as much as the Marvel cinematic universe is trying to ignore it, this is Billy Maximoff. Which means he is not just the son of Wanda Maximoff, but the grandson of Erik Lehnsherr.
You know, this guy.
I have been waiting for someone, anyone, in the Marvel franchise to finally admit that Scarlett Witch is Magnito’s daughter. And this feels at least like a nod towards that.
Finally, this episode fixed the issue I’ve been complaining about since the beginning of this series.
My biggest problem with Agatha All Along has been that the title character is not a decent person. She is not a bad person on her way to becoming a good person. She is not growing or becoming a better person. She continues to use everyone around her and shows no remorse when her actions cause them harm. Even the speech she gives Billy in this episode is self-serving. She doesn’t care if he feels bad about himself. She only wants him to have a good opinion of her so that he’ll help her along the road.
And that would continue to be irritating if I thought this was Agatha’s story. But as I think we all realized in this episode, this hasn’t been Agatha’s story all along.
It’s been Billy’s. And he is a very likable character. We want him to reach the end of The Road.
What didn’t work
I can honestly say this episode had only one flaw. And a quick check on IMDB suggests that it might be rectified later. As of right now, we only have two characters left. Everyone else seems to have been lost to The Road. And I kind of hate that. We spent a lot of time making Jen, Alice and Lilia interesting characters. We care about them at this point. We are not, unlike Agatha, prepared to toss them aside. And if they are dead, that’s going to be a problem for me. But, every time I’ve complained about something this season, I’ve been proven wrong. So hopefully I will this time as well.
Personally, this episode ticked all my buttons. I loved it as a Marvel fan. I loved it as a witch. I loved it as an American Horror Story fan.
There are just three episodes left. And I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to whatever The Road has for a finale.
(4 / 5)