Evil: “A is for Angel” (S2E2)
“A is for Angel” is an episode of the supernatural drama, Evil. The assessors investigate a potential angelic possession.
“A is for Angel” 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 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: “A is for Angel”
While “A is for Angel” fears depicting a biblically accurate angel, it still evokes a haunting terror such angels evoke. Brandon J. Dirden’s 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. She’s interesting enough to evoke lasting memorability, given more attention than debut characters in their introductory episodes.
Leland’s 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, David’s reaction suggests that some truthful admissions linger within the deception. However, it’s ultimately a viewer’s decision to weigh these claims.
“A is for Angel” creates a rather terrifying dynamic that evokes a haunting narrative. Where the previous episode focused more on what comes next, “A is for Angel” 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 angel’s 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: “A is for Angel”
Again, “A is for Angel” puts a lot of focus on the horrifying concept of an angel but doesn’t try to depict a biblically accurate angel. Frankly, it’s 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 “A is for Angel” challenges the depictions, it hesitates to open its’ 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
“A is for Angel” returns Evil to the horror roots that the previous episode hadn’t lingered on. The episode unravels some mysteries of the past that better contextualize relationships. If you’re 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 it’s, 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. She’s 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 doesn’t 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 didn’t work
That being said, all the lovely world-building in the world isn’t worth anything if there isn’t a decent story in place. It’s 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 didn’t need to do that. It’s bad enough that she’s choosing to not move forward in her life. We don’t 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 wouldn’t have mattered as much if I had been gripped by the characters. But I just wasn’t. 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 it’s just not for me. I, after all, appear to be the only person on the planet who doesn’t like this podcast. If you enjoy the Welcome to Nightvale podcast, you might enjoy this book. But if you’re just looking to start your Halloween reading, there are better options.
(2 / 5)
Movies n TV
Evil: “N is for Night Terrors” (S2E1)
“N 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.
“N 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, it’s 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: “N is for Night Terrors”
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 something’s off, even if they don’t 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. It’s a particularly unsettling pattern to witness.
As Ben is the least affected by the supernatural forces in the show so far, “N is for Night Terrors” 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, “N is for Night Terrors” shows this corruption in action.
As mentioned above, David uses pain to activate his visions. It’s clearly shown as a negative with real repercussions on the body, but it does work. This won’t be a lasting solution for David’s visions, but that doesn’t help “N is for Night Terrors” 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 he’s attempting to help.
What I Dislike about Evil: “N is for Night Terrors”
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 it’s 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
“N is for Night Terrors” 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)
Movies n TV
Evil: “Book 27” (S1E13)
“Book 27” is an episode of the supernatural drama series, Evil. The assessors investigate a demonic infestation.
Evil is a supernatural drama created by Michelle King and Robert King; this review covers “Book 27.” 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, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors investigate a demonic infestation. David (Mike Colter) and Ben (Aasif Mandvi) start to unravel a truly dark conspiracy. Kristen (Katja Herbers) takes out the trash for her family. Leland (Michael Emerson) proposes, and Sheryl (Christine Lahti) breaks the news to Kristen.
What I Like about Evil: “Book 27”
The investigation following the procedural plot goes a long way toward weaving the entire season together in a plot that doesn’t inherently seem connected. How “Book 27” ties these elements together certainly earn respect. All this accumulates to the twist at the end, which sets up a potential plot for season 2.
Again, Lexis received focus and plot relevance over the other Bouchard children. This focus leads to an intense scene that suggests greater plot relevance for the future. As the viewer becomes aware of other ongoing events, the tension creates a moment of true horror. Even when those dark comedic breaks appear, “Book 27” doesn’t minimize or refute the building tension.
I’m not entirely sure where to put my understanding of the title, “Book 27,” so I’ll add it here as a positive point. As the season ends with a rather depressing revelation, “Book 27” suggests trusting God’s plan. In this case, it indicates a light at the end of the tunnel despite the mounting forces against the good.
It’s hard to pick out what works so well in “Book 27” because it falls within paying off and building on what came before it. In short, it lives up to the hype and directs a focus for season 2, which every season finale should aim to achieve.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Catholic apologetics remains a key point of conversation concerning the exorcism. A part of this conversation relates to stances on abortion. It makes sense for the plot, but a strange conversation, regardless.
There’s an interesting interaction between Sheryl and Kristen that suggests an emotionally abusive and manipulative relationship. Sheryl strikes hard, making Kristen and her kids sound like a burden, and comes back a few scenes later and expects congratulations.
What I Dislike about Evil: “Book 27”
Much like the previous episode, some characters seem incredibly stupid for the sake of the plot. From main characters to minor, logic seems a relative point. For example, Orson parks outside Kristen’s house as she puts her children on a school bus, and he files a complaint against her that’s taken seriously despite him being the aggressor.
The above remains the central issue of the episode that seems to affect every aspect of the story. In the last episode, I mentioned a pattern of highs and lows, which follows into “Book 27.” However, the high points reach higher, and the lower points don’t hit as low.
Final Thoughts on Evil: “Book 27”
“Book 27” goes a long way in paying off what the entire season has been building up to. Most elements seem to earn their place, with the remaining points seemingly saved for the next season. While some decisions and characters fall short for the sake of this plot, it’s ultimately an effective payoff.
(4 / 5)
Season 1 Thoughts
Evil received 3 nominations in 2020 and an additional 9 nominations in 2021 across various organizations. As the first season drifts between 2019 and 2020, some of the 2021 likely relates to season one. While it fell short of winning these awards, the attention shows a strong introduction and start for a growing series. (4 / 5)
