8 reasons ‘Evil’ is the greatest show you’re not watching

Imagine The X-Files with religious trauma and you’ve got Evil, the greatest show you’re not watching. Look, we get why it’s been off your radar. It was on CBS and then bounced to Paramount+ in a time when the streaming platform felt too baby to bother with. But now, Evil is reaching its long, dark claws into Season 4 (dropping May 23), and it’s time you caught up. 

Why? When there’s so much to watch and so little time? Here are eight reasons why you need to be watching Evil. Besides, with the show’s first two seasons now on Netflix, it’s easier to dive in than ever before.

1. Evil is like The X-Files but with demons.

Sparks fly between David and Kristen.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Instead of UFO–obsessed Agent Mulder trying to convince skeptical Agent Scully, Evil offers vision-having priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter) trying to convince lapsed Catholic and fiercely rational therapist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) that the devil is in the details. And you’d better believe in between exorcisms and fierce debates about mental illness and demonic possession, there’s throbbing hot sexual tension! Sure, sure, she is married and he’s very nearly a priest, but her hubby Andy (Patrick Brammall) is far away on a long mountain-climbing trek, and his calling from God doesn’t mean David doesn’t experience urges. Can they resist temptation or will they Benedetta it up?! 

2. Everyone on Evil is hot as hell.

“Evil”s sexy Scooby Gang.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Colter is a broad-shouldered hunk. Herbers is a no-nonsense knockout. Rounding out their Scooby Gang is Aasif Mandvi as tech expert Ben Shakir, who brings smirking swagger to the New York City-set series.

Admittedly, the show’s primary lustiness is very invested in Kristen and David’s undeniable sexual tension. But Season 2 gives Ben a love interest (Nicole Shalhoub), who is not only smoking hot but also has a bit of evil twin baggage that is next-level fascinating.

Adding more smoke to the show is Christine Lahti as Kristen’s mother Sheryl Luria, a rocking GILF who is basically New York City’s answer to Blanche Devereaux.

3. Evil‘s monsters of the week are reliably spine-tingling. 

Meet Eddie.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Over the course of Season 1-3, Evil introduces a batch of recurring demons, some of who plague individual characters, all of whom are brought to vivid life with incredible practical effects make-up. But night terror demon George and his friends are just the tip of the scary iceberg. Joining in on the fun are kid-taunting ghosts, marauding figures of local legend, internet bogeymen, and Michael Emerson as the series’ ghoulishly amusing antagonist, Leland Townsend.

If you’re not sure Evil is for you, try out “E is for Elevator,” episode 4 in Season 2. Here, an NYC urban legend promises a trip to hell, and one of our heroes gets up close and personal with a nightmare that becomes real. Full disclosure: I paused this episode in the middle to turn on all the lights in my home. That is how damn creepy it is.

4. Evil tackles current events and real malevolence too.

Leland showing all the respect he holds for the church.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Beyond its masterfully made monsters of the week, Evil also uncovers horrific real-world issues, like the dehumanizing treatment of delivery workers under capitalism, the anti-Black racism within the U.S. healthcare system, and the corruption of the police force. Because the show’s cast of characters includes those who suffer from such injustices as well as those who profit from them, these topics are addressed with care and nuance, as opposed to coming off as try-hard “very special episode” vibes.

Basically, Evil recognizes that for marginalized groups who aren’t protected by privilege, these evils aren’t uncommon, which only makes them more horrifying.  

5. It’s way darker than you’d expect from CBS.

Michael Emerson is a deranged delight as “Evil”s central antagonist.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Look, if you eye-rolled when the network that brought you How I Met Your Mother promised a sexy, iconoclastic procedural drama, I get it. But Paramount+ isn’t playing by broadcast rules. Characters drop curse words, confront graphic violence, and engage in kinky sex. Admittedly, it doesn’t get to Game of Thrones-levels of saucy debauchery, but it’s plenty to keep Evil feeling fresh and daring. 

6. Evil’s version of single-motherhood is scary accurate.

The kids of “Evil” are frightfully real.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Technically, Kristen is not a single mom. But with her husband far away for long stretches of episodes, she basically is parenting her four daughters on her own.

These are not the plucky kiddos of sitcoms like Full House or Modern Family. Kristen’s daughters are a deeply bonded and complex coven of kids. They clamor about their crowded Queens home. They shout over each other, argue full-throatedly, and deliver their own brand of sisterly justice. While their mom grapples with possible devils, they wrestle with demons of their own, from body insecurities and shallow influencers to peer pressure and online dangers.

To handle all this, Kristen must rely on her resilience, her mother’s help (for better or for arguably evil), and a stock of margaritas in a can. We hear those canned cocktails are awful, but Kristen assures us “you get used to them.”

7. Evil wields a wicked sense of humor. 

Sister Andrea doesn’t play nice.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

As the skeptical tech expert, Aasif Mandvi brings a sharp-tongued sarcasm that makes for reliably funny one-liners. But he’s not the show’s soul source of humor.

Creators Michelle King and Robert King have baked irreverent humor into the series, through snide remarks and audacious visuals — including the reveal of Leland’s version of a therapist, who is a full-on goat-headed demon.

Season 2 added new shades of comedy by bringing in cut-up character actress Andrea Martin as a snarky nun named Sister Andrea (naturally). For Season 3, this sister has been upped to series regular, and I can promise you she brings a sharp wit to her battles against Leland and his like.

Yet the funniest episode owes a debt to the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. For a spooky and silly good time, check out Season 2, episode 7, “S is for Silence,” in which the central trio visits a monastery, where a vow of silence is meant to cap chitchat — but can’t stop belly laughs. 

8. Evil‘s long arc is impossible to predict.

A dinner party you might want to skip.
Credit: Elizabeth Fisher / CBS / Paramount+

Sure, sure, in the battle of good and evil, the mention of prophesied apocalypse is an inevitability. But amid the monsters and issues tackled week after week, Evil is building an overarching plotline that plays like a mafia drama about demons plotting to spawn the Antichrist.

There are families of demons at war with the Catholic Church, and they’ve got their clawed fingers in all sorts of bloody pies. But as new characters and strange twists turn this God squad’s world upside down, it’s impossible to know what will come next. And that, my fiendish friends, is all part of the fun. 

Evil Season 4 premieres on Paramount+ on May 23. Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Paramount+.

Seasons 1 and 2 are also streaming on Netflix.

UPDATE: May. 8, 2024, 12:35 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the current options for streaming.