From the creators of the hit legal dramas The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Evil is an upcoming American drama thriller series that will surely keep you up at night.
If the trailer is anything to go by, it’s a healthy mix of the crime, legal, and supernatural genres, which isn’t really something you see a lot of on TV nowadays.
Originally ordered for a pilot episode in January 2019, CBS eventually gave the green light with a series order in May. Just a day after that, it was announced that the show would be slated for the Fall 2019-2020 television season. And halfway through the same month, they released the first official trailer, which you can watch below.
The trailer promises a perpetual feeling of building suspense, along with a few jump scares that, according to a review of its debut outing by Variety, actually have substance as opposed to simple shock value.
Who’s in charge?
Superstar writing team (and husband-and-wife duo) Michelle and Robert King are both creators and executive producers. Alongside co-executive producer Liz Glotzer and in collaboration with CBS Television Studios.
Robert King also directed the pilot episode. While Ron Underwood (Fear the Walking Dead, Hawaii Five-0) has been credited as the director for the second episode.
What’s this show about?
What originally seems to be your run-of-the-mill crime drama takes a supernatural turn that delves into the origins of evil. And how religion and the law can simultaneously contradict and complement each other.
A female clinical psychologist and a natural skeptic given the very scientific nature of her job working within the legal system in New York joins forces with a priest-in-training and a carpenter as they investigate a series of supposed supernatural occurrences within the church: miracles, demonic possession, hauntings, and other eerie occurrences.
Their job is to get to the bottom of each incident and determine whether there’s a scientific explanation. Or it’s really something beyond our logical realm of understanding.
The main question surrounding Evil seems to be: is it a case of clinical insanity or demonic possession? And how can you tell the difference?
Who’s playing who on Evil?
The psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard will be played by Katja Herbers (Westworld). Opposite her, are Mike Colter (Luke Cage) as David Acosta, the charismatic priest. And Aasif Mandvi (A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Ben Shroff, the carpenter and third member of their detective trio.
Alongside them are Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) playing Leland Townsend, who you catch a glimpse of in the trailer. As well as Christine Lahti (The Blacklist) and Kurt Fuller (Manhattan Love Story).
It’s the opposing beliefs between and within the main characters that really seems to tie the show together – the faithful, yet still logical, David along with the scientific mind of the lapsed Catholic Dr. Bouchard. Not to mention Ben, a believer who still yearns to look for the logical explanation behind the seemingly unexplainable circumstances.
If you’re a fan of shows like Outcast, then keep your eyes on Evil, which is set to premiere on Thursday, September 26, 2019, at 10/9 central on CBS.