EVIL
“Book 27” (Episode 113)
January 30, 2020

In the last episode of EVIL, the penultimate of this Freshman season, David had another bad day. Still very much recovering from his recent Christmas-time stab wounds, David went on a spiritual house call and found himself caught up in a revenge-fueled slasher film. Meanwhile, Andy needed to rush Little Laura to the hospital for increasing complications with her bad heart valve. However, owing to a miracle of sorts, her heart repaired itself at the last moment before surgery … but at what cost? With a post-trial hearing about the possible release of serial killer, Orson LeRoux, as the backdrop, Kristen finally squared off against Leland and girlfriend shut him down hard! But, Orson did get released from prison so that’s not good. And last, we met Leland’s unusual therapist.

Read up on all of the events from last episode, here. Caught up? Great! Now, onto the wild ride that is the season finale of EVIL … BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!! 

Interrogation Room. Kristen is interviewing Orson LeRoux. This is a repeat of her interview with him from the Pilot; you remember, the scene where Orson attacks Kristen by jumping over the table and choking her. The interview concludes and Kristen glances down at her phone where she was recording the discussion. Something catches her attention. She is unable to read the time display; it’s garbled and unreadable.

We’ll recall from Kristen’s nocturnal encounters with Demon George that you cannot read text while you are sleeping. Kristen is dreaming! And she now knows she is dreaming. This is lucid dreaming.

Knowing she’s in the driver’s seat, Kristen sits back down across from Orson and starts to pray the “Our Father” (same as in the first episode). The difference this time is that Kristen knows what Orson is getting ready to do and she prepares herself. In a swift motion, as Orson jumps across the table to choke her, Kristen knocks Orson upside the head with the chair. He goes flying to the floor. Kristen comes around and kicks him in the gut.

“How does that feel?”

Whoa. This subconscious Kristen is definitely taking back her power and then some.

Bouchard Home. Kristen “wakes” in her own bed as she knew she would. Hey, Demon George is back! As he slides up the foot of her bed to torment her, Kristen slides a pair of scissors out from under the pillow. Demon George asks if he woke her as he parts the pillow from her face and she tells him she was waiting for him.

Demon George brandishes a big knife, as Demon George is wont to do. Unflinching, Kristen sits up in bed and drives the scissors into Demon George’s back. This sends Demon George falling onto the floor, shrieking in pain as he impales himself on the scissors.

This looks like the end for Demon George, friends … unless you caught him on The Price is Right this week and the Young and the Restless last week? Not kidding. Gotta love that CBS synergy! Kristen be all like, ‘the price is wrong, bitch!’

Kristen walks around the bed to admire her handiwork. Her smile is interrupted by the sound of a slow clap coming from the hallway. Curious.

Kristen investigates and finds Leland’s therapist, the horned goat or Baphomet (played by Marti Matulis and voiced by Michael Cerveris) as we’ll call him until further notice, in the hallway. Baphomet tells her to accept the gift from her husband and go climb her mountain. Noting that this is different than her first two dreams, Kristen asks how Baphomet knows about the trip?

“You know how.”

Kristen runs, screaming, back to her bedroom.

**You’ll recall our recap from last week where we noted this creature resembled Baphomet, a demonic deity revered the Church of Satan and often used to represent the Devil himself.

Lexis wakes Kristen up from the nightmare. All the girls are in the bed with her, as Andy is in Denver for the mountain climb prep meeting (which was discussed last week). Lexis tells Kristen she saw “it” too, to Kristen’s awakening horror, then blood starts to pour out of Lexis’s mouth.

Kristen really wakes up this time, gasping and terrified. All four daughters are asleep with her in the bed and all of them are fine. How do you go back to sleep after something like that?

The next morning, the girls are getting ready for school. Kristen is looking at the box Andy gave her with “It’s Your Turn” written on a card shaped like a mountain. The girls ask when their Dad will be home from Denver? Kristen tells them he’ll be back the next week.

Kristen sits down with the girls to ask about Grandma Sheryl, if she’s changed at all? It’s impossible to understand their response as the girls all talk on top of each other … as the Bouchard Girls do. Kristen asks about the guy Grandma Sheryl was seeing and if the girls know whether they really broke up? Another overlapping response session but Kristen gets something out of it.

Kristen corrals the girls to get their stuff to meet the bus. Lexis hangs back to tell her mom that thing from her dream won’t hurt her. Kristen has no idea how she knows that and Lexis tells Kristen she told her about it. What? When? No.  When Demon George first appeared months ago, Laura saw him in her dream as well, but this is not that. No, Lexis has something else going on, connected to Kristen and Baphomet.

As the girls get on the bus, the color drains from Kristen’s face … Orson LeRoux is parked right outside her house, standing outside his car. He tells her he is there to make amends consistent with Step 9, like of the AA recovery model. Orson says that he has no hard feelings and he hopes they can still be friends. Kristen is having none of this. She takes out her phone and calls 911. She begins describing a man touching himself as he watches girls get on a school bus. Orson looks disappointed at how this played out but gets in his car and leaves. He also mentions he’s found God (thanks to the Judge’s Bible, no doubt). Kristen hangs up the 911 call.

Dr. Fuller’s Office. Dr. Fuller wants the God Squad to talk to one of his patients. Of course, he prefaces this whole thing by saying he believes in none of this, but he also can’t argue with the results he saw in the Caroline Hopkins exorcism. Dr. Fuller is uncomfortable with his ask, but Kristen deduces he is asking for an exorcism on his patient. Lots of scoffing from Ben but Dr. Fuller is taking a psychosomatic approach to treatment with this one.

While Dr. Fuller gets his patient, Kristen asks David why all the exorcisms are women? No one has an answer to that question …

Dr. Fuller returns with Eleanor Chakiris (Laura Heisler), his very pregnant patient. She eases into a chair and is in obvious discomfort, beyond the discomfort that comes with being 8 and a half months pregnant with twins. Kristen asks if she having contractions? Nopers. She’s been feeling this for four months. Her doctors chalk it up to a “difficult pregnancy” but it’s clear that Eleanor thinks that’s bullshit. No, she knows that one of her babies is possessed.

Eleanor lies on the floor, explaining that certain positions upset the boy fetus. Eleanor explains she is pregnant via IVF (in vitro fertilization) and she is having a boy and a girl. Kristen asks why she thinks the boy is possessed? In short, she hears sounds inside of her, screams from her daughter baby.

“My daughter, she cries constantly, crying for my for help.”

Kristen tries to reassure Eleanor that expectant moms think they know what their babies are feeling, just as Kristen did when she was pregnant, but it really a projection of the mom’s feelings. Just then, Eleanor is jolted from inside and screams in pain. Everyone jumps a mile as Eleanor is physically recoiling from the motion in her belly. She becomes hysterical, asking for their help.

Dr. Fuller and the God Squad speak privately in his waiting room to discuss what just happened. Kristen asks if she’s seen some pregnancy mental health specialists and Dr. Fuller thinks there isn’t time for a treatment plan to be developed. The anticipated delivery is in 10 days, Dr. Fuller insists they need to do something NOW to help Eleanor. For his part, David has never heard of fetal possession and says he’ll talk to his superiors.

As the God Squad leaves, Dr. Fuller’s secretary, who just heard the whole convo, calls Leland reporting who had been by to visit Dr. Fuller.

Ah ha! That’s how Leland got Kristen’s therapy notes! She’s in league with him. Damn, Leland cast a wide net.

Bouchard Home. We join Kristen and Grandma Sheryl in media res, arguing about Leland and how Grandma Sheryl continues to “feed” him information on Kristen and her family. Kristen’s Exhibit A is the mountain climbing gift box and that only 3 people knew about the trip (Kristen, Andy and Grandma Sheryl) but somehow, it made its way to Leland’s ears. Grandma Sheryl doesn’t deny telling Leland things but criticizes Kristen’s characterization, saying this is not a war.

“I’m not feeding anybody anything. I’m just talking with my lover.”

Kristen yells that Leland is a psychopath and Grandma Sheryl escalates the volume and nastiness, saying Kristen needs to grow up. Kristen will not have her daughters in danger and gives her mother an ultimatum, your family or Leland.

Sheryl looks as though she has been slapped but rallies and presumably calling Kristen’s bluff. By way of answer, Grandma Sheryl kisses Kristen on the forehead as she whispers “bye” and leaves the house.  Damn, Leland must be an animal in the sack!

On a personal note, Grandma Sheryl calls Leland “Lover” far too many times for any child to be comfortable. It’s really gross and she needs to stop. As Grandma Sheryl is leaving, Mira is on the doorstep looking for Kristen.

Mira, very cool following last episode’s courtroom events, has come by to tell Kristen that Orson filed an assault complaint against her. Kristen tries to defend herself, pointing out that Orson was in front of her house, but the Mira Friendship Train has left the station and girlfriend is not interested. Mira tells Kristen that she convinced Orson to not press charges but otherwise, there is no sympathy coming from Mira. As her former friend leaves, Kristen get a message that Eleanor is hysterical and David needs her help.

The Church War Room. Eleanor is sitting in the conference room, telling David and Kristen that it feels like the baby is eating her from the inside. She can feel his teeth. Kristen explains that pregnancy is scary and so much is happening with your body and there are rapid and unexplained changes … but Eleanor interrupts Kristen to say she Needs.To.Be.Listened.To!!!!

David wants to try a test. He takes out a rosary from his pocket and asks Eleanor to hold it in her hand. She does and all is well. Eleanor confirms there is no burning sensation and David thinks this debunks the idea that there is a possession present. The rosary would have reacted, otherwise.

Eleanor lifts up her shirt to expose her belly and asks David to put the rosary there. David does and starts to pray The Apostles Creed. The unborn devil baby starts to kick (or punch?) violently, knocking the rosary clear off Eleanor’s belly, sending it clattering to the floor. Eleanor is understandably freaking out.

“It’s the devil inside me. Please get him out before he kills me.”

Opening Credits.

Leland’s Office. Grandma Sheryl drops by Leland’s office where homeboy is using a magnifying glass to look over the Hierarchy of Demons, the Map of the 60 from “Vatican III.”

Leland thanks Grandma Sheryl for it and asks if Kristen will miss it? Grandma Sheryl replies that she made a copy, soooo sneaky! Leland is happy with this. Grandma Sheryl asks if he’s figured out what it means? Leland says he hasn’t and asks if Kristen did? Grandma Sheryl tells him no.

How would she know?  And, do we believe Leland really doesn’t know what this Hierarchy is? Because, that maybe changes things if he doesn’t. Wouldn’t he know his sigil if he was one of the 60?

Leland asks for Sheryl’s keys and there is some back and forth about him wanting to put his own key on her ring. His office buzzer rings indicating someone is there to see him. He steps out into the hallway and in some excellent sleight of hand, he has managed to get a key off Grandma Sheryl’s ring. In the hallway, he hands the key to … Orson(!) and tells him to make a copy, STAT!

That is definitely the key to the Bouchard Home.

I told you last episode Leland had big plans for him now that he’d been released! Apparently is was not limited to direct torture of Kristen, but indirect terror as well through access to her house!

The Church War Room. The God Squad meets with another priest, Father Luke (Patrick Page), credentialed to perform exorcisms (Father Amara is in Rome – you’ll recall was involved in the Caroline Hopkins lawsuit and was maybe going to be defrocked. I feel like going to Rome is a code word for a cooling off period for “hot” priests; those involved in lawsuits of any description. Cynical, much?).

They show Father Luke a sonogram image of the twins as they explain Eleanor’s case. David pleads that this woman needs help but it’s a no-go, dogma states an unborn child cannot be possessed because it lacks the cognizant ability to invite in the possession … that can only happen after birth. David seizes on a Church contradiction that an unborn child has to be cognizant or else the sin of abortion makes no sense. Father Luke is unmoved but Ben saves the day.

Ben posits that this might be a demonic infestation of the womb which gets around the invitation aspect. David finishes the theory saying that it’s the womb that could need the exorcism. Kristen is impressed by Ben’s mad religion skillz.

“Not bad for a non-believer.”

Orson calls Kristen while they’re in the Father Luke meeting. She gets Ben involved when she hears Orson’s voice, she wants Ben to try and record the call. Orson is spouting all sorts of juicy, incriminating things but by the time they get a recording going, it’s only Orson’s apologies they catch. Kristen tries to bait him into repeating himself but Orson hangs up, hip to their jive. By the way, Orson is calling her from his car which is parked right outside her house! Again! After hanging up, Kristen has an idea.

Bouchard Home. Cut to Ben changing all the locks at Kristen’s house and installing a home security system. He declares her house to be Fort Knox-like. He hands her a new set of house keys and tells her her security alarm code is “duck.” As in, if someone shoots at you … DUCK.

Kristen asks what the plan is with the unborn baby exorcism? Ben explains that Father Luke has one more test he wants to do … during mass.

Church. Mass is in progress. This is another test for Eleanor’s claim of possession. The God Squad are sitting together upfront; Kristen watches David praying and participating in the mass.

Ben and Kristen are whispering back and forth about the ritual of it all. Ben seems to find it hard to believe that Kristen used to believe in all this but she did. She relates a particular belief to Ben, about how if you bite into the wafer (the “host”), the blood of Jesus would come out.

“A lot of blood in your religion.”

David shushes them. They have a giggle moment between them Ha! I’m having flashbacks to my own childhood, having to go to mass and the shenanigans my brother and I would get up to.

See this picture above, what is the deal with the “Halos” framing over David and kind of crooked between Ben’s and Kristen’s heads?!? Yes, it’s the lights of the church but that can’t be a coincidence shot, can it? Conspiracy theory? Maybe, moving on.

It’s Eleanor’s turn to receive communion. The poor woman looks terrified. All is fine … until she takes one step after the host is placed in her mouth. Eleanor lets out a piercing scream as she collapses to the floor, a GIANT gush of blood streaming from her pelvic area. There is a lot of blood. A lot. The God Squad rushes to her aid.

New York City Hospital. Cut to Eleanor being being examined in the hospital, David by her side. Eleanor tells the doctor (Steve Routman), who is not her normal OB/GYN, that she wants the baby monitor on. Back-up doc is reluctant but Eleanor is so forceful in her palpable fear that he turns it on. Only one baby is showing on the monitor. Eleanor is freaking out and wants to know where her daughter is? Back-up Doc is confused … what other baby?!?

Commercials.

Eleanor’s OB/GYN (finally) shows up to the hospital and begins to give Eleanor all sorts of pat answers on what can happen in a twin situation. She starts by calling the unborn baby girl a parasitic twin. David asks about the fact that there is no evidence on the sonogram of the second baby? Doctor Know It All explains that this may be a vanishing twin scenario where a non-viable baby is absorbed by the viable baby.

“Or eaten,”Eleanor replies. Doctor Condescending corrects Eleanor that it’s re-absorption, not cannibalism but Eleanor, still sick and tired of not being believed, knows better.

“Just because you have a name for something doesn’t mean it’s not insane.”

Back in the “Vatican III” episode, Ben accuses Kristen of having syndromes that sound made up, telling her it sounds like religion for grad students. This is sounding much like that.

Eleanor pleads with David to help her.

Bouchard Home. The Bouchard Girls are watching TV when Kristen comes in and turns it off. That’s how your get kids’ attention! She tosses them each a new key and explains tells them about the new alarm system. Also, Grandma Sheryl is taking a break for a while. Until she can hire a babysitter, Kristen announces that Lynn is in charge and asks Lynn to raise her hand. Lynn looks at her sisters, adorably triumphant.

“I’m Lynn and I’m in charge.”

Kristen has a babysitter for the night, Matilda, en route to watch them. As she moves down the line giving her daughters goodbye kisses, Kristen tells them to look through the peephole if anyone comes to the door. When she gets to Lexis, she sees blood on her lip, the same place as in Kristen’s dream. Lexis tells her she brushed her teeth too hard.

Ruh Roh!

The Exorcism. Eleanor is on the floor, laying on a bunch of pillows. Father Luke and Beefy Nun (Jane Dashow) start the exorcism with some call and response prayers. I shit you not, the show credits list her as Beefy Nun. David joins in the call and response eyes Dr. Fuller until he also joins in on the call and response. Eleanor’s belly starts to quiver and gurgle in the most unpleasant of ways … even Beefy Nun shudders.

Devil Dinner. Grandma Sheryl is out to dinner with Leland. Girlfriend is stunning in a red dress, a departure from her usual black. Just another thing that’s changed since she met Leland. She’s distracted and Leland asks what’s up? Grandma Sheryl explains about the Kristen ultimatum and laments maybe losing her family. Seizing the moment, Leland says he wants Grandma Sheryl to be his family and puts a ring box on the table. He gets down on one knee and proposes to her!

“I know I’m not much, but I can’t lose you. Will you marry me?”

She responds that she needs her family to accept him but then says “okay.” That’s a hot response to a marriage proposal, “okay.”Leland says he wants her family to accept him too and Grandma Sheryl starts to cry as she gives a more definitive yes. A devilish smile crosses Leland’s face as he hugs her.

The Exorcism. David takes a break from the exorcism and sits down next to Kristen on the staircase. Kristen tells him that she saw him praying in church and says she saw a look on his face she hadn’t seen before. She asks what he gets out of religion? David responds with the only line of Shakespeare he knows by heart.

“When this body contained a spirit, a kingdom was too small to hold it, but now two paces of the vilest earth is room enough.”

(That’s from Henry IV, Part 1, Act 5, Scene 4.)

David doesn’t understand how our life disappears when we die and wonders why people aren’t more unnerved by it? He tells her about a Navy SEAL he knew who was a one of a kind person, the kind of friend everyone should have. This SEAL died in a firefight. When David saw his friend’s dead body, he understood that line from Shakespeare.

David is having a very, pivotal, emotional moment and Kristen tell him she has to go, granted it’s to see her kids, but still, give it five minutes, lady. David is glad they are talking again. Kristen looks at him, a little confused as to when they weren’t talking. He doesn’t shirnk from this though and says it was a minute there. She’s being obtuse if she thinks they were fine this entire back end of the season. She opts to let it go and says she’s glad too. They shake hands which sounds awkward, but onscreen it’s a really sweet moment between them. 

Bouchard Home. It’s later that night and someone is at the Bouchard front door. We hear them turning trying the lock with no luck. Next, we hear the doorbell ringing insistently and then the same person starts to knock. Lexis wakes up and goes downstairs, whispering for Matilda, the babysitter. No Matilda. Baphomet’s voice is on the other side asking to be let in. The problem with the peephole is that the kids aren’t tall enough.

Lexis is wary but not too terribly freaked out — I’ll tell you what, these Bouchard Daughters are some strong, kickass little kids. Anyway, Lexis asks why should she let him in and Baphomet is ready with his non-answer.

“You know why.”

The.Fuck.Does.That.Mean?!?!?

Lexis turns off the security alarm and opens the door. Baphomet tells her they need to go … to “the next level.”

The.Fuck.Does.That.Mean?!?!?

This is a step too far for Lexis and she screams as she tries to slam the door in Baphomet’s face. We cut away before we see how the struggle works out.

The Exorcism. Ben is in Eleanor’s kitchen, helping himself to some water when he hears Pudsy’s Christmas start up.

That’s the infectious earworm from a couple of episodes ago where the song had a hidden frequency only kids could hear, causing them to shove sharp objects in their ears.

Ben looks around for the source, eventually finding it coming from the squeeze belly of a stuffed teddy bear. David comes in and asks what Ben is doing. He explains about Pudsy’s and they look at the label on the offensive bear … it says “RSM Fertility.”

The men look up RSM’s website and David sees their logo: a Euler triangle. In “Room 320,” David had a drug-induced vision of Grace the Prophet. In this vision, she told him to remember the Euler triangle and he previously saw it in the Poveglia Codex episode.

Bouchard Home. Kristen comes home to find the door slightly ajar and Lexis passed out on the floor just inside the house. On the table next to Lexis is a large basket filled with candy and a note. Lexis says she doesn’t remember where it came from. The note is from Orson and says that he is sorry. It references step 9 (which comes from Alcoholics Anonymous …

“Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

Kristen tells Lexis to go upstairs and back to bed as she takes the candy basket outside. She tells Lexis she will be right back as her daughter trudges off to sleep. Once Lexis is out of sight, Kristen goes to the kitchen closet and grabs a mountain climbing axe. To say her face looks “determined” as she walks off screen is an understatement.

RSM Fertility Clinic. Ben and David go to the fertility clinic to get information. The helpful receptionist gives them each a pamphlet and pitches the clinic’s “Dads to Be” program. Ben makes small talk as David notices the clinic’s three offices: Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York City.

David’s memory is sparked as he recalls the 3 points in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of “Salvator Mundi” (from the episode “3 Stars“). David had previously discovered that if you overlaid the three points on a map, it lined up perfectly with those three cities. Now we know why.

Ben asks if they have families they could talk to for recommendations and the helpful receptionist points them to their success board. It’s a scroll of pictures of smiling kids the clinic has helped bring into the world.

David spots Eric McCrystal, the boy from the “Rose 390” episode. you’ll recall that episode ended with Eric trying to drown his baby sister and his parents maybe, definitely killing him in order to protect their other children.

David says the Farrells referred them and the receptionist knows exactly who he means; she was saddened to know about their miscarriage, remarking that they are such a nice couple (from the episode, “Vatican III“). It’s a bit odd that the receptionist would have that level of memory recall on a case when there are a lot of kids up on their success board, yet miss the fact that Dwight Farrell murdered three young boys and confessed to another killer’s crimes even more recently.

Outside, David tells Ben he now understands the Matthew 13:25 reference that Grace the Prophet made in her vision to David. Ben isn’t up on his Bible quotes so David explains the verse from Matthew.

“But while the man slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.”

Ben is all, “???,” so David explains that the clinic is corrupting an entire generation, the devil babies are the weeds among the good children.  

Ben gets it now and uses a parable of his own, telling him about the movie The Boys From Brazil. Long story short, people use Hitler’s DNA to make little clones of him.

I’m checking Netflix for that one! David looks at Ben to make sure he’s not cracking a joke. David gets a message that Eleanor’s water broke.

St. Albans Hospital. Thankfully Eleanor is not at Harbor Hospital. We’re not going back there, ever!! Kristen shows up late, meeting Ben and David who already arrived, as did Dr. Fuller and the priest. David learns the exorcism was suspended due to Eleanor’s water breaking. 

Father Luke, David and Dr. Fuller go back in to be with Eleanor. Ben tells Kristen she has blood on her leg. She’s wearing a skirt and there is about a three inch streak of new blood dripping down her leg. Kristen goes to the sink in the corner of the room and vigorously wipes the blood off.

She is acting really weird by acting really casual about the fresh blood. Ben asks why she has blood on her leg? Kristen presents her blood free leg and is all, “what blood?” Ben, thinking this is off the reservation for Kristen asks if she is asking him to say he doesn’t remember any blood being on her leg?  

“I want you to see there isn’t blood on my leg. See.” 

Ben wants another reassurance that Kristen is okay. She answers that’s she’s spectacular and flashes what I call a serial killer smile. There’s crazy eyes involved with a zany smile. She then drops a totally normal and not at all foreshadowing non-sequitur. 

“When my family is safe, I am spectacular.” 

Oooooooookay Kristen. Acting pretty weird this episode, girlfriend.

David is with Eleanor for the delivery. He looks amazed at witnessing the birth. It’s a nice juxtaposition to his fear of death conversation from earlier. The baby is born and Eleanor is weeping. Don’t think these are tears of joy for her newborn son. 

Some time later, The God Squad is with the baby in the nursery. He’s as cute as can be. Ben doesn’t think he’s looks like the Devil. David asks what does a devil look like? Ben thinks and then asks if it’s a nature versus nurture situation.

David asks if Ben believes that, given what they saw earlier at the clinic? Kristen is all, “???” and the boys fill Kristen in on their findings about the fertility clinic.

David is certain of their work in tampering with the eggs and corrupting an entire generation because their logo appeared in his vision. Kristen freaks out when David tells her it was RSM Fertility. Kristen explains that she had a miscarriage after having Lila. She used RSM’s IVF services to have another baby. That baby was … wait for it … Lexis!

Holy Shitballs!

Bouchard Home. Kristen goes home and searches through her files. She finds her RSM folder and looks through the paperwork, including a sonogram photo. She looks very disturbed. There is a knock at the door.

Grandma Sheryl is there, wondering why her key doesn’t work. She scoffs when Kristen says she changed the locks. Grandma Sheryl is there to tell her about Leland’s proposal and implores Kristen to work past her differences with Leland. Grandma Sheryl tells Kristen she’s never been happier. Kristen’s silence makes Grandma Sheryl upset but starts to back out of the house as she continues to wonder aloud if they can’t really get past their issues. 

She begs Kristen to accept Leland, adding she can’t lose Kristen. Kristen’s answer is to slam the door in Grandma Sheryl’s face, still without saying a word. 

David’s Apartment. David is praying for God’s wisdom.

“God, tell me how to stop them.”

David goes to brew his God-seeing tea when he gets a glimpse of a vision. The hallucinogenic leaves fall to the floor. He’s in a wheat field with a farm house in the background. It’s very bright, quiet and serene. He spots Kristen in the field walking towards him. Kristen does not see David and breezes by him. David looks beyond her to see what she is heading for and sees Baphomet.

Baphomet is swinging a blade as if harvesting the wheat. Or is it the weeds they’ve planted that he’s harvesting? David is fearful for Kristen. His vision ends. He’s unnerved by what he just saw. 

Bouchard Home. Kristen is back home and checks on her daughters. She gives Lexis an extra tuck in. She goes to her bedroom and gets a phone call from Mira. LeRoux is dead via bludgeon. They suspect the wife. Kristen stammers that is awful. Mira doesn’t agree that it’s awful, but wanted Kristen to know. Mira still sounds distant but it was nice of her to call. She thinks this is only upside for Kristen.

“Your troubles are over.”

What am I reading on Kristen’s face as she hangs up the phone? Is that a hint of a smile? Satisfaction?

Kristen goes to her bathroom to gather herself a moment. She finds her rosary in the drawer (in her bathroom??? Weird). Kristen dangles the rosary above her palm as bracing herself for some test. A test we saw David perform on Eleanor earlier in this episode.

Kristen places the crucifix in her left hand and, for a brief moment, nothing happens. She starts breathes a sigh of relief but that’s interrupted when there’s a sizzling sound and Kristen drops the rosary as if she’s been burned in her hand. She makes a fist as if to put pressure on a wound. Kristen slowly opens her fist to reveal a burn mark in the shape of the crucifix. Kristen looks at herself in the mirror as if she’s looking at a stranger.

End Scene.

***

Thoughts. 

If you’re not screaming expletives right now, are you even a fan? I’ve have been talking out loud to myself this whole episode.

Last episode, in Kristen’s magical tirade against Jake Perry/Leland Townsend, she insulted him with a taunt that wouldn’t the Devil use a better specimen than him …

Friends, I think that means Leland has thrown down the gauntlet and the plan has changed to include destroying Kristen as well as David. Although, one could argue that Leland has been gunning for Kristen the whole time, more overtly towards David as evidenced by hiring Sebastian to shoot up his prayer group. Leland began dating Grandma Sheryl as a means to get information on Kristen to use against her and slowly corrupt her family life.

I think at least two, possibly three of the types of possession the God Squad examined in the “3 Stars” episode are at play with Kristen: diabolical infestation and diabolical subjugation, possible diabolical obsession.

Let’s examine the facts: Kristen has slashed Leland’s neck, used her connection with Mira in a possibly unscrupulous way to get the scoop on Leland/Jake, sabotaged an exorcism by dumping the holy water, and possibly (likely) killed Orson.

The cat that hated Kristen appeared in her house and literally had daggers for her. We never got a resolution on what Andy did with the cat, other than stash it in Kristen’s office. This could be the vehicle for diabolical infestation.

Her daughters, through the Haunted Girl game, could have had a demon tag along with Rose390, who I believe was in league with Leland or just a happy coincidence for #TeamDevil to try to take out David, as was the plan alluded to in the Leland-Baphomet conversation last episode. The demon could have entered through the game resulting in diabolical subjugation.

Kristen could also have diabolic oppression, where the affected person acts in “perverse ways” from constant, irrational thoughts. I think slashing a guy’s neck is acting in a perverse way despite how much he needed to have his neck slashed.

Can we also talk about Kristen leaving 4 young girls home alone in NYC when a goddamn serial killer is on the loose and likes to hang out in front of your house?!? We know Leland is trying to bring about diabolical oppression to Kristen by mirroring her story to Job’s and wiping out her family.

Every single episode contains clues, plot lines that all build to this episode. I went back to look. There are still unanswered questions: what about Ben’s sister and the Alexa device mentioning a baby with the devil, what did happen to the cat, did Andy’s life exchange chant spell death or him a]or his daughters praying the chant, how is Vanessa’s phantom sister doing?

But, hey, that’s why we have a Season 2!

I have zero idea what the significance is for the numbers in the episode titles. They are: 1, 177, 3, 390, 31, 9, 3, 2, 2, 7, 320, 2, 27. It’s not my phone number, winning lottery numbers, nor the Fibonacci sequence, so I’m plumb out of ideas.

However, we believe the title of this episode refers to the Book of Revelation, the 27th book of the New Testament. It is a book of prophesy, chock a block full of numbers and symbolism known as the end of days and heralding the second coming of Christ. Much of Revelation is incomprehensible and so many interpretations exist. I was raised a Catholic and I am in no way qualifying myself as a Biblical scholar. With that being said, here is my short, short version of the Book of Revelation:

• The Book of Revelation appeared to John as visions. Chapter 12 of Revelation depicts a woman giving birth and a 7 headed serpent waiting to devour the child. The child is born and taken into Heaven to protect the baby. This kicks off the war in Heaven with the Archangel Michael fighting Satan and casting him out. The child born is often depicted as Jesus Christ or followers of Christ.
• Hell and Earth are destroyed and all the evil is wiped clean with Satan to be bound for 1,000 years. 144,000 souls are saved and a New Jerusalem is established paving the way for the second coming of Christ.
• The cleverness that the actual title name of the first episode was Genesis 1 and this is Book 27 is not lost on me. The Alpha and The Omega, indeed.

Oddly enough, in rereading the Book of Revelation to freshen up on it for this, I realized the priest in the 1997 movie Titanic was quoting Revelation 21:4.

“And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death.”

The puzzle pieces! My curious, puzzle-loving mind has been following the puzzle piece saga this season. I don’t always see them and not every platform I view this show on has them. I’m not sure why there wasn’t a resolution to the puzzle pieces this episode, but, again, THANKFULLY we have another season to explore this side story arc.

I rely on PCR’s favorite Evil fan site: EVIL Fans (CBS) on Facebook. One member has strung all the pieces together and it looks like an Alchemist’s map. Where this fits in yet, we don’t know.

Only 239 more days until Thursday, September 24, 2020, by which time I expect we will have the Season 2 premiere of EVIL! I’ll be back to bring you the recaps!

Just because EVIL has ended for the season doesn’t mean the conversation is over. We will be reporting on Behind the Scenes production, cast news and other stories to EVIL fans.  Stay close to us on Twitter and at popculturereview.com.

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Side Note: If you’re looking to get into the EVIL fandom and interact with like-minded members, PCR’s official recommendation is to join the “EVIL Fans (CBS)“ FaceBook group! It features Top Notch Admins and a respectful and engaged community. **PCR is not an admin in this group, just a happy member.

EVIL airs Thursday nights on CBS at 10pm (ET/PT).  But not until September 2020.

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Thank you for reading along! Leave a comment below for discussion. Follow us on social media for up to the minute updates on EVIL, including recaps and lots of other pop culture news you need to know on Twitter @popcultureview and Instagram @pop_culture_review. You can follow me on Twitter @SheilsMcGangsta.