Spoilers for theEvilseries finale.
Summary
Evilcreators Robert and Michelle King open up about what their plans for season 5 would have been, elaborating on how the show’s final episodes served as a preview.Evilconcluded in a somewhat unexpected place, with Kristen (Katja Herbers) and David (Mike Colter) restarting their Assessor Program in Rome while their friend Ben (Aasif Mandvi) stays behind for his high-paying job. But based on new comments from the Kings, the Paramount+ series would have gone in a different direction had it returned.
In an interview withTV InsiderfollowingEvil’s series finale, the Kings were asked about what a hypothetical season 5 would have looked like. Robert King mentions that one idea was toexpand on the courtroom scenes which were introduced late in season 4. It would serve as a satire ofThe Good WifeandThe Good Fight, which the Kings also created. In the quote below, Robert also talks aboutcontinuing the doppelgänger storylinewhich was similarly introduced late in the show:
Robert King:You saw a little of it in the first two episodes. We were going to do more with court and the court system and how demonic it can be. There were going to be more demons kind of infecting the courthouse and Kristen was going to have to be much more involved. All three would have to testify. We were trying to satirize the work we did in Good Wife and Good Fight. So we were even going to pull in—we did bring in Richard Kind—a lot more of the actors from Good Wife and Good Fight and kind of show, hopefully in a very meta way, self-reflecting of—a lot of the buildup of those shows was how justice can go wrong. But in the world where there is evil, how much of it going wrong is in the human makeup or in the demonic makeup of the show?
We’ve been wanting to work with John Carroll Lynch forever, since Zodiac, before Zodiac. But he was so good in that. And the other thing we were going to do more of is the doppelgängers, which were going to have a life of their own in the show.
The Plans For Evil Season 5 Reveal The Show’s True Goal
The Supernatural Horror Was Always More Character-Focused
Since the conclusion ofEvilseason 4, there has been some commentary around the fact that the show wraps up without a definitive, climatic showdown between the forces of good and darkness.Everything is left mostly open-ended, albeit with a general sense that David, Kristen, and Ben are in a good place. But that conclusion has always been an accurate representation of the series and the fact that it is more character-focused than a mystery box or propulsive narrative.
As it stands, the Kings have said they have no news to share about whether the Paramount+ Original will be renewed or picked up by a different platform.
These recent remarks about a potential season 5 further reinforce the show’s priorities. Although the series would have kept itself fresh, with a courtroom and doppelgänger spotlight, it would have been consistent with how each season of the supernatural horror has a somewhat distinctive focus than what came before. The burning questions about thefate of Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) would likely not have been addressed in season 5, particularly since the Kings have mentioned that they hadhopes for six seasons ofEvil.
Why Was Evil Canceled After Season 4 & Could The Show Be Saved By Another Streaming Service?
Paramount+ canceled Evil and will end after season 4, but another streaming platform could still pick up the horror show for a fifth season.
But the preview provided by the co-creators and married duo is intriguing in its own right. If the series could have brought inGood Wifestars like Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, and Carrie Preston, then it would have made anEvilseason 5 well worth it on its own. But as it stands, the Kings have said they have no news to share about whether the Paramount+ Original will be renewed or picked up by a different platform.
Evil Season 5 Could Easily Pick Up Where The Show Left Off
The Story Is Primed For A Continuation
The four additional episodes, which were ordered as a way of wrapping up the story, don’t really alter much on a plot level. As a way of keeping David within the church, even if it’s on the self-described lowest rung, he’s allowed to reopen the Assessor Program in Rome. He goes there with Kristen and her daughters — Lynn (Brooklyn Shuck), Lila (Skylar Gray), Lexis (Maddie Crocco), and Laura (Dayla Knapp) — along with Timothy while Ben declines to join them.
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Evil creators Robert and Michelle King share their disagreements about the series finale, including their thoughts on the show’s last scene.
Leland, meanwhile, goes to a silent retreat for nuns with his nemesis Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin). Even though there is a prevailing sense thatEvil’s core cast of characters end up in a good place, with nothing too dark or traumatizing happening, there is still a lot of story for the show to explore either way. A potentialEvilseason 5, at least for its first few episodes, could address these dangling threads before moving on to flesh out the courtroom angle and the doppelganger saga in which David, Kristen, and Ben each have their doubles.
Paramount Global, the owner of Paramount+, is undergoing a merger with Skydance that has led to significant job losses and cost-cutting.
The Kings have not gone into depth about whyEvilwas cancelled. But they have noted thatit is part of a larger uncertain time in Paramount Global specifically and the entertainment industry more broadly. Paramount Global, the owner of Paramount+, is undergoing a merger with Skydance that has led to significant job losses and cost-cutting. The co-creators also indicated thatEvil’s addition to Netflix and increase in viewership happened after the cancellation decision had already been made.
The Kings remain in business with Paramount, with different projects in the works. That doesn’t include aSister Andrea spinoff, which the Kings have endorsed, or a revival ofEvil. But with how the finale unfolded, there is nothing that would prevent a continuation from eventually taking place in regards to story, whether that be at Paramount or another streamer.
Evil
Cast
Evil is a psychological mystery series that follows a skeptical forensic psychologist, Kristen Bouchard, who teams up with a Catholic priest-in-training and a tech expert to investigate purportedly supernatural incidents. The series delves into complex themes of religion, science, and the nature of evil through its deeply layered narrative and character development. The show stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi.
