Review of the Videoland series ‘Evil’ season 2
The team trying to bring order out of chaos is faced with even more inexplicable paranormal matters.
Movie and series viewers like to be surprised. But be careful: not too much. Yes, people may complain that they have seen certain things too many times before, but anything that shows too much unknown stuff will be labeled as inaccessible and attract less audience. Devil it is still far from everyone’s radar in the Netherlands. And it’s a shame, because it is one of the best series of the moment. Partly because she is so special and unpredictable.
Psychologist Kristen, techie Ben, and soon-to-be priest David have now become a close-knit team who still receive assignments from the Catholic Church in New York to investigate reports of supernatural things. Just like in the first season, most things can eventually be explained (but not easily), but there are incidents that can’t be explained. His work and personal life continue to be hampered by the most charming villain, Leland Townsend.
It still amazes me how little is talked about Devil. The leading role of this expensive American series is masterfully played by ‘our’ Katja Herbers, who has an impeccable American accent thanks to her childhood in the United States. Plus, it’s an incredibly original series that’s both entertaining and haunting, with strong cinematography.
Maybe that’s the problem: it’s not a fully accessible series. Certainly not overly intellectual or experimental, but downright weird at times. It’s not sure if Videoland will show it, but season two kicks off with the vaguest ‘previously’ ever. You may see some random footage from the previous season that you as a new viewer wouldn’t know what to do with. But it sets the tone right away.
Loose plots are delicious mysteries again. There is an elevator in which people seem to disappear, a sick person who is about to die but still comes back to life and is suddenly perfectly healthy, and a monastery where the residents are given stigmata. In that last episode, Katja Herbers is suspected of being a prank, because she runs into a nun who writes “No English, I’m Dutch” on a note. The Netherlands is the favorite in terms of being able to speak English in countries where it is not the official language.
The red thread storyline from the previous season being fleshed out further here only provides for more enjoyable frustration. The antagonist Leland begins to thwart things again, gaining more influence over Kristen’s mother and even sneaking into the church where the team works. Everything ensures that you as a viewer do not know if everything is earthly or if there is something supernatural at play.
This second season introduces a new character: Sister Andrea, a nun from the church where David lives. Performer Andrea Martin (Only murders in the building, my big greek wedding) is always a joy to watch and here again she’s funny, but her character is also someone she doesn’t want to be bothered with. Her presence will only grow in the third season.
The only downside is that the fun is a bit off when it comes to Kristen’s four daughters. At least, how those girls behave as a group. Already in the previous season it is customary for children to speak at the same time. You could laugh about it for a while, but now such talk arouses mild irritation.
The rest is back to top-notch television, as we’ve come to expect from producers Robert and Michelle King. Devil it’s also still a series that manages to present the most seasoned horror fan with a successful scare moment every once in a while, even when you know it’s coming. This series has got everything right (scripts, acting, cinematography, etc.) in such a way that one could almost think that the filmmakers have made a pact with the devil.
Devil can be seen in videoland.