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Parents' Guide to

Evil

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Bloody, spooky visuals on solid supernatural mystery.

TV CBS Drama 2019
Evil Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • EVIL TV Series: Ben, Kristen, and David scheme together in a wood-paneled living room.
  • EVIL TV Series: Ben and Kristen sit on a truck bed; their faces are serious in conversation.
  • EVIL TV Series: In a night scene in front of what appears to be an urban civic building, Kristen stands on stone steps with a man in glasses behind her.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

LoveGrowsHere333
LoveGrowsHere333 Adult
November 18, 2020
age 18+

Hmm.. a little much for 14/15 year olds

The premise of this show is great. It’s captivating and is full of twists and turns. The plot develops well and the main characters are okay. The rating for this is not appropriate. There is no mention of sexual content in the rating warning that pops up. There are intensely suggestive sexual scenes, including seductive looks, seductive touching, and even a scene including oddly positioned sex while the bed underneath them becomes engulfed in flames. This is something I would not approve my child to watch. In addition to consistent sexual content there is frequent drug use. There is quite a bit of scary thriller content From violence to psychological that you may find your 14 year old is too young for. I understand some children are more mature but there is no reason to expose them to such content and fast track their childhood. For young adults and adults alike this was a decent show to watch. If you despise the unneeded and unnecessary sexual themes most shows and movies incorporate in production nowadays this is not for you. If you are able to see past, then you will probably enjoy this.
burkeman
burkeman Parent of 14-year-old
March 27, 2023
age 14+

A Wicked Delight

I love the approach this series takes to religion and evil. It is not for everyone, but this is an excellent series if you like to see the fight between good and evil.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Supernatural mystery show EVIL stars Katja Herbers as Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a skeptical psychologist who takes a job with the Catholic church investigating unexplained mysteries such as demon possessions, hauntings, and historical miracles. Along with priest in training David Acosta (Mike Colter) and professional ghostbuster Ben (Aasif Mandvi), Kristen soon discovers there may be an ancient coven of demons ("the sixty") intent on wreaking havoc in our world and theirs -- and only those who can see them can oppose them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (7 ):

This interesting series is basically a procedural, a classic TV approach that can be stultifying in the wrong hands -- but Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife) definitely aren't the wrong hands. The cast of this relatively small ensemble is absolutely terrific: Katja Herbers, so good in supporting roles in The Leftovers and Westworld, reads perfectly as a smart skeptic willing to revise her opinions as she learns new facts. Her scenes with her four young daughters, with authentically overlapping dialogue, ring sweetly true, and there's a crackle and pop between Kristen and David, who's calm and smooth in this role but no doubt ready to unleash some volcanic Luke Cage-style fury when necessary.

But all bets are really off, cast-wise, when Michael Emerson (you remember him as ultra-creepy Ben Linus from Lost) shows up in the first episode as mysterious villain Leland Townsend, owl-eyed behind big glasses. There's a cabal, and various Bads both big and little, and creepy spirits who show up to menace our leads, and darned if all the supernatural goings-on doesn't liven up the police procedural nicely. Evil casts a spell, and viewers won't mind falling under it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about death and the afterlife, which are prominent themes in Evil. Is the show optimistic or pessimistic? How does it use religious theology to add context to the plot?

  • Is Evil scary? Is it supposed to be? What specific elements of the show are scary? How does the series use visual and sound cues to amp up tensions? Pay attention to a scary scene; notice how lighting and imagery changes, and what sounds and music you hear.

  • How does Kristen compare to other TV portrayals of women? How common is it to have a female lead character in a mystery/suspense show? What others can you name?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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