Review: Evil CBS ‘Let X = 9’

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Warning: Post contains spoiler

“Evil” on CBS season 1 episode 6 “Let X = 9” finds a bit of awkwardness between Catholic Church assessor David Acosta (Mike Colter) and forensic psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers). During an exorcism, Bouchard took matters into her own hands and swapped a vial of holy water for tap water. Acosta chastized Kristen for her actions. Plus, there’s the growing sexual tension between the pair. “Ok, what’s going on?” professional skeptic Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) wonders aloud, breaking the silence. “What do you mean?” David responds. “You two. The silence,” Ben explains. “There’s nothing to say,” Acosta dismisses. The miracle-of-the-week in this instance is a supposed prophet, Grace Ling (Li Jun Li).
David, Kristen, and Ben visit Grace in the pre-school where she works. Ling claims that God speaks to her, sounding like a whisper. Her prophecies have come to fruition, including warning a woman to vacate her home before it sank into darkness. Soon after, the apartment fell into a sinkhole. However, the reason the Catholic Church is interested is that Grace has recited verbatim passages from the Poveglia Codex, a text of prophecies that supposedly warns of the end of the world. However, David accurately notes that it foretells the fall of the Catholic Church.

Kristen’s mother, Sheryl Luria (Christine Lahti) continues her relationship with the sinister forensic psychologist, and possible demon Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson). Kristen arrives home only to find Leland playing a game with her daughters Lila (Skylar Gray), Lynn (Brooklyn Shuck), Lexis (Maddy Crocco), and Laura (Dalya Knapp). Townsend gave the girls each red journals, one of which has a strange drawing in it. When Kristen discovers Leland, she kicks him out and forbids her mother from seeing Townsend.

Observations:

Ben asks Grace, “Was Jeffry Epstein a suicide?” Ling clarifies “No,” adding that he was murdered by a pillow because he could hurt several powerful men. Ling warns David that he’s in danger, and advises Kristen not to wear red.

Kristen dreams of kissing David, but in her dream, David morphs into George (Marti Matulis), the demon. As per the recommendation of her therapist, Dr. Boggs (Kurt Fuller), Bouchard practices lucid dreaming to take control of her own dreams from George.

In an attempt to decipher his own visions better, David once again turns to psychedelics which help him to talk to God, or so he believes. Kristen visits Acosta while he’s tripping in what’s a hilarious, mind-bending scene. David seemingly gets up from bed, then looks back and appears to see himself still laying in bed.

When Kristen finds out that her mother is dating Leland, she invites Townsend to her home office. There, in a moment of surprising badassery, Kristen places a knife against his throat and cuts him. Shockingly, Sheryl disregards Kristen’s warning about Leland. At his apartment, Sheryl has sex with Leland, and as she does, flames appear to rise from beneath the bed, encompassing the two. Perhaps Kristen’s mother Sheryl is now possessed. The next morning, Sheryl puts on a red dress.

Grace gets deported by ICE, although it’s unlikely the codex is going anywhere. Chances are Ling is slated to reappear on “Evil.” S01E06 manages to be even more creepy, adding more the puzzling mystery about The Sixty, while advancing drama within relationships such as the sexual tension between David and Kristen.