The dramatic opening scene of "Evil" Season 4, Episode 6, titled "How to Dance in Three Easy Steps," unfolds with Kristen (portrayed by Katja Herbers), David (Mike Colter), and Ben (Aasif Mandvi) confronting Catherine (Jennifer Mogbock), who has been dancing relentlessly for two months since her heinous act of murdering her own children. Her ceaseless movements, punctuated by sudden collapses and relentless resumptions, coupled with her refusal to eat unless compelled, paint a haunting picture.
In the interrogation room's sterile confines, Kristen's gentle request for Catherine to sit falls on deaf ears as the woman's feet continue to tap out a macabre rhythm. Catherine insists, with a fervor bordering on madness, that dire consequences await should she dare to halt her dance. When Kristen probes further, inquiring about the looming threat, Catherine's voice morphs into a chilling demonic timbre, hersing, "I will" with a sinister inflection. Her words shift abruptly, echoing the frightened pleas of her slain offspring, only to revert back to that ominous tone, calling them vermin. Kristen, perplexed, posits bipolar schizoaffective disorder as a possible explanation.
Meanwhile, Father Dominic (Chukwudi Iwuji) lays out a solemn ritualistic spread—a hymnal, a rosary entwined with prayers, and a bullet, symbolizing both faith and sacrifice. He entrusts David with a dire mission, urging him to harness his unique abilities to locate captured Tigrayan clerics and nuns based on coordinates provided. Father Dominic's patience wears thin as David struggles to pinpoint the exact images his mind's eye reveals.
As Catherine's exorcism reaches its fraught climax, the demon within her unleashes a primal snarl, and with superhuman strength, she shatters one of her restraints. In a moment of divine intervention, David begins reciting the Lord's Prayer, and suddenly, he's transported to an unexpected realm—inhabiting the body of Father Adiso (Sahr Ngaujah), a Tigrayan priest, who leads his captives in a soul-stirring hymn. The moment is fleeting, and David is snapped back to the exigency of the exorcism.
Kristen, noticing David's distant gaze, inquires about his well-being, only to find him silently taking her hand and initiating the same melody that echoed through the captive's chambers. It's a gesture filled with both comfort and a shared understanding, transcending their physical surroundings.
Moments later, Catherine's life ebbs away, her heart monitor emitting a flatline, signaling the end of her tortured existence. Upon closer inspection, a sinister sigil tattoo is discovered etched onto her ankle, accompanied by a sudden onset of gangrene on her feet—a grim testament to the evil that consumed her. Yet, paradoxically, the corresponding sigil on the map has been crossed out, a cryptic indication that, despite Catherine's demise, the darkness she embodied has somehow resurfaced or remains unvanquished. The question lingers: How and why has this evil returned, defying the very boundaries of life and death?
David eagerly recounted to Father Dominic his glimpse through the window's pane, revealing a towering five-story spire that instantly illuminated a crucial location in the priest's mind. Overcome with gratitude, Father Dominic embraced David warmly, later entrusting him with fresh coordinates, guiding them towards the prisoners' new hiding place.
Kristen's sojourn to the dance studio led her to Isabella (Stella Everett), whose instant affinity drew her in and extended an invitation to the troupe's enchanting performance the very next evening. Meanwhile, Ben stumbled upon Megan Tyree (Isabella Briggs), a former dancer now vehemently accusing the dance collective of sinister intentions, claiming they had bewitched Catherine and attempted to lure her into Satanism's grasp. Megan's tale painted a picture of hexes and curses cast upon the innocent.
As the trio settled in to witness Isabella's dance performance, the atmosphere was charged. Isabella dismissed Megan as a prudish soul who had sown doubt in Catherine's mind, painting the world in black and white hues. The girls' graceful movements captivated Kristen, while David's eyes lingered with a hint of unease, and Ben observed, his expression a mask of tranquility.
But then, an eerie disruption shattered the tranquility. A woman, cloaked in the purity of white sheets, her face obscured by a veil, materialized from the dance floor's heart, a vision exclusive to David's eyes. She glided towards him, her scream piercing the air, a chilling omen that sent shivers down spines.
Father Dominic's revelation about the sigil they were investigating sent ripples of awe through the trio. He disclosed that it was a relic from a bygone era, erased from existence two centuries ago, hence its striking-through on the ancient map. This sigil, he explained, signified a gathering of necromancers—or, hesitantly, witches—and he tasked the trio with delving into the mysterious world of these dancers, unearthing their secrets and the truth behind their enigmatic art.
Kristen's irritation simmers as she relentlessly interrogates David about the disproportionate distribution of their investigative and exorcism duties, skewed heavily towards cases involving females. She posits that women who defy societal norms are branded as possessed, whereas David counters with the belief that females are inherently more vulnerable to demonic enticements. Their argument threatens to escalate into a heated dispute, until Ben's timely intervention averts the impending clash. This is but a repeat of a pattern observed this season, where David and Kristen's tensions have flared up, only to be diffused by Ben's calming presence.
As David endeavors to harness his psychic prowess and project to the designated coordinates, his concentration is abruptly shattered by Isabella's intrusion in the confessional booth. She, too, shares her eerie encounter with the shrouded figure, a spectral whisperer that entreated David to "Forsake your God and embrace greatness." David, intrigued and perplexed, inquires about the entity's identity, prompting Isabella to lean intimately across the partition and whisper, "A muse... Pray to it, Father. You are in dire need of its guidance." With those cryptic words, she vanishes, leaving David to resume his attempt at projection.
The ensuing scene unfolds with intensity as David triumphantly reenters the realm of the captives, but this time, he inhabits the form of General Girma (Oberon K.A. Adjepong), a formidable presence that terrifies the prisoners. The narrative seamlessly alternates between Girma's menacing threats and David's fraught efforts within the confessional, mirroring the general's every move. Amidst the chaos, Girma brandishes a machete, severing Father Adiso's fingers before hovering it menacingly over his neck. David, overcome with emotion, collapses on his knees, pleading with God for intervention.
Father Adiso, in a moment of profound compassion, takes Girma's face in his hands, drawing out a heartfelt plea that brings the general to the brink of tears, causing him to momentarily lower his weapon. Yet, a moment later, as Adiso tries to soothe the raging General, Girma, now under David's influence, abruptly rejects the priest's empathy, driving the machete into his own abdomen in a shocking turn of events.
Father Dominic rejoices at the successful rescue of the captives, thanks to David's vision. However, David is haunted by the aftermath, grappling with guilt over Girma's demise. He seeks absolution through confession, but Father Dominic refuses to assign blame, arguing that even an act of murder can serve God's purpose if it thwarts a greater evil. Yet, David remains troubled by the violent emotions that consume him during his projections, leaving one to ponder how this burden might shape his future endeavors for Father Dominic.
The tranquil moment is abruptly shattered by Ben's urgent intervention, revealing that Megan has surfaced, accusing the dance troupe of branding her with the ominous sigil mark, etched prominently on her abdomen. She further whispers a chilling prophecy: the troupe is scheduled to dance amidst the woods this very night, echoing the eerie night prior to Catherine's heinous act against her own children.
Kristen, summoned by a text from Isabella, arrives in the clearing, unwittingly stepping into a seductive dance tutorial orchestrated by the troupe's enigmatic dancer. Amidst the graceful movements, her gaze locks onto the elusive muse. Soon after, David and Ben materialize, their efforts to reach Kristen by phone leading them to this uncanny scene.
Isabella's eyes dart to the image of Megan's branded skin on Ben's phone, and her revelation stirs the air: Megan's expulsion from the troupe stemmed from her sinister attempts at sabotage. Ben's scrutiny of the image uncovers a perplexing discrepancy—the sigil on Megan's belly and Catherine's ankle bear an inverted resemblance, a clue that sends shivers down spines. Moreover, Megan's soot-smeared hand in the photograph speaks volumes; she had branded herself.
Father Dominic, his voice resounding with authority, confronts Megan, branding her as the true necromancer behind the sigil's sinister power. His accusation might have seemed presumptuous, but Megan's subsequent lunge at the priest, her voice wrenched with demonic incantations, leaves no doubt. She is swiftly restrained, her cries echoing through the night. Father Dominic, unwavering, etches a fresh X across the sigil house on the map, sealing its fate.
For those yearning for a Kurt Alert fix, fear not, for this week's episode delivers a hearty dose to quell even the strongest of cravings. Dr. Kurt (Kurt Fuller), seeking Tober's (Andy Mientus) counsel on his literary endeavor, is met with harsh criticism that reduces him to a state of despair. In a fit of frustration, he tears apart not just his manuscript but also his office, his world crumbling around him. Amidst the wreckage, a brochure about the Catholic Church catches his eye, igniting a ravenous thirst for biblical knowledge that threatens to consume him whole.
Tober promptly reaches out to Kurt over the phone, divulging the sensational revelation of the "Cannibal Mom" visual narrative, crafted by the girls—Brooklyn Shuck, Skylar Gray, Maddy Crocco, and Dalya Knapp—with Tober's name inextricably linked. This misunderstanding prompts Tober to assume Kurt's handiwork, given the video's meteoric rise, surpassing even Stephen King and Elon Musk's (a not-so-subtle dig at the latter, characteristic of this series) in popularity. With half a million views racking up, Kurt cancels his appointments for the day, boots up his laptop, cracks his knuckles eagerly, and sets out to pen a masterpiece, only to find himself met with a daunting creative void. But just as hope seems to fade, inspiration strikes—the very same muse that David encountered—igniting a frenetic typing frenzy within Kurt. It's a Kurt-overload imminent, folks!
Sheryl (portrayed impeccably by Christine Lahti) may embody the essence of an antagonist, yet her maternal instincts towards her granddaughters ignite a fierce protectiveness within her. Her keen eye spots the herb packet on Laura's bag, a sinister reminder of the hypnotized Andy's near-fatal attack with a hypodermic needle, and the same concoction Leland employs to immobilize his victims in his twisted "People Juice Room." Once the pieces fall into place, Sheryl transforms into a force to be reckoned with. She unceremoniously breaches Leland's (Michael Emerson's chilling portrayal) domicile with a Spartan-like kick, wielding a knife and her bare hands to wreak havoc. As her palm is accidentally sliced, she utilizes her own blood to scrawl a profane message directed at her nemesis across the floor, a testament to her unbridled fury.
Leland's return home to the devastation and the incriminating message leaves little doubt about the perpetrator. He calmly utters her name, only to find her seated in the gloom, a knife clenched in her hand. "Leland," she says, her voice laden with a mix of determination and contempt.
This week's episode delighted me with its heightened sigil activity, as the clock ticks down on exploring the remaining houses on the map. The dance sequences and David's ethereal projections pulsed with an electric energy, captivating every moment. Moreover, the progression in the Sheryl-Leland rivalry and Dr. Kurt's profound development kept me on the edge of my seat. Next week promises even more high-octane events, and I am eagerly anticipating the unfolding drama.
