Creators of “Evil” on the Shocking Demon Baby Reveal and Potential Sister Andrea Spinoff

Creators of “Evil” on the Shocking Demon Baby Reveal and Potential Sister Andrea Spinoff

Robert and Michelle King discuss the surprising twists in the series finale of “Evil.”

After five years, four seasons, and 50 episodes, “Evil” — the captivating and enigmatic series created by Robert and Michelle King — has come to an end with its appropriately titled finale, “Fear of the End.” Directed by Robert King, the episode leaves fans with a mix of resolution and tantalizing questions, especially with the reveal of a demon baby.

In the finale, the core trio — Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), Roman Catholic priest David Acosta (Mike Colter), and technology expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) — find themselves at a crossroads after the Catholic Church disbands their assessor program. Kristen starts her own practice, David heads to Rome to work for the secretive Vatican organization known as the Entity, and Ben lands a lucrative job in AI and quantum computing.

However, their paths quickly converge again when a new VR game called “Mother Midnight” manipulates Kristen’s daughters into believing that Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) plans to kill their mother. The team investigates how the VR program created such terrifying and personalized visions, leading them to confront Leland’s latest sinister plot — to unleash the Antichrist, embodied by little Timothy, a child created using Kristen’s stolen egg and Leland’s sperm.

Leland’s fate seems sealed when he is nearly strangled by Kristen and later imprisoned in a demon box at the Sacred Trinity Silent Monastery. As for Kristen, she and David head to Rome to pilot a new assessor program at the Vatican, seemingly heading toward a happy ending. But a chilling final moment shows Timothy smiling up at Kristen, revealing glowing demon eyes and razor-sharp teeth, leaving viewers questioning what’s to come.

Entertainment Weekly sat down with Robert and Michelle King to explore the finale’s burning questions, including their decision to keep Leland alive, the reason behind Kristen’s split from Andy, and the possibility of a Sister Andrea spinoff.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The ending with Timothy was shocking. Did Sheryl’s last-minute baptism fail?

ROBERT KING: There are two ways to interpret it. One is that it didn’t work, and the other is that Kristen might now be seeing demonic faces in people. It all ties back to the idea of “nature versus nurture” — can something like a baptism truly cure possession, or does it depend on the parents and siblings?

MICHELLE KING: If you lean into the supernatural, you could argue the baptism did work, but like a medication that can’t fully eradicate all symptoms.

RK: Our view of the world is that evil is persistent and tough to defeat. That’s the underlying message. [Laughs]

EW: What was Kristen thinking when she told David everything was fine after seeing Timothy’s eyes?

RK: Originally, the script had Kristen seeing something wrong with Timothy’s eyes but thinking it might be a trick of the light. Katja suggested she should see it and cover it up, acting like a mother defending her child. It’s Kristen’s way of saying, “He’s misunderstood, he’ll be fine,” while keeping the truth from David.

EW: Why didn’t Ben go to the Vatican with Kristen and David, despite his huge new paycheck?

MK: Realistically, most people wouldn’t pass up that kind of paycheck. Even though he values his work friends, the financial reality wins out.

RK: It would have felt too much like a typical happy ending, so we opted for a bit of brightness with a dark twist — the Antichrist in a stroller.

EW: Earlier in the season, we dismissed Ellie as a crazy person. But after seeing Timothy’s appearance, could her warning have been true?

RK: [Laughs] We’ve always warned viewers that this show doesn’t offer definitive answers. Michelle and I come from different perspectives, and the series reflects that tension between belief and skepticism.

MK: You’re picking up on the ambivalence in the show’s creation — nothing is completely evil or good; these forces are always in play.

EW: Kristen nearly kills Leland, but David and Ben stop her. Was that because evil can’t be fully eradicated?

MK: Yes, that would have been more optimism than we usually allow ourselves.

RK: Also, Kristen had killed someone in the first season and was forgiven. Killing Leland would have disrupted her character arc, so we decided to keep him alive.

EW: The finale had some great callbacks. Were there any you couldn’t fit in?

RK: We wanted to see more of the case files burning, but it didn’t work out. We also regretted not bringing back the Demon of Grief — such a cool character. But the VR scenes were already packed, and we didn’t want it to turn into a clip show.

MK: It was important for us to focus on the unique fears each character faced in their VR experiences.

EW: How did you decide that Sheryl had to pay the ultimate price?

MK: We had explored many aspects of the Sheryl-Kristen relationship, and it felt like it was time to close that chapter honestly.

RK: We always had the idea that Sheryl would redeem herself by confronting Leland and losing. Christine Lahti was incredible in the role, and it felt like the right time to showcase a new side of Sheryl.

EW: In Sheryl’s final message, she describes Leland’s experiments with Andy. What was that gross liquid he infused back into them?

MK: That’s Leland’s secret recipe. [Laughs]

RK: We wanted to modernize the vampire trope, drawing inspiration from “Rosemary’s Baby” and the fear of medical practices gone awry.

EW: How did you decide that Kristen’s marriage to Andy wouldn’t survive?

RK: We knew we only had a few episodes left, and Patrick Brammall had other commitments. It was a mix of practical and creative decisions.

MK: That’s typical for any show. You work with the availability of actors and find an organic way to move the story forward.

RK: We also wanted to remove one of the barriers keeping David and Kristen apart, making David’s commitment to his vows the central obstacle.

EW: Deep down, you want Kristen and David to end up together, right?

RK: Absolutely. There’s always been a yearning for that connection, even if it’s just in dream sequences or fantasy moments.

MK: The tension between their attraction and their vows is what makes them compelling characters.

EW: The series ends with David and the Entity fighting evil, now with technology that uploads despair directly into our brains. Has telling this story changed your relationship with the internet?

MK: I wish I could say it had, but I’ve always kept a bit of distance from online things. I’m not on social media, but I do keep up with the news.

RK: We use the internet pragmatically, not for entertainment. I only joined Twitter to promote our shows and avoid the toxic aspects.

EW: What was your favorite moment with the girls this season?

MK: I loved when the girls tried to save the family by coming up with creative ideas like selling photos of their mother’s feet. [Laughs]

RK: They were like the Marx Brothers, unpredictable and hilarious. The actresses are amazing, and their chemistry on set is fantastic.

EW: Before we wrap up, let’s talk spinoffs. How about a Sister Andrea series?

RK: That seems like a no-brainer. Sister Andrea is such a strong character, and we’d love to explore that.

Creators of “Evil” on the Shocking Demon Baby Reveal and Potential Sister Andrea Spinoff

MK: I’m on board. We just need to make it happen.

EW: What about “Evil: Rome” now that Kristen and David are there?

MK: We could definitely do that.

RK: If it’s produced by Taylor Sheridan, it’ll be on the air in no time. [Laughs]

All four seasons of “Evil” are now streaming on Paramount+.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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