Kristen Bouchard confronts her dark side in Evil finale, battling demons and complex emotions.
The popular series Evil on Paramount+ has reached its conclusion after four intense seasons of blending supernatural mysteries with deep human drama.
The series finale, which aired on August 22, left fans with a mix of emotions as Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), Father David Acosta (Mike Coulter), and Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) faced a turning point in their journeys.
The finale begins with the unsettling news that the trio’s long-standing partnership as assessors is coming to an end. Father David is reassigned to Vatican security in Rome, which stirs up strong feelings in Kristen.
The forensic psychologist is not just upset about the reassignment, but also the short notice—David is set to leave in just four days. Despite the tension, David tries to keep the team together by offering Kristen and Ben an opportunity to continue their work in Rome.
He even tempts them with a higher salary, though Ben, who’s landed a lucrative job paying $650,000 a year, isn’t swayed.
David’s plea to Kristen is heartfelt. “Help me get up and running for six months,” he tells her, holding her hand. “Save some money. Then move back if you want.” Kristen, however, yearns for a more stable life.
“I need a normal life,” she responds, initially rejecting the idea. But later that evening, Kristen contemplates the offer. She logs onto the Find My Doppelganger website and watches a live video of her Danish lookalike, who offers some unconventional wisdom: “A risk not taken is a life not lived,” and “Never give up a chance to f— or travel.”
This moment of reflection is quickly interrupted when the sinister Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) sneaks into Kristen’s home with the intent to kill her. Kristen, having anticipated his move, catches Leland off guard.
She tackles him, wrapping a climbing rope around his neck and pulling tight, nearly choking him to death. However, before she can finish the job, David and Ben burst into the room, urging her to stop.
Katja Herbers later revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that Kristen would have likely killed Leland if her friends hadn’t intervened.
“I think what they [David and Ben] do is very sweet. They prevent her from having to do it. We know she [Kristen] has killed before,” Herbers said, referring to a past incident where Kristen killed a man to protect her family.
Despite this, Herbers believes that killing, even in self-defense, takes a toll on the soul. “Even if you kill someone who deserves it, even if you kill a rapist, murderer, whatever, it cannot be good for you,” she explained.
After subduing Leland, the trio stuffs him into a sack and takes him to a silent monastery, revisiting a location from season two. There, they trap him in a demon cabinet, a device that, according to the show’s lore, can contain demons indefinitely—as long as no words are spoken to release them.
Sister Fenna (Alexandra Sochia), who resides in the monastery, is also present during this intense moment.
As the episode nears its end, we see Kristen in Vatican City with her four daughters and the baby boy Leland conceived using Kristen’s stolen eggs. Kristen appears to have settled into her new life in Italy, wearing a stylish cerulean blue dress, a far cry from her usual attire.
In a chilling final twist, Kristen’s son, who had seemed like a normal baby, reveals a darker side—his eyes turn white, and his teeth become sharp fangs, marking him as the antichrist. Despite this horrifying realization, Kristen calmly places a pacifier in his mouth, effectively hiding his demonic features.
Herbers described Kristen as “incredibly maternal,” noting that Kristen’s protective instinct extends even to this demon child. “One of the big themes in our show is nature versus nurture,” Herbers said, adding that Kristen’s decision to cover up her son’s true nature shows her willingness to protect him, no matter what.
The finale also teases the unresolved tension between Kristen and David. Throughout the series, the chemistry between them has been palpable, leading viewers to wonder if they would ever become more than just friends.
As the two walk together in Rome, Kristen gives David a loving glance, a moment that might suggest a deeper connection. However, Herbers clarified that while the characters have fantasized about each other, their relationship remains platonic. “They’ve had sex with each other in their minds a hundred times over.
They haven’t in real life,” she explained. Despite their undeniable attraction, Herbers believes Kristen respects David too much to push for a physical relationship, understanding that it would be “all or nothing” for them.
As Evil closes its final chapter, fans are left with plenty to ponder. The show’s ambiguous ending and the characters’ complex journeys ensure that the series will be remembered as a compelling exploration of the battle between good and evil, both within and outside the human soul. All four seasons of Evil are now available for streaming on Paramount+.
