Summary
Warning: this article contains spoilers forEvilseason 4.
With Paramount+ canceling its popular supernatural series,Evil, all the stories that have been built over the show’s five-year run will be coming to a head, including amajor mystery that was first uncovered inEvilseason 1. The series stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi as a team who assess the validity of demonic possessions and other unexplained phenomena for the Catholic Church.Evilalso boasts a 100% Rotten Tomatoesscore forseasons 3 and 4, further highlighting its success. And yet, unless one particular unresolved issue is addressed, much of that goodwill may be undone.
AsEvilseason 4heads toward its finale, it’s clear that many people connected to the show are unhappy about its ending. Beyond the fanbase, star Katja Herbers likened the show’s cancelation to “a death”, adding that concluding the show with “more story to tell…feels really painful” (viaCollider). Such comments underscore that theEvilseries finalemay not be a satisfying end for everyone. Nevertheless, whatever path the show takes, one ongoing mystery must be at the heart of the action.
A Crucial Missing Piece Of The Codex From Evil Season 1 Is Still Missing
Without The Legend, The Codex’s Full Meaning Remains Unknown
InEvilseason 1, episode 7 “Vatican III,” the gang first come across the mysterious codex that the Church had purportedly kept hidden for centuries.The codex depicts 60 different symbols, known as sigils, that represent different demonic houses, but due to age, the codex has many missing pieces. Among the missing pieces is the legend, which would give the codex context, help interpret its meaning, and identify what it shows. Without the legend, the codex is just a map with some symbols on it. Its conspicuous omission could be important in theEvilseries finale.
A codex is a predecessor to books that used materials like papyrus or parchment instead of paper. The term is often used to describe ancient manuscripts with handwritten works. The codex was a prevalent format in the early centuries AD and was frequently used for important religious texts.
Ben (Mandvi) is rightfully skeptical that it has remained a secret this long as the trio keep running into the various sigils on the codex. However, it’s clear that the codex is of central importance to the evil plan that Leland Townsend (Michael Emerson) has been working towards. He asks his then-fianceSheryl (Christine Lahti)to steal a copy of it from Kristen (Herbers) and keeps it well hidden. Since then, there have been numerous sightings of the sigils during the team’s assessments, but it’s still unclear how these 60 demonic houses connect to Leland and the Manager Demon’s master plan. This must be addressed before the show ends.
The Codex Sigils Could Bring Grace Back In The Evil Season 4’s Ending
Her Prophecies Were Important In Decoding The Codex
InEvilseason 1, the trio assess Grace Ling (Li Jun Li) and her seeming ability to speak directly to God and predict the future. Grace’s prophesies are sometimes vague, but the Church decides that her ability is legitimate when she starts drawing things that perfectly fit the gaps left in the codex. In season 2, the Church rescues her from a Chinese reeducation camp and has her hidden away so she can complete the work of filling in the missing pieces of the secret document.
However,the codex’s legend remains incomplete.When Sheryl shows Leland a drawing that Grace had done showing the real location of Kristen’s husband, Andy (Patrick Brammall), Leland rushes to Grace to kill her. However, Monsignor Korecki (Boris McGiver) manages to thwart Leland, and pays for it with his life. Although this attempted murder was borne from Leland trying to protect his own interests, it also suggests Grace is important enough for Team Evil to want her dead. They don’t want her to complete the codex.
With Grace’s return, the Church would have an extra weapon to fight against the demonic plot ahead of theEvilseries finale.
Given how central the codex has been throughoutEvil’s four-season run, it seems thatGrace will need to complete this critical piece before Leland and The 60 can enact their evil plot. This opens up the potential for the prophet to return and solve the mystery of the codex and the sigils that has plagued the events of the show. With Grace’s return, the Church would have an extra weapon to fight against the demonic plot ahead of theEvilseries finale.
Evil
Cast
Evil is a psychological mystery series that follows a skeptical forensic psychologist, Kristen Bouchard, who teams up with a Catholic priest-in-training and a tech expert to investigate purportedly supernatural incidents. The series delves into complex themes of religion, science, and the nature of evil through its deeply layered narrative and character development. The show stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi.
