Among the many shows canceled or ending in 2024 is the CBS-turned-Paramount+ supernatural drama Evil. Despite being one of the best P+ original shows, it was announced in February that the series would be coming to an end after its fourth season, which premiered in May. As you would imagine, a story arc had to be charted out for this final slate of episodes. And, now, it's been revealed that the showrunners initially had different plans for this season.
While Evil was renewed for Season 4 back in July 2022, it was only announced a few months ago that the season would be the show's final. It’s unknown exactly how long the cast and crew were aware of that before the news broke, but it couldn’t have been very long. While series creators/writers Robert and Michelle King were given four extra episodes to wrap up the series, lead actor Mike Colter told ET what they had originally planned and how that will be condensed into just 14 episodes:
They like to have time to really process where they're gonna go, and I don't think they like to be rushed. When] we found out we were coming to an end, they had a few months, and I think Robert had to come up with the best parts of what he had intended on doing for the next two seasons and just touch on some things and, at the same time, leave it open. Leave it somewhere [between] a fulfilling ending and still not shut the door completely.
One would think that it would be somewhat disappointing on the showrunners' part for them to have two more seasons plotted out only to have to condense said stories into a fixed number of episodes. This season marks the longest of the series, as the first two had 13 episodes each, while Season 3 only had 10. Even though the sudden cancellation is a heartbreaker, it does sound like the creative team has managed to use the lemons they were given to make lemonade, so to speak. Mike Colter also praised the Kings and the writers for being able to come up with a new plan:
So it was a really hard ask for him, but I think he did a great job. There were some things about the four episodes that made me think, 'Oh, if we had 20-something more episodes, this is what would have been seen from our characters.' So it's a great place to be in, and Robert and Michelle and their writing staff did a great job, so kudos to them.
The series is nearly halfway through its final stretch, as of this writing, and there’s no telling exactly how it will all wrap up. It is sad to hear that at least two more seasons were planned and that the creative team had to drastically condense them. Similar situations have happened in the TV industry, as Manifest creator Jeff Rake managed to condense three seasons into 20 episodes for that show’s fourth and final season on Netflix after NBC cancelled it. Still, such a feat is easier said than done.
All the while, one Evil star is still holding out hope that a different platform will pick it up, as Katja Herbers took to social media with a plea not long after the cancellation. With some of the best streaming services always looking for content, it's certainly possible. But, as of right now, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening. Regardless, there's comfort to be found in the fact that it sounds like Robert and Michelle King as well as the writers are aiming to close the show out in a way that's satisfying.
Paramount+ subscribers can watch the final season, as new episodes drop on Thursdays. And, on the 2024 TV schedule, you'll find information on other notable shows that are either premiering or returning.
