Evil Season 2, Episode 2 recap: A is for Angel

Evil Season 2, Episode 2 explores the possibility of angelic possession.

So much happens in Evil Season 2, Episode 2, “A is for Angel,” that it’s tough to know where to begin! From new character introductions (hello Andrea Martin) to the increasingly thin line between supernatural and psychological to Leland’s downward spiral, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover in this recap so let’s begin!

To start, the latest case-of-the-week centers on blue-collar worker Raymond Strand (Brandon J. Dirden), who might be in communication with something we haven’t yet seen in the Evil universe––an angel. Yet just because his possession might not be demonic doesn’t mean it isn’t diabolical.

According to Raymond’s pregnant wife Ashley (Joniece Abbott-Pratt), Raymond believes he’s in communication with the archangel Michael, who he spends hours painting on his walls in all of his warrior-esque glory. And unlike Supernatural, where angels were depicted by handsome CW actors more often than not, Evil‘s version of Michael is downright terrifying and comes equipped with his trumpet and sword.

The problem with Raymond’s possession is that he’s increasingly being told to live biblically, meaning giving up all of his earthly possessions to the poor and overcommitting to charity. As Ashley states, he wants to sell their house! It’s great to want to give back to the less fortunate, but Raymond is about to let his family and unborn child live on the streets to do so.

Things take a turn for the worse when Raymond pulls over the car in the middle of the road to rescue a family trapped inside a burning car. At first, it looks like Raymond is just playing the part of a hero until it’s revealed that Raymond intentionally left one man inside the car to burn for a full minute before finally rescuing him. Why? Because this man supposedly molested his niece and God’s will was for him to feel the licks of hellfire as a warning to repent and save his soul before dying.

As Evil Season 2 unfolds, the line between supernatural and psychological in the cases Kristen, Ben and David assess is thinning. By the end of the episode, Raymond’s wife Ashley is reduced to a pillar of salt like Lot’s wife because she refused to live the way God intended. But did Michael really smite Ashley? Or did she leave Raymond like she told Kristen she intended? It’s hard to say.

The psychological explanation given for Raymond’s delusions is that he might have suffered from a scopolamine overdose. But then, how would Raymond have known that guy was a child molester? Then again, we never got confirmation that the uncle did harm his niece, so again, it’s all left to the viewer’s interpretation–just less clear-cut than it was in the first season.

Evil Season 2, Episode 2 recap: Can murder ever be just?

However, the idea of enacting wrathful justice is an integral theme this season, as it perfectly relates to Kristen’s current dilemma. For starters, a new detective has taken over the Orson LeRoux murder investigation from Mira (I’m curious if Kristen Connolly could not return this season due to COVID?). Detective Anya (Jessie Mueller) informs Kristen of the change now that Mira has recused herself, claiming she’s too close to the investigation.

Anya will now have to question Kristen about some things regarding LeRoux and also tells her that LeRoux’s wife’s alibi has checked out, just as Kristen planned.

Well, Kristen comes dangerously close to telling Ben and David the truth while the trio discusses a “just war” and whether it’s ever okay to murder someone truly evil. Kristen questions whether murder can be just if killing the person would prevent a graver crime. David believes it could be, and we see a flashback to the night LeRoux died. Kristen creeps up behind him with her ice pick as he crawls on the floor, desperate to escape her.

Kristen’s recent odd behavior has not gone unnoticed by Ben or David. It’s clear Ben is very suspicious of Kristen “my middle name is trouble,” Bouchard.