Returning for its final run, ‘Evil’ opens its latest chapter with a mystery that sets the stage for all the horrifying things to come. The show has always been focused on creating a dialogue over a mystery rather than giving a straight answer to the audience, which makes it more interesting. Did the thing you see was something supernatural or is there a logical explanation behind it? Something similar happens in the premiere episode of Season 4, where information is given to validate the supernatural as well as the scientific side of the argument, making it more interesting to see how the rest of the season will unfold.
Evil Season 4 “How to Split an Atom” Recap
Following the events of the last season, everyone is on edge in the Church. Kristen tries to make sense of her mother’s betrayal and what it means for her egg to be used by DF to create a baby with Leland’s sperm. Meanwhile, David is trying to figure out the real meaning of his vision, but all it points towards is the imminent end of the world, which begins with the birth of a demon baby. In between this, they receive the case of the Garrow Research Facility, which is preparing to fire up the particle accelerator. The upcoming event has raised concerns about the unintentional creation of the black hole, and for the religious ones, it is nothing short of opening the Gates of Hell.
What makes matters worse is the video that circulates in the public, showcasing a Satanic ritual taking place within the facility. Kristen, David, and Ben are sent to look into the case and determine whether the work at the facility would actually open the Gates of Hell if they haven’t already. Ben is convinced that it’s all science and much like any other particle accelerator in the world, there is minimal if at all, threat of the creation of a black hole. But David sees things around the facility that make him wonder whether there really is something supernatural going on there. His doubts are further flamed by Matteo, who works as a cleaner at the place.
The Circumstances Around Matteo’s Death Raise Several Questions
On their first visit to the facility, the scientists try to convince Kristen, David, and Ben that everything is on track at the place and there is nothing to suggest that some sinister plot of opening the Gates of Hell is undergoing there. The video was nothing but a spoof in response to a similar video that came out of CERN. For the most part, the trio is convinced, but then Matteo tells them the scientists are lying. Not only is there something sinister going on there, but they have already unintentionally (or not so) created something that allowed evil entities to roam the facility. He claims to have experienced it with his own eyes.
Sure enough, exactly at the place mentioned by Matteo, David finds a hole that goes miles deep into the Earth. It is covered up to stop anyone from falling into it, but that doesn’t mean that something can’t come out of it. In what he cannot figure out is a vision or reality, David sees a demon crawling out of the pit. This confirms for him that the case of the facility needs to be further evaluated. Eventually, however, he, too, concedes that there is no concrete proof to suggest that the place is, in fact, as dangerous as it is claimed to be, not in supernatural terms at least.
Seeing that the trio is leaving without doing anything about it, Matteo decides to take things into his own hands. He wishes to expose the facility and creates a ruckus by going to the spot where there is a hole. He had already been trying to send the word out about the place, something the authorities found out about and were going to fire him for. But that didn’t stop him from doing something that eventually cost him his life. In the video, Matteo is seen near the hole. He is visibly angry, and it seems uncertain how to predict his course of action. But then, after a glitch in the camera, he disappears from the spot. The only logical explanation is that he has fallen into the hole. The more important question is: did he fall, or was he dragged into it?
According to Ben, it wouldn’t be unfathomable to think Matteo fell into the hole. He was in a chaotic state of mind at the time, and it could be that he was so focused on expressing his anger at the camera that he didn’t see where he was stepping and fell in. Extrapolating from his state of mind, it would also make sense if one said that he jumped into the hole, maybe to make a point or maybe because he was in a greatly disturbed state of mind. Both things are explainable because we don’t really see anything drag him into the hole. The lack of proof for the supernatural and the logical explanation of how things may have gone down is enough to convince everyone that there is no foul play involved in Matteo’s fall. But then, things are not so simple.
Interestingly, just at the opening of the hole, claw marks with blood are found. The blood is clearly Matteo’s because he is the only one to fall in the hole, and neither the mark nor the blood was there the last time David visited the place. Both of those things are fresh, which raises an alarm for David. Did something crawl out of the hole and drag Matteo along? Of course, he has no proof for it, but it does convince him that the whole picture of the particle accelerator and its work is yet to be revealed. What concerns him further is the fact that the particle accelerator is supposed to fire up in 38 days, which aligns with his vision and also with the birth of the child, who is touted to be the Antichrist. All of it seems too much of a coincidence to ignore.
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