Evil Season 4 Episode 5 Review: How to Fly an Airplane

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There was plenty of comedy peppered throughout Evil Season 4 Episode 5, "How to Fly an Airplane."

Ben is always good for a few chuckles, but we discovered that Father Dominic can lay it on pretty thick when the situation calls for it.

And if ever there was a situation that called for humor, it was rummaging around the Vatican's basement with a relic in hand that could be a symbol of Christ or bringing forth great evil. Good times!

Assessment - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

Andy Was Committed

It breaks my heart that Andy's story may have ended with him being committed to a psychiatric facility.

How on earth will he explain in rational terms what he's experienced without getting committed for life?

Related: Evil Cast Talks the Baby Anti-Christ, Remote Viewing, and Hope for Another Season

I hope that he gets closure before the series draws the final curtain, but with a show like this, you never know what's in store.

It's a rare moment when Kristen breaks down, but she did so behind closed doors. The weight of what their family is going through is enormous.

And, of course, one of the grief demons introduced on Evil Season 4 Episode 4 was waiting in the wings to get his hands on Kristen as she cried.

Game Playing - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

Exorcism Gone Bad

A woman named Vicky, a flight attendant with a side gig as a Christian relics mule, slit her wrists during an exorcism that wasn't shared with the assessment team.

That any exorcism was performed without notifying the assessors should have told them it was something peculiar.

But when you work in a world of peculiarities, it's hard to stay on top of everything all the time. Why would anybody think what was happening with Vicky was any different than any other possible supernatural event or allergic reaction?

Every time it happens, I give credit to Kristen and Ben for seeking the secular theory to support the latest mystery.

The true mystery wasn't in what was happening to Vicky directly but to anyone who came in contact with the relic.

Investigating - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

The Ghost Pilot

As someone who veers secular, I am always the first to jump on any possibility of the supernatural.

The same is true of ghost pilot lore, which emerged in 1972 after Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York JFK to Miami crashed in the Everglades.

Related: 31 of TV's Most Beloved Captains

Eight flight attendants and 95 passengers died on that flight, and in the wake of the crash, Captain Robert Loft and Flight Engineer Donald Repo were seen multiple times on other flights by way of ghostly apparitions.

If 9-1-1 has lost its bearings using ripped-from-the-headlines emergencies to bring it to life, Evil has no shortage of them.

Have I mentioned how much I'm going to miss this show?

The Holy Trinity - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

Relic Hunting and the Vatican

No wonder the Catholics called for an assessment after the fact. The relic was believed to possibly be a portion of the "true cross," Christ's cross.

"Wake me up when we crash," Ben joked as they took their seats on the plane to the Vatican for a 35-hour round trip to discuss the relic.

It was the first time they'd been called away like that, and it was also the first time Father Dominic revealed himself to Kristen and Ben.

He assured them there was no Entity (liar!) and played it off as if bringing them to this level of investment was no big deal.

We beg to differ. Paying a round trip for three souls to visit the Vatican's underground tunnels on short notice is a big deal.

Kristen and her Girls - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

The expendable atheists were there as guinea pigs. What happened to Vicky and the flight she was on previously scared the bejesus out of the clergy.

They had no desire to meet their demise because they dared travel with the relic. Our holy trinity of assessors barely had time to consider the possibilities before they were in the air.

Plus, Kristen had never been to Rome. Who wouldn't want the free trip?

Related: 15 Shows That Will Inspire You to Travel the World

Father Dominic's reaction when he couldn't hide the fact fear motivated his desire to take a different flight was hilarious.

Kristen's reaction to being in the same room with the true cross was much like mine would have been. Years of Catholicism never leave you entirely, and I'd be equally awed at being before a section of the cross.

Like a jigsaw puzzle piece that doesn't fit, though, the relic was determined to be a fake. In actuality, they were looking at the wrong thing.

Engaged Girls - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

The box housing the shard of wood was a demonic Bulgarian relic that was part of an exhibit to be assembled as a part of the ultimate corruption.

I couldn't help but wonder if Leland was awaiting that box as part of his plan to crown baby Timothy, the true antichrist.

Don't Go Into the Basement Alone

The girls have been able to thwart the Devil's Advocate, Leland, for goodness' sake, but they didn't pay close enough attention to Bob the Built Builder to figure out how to look for a flipped circuit.

Now, granted, if they'd figured it out, the bats wouldn't have been nearly as exciting of a story prospect.

I am scared to death of bats, not because I think they'll harm me but because of the lore about them getting to long hair. I have two outdoor umbrellas on my patio, not for the sun but because we have too many bats at dusk.

What the bats with their electric red eyes represented or why they were there went untouched. Instead, the whole situation worked to Sheryl's advantage.

Introducing the Antichrist - Evil S04E05 How to Fly an Airplane

Sheryl Spills the Beans on the Antichrist

When Sheryl was called to care for her grandchildren after the sitter had an emergency, she had to take Timothy along.

By the time she arrived, the girls had been through the dark basement and had been scared straight by bats. Thinking and worrying about their parents were no longer front and center.

Related: 12 TV Shows That Might Trigger a Crisis of Religious Faith.

Still, I didn't expect Sheryl to reveal Timothy was their brother.

She hesitated earlier in her stay by saying she had a big secret she couldn't share. When she got wind of the fact Kristen was on her way back, she spilled it anyway.

The credits faded to black with her words, but those girls are going to wear down Kristen.

Now that I think about it, I wonder why Leland was so eager to get rid of Andy when Andy had always wanted a son. He could have manipulated him into accepting Timothy into the family without issue.

Well, it doesn't matter now.

We'll soon find out what's next on Leland's agenda, including his part in the ultimate corruption.

All I know is that if the clergy members were that afraid of a relic, they'd fall apart when they realized how close their assessors have been to the man at the wheel this entire time.

Hell, they were playing right into Leland's hands, having invited him to the church to be personally coached in the ways of Christianity.

Whoopsie! Let's see how Father Dominic spins that news with a humorous quip or two.

Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.

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Evil Quotes

Acosta: The Church has a backlog of about 500,000 requests for exorcisms and miracle appraisals, and my colleague Ben and I are hired by the Church to investigate unexplained phenomenon and recommend whether there should be an exorcism or further research.
Kristen: I didn’t know that was a job.
Acosta: It is.

Kristen: Why did you give my therapy notes to a serial killer?
Townsend: You’re in way over your head, Ms. Bouchard. Why don’t you leave this to the professionals?
Kristen: Who are the professionals?
Townsend: Your boy toy Acosta, Leroux, the Sixty.
Kristen: Who are the Sixty?
Townsend: People who know who you are, now. Hey, that session No. 37 was a juicy one, wasn’t it? ‘I just want my daughters gone so I can have my freedom.’ Just say the word Kristen, and ‘Poof, they’re gone.’ No one blames you, no guilt; just four little caskets.
Kristen: Go to hell.
Townsend: With pleasure. In fact, I’ll make room for your daughters.