10 Shows Like Evil To Watch If You’re Annoyed About Season 5 Not Happening

Evil was a standout TV show from the moment it premiered, and though season 4 is the series final outing, there’s still plenty to love about the project. Combining elements of the supernatural with religious themes and character-driven storylines, Evil treads similar territory to some great fantasy TV series. This means that while Evil might not be returning to the screen with a new narrative arc, fans of the show can turn to other works that are just as captivating and compelling as Evil. These series incorporate magic, mystery, and crime to make for a unique blend of genres.

There are plenty of reasons Evil season 5 needs to happen, but though fans have saved TV shows from cancelation in the past, it seems unlikely that the supernatural drama will return. This isn’t the first time that a strong TV show has been cut short before it could complete its planned arc, but it’s particularly difficult to say goodbye to Evil because of its incredible characters. Though fantasy series are often praised for their magic systems and worldbuilding, Evil, and the best shows like it, stand apart because they immerse audiences in the story’s world and characters’ dynamics.

10 Outcast (2016–2017)

Demonic possession and the fight to survive are paralleled in Outcast and Evil

Though it only ran for two seasons, Outcast packed plenty of action and thrilling plot points into its run. Patrick Fugit stars as Kyle Barnes, a man ostracized from his community because he suffers from demonic possession. As the first season progresses, the audience learns more about Kyle’s past and what led him to team up with John Anderson, the town’s Reverend, who’s committed to performing exorcisms and helping people through their pain.

Like Evil, Outcast is heavily informed by Christianity and the fight against demonic possession, making an interesting comment on the culpability of the individuals for their actions while possessed. Created by Robert Kirkman, one of the people behind The Walking Dead,Outcast similarly explores violent and brutal fight scenes, but the fear of the demons differs strongly from the terror of the Walkers. The dynamic between John and Kyle as a Reverend and a suffering individual mirrors the relationship between Kristen and David in Evil.

9 Preacher (2016–2019)

Jesse Custer is a new type of preacher in this dark comic series

While some audiences might recognize Dominic Cooper from his role in the Mamma Mia films, one of his best projects to date is the Preacher series. He plays the protagonist, Jesse Custer, who isn’t a typical man of god, as he has a checkered past and the inexplicable ability to get people to do whatever he says. Alongside him are the forces of heaven and hell, as creatures like vampires play large roles in Preacher, and the show received acclaim for successfully bringing the original comic series to life.

Some of the alterations the series made to the source material made Preacher season 1 controversial, but as the seasons progressed, this became a strength for the show. Though Jesse is markedly different from David, Evil‘s priest, they both fulfill similar roles of having unexpected abilities and using their connection to god to battle the forces of darkness. While Preacher leans heavily into its comic book origins, with fight scenes that look straight out of a graphic novel, it became more character-driven with every season, as did Evil.

8 The X-Files (1993–2018)

One of the most famous police procedurals of all time features plenty of supernatural thrills

Starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as the FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, The X-Files is an iconic and beloved piece of supernatural television. While Scully is the skeptic who finds a logical explanation for the illogical circumstances the pair investigate, Mulder is a true believer who’s always looking for evidence to support his otherworldly theories. This results in an incredible dynamic between the agents, which is elevated by the great chemistry between Anderson and Duchovny.

Every episode sees the partners explore a new town and community that’s been plagued by mysterious violence or disappearances. The crime procedural backbone of the show is something it has in common with Evil. Additionally, the relationship between Mulder and Scully clearly inspired the dynamic between Kristen and David, with Kristen unsure of the demonic events they see and David fully convinced they’re the work of heaven and hell. After ​​​​​ ​​The X-Files original series conclusion, the show was brought back for two seasons years later, which bodes well for shows like Evil.

7 The Sandman (2022–Present)

The Lord of Dreams serves as the protagonist in Netflix’s fantasy series

Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Sandman stories have paved the way for a host of other great shows like Dead Boy Detectives and even the supernatural crime show Lucifer. In 2022, the first season of the show dropped on Netflix. Audiences were swept away by the epic nature of the series thanks to its set pieces and anthology-esque nature. The Sandman follows Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, who’s played by Tom Sturridge. The series begins with his imprisonment and escape from the clutches of a mortal.

Though there’s not yet a release date for The Sandman season 2, the series is in production and is rumored to be even more expansive than season 1 (via Collider). Though Evil takes place from the perspective of humans interacting with the nebulous supernatural world, The Sandman sees the lords of time and space witness the mundanity and thrills of humanity from afar. Dream is disillusioned with the human race after his imprisonment, but he’s reminded of their goodness and becomes more willing to help them, much like the arcs of the characters in Evil.

6 Wynonna Earp (2016–2021)

This Canadian series features incredible female characters and LGBTQ+ representation

Simultaneously a Western, a crime series, and a fantasy epic, Wynonna Earp follows its titular character as she brings demons to heel with her considerable skills and supernatural powers. Wynonna is the descendant of the lawman Wyatt Earp, and her family’s legacy is to subdue the revenants who rise from the grave to terrorize the world, particularly her town of Purgatory. Melanie Scrofano plays Wynonna and is joined by a cast of allies who aid her in the fight against the demons.

As the series progressed, Wynonna Earp evolved from a classic gunslinging adventure to a nuanced drama with as many great performances as there were stellar fight scenes. The demons in Wynonna Earp differ from those in Evil, but the stakes are just as high for Wynonna and her friends. Additionally, both series prioritize well-written female characters and spend time fleshing out their development. Wynonna Earp can get dark, but it’s a little lighter and more comedic than Evil at times.

5 The Magicians (2015-2020)

The TV adaptation of Lev Grossman’s books have transcended the novels

While Lev Grossman’s novel series, The Magicians, only has three installments, the TV series that brought the characters to life ran for five seasons. Religion and demonic possession weave in and out of the mystical story at the heart of The Magicians, as gods might be real, but they’re deeply present in the story. Quentin Coldwater and his friends at Brakebills University, a school for magic, find themselves entrenched in the magical universe of Fillory as they try to stop its dangers from bleeding into Earth’s world.

Though there are plenty of witty remarks and moments of levity, particularly from Eliot and Margo, The Magicians gets intensely dark throughout its seasons. One of the most innovative parts of The Magicians is how the show draws a distinct line between Earth and the places of magic through the visuals.Evil is also quite gritty and raw in its style and storytelling, which matches the non-magical scenes in The Magicians.

4 Midnight Mass (2021)

Parallel stories of a priest and a sinner elevate each other in this mystery miniseries

Mike Flanagan, the creator behind great horror series like The Haunting series and The Fall of the House of Usher, made Midnight Mass in 2021. The limited series explores the dynamic of a small town that’s upended by the sudden arrival of a priest with a hidden agenda, which coincides with the return of a disgraced community member who was in prison for killing a woman while driving drunk. Though the town has enough secrets already, the stakes are raised by supernatural entities that the citizens turn to for salvation and darkness.

Zach Gilford, best known for his starring role in Friday Night Lights, plays Riley, the recently released man, with Hamish Linklater, who plays Father Paul, the priest. While David uses his priest training and knowledge of the supernatural for good in Evil, the same can’t be said for all the characters in Midnight Mass. Evil is more action-driven, while Midnight Mass can be bogged down by its dense dialogue, even if the series is trying to get its nuanced points across through these speeches.

3 Fringe (2008–2013)

Though Fringe draws inspiration from other crime procedurals, it turned into a distinguished series on its own

From the first episode of Fringe, the series was already getting compared to The X-Files and other supernatural crime shows that pushed the boundaries of reality. However, Fringe is not a carbon copy of anything that came before it. Evil is also in conversation with the TV shows that influenced it and draws from famous works of film and television, but it does this to create something unique. The trio dynamic in both series mirrors each other, with Olivia, Peter, and Walter filling similar roles as Kristen, David, and Ben.

Fringe is a great example of a TV show with the capability to reinvent itself throughout the story and is a TV show that got better after a time skip. The final season of Fringe jumped ahead in time, far enough that only the central three characters remained. While this was a bold choice, it gave Fringe the opportunity to do a soft reboot and pay tribute to the many intersecting storylines of the series’ first four seasons. Like Evil, there’s never any question in Fringe that the existence of monsters and reality-bending technologies isn’t real.

2 Dark (2017–2020)

This German experimental series pushes the boundaries of space and time

The surrealist German series Dark hit Netflix in 2017, and though it begins with the investigation into a child’s disappearance, it’s much more than this. Evil also uses seemingly mundane crimes that quickly expand into a twisting narrative of demons and nightmares. Dark is a more experimental take on the sci-fi and fantasy genres, as Evil is often more straightforward in its plotting, but this makes Dark even more exciting to unpack. While Dark doesn’t explore the supernatural so much as it does timelines and travel, there are still plenty of parallels between the shows.

Though it only ran for three seasons, Dark was consistently singled out for its performances, writing, and direction, making it a standout of Netflix’s programming. Family legacy and generational trauma are a huge part of the themes and tone in Dark, which tackles individual acts of good and evil, whereas Evil looks at the big picture of the larger forces of the supernatural and how they impact reality. Dark is a great follow-up after watching Evil because it dives even further into the most sinister aspects of the show.

1 Lovecraft Country (2020)

The complex legacy of the U.S. clashes with the horrors of updated Lovecraftian mysteries

Though H.P. Lovecraft was an influential writer and storyteller, his works are marred by the fact that they’re so intertwined with the author’s personal prejudices and fears. The book that the series is loosely based on, Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, unpacks this legacy and intertwines it with the history of racism and violence in the United States. It follows the story of a young Black man, Atticus Freeman, and his friend, Letitia Lewis, as they encounter the horrors of racism and fantastical monsters in America in the 1950s.

Despite being canceled after one season, the series garnered acclaim from critics and audience members alike, and it struck a nuanced balance between appreciation for Lovecraft’s works and being able to simultaneously critique his personal opinions. Though Evil takes place in the present day, both series grapple with the cultural and social issues that remain relevant today. Lovecraft Country has elements of Southern Gothic and other religious themes that are frequently present in American folklore, which is similar to the explorations of demons in Evil.