‘Evil’: Is ‘Lost’ Alum Michael Emerson a Demon on New CBS Show?

CBS’ spooky new show Evil explores supernatural aspects of crimes and bizarre happenings, but is one of the show’s main characters an actual demon? Not even the actor playing him knows at this point. Lost alum Michael Emerson plays the mysterious Leland Townsend on the new series, created by The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King. The sketchy character made quite an impression during the premiere episode, with some fans wondering if he is either possessed, or a demon himself.

The premiere revealed Leland uses technology to connect psychopaths, or demons, and create chaos. His character was actively involved in the team’s first case, and even made some unpleasant comments about two of the main characters.

In a new interview with the cast of the new series, Emerson spoke about whether his character does have a connection to evil spirits.

“I just play it scene by scene,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “So far he seems like a highly manipulative and dangerous lord of mischief. Whether he’s human or not hasn’t come up yet but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s something other.”

The series premiered follows the cases investigated by priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter), forensic psychologist non-believer Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and contractor Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi). The team focuses on finding logical explanations to supernatural/demonic happenings around the country.

Each week, the team investigates supposed possessions, miracles and other unexplained mysteries, as well as how social media helps the spread of evil around the world.

The premiere featured as the team first got together to work on the case of a serial’s killer claiming he was possessed. Despite his convincing portrayal of demonic possession, the crew eventually discovered Leland was feeding the suspect information on the crew, and helping him make his performance more convincing. Fans were quick to comment about the show’s terrifying storytelling and heart-stopping scenes during the premiere.

Kristen also experienced her own frightening moments in the first episode, as the show featured her having creepy night terrors featuring a demon named George. The creepy demon haunted her dreams, cutting off her fingers and peeing in her bedroom while she slept. We will have to wait and see if he will be a recurring character.

What do you think of the terrifying new series? Evil airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.