In a series that deals with things like demonic possession and paranormal activity, Evil has still managed to exist within the fringes of the supernatural, and surprisingly so, can often come off as quite realistic…until this latest episode that is.  “100 Days” was equally compelling as it was bizarre, but more than this, it was certainly memorable.  There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started!

Spoilers Ahead – You’ve Been Warned!!!

David Just Can’t Catch a Break
Just one week after we saw him struggling against a sadist, serial-killing nurse, David finds himself once again in a bit of a hostage situation.  As he pays a visit to an old friend Sonia, he finds that she’s keeping a comedian captive in her basement, one from her home country of Rwanda.

She seeks justice for the role he played in promoting propaganda that led to the slaughter of Tutsis at the hands of the Hutu.  She ends up killing the man, and it’s far more brutal than anything we’ve previously experience on this series so far, including everything else with demons and serial killers.

And perhaps the reason why it hits so hard is that it’s based upon a very real tragedy, one whose scars are still felt today, even 25 years later.  It is in this subplot that the series truly lives up to its name, by showing us that some of the greatest evil in this world consists of what humans have done to other humans.

Seeds of Doubt
Meanwhile, Kristen spends the day in court, testifying against Leland’s motion to get serial killer Orson Leroux’s conviction overturned (remember him from the first episode?).

Her testimony inadvertently leads to that overturning, all while causing her to doubt everything she has done and whether or not her impact on the world has been for the better or worse.  It’s a truly world-shattering moment for her that probably deserved more screen time than it got, given that it was one of three subplots this episode juggled.

The third and final plot involved Kristen’s husband (Andy) and children.  As she wad indisposed and unreachable all day, it was left to their absentee father to deal with poor little Laura’s medical emergency.  After noticing she’s not feeling well, they rush her to the hospital, only to discover that she needs heart surgery immediately.

Finding strength and comfort in his newfound Buddhist teachings, Andy maintains his faith and performs a sort of prayer that leads to her procedure being an absolute success.  This prayer has a deadly catch however.

According to Andy, when he begged for his daugther’s life to be saved, he pledged his own in its stead.  And while he may not believe fully in something like that, the recently released serial killer may just play a role in fulfilling this “prophecy”.

We Need to Talk About That Ending
Now, for the moment we’ve all been just aching to discuss.  As previously mentioned, Evil has thus far maintained a strong sense of realism in its approach to the demonic and paranormal.  It’s never gone full X-Files or Supernatural (and still might not have), but those final moments certainly have us all wondering.

An image like this certainly conjures up a humorous (albeit cheesy) response from viewers, but it has very larger implications, even if just for Leland himself.  We can assume that while he’s been pulling these strings and recruiting people to commit acts of evil, he himself has been acting on the advice and counsel of this demonic figure (whom we can’t assume is Satan himself, it could be Baphomet or some other demon).

For a series that always took itself very seriously, this was a huge departure and it completely changes the dynamic, one way or another.  On the one hand, this could merely be a hallucination of Leland.  Perhaps he’s been schizophrenic this entire time, and it will vindicate Kristen in proving that mental illness and human apathy was always the root cause of evil.

Or perhaps Leland has always had a direct contact with hell itself, and this series is about to evolve into X-Files and Supernatural territory.  It’s honestly difficult to decide which would be preferable at this point.

The former allows the series to maintain its gritty and grounded integrity, but also prevents it from growing and evolving.  The latter takes a hard left turn into new and fascinating territory, but if left unchecked, this is how TV series often jump the shark.  At this point, all we can do is speculate, and watch with very interested eyes.

What did you think of “100 Days”?  What are your predictions for the season finale?  Let us know in the comments below.  And for more reviews, rankings, and other fun horror content, follow Halloween Year-Round on Facebook and Twitter!