The Best Horror Show On TV (And Streaming) Is Coming To An End

"Evil," the best horror show on either traditional television or streaming, is coming to an end.

A new press release from Paramount+ lays out the details: The fourth season of the acclaimed horror procedural will premiere in May, and it will wrap up the brilliant, off-kilter, frequently alarming, darkly funny show. While the official statement doesn't come right and say the show was straight-up canceled, the fact that production will soon begin on four "bonus" episodes certainly suggests the series was given the axe, but that the network coughed up the additional cash to let showrunners Robert and Michelle King craft a proper and complete ending for their story. And considering how many loose ends were still left dangling in the breeze in that haunting season 3 finale, they'll need all the episodes they can get to wrap everything up.

The Kings issued an official statement, and the wording also suggests that they didn't intend for the show to conclude with this season:

"We want to thank Paramount+ for giving us four bonus episodes to end 'Evil' in the world in style. We will miss this show and cast. In many ways it was a dream project, but sadly evil will outlast 'Evil.' See you in May."

Since I don't have access to any numbers, all I can say is that this move really bums me out — "Evil" is required viewing for me, and outside of the "Star Trek" television library, one of the main reasons I happily paid for a Paramount+ subscription. It is, quite frankly, the most clever horror TV show in ages. And I hope its conclusion will encourage a new wave of folks to check it out.

The profoundly satisfying and perplexing halfway point between "Law and Order" and "Hannibal," "Evil" follows a team of researchers employed by the Catholic Church who investigate supernatural occurrences. Like "Law and Order," it's fun to watch charming actors play endearing characters who are good at their jobs. Like "Hannibal," it's scary and perplexing and works overtime to slip under your skin and make you itch. "Evil" is such a great show that you sometimes forget about its capacity to terrify and bewilder — so many of the mysteries the core team investigates remain deliberately unresolved, a dangling ellipsis that never confirms if they're dealing with the supernatural or something very human. That balance, so carefully maintained, gives the show its power. The characters driven by faith read each storyline one way, the secular characters offer their own perspective, and the series blurs the lines between the two outlooks. Does it really matter if the cause is a destructive human or a demon? What defines evil in the first place?

With the series coming to an end, I wonder if the show will finally "pick a side," so to speak. But I hope not. "Evil" is at its best when it leaves you slightly exasperated and infuriated, not entirely sure what you just watched, but aware that you'll be picking it apart for some time. It's twisted, scary, thoughtful, and wily (and very, very modern in its targets and subject matter). The television landscape will be lesser without "Evil."

Paramount+ hasn't revealed exactly when the final season will premiere in May, but we'll keep you posted.