“Genesis 1″ (season 1, episode 1)

The first Evil episode introduces the three main characters (David, Kristen, Ben) and the supporting crew (Kristen’s chatty young daughters—Lynn, Lila, Lexis, and Laura; her mother, Sheryl; and her therapist, Dr. Kurt Boggs), as well as oily antagonist Leland. “Genesis” sets the plot in motion, giving us the trio’s first Catholic Church case as they investigate whether accused serial killer Orson LeRoux committed his crimes while possessed. The verdict: nope, he’s just a very bad dude, but he acted on his gruesome urges only after being encouraged by Leland, a skilled manipulator who is clearly in cahoots with some very dark forces.

“Genesis” also seeds other plot threads (Kristen’s husband, Andy, is a mountain climbing guide who’s away for extended periods of time—a circumstance complicated by her attraction to David) while establishing a tone that’s carried throughout subsequent seasons: thoughtful, provocative, and macabre, but not without levity. It sets up a theme that reverberates throughout Evil, in different supernatural contexts, as both the characters and the audience are encouraged to keep an open mind about the unbelievable things they’re witnessing. It posits social media and the internet as a conduit for sinister ideas and influence—another recurring theme—and it’s also the first time we learn about “the 60,” a mysterious group whose identity and purpose emerges as the show continues.