Evil Season 4's Michael Emerson Talks Leland's Downward Spiral, Upcoming Finale & Potential Future

Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Evil season 4!

Leland is no longer as in control as he used to be, as seen in Evil season 4. Portrayed by Person of Interest and Fallout star Michael Emerson, the character was first introduced in the supernatural drama show as a professional rival to Katja Herbers’ Dr. Kristen Bouchard. As the show progresses, viewers quickly learn that Leland is actually an expert in the occult and holds ties to a demonic organization in New York City, keen on spreading evil and manipulating those around him.

In Evil season 4’s story, Leland finds himself knocked down a peg when his plans to bring the Antichrist into the world backfire, as he is now left with raising the baby on his own. Additionally, Christine Lahti’s Sheryl is making major power moves at DF, threatening Leland’s position at the company, all while he tries to regain a grip over Kristen’s mental state. With the walls closing in around him, Leland is in a fight for survival as he finds his various schemes crumbling around him.

In addition to Emerson, Herbers and Lahti, the ensemble Evil season 4 cast sees the returns of Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Marti Matulis, Brooklyn Shuck, Skylar Gray, Maddy Crocco, and Dalya Knapp, while also introducing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s Chukwudi Iwuji as David’s new Entity handler, Father Dominic Kabiru. Managing to raise the stakes even higher for its core cast of characters while also delivering the dark sense of humor audiences are used to, the show is staying on top throughout its final season.

With just a few episodes remaining, Screen Rant interviewed Michael Emerson to discuss Evil season 4, his feelings on the show coming to an end and potential future, Leland’s downward spiral in the new season, his thoughts on killing a certain major character and the practical effects required for another major killing.

Evil Ending With Season 4 Is “A Little Dizzying” For Emerson

Despite three acclaimed seasons on both CBS and Paramount+, the decision was made for Evil to come to an end with season 4, met with not only disappointment from fans of the show, but also stars Katja Herbers, Andrea Martin and Kurt Fuller. Emerson is in the same boat as these co-stars, feeling grateful for getting to be part of the show and it being “dizzying” when he learned of the “abbreviated ending“. When asked about the future, Emerson remains open to a revival elsewhere, though also feels there may be one hurdle to this:

Michael Emerson: Well, it’s a little dizzying to have an abbreviated ending kind of thrust upon you. But our writers made hay out of it, I think. And if you have to go out and four, this is a good four to go out on, because they made some stuff happen. And they did that seemingly impossible job of wrapping things up, but not too tightly. It’d be fun [to have a revival]. I love the cast, I love the way the show is written. I like playing my character. Like most things in show business at this level, it’s a question of economics. It would be extraordinary circumstances for another player or entity to pick up and carry a show as sophisticated — and I’m guessing expensive — as our show.

But you never know. Maybe there’s some there’s some world where it’s formatted differently, maybe there’s some way that it, I don’t know, becomes a little swifter and cheaper to make. Maybe shorter episodes, maybe scattered out, a change of narrative framework. I don’t know what that would be exactly. But, you know, I wouldn’t rule it out. It has been fun. I really have enjoyed playing Leland Townsend, and better to go out and possibly leaving them wanting more than to overstay your welcome.

Emerson Loves Playing Leland “When He Is Thwarted”

Evil season 4 has delivered a number of twists and turns for many of its characters, with Leland being one of the biggest ones as he finds his plans backfiring and his control spiraling. In reflecting on playing this side of the character versus one in control, Emerson finds he’s actually “happiest” getting to play Leland when “he is thwarted“, as it allows him to dive into the “comedy zone” of the show:

Michael Emerson: Oh, it’s good. I’m happiest playing Leland when he is thwarted, when his plans are upset, when he gets a pie in the face, that kind of stuff. [Chuckles] Because, then, we really are in that comedy zone, and I just love playing around with that stuff. The grotesquerie of it, the absurd childishness of the man, his pettiness. He’s such a baby about things, it’s hard to imagine that here is this promoter and actor of terrible evil on the planet, and he’s such a weenie.

Leland Killing Sheryl Is “A Notion That Is Still Dawning” On Emerson

One of the big twists surrounding Leland’s arc in Evil season 4 is his finally killing Sheryl with the help of a demon, bringing their tenuous relationship to an end after three seasons. In reflecting on her death and what it means for the future, Emerson feels that it’s a “notion that is still dawning on” him, and he may not be “out of the woods“:

Michael Emerson: I guess that’s a notion that is still dawning on me. I know at the end of that fight that a third actor comes into play and saves Leland. But I’m still not certain how Sheryl leaves this life. But I guess it does seem a bit of a victory for Leland, in the short term, but he’s not out of the woods. And finally, the legal system has him in their hands. And maybe he’s not the showrunner that he thinks he is.

Leland’s Legal Problems May Go Away Quite Easily

Another surprising development in Leland’s arc is that his actions have finally drawn the attention of the authorities, as he is arrested thanks to incriminating evidence that Sheryl left Kristen before her death. As he now enters the legal system and must fight to become a free man, Emerson teases that it may be easier than audiences expect:

Michael Emerson: Well, I think it’s probably not Leland’s first confrontation with the American legal system. So, I think he has ideas about who has the upper hand in a courtroom. I think he’s counting on the cavalry swooping in to save him. I don’t know what the nature of that cavalry would be, but he’s expecting help from some quarter.

Leland Killing The Demon Manager Was A Surreal Experience For Emerson

Amid some of his plans failing, and being let go from DF, Leland elected to reclaim a sense of power by killing the demon manager during a game-changing presentation. In reflecting on filming the sequence and what it means for the future, Emerson humorously recalls it being “pretty gross” to have to play Leland eating the manager’s heart, while also believing his character hasn’t thought of the long-term ramifications of killing him:

Michael Emerson: It’s pretty gross, and you have questions when you go in, like, “All right, what exactly is this heart? What is it made out of, and what am I actually going to be putting in my mouth?” You want to get all that kind of cleared up before they say action. But, as ever, they had beautiful, convincing props, and some of these convincing props have little secret chambers or crevices in them that could contain food stuffs consistent with human consumption. And then you just take it from there. [Laughs]

Yeah, I don’t know how high [he’s thought]. He has scored points with a crowd that appreciates swift, violent and bloody action. So, that’s okay, it’s like the Colosseum, it’s like gladiatorial. I think the audience has a favorable impression of him, but then, what is his true nature? He’s not a true demon, is he? These are some of the foggier parts of the stories of Evil, so I don’t know what it ultimately gains. It buys him time. Let’s say it does that. It doesn’t get him any stock in the real world.

Leland’s Backstory Reveal Was “A Surprise” To Emerson (& Makes Him “Seem More Dangerous“)

One of the most unique elements of Emerson’s tenure as Leland has been the very little shared about the character’s backstory, with Evil season 4 dropping one of the biggest bombs yet that he previously trained to be part of the Entity, and has similar abilities to Colter’s David Acosta. Emerson recalls learning of this twist as being “a surprise“, as he had not had discussions with creators Robert and Michelle King about these plans in the past, but teases dangerous consequences:

Michael Emerson: That was a surprise to me when I read the script that you’re describing. I thought, “Oh, wow.” Because it had not occurred to me, nor had anyone spoken to me about it. I guess once I heard it, I thought, “Oh, all right. Well, that makes sense.” And then, also, it kind of darkens the portrait of him, and it makes him seem more dangerous.

About Evil Season 4

In Evil season 4, Kristen, David, and Ben continue to assess cases that involve wayward technology, possessed pigs, demonic oppression and infestation, a dance muse conjured by alleged witches, and an evil relic. Throughout, Leland attempts to lure Kristen into raising a baby Antichrist who was conceived with her ovum. David is recruited by the Vatican’s secret service to “remote view”, a paranormal ability to see the unseen in order to detect evil. Ben is hit by an ion beam, causing him to see visions of a taunting jinn until he discovers an unusual solution to banish it. Finally, all three realize they only have a few weeks left to assess cases because the parish has decided to disband the team due to a lack of funds. This culminates in one last confrontation with Leland and the 60 families that make up Evil in the modern world.

Check out our previous Evil season 4 interviews with:

New episodes of Evil season 4 air Thursdays on Paramount+.

Evil

4.0

Evil is a Paramount+ original that focuses on a priest, clinical psychologist, and a contractor who investigate strange events such as demonic possession as they trace the origins of evil. Created by Michelle King and Robert King, the series tackles the line between science and religion while the team tries to determine if there are any scientific explanations for the supernatural events they experience.

Cast

Mike Colter , Brooklyn Shuck , Katja Herbers , Dalya Knapp , Marti Matulis , Maddy Crocco , Kurt Fuller , Michael Emerson , Skylar Gray , Aasif Mandvi , Christine Lahti

Release Date

September 26, 2019

Seasons

4

Writers

Michelle King

Directors

Michelle King

Showrunner

Michelle King

Expand