WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Evil Season 2, Episode 12, "D Is for Doll," now streaming on Paramount+.
Ever since he started his journey at the start of Season 2, Leland Townsend's reasoning behind his fake exorcism has been shrouded in Evil's trademark mix of mystery and disorientation. At first, it appeared his intention was to corrupt David in his quest to become a priest. But Leland always seemed more interested in wasting David's time rather than presenting him with real theological doubts and trials. (Not to mention the fact that the Church is doing a fine job of convincing David to not be a priest on its own — more on that in a moment.) Later on, doubts were raised by Demon Therapist that Leland actually wanted the exorcism to purify himself of his influence. But Leland has not let up on his evil antics — just ask Dr. Cara Autry — and has yet to have his come-to-Jesus moment.
No, with Leland, there is always a deeper, more sinister agenda, and he finally revealed his hand in "D Is for Doll." Leland is not just interested in corrupting David. He wants to join the Church as a fellow assessor so he can influence those who are vulnerable and searching for answers to act on behalf of his Father Below. But Sister Andrea is on to him and warns David that Leland will in all likelihood get the job. "The war is beginning," she tells him.
But David is distracted with his own issues, specifically his upcoming ordination and his doubts on taking the cloth. Of course, the Church considering taking on Leland for "liability" purposes does not help the priest-in-training with his decision. So he goes to visit the minister he met back in "E Is for Elevator," who gives him a tour of his bustling local church that is prepping for a Black Lives Matter rally. "How long would it take to get that authorized through the archdiocese?" he asks David. "They'd still be arguing liability by the time we are out on the streets protesting." After teasing the priest-in-training about the fact that he will never be pope ("Italians would never allow a Black pope."), he offers David a position at his church.
Meanwhile, a reborn and hallucination-free Kristen apologizes to Dr. Boggs for accusing him of spying on her and sleeping with her mother. Kurt accepts Kristen's apology and even brings her a case: a widower named Nathan who is seeing a "shadow of a man" in his house ever since his wife passed away. At first, the shadow was only interested in the widower. But it has now moved on to his son, Elijah, who recently suffered a broken arm after someone pushed him while he was in the house. Only issue is that no one else was in the house at the time.
The team examines the man's house that night, with Kurt tagging along for a potential book he is thinking of writing about the team. (David and Ben are not so keen on the idea.) They eventually make their way up to the attic, where they find a terrifying doll locked away in a chest leaking rust. According to the man, his wife bought the doll at a flea market and was told by the vendor to always do what it wants. Oh, and the doll's name is Eddie, the same name as Sheryl's toy.
Kristen and the team are not the only ones playing with dolls this week. While babysitting a young boy, Lynn discovers that he is under the control of a doll who tells him what to do and where to go. "I have to do what he says. Because he just seems small, but he's actually big," the boy warns. Later that night, when Lynn arrives home, she finds the doll in her bag.
While dropping off her grandchildren at school, Sheryl runs into Edward, who casually followed her there to offer her a proposition. "I ask you to do two things. If you do them, I give you one thing... The one thing I give you is invaluable." Of course, he does not tell her what the two things are, but, intrigued, Sheryl accepts. The first stop is one of Edward's client's buildings. He instructs Sheryl to sit in on the meeting and, when she hears him say the word "daffodil," slap the client across the face. The meeting quickly turns antagonistic and, when Edward says "daffodil," she does exactly as he requested and slaps the client across the face. Edward gets a major turn on from this, and he and Sheryl get it on in the elevator.
The next night, the young boy's parents stop by Kristen's house, aware that the doll is missing. They ask if Lynn accidentally took the doll, as he is "emotionally attached" to it. Kristen does not take too kindly to this hidden accusation against her daughter, but offers to check anyhow and get back to them the next day. But the parents want her to check now, seemingly afraid of what will happen if the doll is not returned. Kristen is able to fend them off and finds Lynn, who thinks the young boy put it in her bag because he is afraid of it. Kristen still insists she return it, but when she does to her bag, it is nowhere to be found.
David continues to seek Sister Andrea's guidance on the priesthood. She tells him about her past; about how a man fell in love with her but killed himself because he felt alone. She, however, is not alone, believing her purpose to be a soldier in the war against evil. Aware that David has been meeting with someone who is placing doubts in him, she tells him to ask that person how they fight against evil and the demonic. "I just want a normal life," David says, tears in his eyes. "Too bad, you can't," Sister Andrea cold replies. "God is here. And the Devil is too."
David goes to see the minster and asks how he deals with "people under spiritual attack." The minister, though, does not believe in the "hocus locus" stuff, instead seeing evil in the form of police shootings and student loans. "I don't believe in a devil with spiked horns and a tail. I believe in the devil of the burning cross and the corrupt cop." But David believes that part of being Christian is believing some of that "hocus pocus." "God is as much hocus pocus as the devil."
Back to the case of the week, Elijah ends up in the hospital after inuring himself while cutting off his cast. Nathan explains that he felt bugs underneath it and that removing the doll from the house has not stopped the demonic incidents. So Ben takes a closer look at Elijah's room with an ultraviolet light to see if the doll's toxic chemical's leaked into the room. Instead, he finds three horned and massive demonic shadow shapes on the wall. The Church dispatches Gregory, a caricature of an exorcist straight out of a bad comic book — complete with the grizzled voice, long hair and leather jacket — to remove the demonic infestation of the home. Of course, this only raises David's doubts even more, and it does not remove the demonic infestation. Nathan asks for his Eddie back out of fear that it will continue to punish him for not giving it gifts, leaving no one please with the results.
The one person who did enjoy this whole debacle was Kurt, who has been recording the team throughout this adventure in preparation for the book he wants to write. As he is leaving the house, though, he sees a demonic figure who sort of looks like George, Kristen's old demon friend who used to haunt her dreams. He gives him a "boop" on the nose before disappearing into the shadows.
With everything Leland, Sister Andrea and the minister told him weighing on his shoulders, David releases his anxieties to Kristen. "I know you want to be good," she tells him. "There are so few people who want to be good. I'm worried what will happen if you turn away... I think you offer balance." "Do you ever wonder what it'd be like if things had happened differently? If I met you before all this?" he asks Kristen. "Would we be in love?" Kristen nods in silence and approaches David, placing her hand on his chest. "Go get ordained," she tells him.
This is a moment that has been in the making for two years now. But unlike David and Kristen's other conversations, which have been filled with steamy sexual tension, this one never leaves the friend zone. It's just two people, who genuinely care for one another, talking about what their lives could have been. Not necessarily regretting how things turned out. Just pondering a potential past and a future that was never meant to be.
Back at Kristen's house, it turns out Laura is the one who stole the doll. Lexis recognizes the doll as the same one that Sheryl has and returns it to her grandmother's shrine. But Sheryl is not there, as he is spending the evening with Edward at a restaurant. He says "daffodil" again, and, this time, she presents an STD test to one of the customers, embarrassing him in front of his guests and wife.
With her two tasks complete, Edward gives Sheryl her "invaluable" gift: the preserved head of his great-grandfather. Passed on from generation to generation, Edward gifts it to Sheryl, appointing her his "successor." "This is your sigil," he tells her. The word catches Sheryl's attention, and for good reason, as the head matches one of the images on the sigil map. She heads to Eddie's shrine to offer him a sacrifice for her good fortune, only to discover the second doll that was placed by Lexis. She arranges her two dolls and the gifted head in the shape of a cross and begins praying. "I'm ready. Use me," she says as she breaks down in emotion.