'Stan Against Evil' Recap: 'I'm Gleaning My Coven'

​Written by Scott Edwards

​THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

‘Well, if I am not a Voodoo guy, I am damn sure not going to dance around no fire.’
- Stan

It's just a normal day in Willard’s Mill when Sheriff Evie Barret spots a driver running a stop sign. Pulling over the criminal, she finds out it is Stan who has more important things on his mind, especially when it comes to adding sugar to his coffee. Trying to get out of the ticket since he was once Sheriff of the town, Stan’s charms fall short on his replacement and he is forced to pay the fine just like everybody else. Not feeling like letting this go, Stan is more than happy to pay the fine, but puts his mark on the proceedings by making sure Evie knows that he never should have gotten a ticket in the first place.

Out of towners/Goth kids Charlene, Craig and Keanu have made their pilgrimage to Willard’s Mill and have secured a very special room in the local bed and breakfast. Being the room where famed witch and their savior Minerva Garret was killed, they are dying to try and find a way to release her witchy powers to make their own. Starting preparation for their event, Craig believes that the group could use the blood of a virgin to help in the spells and as luck would have it, Denise is walking down the street. Inviting Denise to a party, the group is ready to unlock the secrets of the spirit world, but when an actual spirit is released, they do not know what to do when said spirit inhabits the body of Craig, who promptly kills a helpless Denise in the hopes of using her body as a vessel to aid in his plan to murder at least one of the remaining Sheriffs in this town.

Not believing their eyes, Charlene and Keanu rush to the police station and file a murder report with Evie who is beside herself. Getting up the nerve to call Stan, Evie hears that Denise is sort of alive and needs to check and see what is happening with her predecessor's daughter. Returning to her desk to see Keanu has been run through with a shotgun and Charlene is nowhere in sight, Evie rushes over to the Miller household to see what condition Denise is really in. With his daughter duct taped to a chair, Stan is trying to communicate with his daughter, but the demon that has taken over her body is refusing to speak to him. Threatening violence against his daughter’s body, Evie is able to step in and find out a strange fact about Constable Eccles and what he was actually up to during the witch trials of yesteryear.
 
Checking on the room where the Goth kids were staying, Evie is surprised to see that Charlene is still there, but she won't be there for much longer. Believing that Eccles was released into Craig’s body, Evie wants to see if Charlene could summon Minerva Garret to take over her another body in order to fight off the evil spirit. Agreeing to help, Stan, Evie, Charlene and possessed Denise head to where the burning took place and Charlene is able to summon a good spirit. Without a moment to lose as Eccles is on the warpath to kill Stan and Evie, Minerva comes to life and is able to slow down his hunt, but it could all be for naught if someone is not able to subdue Craig’s body before Eccles gets stronger.

Every episode of Stan Against Evil has its special charm, but I could not stop laughing at this one from the get go. As Stan is not able to get out of a ticket, he makes sure that Evie knows that he is still the boss in a manner of speaking by delivering his fine in pennies and he emphasizes his point by making sure he is exactly one cent short. The Goth kids were great, especially when they give their own blood to their ritual, because I don’t care who you are, if you cut your hand, it’s gonna hurt. I was surprised that we finally got more information about Eccles and his witchcraft ways, since it turns out he was actually the witch, and he pinned his evil deeds on the women that he burned at the stake and I'm kind of interested as to how that is going to play out in the rest of the series. Possessed Denise was priceless in this episode as nobody seemed to know how to handle her, but it did teach everyone the importance of having duct tape around, it even works on possessions.  Stay Scared.

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