Evil season 4 episode 1 ending explained: Why is there a sinkhole underneath a particle accelerator?

Evil season 4 episode 1, titled “How to Split an Atom,” was released on May 23, 2024. The supernatural drama, was one of the most anticipated renewals that devoted fans awaited since the third season ended on August 14, 2022. The premiere resumed from where the series left off in the previous installment, shedding light on the 38 days to Babylon prophecy and the birth of Antichrist.

Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi return to reprise their respective roles once again, and it has been a delight for fans to see the trio band together once again in the latest season. Evil season 4 episode 1 was all about Kristen, David, and Ben doing their investigation of a possible demon presence near the particle accelerator.

In their investigation, the trio encountered a sinkhole at the facility and several other anomalies, all of which aligned with the prophecy. Follow along with the article to learn more about how Evil season 4 episode 1 ended and all the major highlights.

Disclaimer: This article contains significant spoilers for Evil season 4 episode 1. Reader discretion is advised.

---

Evil season 4 episode 1: Could the Sinkhole be a gateway to hell

The sinkhole at Bend-33, as seen in Evil season 4 episode 1 (Image via Paramount+)

On their investigation, the team arrived at the Garrow Research Facility to see if the rumors of satanic rituals being conducted and a woman being sacrificed by a cult near the particle accelerator were true.

The head research director of the facility, Dr. Ethan Parquet (played by Peter Mark Kendall), alongside his assistant, tried to convince the trio that the viral video was just a prank.

However, the trio were suspicious after learning that the woman who was in the video, resigned from her job. After arriving at B-13, the exact location where the video was taken, David and Kristen found some patchwork on the ground, as if someone was trying to cover things up.

After finding nothing in their investigation, they decided to return and suddenly David received an anonymous tip from a worker named Mateo that Ethan and his assistant were lying. The trio met Mateo at his house they learned that the actual gate of hell was located at Bend-33, not B-13.

All characters in Evil wear a special fabric to prevent lints inside the facility (Image via Paramount+)

Mateo explained that when the research facility was widening the loop of the particle accelerator, they encountered a deep sinkhole, which according to them was not a threat. They told workers to work around it. David decided to believe in Mateo, so he agreed to check the location once, and surprisingly, there was a sinkhole.

A sinkhole forms when water dissolves underground rock creating empty space. Now, the ground above collapsing into these spaces leads to the formation of hold. Given it takes millions of dollars to widen the loop, it can be presumed that encountering such a sinkhole wasn't considered a major concern by GRM.

After the lights went out, David saw a giant centipede-like creature crawling out of the hole, carrying a severed human head, and it was certainly enough to freak him out. Later Mateo also vanished near Bend-33, and as per the CCTV footage, it seemed like someone dragged him into the sinkhole.

It's unknown whether the sinkhole is really the gateway of hell, but all instances and signs that the trio have received so far confirm that there is evil lurking beneath the hole. It also could be the early signs of the warning David received.

---

Evil season 4 episode 1: What happened to Ben inside the particle accelerator?

Ben being hit by a beam inside the particle accelerator, as seen in Evil season 4 episode 1 (Image via Paramount+)

The second time the trio paid a visit to the research facility, Ben was taken to the Hydra Conjunction by Ethan, as he requested to check the safeguards.

The reason behind Ben shifting his focus towards the safeguards was Father Agostino La Russo’s theory of chain reactions of black holes being formed inside the particle accelerator.

While he was all on board to check the particle accelerator from the inside with Ethan, Kristen didn’t want to join them and decided to stay back. All of a sudden, a test run occurred, and Ben was hit with a beam that surprisingly didn’t harm him. However, he saw visions of demonic stills that happened very fast.

While others were heavily concerned about his health, Ben showed no sign of any injury and even his CAT scans came out fine. However, later, while alone in his house, he felt the presence of an entity who even communicated with him. When Ben was asked to close his eyes, the entity appeared behind him but didn’t cause him any harm.

Although Ben has shown no signs of any injury or unusual behavior, it can be expected that this incident will lead to something in future episodes that will impact the trio, either in a positive way or negatively.

---

Evil season 4 episode 1: What is The Vatican worried about the most

Jeremy Cluthchley as Father Agostino La Russo, as seen in Evil season 4 episode 1 (Image via Paramount+)

After his arrival, Father Agostino La Russo (played by Jeremy Cluthchley) revealed that the gates of hell was considered a superstition belief, and The Vatican had little tolerance for that. La Russo, who came all the way from The Vatican’s Pontificia Accademia Delle Scienze, was only after what was going on inside the Garrow Research Facility.

La Russo feared that the collision of gold ions inside the particle accelerator of GRF would result in a chain of multiple quantum black holes that would swallow Earth. His theory certainly confused the trio when Ben decided to go with La Russo’s intuitions, while David and Kristen were other things.

---

Evil season 4 episode 1: Who is Tim Guinness?

At the end credits of Evil season 4 episode 1, the series paid a loving tribute to Tim Guinness, who was the Director of Photography of the first three episodes of Evil season 1: Episode 3 “3 Stars,” episode 5 “October 31” and episode 7, “Vatican lll.”

However, it was not just Evil, as Guinness also worked with Robert and Michelle King’s The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Following his death, Robert paid tribute to Guinness on a Twitter/X post and professed that he was one of the most important people in his life.

Robert also revealed through his post that Guinness used to take his job very seriously, which made him a sweet person whom the cast and crew loved. Tim Guinness died at the age of 61, and the cause of his death is undisclosed.

---

Stay tuned for more news and updates on Evil season 4 and all your favorite TV shows and movies as 2024 progresses.