“Stan Against Evil” Can Be Anything It Wants To Be
The new IFC show is in a position to redefine horror-comedy
The horror-comedy genre has always been pretty hit and miss. On one end, you have wonderful movies like Ghostbusters and Shaun of the Dead, but on the other hand, you end up with the entire Scary Movie franchise. The problem is, however, that’s what the genre has always been: movies. “Stan Against Evil” invites a new perspective on the genre, much in the same way “Once Upon A Time” did for fairy tales. The show is about former sheriff Stan Miller and new sheriff Evie Barret battling against the 172 demons who have killed every other chief law officer in the town of Willard’s Mill, New Hampshire since the 1600s. The only reason Stan had never been killed was because his late wife was a demon hunter, who spent a majority of her time protecting him from creatures who would do him harm. But now that she’s no longer able to protect Stan, Stan and Evie are forced to team up to stay alive.
“Stan Against Evil” stars John C. McGinley and Janet Varney, or as they’re known in their respective personal fandoms, Dr. Cox and Korra. McGinley starred in the TV show “Scrubs” which aired from 2001–2010, and was one of the most popular characters on the show due to his “jackass with a soft side” personality. Cox’s role was as a mentor to the main character, and went through trials of his own, battling his own demons throughout the course of the show, all while managing to become one of the most beloved TV doctors in history. In “Stan Against Evil,” McGinley seems to keep the jackass vibe, but also appears to have switched the sweet side he showed in “Scrubs” for a more depressed nature, which makes sense, considering his character’s wife just passed away. However, only time will tell if he is nearly as lovable as Dr. Cox, or if Johnny C. will once again fall short of fulfilling his whole potential in his post-Scrubs career.
McGinley’s partner in crime is Janet Varney, whose bulk of TV experience has come from being a voice actor. Varney voiced Korra in Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” reboot, “The Legend of Korra.” While she hasn’t exactly had an extended stint on any particular TV show, Varney was able to jump in on shows like “Psych” and “Key and Peele,” but never stuck around anywhere long enough to make a name for herself. However, her character in “Stan Against Evil” seems to be promising. Sheriff Evie Barret appears to have her own strong will to contrast Stan’s gruff nature, even if she has only been shown getting saved thus far. If she’s given more time to be shown as nonreliant on Stan, she may come into her own as a great TV actress.
“Stan Against Evil” appears to know exactly what it wants to do and exactly how it wants to do it, and I’m personally excited to see what they have to offer TV. The show airs on Wednesdays at 10 PM Eastern, as well as on IFC’s official site, and could be a new option to bridge the gap between sporting events and midnight comedy. But that will only be possible if it comes up with its own tropes. It can’t follow the legacy of its actors, or the hype of the other new show in the genre, “Ash vs Evil Dead.” If this show can come into its own, it has the potential to dominate the first hour of late night television.
