Devil in Ohio

Emily Deschanel's dark thriller may not invent the wheel but it makes for some gripping viewing.

In another world, the plot stops there and Devil in Ohio is a thoughtful drama about trauma and what it means to belong. As Mae acclimatises to her new life, she begins to assume Jules’s place at school and at home – even while the two continue to grow close as sisters. Exciting enough, at least, that you won’t be doing laundry at the same time. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) Check. But this is not that world; this is Netflix world, and by those rules, there must be a nefarious cult or creepy cop waiting in the wings. The latest to throw its hat in the ring is [Devil in Ohio](/topic/devil-in-ohio), not to be confused with the streamer’s Robert Pattinson film The Devil All the Time, a sinister tale incidentally also set in Ohio. Bones star Emily Deschanel plays Suzanne, a mother and psychiatrist who invites her new young patient (a believably wide-eyed Madeleine Arthur) into her home when she’s brought into the hospital after a traumatic episode. [Netflix](/topic/netflix) Original indeed meant “original”. The output varies in quality, most coming in at a mid-level rating best described as “background noise while I do my laundry” but a few surpass all expectations (The Queen’s Gambit). It’s an act of kindness that comes at the cost of annoying her daughter Jules (Xaria Dotson) who already feels overlooked at home and at school without this new, mysterious teenager in the spotlight. The eight-episode series puts to screen Daria Polatin’s 2017 novel of the same name, itself inspired by a true story.

You can count on devil worshipers. They make for steady, reliable bad guys. In a way they're even more dependable than serial killers and Nazis.

Disjointed as it is, It revolves around the question of whether Mae is a bad seed or just damaged, and Arthur is an ethereal enough actor to keep the question open. But this is more than just a show about devil worshipers and the people they mutilate. But as the extremely jagged and overstuffed "Devil in Ohio" progresses it also folds in a bisexual awakening, real estate transactions, assorted arson cases, a detective with a dog named Clark, a gay bestie, some light kidnapping and, of course, human sacrifice.

This recap of the Netflix limited series Devil in Ohio episode 1 contains spoilers and significant plot points.

And then the first twist we all saw coming, Suzanne brings Mae home, and she will stay with Jules in her room. As Suzanne walks away, the young girl reveals her name — Mae. Social services arrive at the hospital, but Suzanne is concerned about where the young girl will be transferred to. Suzanne introduces herself as the psychiatrist on the ward and instantly attempts to connect with the young girl. A nurse tries to take a blood draw, but the young girl kicks off, forcing Suzanne to step in. Suzanne gets a rundown on the young girl at the hospital; she has a strange wound.

DEVIL IN OHIO on Netflix is a new limited series in the thriller, mystery and horror genres. Watch all 8 episodes now. Read our full Review >

Daria Polatin is the creator of the Netflix series Devil in Ohio which makes perfect sense as she is also the author of the book it’s based on. Adelson (Sleepy Hollow, 12 Monkeys, and The Exorcist series) and Leslie Hope ( While I am personally very happy to see Emily Deschanel (as I know many others will be), the entire cast of Devil in Ohio is really impressive. DEVIL IN OHIO on Netflix is a new limited series in the thriller, mystery, and horror genres. Later on, you’ll also see Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica), Keenan Tracey ( [Polaroid](https://www.heavenofhorror.com/reviews/polaroid-2019-horror-movie/)), and Ty Wood ( [Chilling Adventures of Sabrina](https://www.heavenofhorror.com/reviews/chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-netflix-season-1/)). She is portrayed perfectly by Madeleine Arthur, who can make the switch from angelic to demonic in a split second. DEVIL IN OHIO is a new Netflix thriller-mystery limited series with lots of horror elements. The fact that she stars in Devil in Ohio is probably enough reason for many people to check it out. There are eight 45-minute episodes in the series and they are all out on Netflix now. Her name is Suzanne and she is also someone with a clearly traumatic past. And it should be because she is back in wonderful form. Read our full Devil in Ohio series review here!

Netflix's new Emily Deschanel drama depicts the aftereffects of a cult — and the growing fear of the devil in a suburban town.

Which is not to say that “Devil in Ohio” is boring. What Suzanne has suffered exists only to make her story make sense, which isn’t novel, but “Devil in Ohio” feels so hastily written that the seams show too clearly. This theme song has a self-conscious ludicrousness that’s ultimately earned by the series it introduces — at least in one sense.

The new thriller about a cult escapee is led by Emily Deschanel. Madeleine Arthur as Mae Dodd and Emily Deschanel as Suzanne Mathis in Devil in Ohio.

Where have I seen Tahmoh Penikett before? Where have I seen Ty Wood before? Where have I seen Naomi Tan before? Where have I seen Marci T House before? Where have I seen Gerardo Celasco before? Who is Malachi Dodd? Who is Sebastian Zelle? Who is Dani Mathis? Who is Helen Mathis? Mae is a teenager who escapes from a satanic cult, later moving in with the Mathis family. Who is Mae Dodd? Who is Dr Suzanne Mathis?

Former college classmates Emily Deschanel and Daria Polatin talk reuniting to make 'Devil in Ohio' and how they brought a satanic cult to life on screen.

"I found it fascinating to kind of explore how fragile things can be, how fragile relationships can be, and families can be, and even our own psychology or psyche can be, and how one element can come in and change things in a very impactful way. "Obviously, those two worlds kind of come together in this show in the story, where you have someone who is escaping a cult background and then that collides with a family drama, where maybe things aren't as perfect as they seem from the outside, and maybe there's some things happening already in the family," Deschanel says. Though she's a self-described skeptic who doesn't believe in the devil, Deschanel says it was hard not to get creeped out while working on the show. However, unlike the book, the series is told more through Suzanne's eyes than her daughter Jules' (Dotson), which allowed Polatin to play more with other aspects of the story. Like the book, the eight-episode series follows the Mathis family, who is forever changed when matriarch Suzanne (Deschanel), a hospital psychiatrist, takes in a young patient who escaped a satanic cult. However, they kept tabs on each other's work from afar — Deschanel says she bought Polatin's book, on which the Netflix series is based — and when she was cast in its adaptation, it was one big reunion for the two.

Netflix's latest true crime drama is about *another* evil US cult ... Netflix loves a horrifying cult story – and Devil in Ohio is no different. The limited ...

When Dennis decided he didn’t want to give Lundgren any of his money, like the other followers had, this upset the leader further. Jeffrey Lundgren was a cult leader based in and around Ohio in the 1980s. The five people who refused to move in, however, were accused by Lundgren of committing a sin.

The first season ended on one hell of a cliffhanger... Emily Deschanel as Suzanne Mathis and Madeleine Arthur as Mae Dodd in Devil in Ohio.

There isn't a trailer available for Devil in Ohio season 2 as it hasn't been renewed just yet, but we'll make sure to keep this page updated if and when one becomes available. [subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81059939). There's also the matter of that big cliffhanger at the end of season 1 - should viewers expect that to go unresolved? Is there a trailer for Devil in Ohio season 2? Will there be a season 2 of Devil in Ohio?

Sam Jaeger, Xaria Dotson and Madeleine Arthur also star in Daria Polatin's adaptation of her own novel.

Most Pilot-y Line: When Dani is introduced to Mae and is told that she’s staying until Suzanne finds her a foster home, Dani says, “I was a foster kid. But at times it feels like something that’s a bit too slick and a bit too uncomplicated for a show that’s about a cult victim that ruins lives, especially a show for Netflix. Temperance Brennan, but the way Deschanel portrays her still makes her look like she’s achieving the impossible dream of “having it all.” She has a high-stakes, demanding career, is a loving wife, can still make a family dinner after a busy day, give loving advice to Jules, and still have time to take in this strange girl and somehow convince her family that this is the right thing to do. She’s also not fallen in love with her own material when it came to adapting her novel; the first episode moves with the pacing of a quality network thriller (one of the reasons why we compared it to The Following) that doesn’t tend to dwell on things for too long before moving the story forward. Sleeper Star: Xaria Dotson is intriguing as Jules, who totes around her Pentax K1000 (which means a lot to film camera buffs like us) and has her own darkroom. And the buyer of the house that Peter was renovating suddenly backed out of the deal, leaving Peter deep in debt with a high-priced house he needs to unload. The only reason we can discern that Suzanne is set up in such an unrealistic way so that there’s a lot that gets torn away when things with Mae get complicated. When the hospital is about to discharge her, Suzanne decides to have her stay with her family until she can find Mae a foster home. It feels like the central story is Suzanne’s efforts to try to save Mae, who is on the run from a deadly cult. At first glance, it seems that the story asides Polatin indulges in during the first episode, like Jules’ inability to fit in at school or Peter’s business quickly sinking into debt. She and her family lead busy lives, and when she’s called in early one morning to see an unidentified patient who isn’t talking, she has to dash out in the morning. [Bones](https://decider.com/show/bones/) was on for a full generation, and it did have a good, long 12-year run.

This review of the Netflix limited series Devil in Ohio does not contain spoilers or any significant plot points.

Devil in Ohio is not for the trash can, and there is plenty here to enjoy in the performances, even if the characters could do with more depth. With a few minor twists along the way, Devil in Ohio is a relatively predictable limited series that will just stimulate the brain. The series feels like it had more promise than what it was selling. While the trailer and initial premise would like you to think that this is a serious horror, it has that YA feel as the daughter of Suzanne, Jules Mathis (played by Xaria Dotson), becomes significantly involved with her personal life at school, coupled with Mae seemingly affecting her social life. [Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power](https://readysteadycut.com/2022/08/31/review-the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-season-1-amazon-prime-video-series/). Her husband, Peter (played by Sam Jaeger – [The Handmaid’s Tale](https://readysteadycut.com/2021/06/16/recap-the-handmaids-tale-season-4-episode-10-ending-finale-explained-hulu-series/)), is a property developer with a failing business.

Devil in Ohio star Alisha Newton plays the eldest Mathis daughter Helen in the Netflix thriller series. Learn more about the actress here.

[Devil in Ohio](https://netflix.com/devilinohio) is now streaming on Netflix. In the Netflix mystery series, Alisha plays the eldest Mathis daughter, Helen. Alisha was born on July 22, 2001, in Vancouver, Canada, making her 21.