Directed and written by Darin Morgan.

EPISODE RATING: (1 to 4) ****

Four demons, in human guise, meet up in a coffee shop to relate how they corrupt and devalue humans. The first demon, Blurk (Bill Macy, a familiar face from dozens of TV and film appearances), tells his tale in which he befriends serial killer fan Perry (Stephen Holmes) and convinces him to get into the hobby himself. Perry hopes to beat the body count record set by his idol, Johnnie Mac Potter. However, Perry meets a cruel and highly ironic fate. The second demon, Abum (Dick Bakalyan), explains how the simple things in life, such as work, alarm clocks and neck ties can be enough to drive the common human to suicide. Then it's Greb's (Alex Diakun)  turn to spin the yarn how he drove a network TV censor Waylon Figgleif (Dan Zukovic) crazy, which resulted in several deaths and an appearance on "When Humans Attack". Finally, Toby (Wally Dalton) tells his demonic friends about the time he let down his guard and actually became romantically involved with a lonely stripper named Sally (Gabrielle Rose), but soon managed to regain his distain for human life. 

Well, it's Darin Morgan, so it's pretty obvious I'm gonna like this episode. Indeed, it's probably the second best thing he's ever done, besides his first Millennium showcase, 'Jose Chungs Doomsday Defense' earlier in the season. That episode was a fantastic way to lampoon much of the series, but did so in a flattering and logical way. But 'Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me' is something so different and outrageous that I can't believe it was approved to be made in the first place. Thank God (or Lucifer) it was!

This show is incredibly funny, with humor both obvious and broad (such as pissing in someone's coffee) to remarkably subtle and intelligent. As in 'Doomsday Defense', Morgan takes aim at a number of targets in the media, including several shows from the Fox network, and even the channel itself. Of course The X-Files is one of the victims of the nose-tweaking. It's all in good fun. 

What's surprising is that this show is so funny, considering, basically, it's about suicide, and what leads someone to that extreme act. Each of the demon's stories tell of how they make us lowly mortals snuff themselves. Not exactly the sort of material that great comedy comes out of, but that's Darin for ya, bless his warped heart.

The first story is a wonderfully dark and twisted chapter that provides all the serial killer cliches, such as the killer personality profiles, choices of victims and what drives their urges. There's actually a kind of semi-creepy atmosphere that surrounds this tale, and the little dashboard demon figure has a rather ominous vibe about it. The stories payoff is both hilarious and ironic, something that plays like a higher-IQ sibling to a Tales From The Crypt episode. 

The second story is the less successful, which is not to say it's bad, because it isn't. It's still very good, but not quite the home run the other three were. We watch an everyman stiff go through his daily routine, which is pretty similar to what millions of people go through every damn day. We get up. We go to a job we can't stand until we go home and prepare to do the same crap the next day. This story is dead on target with it's Seinfeld-ish observations, although it may well depress some viewers by pointing out the truth!

Chapter three is where Morgan gets to go a little nuts and unleash an onslaught of barbs against the television community and those who suck off it. Zukovic, so hilarious in 'Doomsday Defense' as the short-wearing Selfosophy promoter, here gets more screen time and more opportunities to act like a breathing cartoon character. With his bad hair, odd mannerisms and buffoon-ish presence, he's a real piece of twisted comic genius. This segment tells of the network censor who goes goofy and begins to believe his occupation allows him to perform the same tasks in places ranging from a laundrette to a strip club. I was a fan of a certain Fox series, so I'll refrain from saying something like "Watching Ally McBeal will do that to you".

The fourth story is a bold step into another area entirely. This section of the show revolves around the unlikely romance of demon Toby and aging stripper Sally. Up until this point, the show has been a brilliant assortment of jokes, albeit many of them grim. But now Morgan gets serious, and gives us a little tale about sadness and loneliness. We can feel it the characters scenes, hear it in their voices and see in it their eyes. For a few minutes the audience is convinced that anyone, even a demon like Toby, can be redeemed by the love of a good woman, which only makes the resolution so heartbreaking and thought provoking. It's a painful and profound ending, but after the wrap ups to 'Doomsday Defense' and The X-Files' 'Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose', we shouldn't be surprised.

Oh, yeah, Lance Henriksen does appear several times, as Frank cameos in each demon's stories, in which they suspect he can see their true forms. Ultimately, Frank's line to Toby in the final story really puts the whole show in context. And what a show it is.