Season One Verdict: ‘The Exorcist’ [FOX]

FOX’s new series ‘The Exorcist’ delivers fans from evil with its thrilling, well-written and satisfying story.

We’re going to lay it all out on the table and say, The Exorcist is one of the most underrated series that premiered this fall. Although FOX’s new show had a bumpy start, its story quickly became one of our favorites. With its insane twists, great writing, and lovable characters, The Exorcist left us and many more fans begging for more. Season 2, where ya’ at?!

As a whole, this season took fans on an exciting trip in its 10 episode run. Viewers were quickly introduced to the Rance family in the pilot: Angela (Geena Davis), Henry (Alan Ruck), Kat (Brianne Howey) and Casey (Hannah Kasulka). And as the episodes continued, viewers learned how both Casey, and her mother Angela, were able to break free of the most powerful and indestructible demon Pazuzu aka ‘Captain Howdy.’ With the help of 2 priests, a brother, a few nuns, and some crazy a** demons, The Exorcist turned into one pretty damn good show. 

Want to know more of our thoughts on this season? Keep reading to find out.

RELATED | THE EXORCIST FINAL VERDICT: 4 EPISODE CHALLENGE

Leading Ladies: Don’t mess with our girls.

One of our favorite parts of the series was the amount of girl power we saw on screen. The show’s leading ladies Casey, Angela, and Kat were all badass characters who never took no for an answer. However, all three women were not badass at the beginning.

Looking at Casey first, we have to say: she is one of the strongest female characters we’ve seen in a while on-screen. At the season’s start, Casey was lonely, sad, and insecure in who she was. However, these feelings did not last. After being possessed by Captain Howdy, and being mentally and physically harmed by him, Casey’s nature began to change. By 1×03’s “Let Em’ In,” not only did Casey become stronger as a person, but she became fearless. As viewers know, Captain Howdy kept pushing Casey to let him “in” completely. However, Casey always said “no,” even if that meant losing a part of herself. She kept fighting until the end.

Secondly, can we talk about Angela? I mean, she took us on a ride this season.

“You want me? Come and get me.” – Angela Rance

Although Angela was (don’t hate us) super irritating in the first three or four episodes, she quickly became one of our faves. Like Casey, Angela never let Captain Howdy get to her. After the story revealed that Angela was in fact Regan MacNeil from the original The Exorcist film, she made one of the biggest sacrifices for her daughter. In 1×09’s “Chapter Nine: 162,” Angela literally sacrificed herself for Casey’s freedom from Captain Howdy. How fearless is that? Let’s just say Geena Davis captures the perfect amount of vulnerability and power straight into the finale. Also, can we discuss how awesome it was when she killed Captain Howdy in the last episode? We know it’s lame to say but…”Who’s the captain now?”

Finally, we have Kat. Kat, although not as large a character as her sister and mother, also stood out as a strong female figure on the show. Even though she was to blame for Casey’s disappearance, she never gave up on her family after that. It took her a while to understand what was going on, but over time, Kat became the Rance family’s rock. Yas queen.

The Exorcist delved into uncharted territory, and succeeded in creating well-developed characters and storylines.

From Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera) and Father Marcus (Ben Daniels), to Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) and Mother Bernadette (Deanna Dunagan), the writers of The Exorcist created well-written, thought out, and truthful characters and storylines. Out of all the characters in the show, two of the season’s best written storylines were the ones between Father Tomas and Father Marcus.

“You can assist me, but one lapse in concentration and—” – Father Marcus

The stories of Tomas and Marcus seemed incredibly authentic. Father Tomas, a Latino priest at Saint Anthony’s Parish (yesss to this!), overcame several obstacles with the Church and his inner demons. Dealing with self doubt on his vocation as a priest, and the painful realization that he was in love with Jessica (Mouzam Makkar), a woman he could never be with, Tomas’ character was unique and incredibly honest. As a reviewer, I can say that I’ve never seen a show follow a priest without sugar coating their personality.

Likewise, Father Marcus was just as interesting as Tomas. Marcus, an excommunicated priest at the series start, had to prove his worth for the Church. In order to save Angela and Casey with Tomas, Marcus used his intelligence as an exorcist and brains to his advantage. Also, unlike most series on a large network, writer Jeremy Slater, Heather Bellson, David Grimm and others alike, delved into the unknown and captivating territory of the Church. Many viewers most likely knew little about the behind the scenes aspects of the Church, so it was interesting to watch The Exorcist do so in such a truthful and authentic way.

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That one overly complicated plot line…

You know that group who wanted to kill the Pope the entire season? Yeah, we don’t really know them that well either…

Out of all the plot lines the writers created for Season one, the one following this group was the worst and honestly, most confusing. In case you didn’t catch it while watching, the groups’ official name is “The Friars of Ascension.” However, besides wanting to kill the Pope, and annoyingly saying “He’s coming” over and over, what exactly was their function on the show? We know that The Friars of Ascension and Maria wanted to integrate themselves with evil and powerful demons. However, why did they all have to be possessed to kill the Pope? Couldn’t the group just blatantly state their plan and follow it? Also, what made Maria so eager to join the Friars? And why did she want to get closer to Father Tomas? These were the questions we hoped would somehow be answered.

Unfortunately, by the finale “Three Rooms,” this did not happen. Rather, we were left even more confused. In the final episode, what did it mean when Maria said killing the Pope wasn’t actually a part of their plan? I mean, seriously? That is exactly what they’ve been saying these past 10 episodes! We only wish that the writers would have been more clear about what they were trying to say, because the show could have been even more stellar than it already is.

The effects and makeup took the series to new levels.

Wow. Let’s just say that the effects and makeup departments on set did not hold anything back this season. Being a part of the Exorcist “phenomenon,” fans were expecting a tone of gore in this series. Good thing FOX gave fans exactly what they wanted and more. As you can see in the picture above, the makeup team on The Exorcist did a fantastic job with Casey’s makeup. Casey’s appearance grew worse, and worse as she became more possessed, and she actually looked as if she were dead at some points in the season. The bruises, heavily cracked skin, ratted hair, and gross teeth added so much to the story, and made us squeal in our seats. (PS- I’m still thinking about that gross centipede she threw up around episode 3.)

We also can’t forget about the man himself- Captain Howdy! Captain Howdy or if you like, Pazuzu, had some pretty intense makeup and effects used on him. Besides his glistening red eyes, the makeup team’s work especially shined in the season’s finale. When Captain Howdy kept asking Angela to let him completely into her mind, Howdy looked the scariest he has been the whole show. If you thought he was scary before with no makeup, I would not recommend watching the scenes in the last episode. Howdy’s skin was burnt to the bone, his nails were long, and his presence was truly terrifying to watch on screen. Even thinking about him as I write this makes me feel uneasy. Bravo, team at The Exorcist. Bravo.

Finally, the effects used to show characters like Casey, Angela, and Tomas levitating in the air were fantastic. Unlike most horror shows whose effects look unconvincing, the effects used here actually looked real.

Final Verdict: Despite a few setbacks, The Exorcist definitely deserves more praise.

Although the ratings for The Exorcist are not as high, the series as a whole is worth watching if you haven’t already. Creator Jeremy Slater took a huge leap when signing on to the show, and we’re sure glad he did.

The Exorcist has wonderfully written characters, a unique and interesting story, and fantastic effects. Although its plot line following the Friars was misleading and confusing, this was only a minor component in the show’s success. Although we’re hoping for a Season 2, FOX hasn’t or spoken of any renewals yet. However, we do know that if The Exorcist does get another shot, we’ll be seeing a different story than that of the Rance’s on-screen. In an interview with Deadline, Jeremy Slater mentions that “Season 2 would mean our challenge would be to come up with a new storyline that was just as exciting and emotionally gripping.” We’ll be waiting.

What were your thoughts on The Exorcist? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments below.

Questions and Comments:

• Is Captain Howdy really dead? Can he come back?
• Is Father Bennett possessed?
• What happened to the other members of the Friars of Ascension? Are they just running around Chicago?
• Can we talk about how wonderful all the actors were on the show? (I love you Ben Daniels!)
• Is the Rance family safe again? Or is Pazuzu/Captain Howdy still after them?
• Did you guys see Father Bennett snap that guys neck with his thighs? Heyyyy.
• Where were the police the whole time this was happening? So many murders took place and no one investigated anything in depth.
• What is the difference between integration and possesion?