The Exorcist Roundtable 2×01 “Janus”

Evil has returned and found a new home – but with who?

After a long-awaited return, The Exorcist is finally back for its second season! The premiere of FOX’s mystery thriller truly reminded us of why we love this series so much! Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels return as the infamous Father Tomas and Father Marcus, we meet new characters such as Andy (John Cho), the head of a foster home, and learn a bit about this season’s eerie plot. But, before we dive into our roundtable, let’s rewind and talk about what happened Friday night.

The premiere episode opens with Tomas in a dream-like state. We instantly know that something isn’t right and that most likely, something supernatural lies ahead. Here, Tomas meets Cindy, a grieving mother who has lost her baby, and who we later learn is possessed by a demon. After several seemingly normal shots of children playing outside the church, Tomas realizes that he is ‘not awake,’ and we then see what really is happening. Jumping quickly to real-time, Tomas is revealed to be driving a pickup truck with Marcus in the back, performing an exorcism on Cindy. Wild, right?

Tomas and Marcus then make it to an abandoned warehouse, where they proceed to tie Cindy up and continue the exorcism they’ve started. It is here where we also learn that Tomas has been under Marcus’ apprentice for six months (since leaving Chicago in Season One). There is an obvious tension between the two – especially on their beliefs on exorcisms. Tomas, who has already let the demon possessing Cindy inside his mind (seriously, Tomas?!), wants to perform exorcisms on his own, and Marcus wants to perform them the old fashioned way – by the books.

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After this, we meet Andy Kim (played by the dreamy John Cho), who is the leader of a group of foster children. Of the foster children, we have 17 year old Verity (Brianna Hildebrand), a teenager who seems ready to move out, Truck (Cyrus Arnold), a sweet kid who sleepwalks when he gets anxious, Caleb (Hunter Dillon), a blind boy, Grace (Amélie Eve), the youngest and a clear lover of masks, and Shelby (Alex Barima), a believer in God and anchor for the group.

From the start, Andy’s home seems incredibly welcoming, even when Rose (Li Jun Lee), a social worker who comes to ‘check in’ on the family comes into the picture. However, Andy’s house, while sweet on the exterior, definitely has secrets behind its walls. We’re curious as to which of the foster children are at risk for possession and cannot wait to see the expansion of their character’s over the season.

Anyways, there’s so much more about The Exorcist we could talk about, but I think it’s time to get into our roundtable. Please give a kind hello to:

Candice (@d0wninunderland) – Writer, horror enthusiast, and occasional traveler.

Tim (@FanExorcist) – TV Addict, part-time Actor, and ExorcistFox fanatic! #ExorcistCongregation

Michelle (@Contessa_966) – Writer for Three If By Space, Tweeter of TV Shows, Live Music Fan, Hockey Girl & Wiener Dog Mama!

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle) – TV Newbie

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99) – Exorcist Fan

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1. When do you think Cindy, the woman who Tomas and Marcus were performing an exorcism on, became possessed? We know that she is grieving the loss of her child according to that vision Tomas had of her.

Candice (@d0wninunderland): Based on what we know about Cindy and her life so far, it is more likely than not that she became possessed soon after she lost her child, and her marriage with Jordy grew to be strained once the church rejected them. I think that Cindy was losing her faith, making her more susceptible to the demon possessing her.

Tim (@FanExorcist): I think Cindy is recently possessed, possibly after the loss of her child. Her husband had admitted that he had been to the church for help, and knew there was a problem, so it is something he thinks he can handle on his own. That alone tells me he hasn’t seen the worst of it…yet.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I think that Cindy became possessed after opening herself up to a demon’s false promises. Her grief for losing her child was so strong that it weakened her soul. The demon knew with one false promise she would be easy to overtake. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): My best guess is about 20-25 days before we first see her; in season 1 Marcus had been awol for 26 days when he was exorcising Gabriel, and it’s about that long before they start worrying about integration. I don’t think Tomas and Marcus have been with her for longer than a day or two, though. It seems like the way things happened, Cindy started doing weird shit, they went to the church, the church refused (mirroring what happened with Casey at first) and when Bennett found out about it, he called Tomas and Marcus, who I assume, have been working directly under Bennett who’s working directly under Pope Sebastian.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I think Cindy is somehow connected to the Island Witches Tale. She may either be a reincarnation of the witch, or one of the children throw down the well. With that, the evil spirit may have targeted her once she became with child.

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2. Why do you think Tomas let this demon into his mind?

Candice (@d0wninunderland): Tomas may have allowed this demon into his head for a few reasons, honestly; one being that he believes to have been chosen by God to be an exorcist, and the second being that he has something to prove to both himself and to Marcus. In the first season, we saw Tomas continuously being held back by his superiors, Marcus included. Each party had tried to instill doubt in Tomas, though Marcus may have done so in order to 1) protect Tomas and 2) preserve his own personal belief that God was coming back to him; that he was still the chosen one and could save people, and that he still had a purpose in life. With that said, Tomas may have also granted the demon’s entrance into his mind out of his pure need to save Cindy while proving himself to God first and foremost.

Tim (@FanExorcist): I think Father Tomas is not aware….yet….of the powers that dwell within a possessed. Part of it is curiousity, part of it is inexperience perhaps. Father Tomas thinks he can “reach” Cindy, but Father Marcus warns him, “there is a reason we don’t engage with the enemy” .. At the risk of losing his immortal soul, Father Tomas is sure he can draw the demon out, by going in….but Father Marcus says it can only be done with ritual and repetition. Does Tomas know a better way?  Let’s hope it’s not too late. Will Father Marcus have to save Father Tomas?

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I think that Tomas does have a special talent with exorcisms, but I also think that he’s playing a dangerous game. Just because it worked with Angela doesn’t mean that it’s a safe of an effective way to perform exorcisms and Marcus is trying to tell him that. But because Tomas thinks that he has a special talent in getting rid of demons, he is willing to try what was successful before, even if that means letting the demon in. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Tomas is young and impulsive, I think he genuinely believes what he told Marcus, that he believes he can fight the demon from within. He’s being kind of arrogant, but it’s an arrogance rooted in faith; he has faith God has his back and a plan and he’s, yanno, walking on water without looking down.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): After successful saving Angela Rance after being told it couldn’t be done, Father Tomas believes in taking on different methods. The vision he had of watching Father Marcus in Mexico City attempting to exorcise Gabriel, coupled with his current dreams of Cindy, makes Tomas think God wants him to connect with the demon.

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3. Do you think that Tomas is capable to do exorcisms on his own? Or, do you think that Tomas is naive and should follow Marcus’ lead instead?

Candice (@d0wninunderland): I think the answer is both. Tomas is capable of performing exorcisms on his own, yet he is simultaneously being naive and a bit egotistical given he has now taken full credit for saving Angela when it was a joint effort. Tomas seems to be getting ahead of himself, and as cracks are clearly forming in his partnership with Marcus, so is resentment. He is tired of being held back. He wants to prove himself, and he’s always had to, whether it be to his superiors, to Marcus, or to his own family, growing up. In doing so, however, he is putting himself, his immortal soul, and those he’s trying to help and work with at risk.

Tim (@FanExorcist): Father Tomas, after his success in Season 1 with saving Angela, no doubt was emboldened by this win and thinks he can handle it. But as Father Marcus pointed out….”You think this is a gift from God but with pride comes disgrace, humility….wisdom.”  I think we will see Father Marcus step in and save to bail Tomas out once he goes too far.

Michelle (@Contessa_966):  I think that Tomas does have some kind of talent for doing them. But he shouldn’t go off and attempt one on his own. Especially if all he wants to do is try his new method of letting the demon in. Marcus or someone who was properly trained by the Vatican should be there for backup. But I would say that about even the most skilled of Exorcists, don’t face the demon alone. Always have someone on your side as backup. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): We already know he can do exorcisms without Marcus, he performed Angela’s exorcism without Marcus’ oversight, granted he had the Rances (and Angela herself) helping him, but it’s clear Tomas is very clear on what his mission is and on how to fulfill it. THAT SAID, I do this “Eyes closed, head first, can’t lose!” approach will bite him in the ass eventually but I think it’ll be because being too focused on his mission will blind him to whatever else is happening around him.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): Although in the end it was Tomas who saved the Rance family, Tomas and Marcus should work in tandem. Marcus and Bennet are much more experienced, there are still many aspects of Exorcisms that Tomas has not encountered yet.

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4. What do you think is down that well?

Candice (@d0wninunderland): Possibly the origin of the evil that is latching itself onto both Cindy, and Andy’s foster kids.

Tim (@FanExorcist): The well, a local legend, apparently has an appeal for Caleb. Once dared by Verity (“V”). he has to prove to himself he can do it. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of that cabin…or the well. There is definitely something in that well…..does it lead to the Demon?

Michelle (@Contessa_966): Honestly I’m not sure that anything is really down the well. Maybe there was an accidental death (or murder) and so there is a negative energy there. I don’t believe in Verity’s “Island Witch” story but I definitely think that the island itself is drawing some sort of evil energy towards it. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Sadako??? No I mean, I don’t actually think there’s anything there. I thiiiink it’s a red herring and that whatever is after the family is already in the house. Probably in the creepy brave face or something.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): The chapel Tomas dreamt of in the opening sequence is the same building Truck’s soccer ball went into. Cindy may have a past life on Nachburn Island. The children playing with the piñata are spirits of the children the Island Witch threw down the well. It’s possible than Nicole Kim is the woman coming out of the piñata sludge.

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5. Do you believe that Grace or Caleb are at risk for possession? If not, which character (besides Tomas) do you think will be/is possessed this season?

Candice (@d0wninunderland): I believe that both kids are fair game, yeah. While Andy is attempting to provide these kids with a stable and healthy environment, a lot of tension and anxiety still exist, making Caleb and Grace even more susceptible to the demon pursuing them.

Tim (@FanExorcist): It’s early….but I think we can already see some possibilities for possession in the home.  At this point, I think Caleb may be most vulnerable. He is feeling abandoned by his dad back in Dallas and sees himself as a burden in his mind. A dark horse in the possession option may be “Truck”. The whole sleepwalking scene with him …..a potential clue?

Michelle (@Contessa_966): From the promotional images, I think that Verity will be at risk, though I think it would be better if her character, who so far is against believing in any type of religion, instead ends up helping one of her foster brothers or sisters through it. I also think that evil might toy with us a bit and the possessed won’t be who we expect. Caleb’s eyes at the end of “Janus” imply that it could be him. Grace would be creepy, though any time you add a younger child into a horror story I think that gives it an extra element of creep. I don’t think that Tomas will end up being possessed in the same way we see Cindy, and an unlikely but would be very interesting story-wise candidate is Andy. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): If it’s one of the kids I think Caleb is more likely, although if they’re gonna do another possession I think it’d be way more interesting if it were Andy, this episode told us that demons sometimes just wanna mess something pure and that they promise you whatever you want most; Andy is THE PUREST OF THEM ALL and grieving a late wife, apparently, so there is that. HOWEVER, I suspect that because they already did a possession with Casey they’ll do something else this season, something more like Poltergeist where the evil presence haunts the house and whole family as opposed to just one kid.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): It may be too early to tell. I don’t think the writers would have made it that easy- more than likely it will one of the children we least expect. Possibly Truck who sleep walks or perhaps even the social worker, Rose Cooper, will be overtaken by Nicole Kim’s spirit.

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6. At the beginning and end of this week’s episode, we saw shots of tiny colored handprints on a wall. One took place in Tomas’ vision and the other took place in Andy’s foster home. Do you think there is a tie between the demon integrated with Cindy and the possible demon invading Andy’s foster home?

Candice (@d0wninunderland): Definitely, yes. It’s likely that in order to save Cindy, Marcus and Tomas will have to help Andy and his foster kids first. The source of the evil latching itself onto both parties appears to be where the kids are, on that whole area of land, and more specifically in that dilapidated house, and the well that Caleb nearly plummeted into. Marcus and Tomas will have to go to the source in order to succeed.

Tim (@FanExorcist):  The hands surely are a tie in between the opening scene and the church and the foster home. The forces that are at work on Cindy I think are also going to find a home with the children. Tie that in with the creepy cabin and well…and what was in that tree when Andy (John Cho) looked up?  Something in those woods for sure no? One thing for sure, I don’t think I’ll be able to shake Patsy Cline’s “Walking after Midnight” from my mind for a while 🙂

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I think that is a connection we shouldn’t dismiss, what I’m not quite sure yet. Maybe Cindy has a family connection somehow to that island? So once Tomas and Marcus free Cindy from the demon it will decide to return back to its familiar stomping ground? That would be one way for it to end up on the island, but the handprints in the dream sequences and in Andy’s house shouldn’t be ignored, there is definitely some sort of connection there. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS I’VE BEEN SUFFERING and I don’t think the demon will be related, or at least not anymore so than demons are typically related to each other. I figure Tomas will see the wall in Andy’s home and take it as a sign from God.

As a side note, I don’t think Cindy’s demon is integrated. Integration happens when the host is no longer fighting and it’s clear that Cindy still is.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I do believe they are connected. The spirits of the children down the well and seen in Tomas’ vision are at unrest and are coming to Tomas via Cindy wanting to be released.

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7. Lastly, what were your general thoughts on the premiere? We were introduced to new characters and a completely new possession case.

Candice (@d0wninunderland):  I absolutely love the start to the new season! The different direction in which the show is heading is leaving me hungry for more, more, more! The writing on The Exorcist has always been so rich and smart in its tackling of an array of societal issues, and with the second season, it is interesting to see that the writers are likely going to be taking a bit of turn this time with a deeper examination of family dynamics, and its fragile, associated constructs. Also, the overall direction and cinematography of the premiere is simply to die for. This show is to die for.

Tim (@FanExorcist): This episode was a home run for The Exorcist team. This episode started from the get go with action and I love the new setting. Such a rural setting will also offer some scary opportunities, some we’ve already started to see.  Adding some key cast members this season with the likes of John Cho, Li Jun Li, and Brianna Hildebrand and the others was a great move and should keep things compelling for the remainder of the season. 

Michelle (@Contessa_966): Season Two kicked off with a bang and was devilishly delightful. They took all the best parts of season one and really focused on that and then kicked it up another few notches. I think that season two will be nothing short of amazing and the new characters really held their own against the screen time Father Marcus and Father Tomas had. I can’t wait for those two story-lines to collide and bring them all together. 

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I loved it! I WILL FIGHT FOR ANDY KIM’S FAMILY. Every new character, even the ones with very little screen time, felt realistic and well-rounded. The relationship between Tomas and Marcus is still the core of the show and although the strain hurts and Marcus needs a million hugs and a boyfriend, it feels like a natural progression.

There’s also a very clear effort on the production’s part to give us a diverse show, which I appreciate a lot. Honestly, my only complaint are the piñatas because I think those were supposed to be part of Tomas’ subconscious and piñatas like those do not exist in Mexico.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): There could not have been a better opening sequence! I liked how they summarized what’s been happening in the past 6 months since leaving Chicago. I look forward to learning about Andy and Rose’s history and why Nicole Kim’s bird is similar to the one seen in the woods and the bird which crashed into Tomas’ Chicago office in Season 1. With time, I hope Tomas and Marcus come into agreement about how to save Cindy- especially if that is what brings the two priests to Nachburn Island. I thought the spray paint of “Jesus Saves” on the door barn was interesting. The Patsy Cline song plays a big part for both Cindy and Caleb who played the record backwards.

Interesting nod to current times in the US, when the clerk asked Tomas for ID, but did not ask the same of the man standing behind him in line. I’m also looking forward to finding out the meaning behind the cocoon worms.

Lastly, I had to look up the god Janus to see how it’s ties into the show:

• Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past
• Janus frequently symbolized change and transitions such as the progress of past to future, from one condition to another, from one vision to another, and young people’s growth to adulthood.
• Janus had an intrinsic association with omens and auspices.

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Final Verdict: This season can only get better from here.

We’re not going to lie, we were a little scared and unsure of what the writers of The Exorcist had in store for us for Season 2. However, after the season premiere last night, we can genuinely say that the writers and creator Jeremy Slater did not let us down. Filled with everything and more that Season 1 had – heart, family, incredible cinematography, and an amazing possession case – we are sure that every episode from here on out will leave us begging for more answers. We’re looking forward to a lot this season, and are especially interested in the dynamic between Father Tomas and Marcus this time around. Will Tomas continue to be naive and follow his own beliefs on exorcisms? Or will he learn to listen to Marcus and take things slowly when it comes to demons? We are also curious to know which of Andy’s foster children will become possessed. Is it Verity or Grace – two of the more obvious suspects, or is it someone else?

As a whole, we’re so excited for what lies ahead. There were so many clues in the premiere alone and it’s going to be so fun to try and decode everything we see and hear. Let’s give thanks to our first roundtable for the season and we’ll see you next week Exorcist Congregation.

The Exorcist returns next Friday, October 6th at 9/8C on FOX.