The Exorcist Roundtable 2×02 “Safe as Houses”

“I don’t understand why you’re so afraid of this.” “And I don’t understand why you’re not.”

Two priests. The Vatican. A well. Creepy Neighbors, and something in the woods? This week’s episode of The Exorcist was wild. “Safe as Houses” follows Tomas (Alfonso Herrera) and Marcus (Ben Daniels) as they attempt to finish Cindy’s exorcism, and the mysterious events happening in and outside of the Kim foster family’s home. Coming back to our TV screens just as strong as last week’s premiere, Episode 2×02 gave us everything we were hoping for and more. Before we get into our roundtable, let’s recap what went down.

Exploring the hierarchy of the Vatican further from Season One, the episode opens on a scene in Vatican City, where Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) makes his return. Bennett, who has probably become one of the most trustworthy characters in the series thus far, attempts to explain to the “Office of Exorcisms” that a group of its Cardinals have purposefully integrated their souls with demonic spirits as part of a larger and much eviler plan. Unfortunately, Bennett fails to prove his conspiracy (which is true), and ends up getting wrapped up in some big trouble with the Vatican. The office instead, ignores Bennett and places the blame of his behavior on Marcus, who as you may remember went M.I.A at the end of Season One after the attack on the Pope.

Elsewhere, Tomas and Marcus attempt to rid the demon inside of Cindy before she dies. After what feels like days of Tomas and Marcus convincing Cindy’s husband that his wife is possessed by a dangerous spirit, the two finally begin their work. However, Tomas and Marcus throughout the episode, continue to bicker back and forth again on how to properly exorcise demons. Marcus wants to approach the demon in the safest and smartest way possible, while Tomas wants to take the more creative route – letting the demon into his mind and killing it from the inside out. We’re not sure why Tomas has begun acting so off the rails, but we sure hope he gets his act together fast. And while the two successfully rid the demon out of Cindy, if Tomas doesn’t slow down, he could put himself, Marcus and the people around him in a lot of danger.

RELATED |  THE EXORCIST ROUNDTABLE 2×01 “Janus” 

Finally, we have the Kim household. Still, under the watch of Rose (Li Jun Lee),  (who I’m not sure if we should trust), stranger things continue to happen inside the home. Here, Caleb (Hunter Dillon) tells Andy (John Cho) that Verity (Brianna Hildebrand) was the one who brought him to the well that night, Shelby (Alex Barima) encounters some weird neighbors, and Grace (Amelie Eve) somehow appears everywhere at the wrong time. What?! Not to mention, there’s something clearly lurking in the woods. We don’t want to spoil anything, but, an evil force is definitely out there.

With that, let’s getting into our roundtable. Please welcome:

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal) – TV fans, run multilingual fansite for Alfonso Herrera (Tomas in The Exorcist)

Mary (@mlp60) – Essayist; TV critic in my own mind; Appreciate good television.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle) – TV Newbie

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

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99) – Exorcist Fan

Jessie (@andherewe_go) – Author, History Nerd, TV Fan, and Proud Member of the #ExorcistCongregation

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1. We know that Rose is a social worker, but do you think there is another reason she’s so suspicious and interested in the things that are happening in (and outside of) Andy’s home?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): I didn’t think about it, it is possible she is worried about Andy because of their history and wants to help him keeping safe with his foster house.

Mary (@mlp60): Rose has known and been involved with Andy romantically at some point. Her concern for Caleb seemed a touch overboard. Why? She says Andy may not catch the signals of “depression and self-harm” and Andy quickly responds, “It’s not about her.” The her he’s referring to is his wife who I assume killed herself. Rose has legitimate concerns, but in the back of my head I’m wondering why she is so quick to think Caleb is suicidal.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I think Nicole (Andy’s wife) and Rose were super close (girl???)friends before she got married. It was hinted this episode that it was a suicide, and Rose is mad Andy didn’t realize there was a problem before it was too late. There’s a chance that whatever’s haunting the island messed with Nicole and led her to suicide (or killed her and made it look like suicide.)

I’m a little confused by the timeline, though, because in ep 1 the Facebook post Andy looks at is from 5 years ago, but the picture we were shown this episode where Nicole is pictured seems recent, but also, Caleb is relatively new given the whole well initiation ritual. So Nicole didn’t die that long ago and all the kids other than Grace knew her, but they didn’t know Rose even existed before she showed up and I think they’d have known her, if only from Nicole’s funeral. Hopefully ep 3 will bring more clarity on this.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I don’t think that there is an evil reason to her suspicions and concerns at Andy’s house. Rose I truly believe wants to do what’s best for the kids and what her job requires of her. But I also feel like the history between Andy and Rose might be causing her to pass judgment on Andy and the stability of that home without really seeing the good being done there. I think she will end up being a big help in the episodes to come when evil really finally settles in there. But for right now what makes me hesitant about her is she’s letting their history get in the way of properly doing her job. 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I would like to believe Rose has pure intentions and her interest lies with the well-being of the children. Since she and Andy share a past history, her suspicions might lie with how Nicole’s death is affecting Andy and his ability to manage the foster home.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): I don’t think Rose is fully aware—at least not yet, anyway—that something sinister is lurking on the island. She might think that something’s a little off, but I don’t believe she suspects anything evil. Her job is to make sure the home is stable and all of the kids are healthy and that Andy is providing for them. What she sees from her perspective would most likely be explained in terms of mental illness or emotional issues, not necessarily demonic forces at work. Especially since the family hasn’t fully recovered from losing Nicole. Rose has a tough job to do and I commend her for looking out for the kids the way she has already, just acting on instinct and what she’s trained for. But I think as the season progresses, it will take her experiencing evil firsthand for her to believe it there’s something else out there.

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2. Why is Tomas actively choosing not to listen to Marcus? As Marcus mentioned, Tomas seems to be treating exorcisms like a “big game.”

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): As Marcus said in the first season when he and Tomas met, in the pilot episode, he is being manipulated by forces he can’t even begin to understand! He is convinced he is the chosen, but we can see after each episode how the demon is playing with him and controls him, trying to get him against Marcus.

Mary (@mlp60):  Fr Tomás seems to be verging on either extreme arrogance or saintly by a divine touch. He is determined that by going inside he’s found a “new way.” This isn’t the way the Mother Abbess spoke of in Season 1. This is dangerous and Marcus tells a story that should be a warning to him. Marcus said he had a “friend” who let the Demon inside and he came out 6 months later. I believe the “friend” was Marcus, as we first met him “recovering” in season 1. Marcus is definitely warning Tomás.  From our introduction to Tomás he has struggled with his priestly vows. His grandmother implanted the idea that he’d been chosen by God to be special in the Church. Tomás believes he’s found his special calling, but remember, he has let the devil in and the devil knows all his hopes and dreams. Tomás is primed for a fall. A big one and Marcus knows it’s coming.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Tomas is a good boy! I totally understand the frustration but I don’t think he’s treating it like a game at all. I mean, he’s well-aware of the risks he’s taking, he just has a lot of faith and mildly concerning levels of arrogance. I don’t think he’s getting enough credit; he left his job, his family, his home, and he’s gone right into life on the road. (How do they have money? Does Tomas know his exorcisms aren’t sanctioned by the church? How are they keeping their beards and hair so neat? I have so many questions.) Plus, he did listen! He was looking at Marcus during the exorcism, the demon just got his attention and since Tomas had let it in earlier, the door was wide open.

I think Tomas is very firmly driven by his very first scene on the pilot; God told him he could walk on water and he believes Him, so he’s just gonna keep walking fearlessly until God tells him to stop.

Michelle (@Contessa_966):  I think that Tomas really truly believes that he has a special gift from God, a talent for exorcisms. I don’t think that his mind has been affected by a demon yet, but that could change at any moment with how often he’s engaging with them. I think that Tomas wants to help possessed souls in the quickest and most efficient way possible, which is his special gift, but that he also doesn’t fully understand the dangers that could be associated with his new and untested method of doing things. 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): Tomas has proven again and again his penchant for thinking outside the box. Since he truly believes God has “spoken to him” and was personally chosen over Marcus, he is way past working within convention. In Tomas’ mind, he’s had two wins: Angela and Cindy.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): Tomas was on the receiving end of my yelling at the TV quite a bit this episode! I love the guy, but damn, he has an arrogant streak. We saw glimpses of it last season, but now that Tomas has had six months to grow in his abilities, it’s shot through the roof. I don’t deny that he has talent and his visions can be helpful, but I think he needs to work on his listening skills and dial back the recklessness. Marcus has been doing this a lot longer than Tomas and he’s right to acknowledge the risks involved. Tomas is working so hard to prove himself; I think part of it comes from finally being useful after languishing in a parish that was all but forgotten. He’s good at something, he has a unique ability handed down to him by God…that would probably inflate anyone’s ego. And maybe, he likes the challenge? The two of them are not done fighting about this, that’s for sure!

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3. Is it possible that Grace could be Andy’s biological daughter? We saw images of Andy’s wife in a few scenes, and both her and Grace have the same hair color. Is it simply a coincidence?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): That’s the first thing I thought! The matter that she sleeps separated from the other kids, or that she was not present at the dinner with Rose. If Rose is a social worker, she has to speak with all the kids, right?! But she never interacts with Grace.

Mary (@mlp60):  I don’t believe she’s Andy’s daughter. The pictures of the family didn’t have Grace in them. But may I go down a rabbit hole here: if Andy’s wife was pregnant and killed herself, could it be that Grace is the child she was carrying and Andy’s wife decided to kill herself and the baby. But Grace survived. Should they have saved her??? Is Grace the child of…the devil? Ha! Do I think Grace is Andy’s child? No, and my rabbit hole theory is way off. But there is definitely something weird about that child!

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Unless Amélie Eve has Asian heritage, I don’t think there’s a chance at all that Grace is Andy’s kid; whitewashing is thankfully not a thing this show does and I’m sure if they were aiming for a secret kid plot twist they would’ve cast with that in mind.

That said, I’m pretty positive the only time we’ve seen Grace in a scene with someone other than Andy, it was when Andy was carrying Caleb back into his room in episode 1, and Caleb is blind so it’s not like he saw her. She hasn’t been mentioned nor seen at all by any other characters, and I mean, Grace is a shy girl so it could be a red herring, but it could also be Andy hallucinating a child that looks a lot like his dead wife.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I did have the thought that Grace is Andy’s biological child, and it could be part of the reason why she’s not quite ready to leave the house yet. If her mother did just die due to self-harm or depression (as Rose implied to Andy) that would be quite a trauma for such a young child to process and deal with. I do still find it unsettling that nobody except Andy has interacted with Grace and Rose hasn’t mentioned her or asked about her. Is she really there at all, or is Andy the only one able to interact with her? 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): Grace is alive only in Andy’s mind. Andy is the only one she interacts with. She may have existed when Nicole was alive. I think Andy’s guilt and grief over Nicole’s depression has manifested the little girl. When Grace tells him “Don’t let her take me away,” I don’t think she is talking about Rose. She could either be speaking about the Island Witch or Nicole.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): Even if Grace isn’t biologically theirs, as the youngest, she probably had a closer relationship with Nicole than the rest of the kids, so Nicole’s loss might be a lot for her to process. We’ve only scratched the surface of the family’s past and Nicole’s death, so I’m interested to see the backstory develop.

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4. Why do you think Verity left Caleb at the well? Could she be possessed by some sort of demonic spirit, or is something else going on? A few fans on Twitter mentioned that they believed a spirit was mimicking V’s voice – especially since Verity did not remember walking with Caleb to the well that night. What are your theories?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): That’s a good theory. I don’t think Verity is the possessed girl (at least not yet). But I’m going with that theory, it makes more sense, just like when Caleb ate that apple with worms, the same symptoms of Casey back in Season 1.

Mary (@mlp60): Verity did not take Caleb to the well. I believe it’s a “she” who used Verity’s voice and possibly her person, but not Verity. We’ve seen how Demons are able to change their voices. The big L could easily trick him. Verity certainly wasn’t not aware. I think her name, Verity, represents her nature, she’s truthful.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I BELIEVE IN VERITY, SHE WOULD NEVER HURT HER BRO. Both kids are telling the truth, Verity didn’t know Caleb had gone out. Caleb was led out by someone who sounded like Verity and he didn’t immediately fess up because he didn’t want Verity to get in trouble; we see him being upset at V after the worm apple scene and V is confused by it.

I still think we’re gonna be seeing more of a poltergeist scenario than a straight up possession, so I expect we’ll get more of the kids accusing each other of having said or done things they didn’t do.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I do not believe that Verity led Caleb to the well in the middle of the night. It seems way more likely to me that some sort of evil entity did. Caleb is blind so he wouldn’t know if Verity was actually there or if he was following what he thought was Verity. I have no doubts that a demon could impersonate Verity’s voice if they wanted to. Which could have tricked Caleb into going out to the well that night with the intention of causing him danger or even death. 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I don’t want to believe Verity lured him to the well. Caleb may have heard a voice, but it was not Verity. I’m more concerned about the fact that Andy never seems to know when his kids disappear!

Jessie (@andherewe_go): Verity likes to antagonize her brothers (as any sister does), but I don’t believe she’d be intentionally malicious toward Caleb. Her conversation with Andy was heart wrenching because she sounded so sincere. Verity’s a bit of a smartass, but she was adamant about looking for Caleb (“he’s my brother”) when he went missing and cares a great deal about her siblings. She was genuinely hurt that Andy would think otherwise. And since she thought Caleb had been referring to the incident during the day, it couldn’t have been her who led him out there at night. Not that she’s possessed, but rather something misled Caleb. Maybe it took the form of Verity because Caleb wouldn’t have been able to see it. Or maybe it told Caleb to lie. All of the kids have their own vulnerabilities that make them targets for some kind of demonic force, so it’ll be interesting to see how each of them handle it.

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5. Is there a reason Grace always seems to appear when Andy is having an important/serious conversation with someone? She appeared outside of Caleb, Rose’s and Verity’s door!?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal):  I think she is possessed! Too much suspicious that she listens every conversation that occurs, when all of them have the same topic: how did Caleb get to the forest?

Mary (@mlp60): Grace appeared at the end of Andy’s bed last week, and during this episode she was always there. This kid is adorably creepy. And her name – Grace. Could she be evil or a victim of evil? I tend to think the first:  cute little spawn of Satan who has the ironic name of Grace! Then again Grace begged Andy not to let “her” take her away. Did anyone notice the picture on Verity’s door of the cute child that has a normal bottom half, but she has one torso with two arms then splits into two upper torsos and heads? That kid in the picture looks an awful lot like Grace. I also noticed a picture behind Verity’s bed in which a black-headed woman/witchy thing was holding a blonde baby. Is the “HER” Grace talks about taking her away actually herself? IDK but there is something very very creepy about Grace.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I think there’s a very strong argument to be made about Grace being some kind of hallucination, maybe even a demon? Pazuzu originally appeared to Casey as a clean-cut salesman, and Cindy’s demon showed up to promise to return her child, so a demon could be appearing to Andy as a child who needs him.

I’m not sure I believe this, though, the hints are definitely there but we’re only two episodes in, and it feels almost too obvious? She might just be a shy kid with poor timing.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): This leads back to my unsettling thoughts about Grace. She always just pops up out of nowhere and seems to overhear everything. Why is it that we haven’t seen any other character interact with her? Why is the youngest of the group in the attic bedroom all by herself? Thank goodness she didn’t pop up with “brave face” randomly last night, her brave face kinda terrifies me. Something is off about Grace, but I don’t quite understand exactly what yet. 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): Please see answer to number three. Andy is feeling a lot of guilt over something. Grace appears at those moments when he is stressed or nervous about something

Jessie (@andherewe_go): How scary is that pillowcase?! Grace likes to eavesdrop, apparently… I don’t know, there’s something not quite right about Grace. Maybe it’s just because any time there’s little kids in these types of situations, they’re sort of inherently prone to creepiness. She just shows up out of nowhere, constantly! And we’ve only ever seen her interact with Andy…none of the other kids have mentioned her. All I’m saying is that’s more than a little…strange. Is she really a creepy demon child?

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6. Do you think that the demon possessing Cindy is actually dead?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): I will positively, I’m going to say yes. I could also say that Tomas had lucky, two fights with demons in 6 months and he won again?

Mary (@mlp60):  It’s not a simple demon who inhabits Cindy, according to Marcus it’s the Lucifer man himself! The Morningstar has come according to the evil priest Marcus killed last season. So no that which inhabited Cindy is definitely not dead. There’s a tie between where Marcus is taking Tomas and Andy’s family.  I think there’s a definite link between the “abandoned house” on the island and the reason they are heading that direction. Cindy and this island is connected. But as the writers do so well, I’m still afraid I’m going to have egg on my face as it comes closer. One big question I have about Cindy is how she lost her child! Her husband in this episode put emphasis on how terrible it was for her to lose a child “that way.” Tomás referenced it last week, but no mention of how she lost the baby.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Yeah, 100%. Cindy’s possession was used to show us what Marcus and Tomas have been up to and to show us where the tension between them stems from. It also gave us time to get to know Andy’s family independently without making us wait two episodes to see our priests again.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I don’t think that the demon is dead. Cindy’s husband tells Marcus and Tomas that the church Tomas is describing is their old church, one they haven’t been to in 10 years. That church looks suspiciously like the abandoned building Verity, Caleb, Truck and Shelby passed when going to the well back in the first episode. Poor Truck even lost his ball inside and was definitely too creeped out to go retrieve it. Cindy is no longer being held by that demon, but I think the demon is still out there, looking for a new body to take. Who’s to say the demon won’t seek out that building Cindy took refuge in to find a new victim? 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): No, the demon may have moved on to another host and is hell bent on taunting Marcus. This makes me wonder if The Salesman will return or manifest in another form. It is possible it will make another appearance on Nachburn Island. Also, the demon might be the cause as to why Cindy and Jordy haven’t been back to the Nachburn Church in 10 years. There is definitely unfinished business with those two.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): It’s definitely gone from her body. Whether it moved onto some other unsuspecting soul remains to be seen. Though the fact that demon Cindy in Tomas’ mindscape crumbled into ash probably indicates it’s dead. We can only hope.

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7. What do you think is lurking in the woods?

Nadia and Raquel (@AHUniversal): I’ve been 2 hours thinking in this question, and I still have no clue! But I’m very excited to know more in the next episodes!

Mary (@mlp60): Ahh the woods! One of the great literary metaphors. The woods are dark and evil has found a protection there. I think the cloven hoof of the ewe who gave birth to an abomination is only a symbol for what is to come. I am apt to believe Marcus, Tomas and Bennett will join forces with the new character coming. We know their battle is not with the church so much as it is with The Devil who has infiltrated the Church

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Still no idea, at first I thought that whatever it was was drawn to Andy, but now I’m pretty sure it’s something on the island. Likely a bigger evil that’s a direct consequence of the Church having stopped exorcisms.

We know demons communicate with each other and this episode made it sound like Tomas and Marcus are possibly the only active exorcists in the world at the moment, so it stands to reason that the demons would do their very best to neutralize them. If they’re being supernaturally drawn to Seattle it’s very likely not God the one pulling them in.

,Michelle (@Contessa_966): I’m not sure what entity is out in the woods, but Shelby is right, something is out there and it’s not right. Whatever evil is out there is continuing to build and I think when it finally decides to show it’s face, it won’t be pretty. Andy and the others are in danger but they won’t be able to handle it alone. Hopefully Marcus and Tomas can make it there in time. 

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): Perhaps it is too early to tell. Whatever it is created the cocoon Andy saw in the trees last week and the maggots in the apples. I think Russ and Colleen from the Organic Farm might know what it is.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): Whatever it is, it’s not good. And even that’s an understatement. I’m not sure if the well is a red herring or an actual threat right now. But it just looks like it would be the prime hiding spot for demonic energy. The “barn,” too—the building where the kids’ soccer ball probably disappeared forever because there’s no way anyone’s going in there to get it. It looks a bit like the church from Tomas’ vision, not actually a barn. Rotting, worm infested apples, demonic lambs, weird bugs… I don’t know what’s causing all of it but I’m almost thinking it might be more than one demon. Which doesn’t bode well for this family in the slightest.

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Final Verdict: The Exorcist team nail it again with “Safe as Houses.”

So far so good it seems when looking at the second season of The Exorcist thus far. Although we’re only two episodes into the season, it seems that the general narrative, writing, cinematography and acting have already topped what we saw in Season One. Things are bigger, the stakes have gotten higher for Tomas and Marcus, and most importantly, the scare factor has been upped 10000%. Seriously, the makeup and effects team are wild! A lot happened in Friday’s episode, from Tomas letting the demon into his mind again, to Shelby witnessing the birth of a rabid calf, and we loved every moment. We have questions, but we want to know what you all thought abut the episode. Let us know in the comments below or tweet us on Twitter. We can’t wait until next week Exorcist Congregation, catch you later.

The Exorcist returns next Friday, October 13th at 9/8C on FOX.