The Exorcist Roundtable 2×05 “There but for the Grace of God, Go I”

Grace doesn’t want to play anymore…

After a two week wait, The Exorcist returned to our television screens on Friday night with one of its best episodes yet. A lot went down that we’re dying to discuss, but let’s do a quick recap before we get into it.

Starting with Andy – poor freaking Andy! – The episode opens with a conversation between Verity and him in “Grace’s bedroom,” aka the haunted attic/Nicole’s old art room. Here, V (in the most loving way) asks Andy what’s wrong and if he’s okay, and Andy decides to respond not so nicely. Instead of telling V that he’s been seeing things, Andy yells at her instead; even saying that she’s not wanted in the room. Not cool. However, this conversation is what allows Andy to finally realize that Grace is a figment of his imagination. As a result, throughout the rest of the episode we see Andy later try to get rid of Grace’s presence during a family camping trip. Does this end up working? Well….not really.

Elsewhere on the island, Marcus and Tomas start to gather more evidence that the island’s haunted. After speaking to a few townspeople, and Peter – the legendary fisherman whom Marcus shares his deepest fears with, Marcus learns of a powerful demon that has been present on the island for years. On the other hand, Tomas, still convinced that the Kim’s house is possessed, decides to take a more direct route. Arriving quickly back to the house, Tomas speaks with Rose about his supernatural instincts he has towards the house. Rose, with the kid’s best intention in mind, basically kicks Tomas out even though she herself has been noticing some out of the ordinary events. Too bad this doesn’t stop him, and leads Tomas to confronting Grace face to face by the end of the episode.

And what about the other kids? Oh they’re not safe either. During the family’s camping trip in the woods, V reveals to Shelby why she always makes fun of him for following his religion so much. She tells Shelbs how the homes and priests where she used to live before would try to make her go to conversion therapy, and that that is why she is so hesitant to have faith in anyone. Shelby reassures V though however that what those people did to her was evil, and that she is perfect the way she is. Cue the tears. Though, Harper and Caleb seem to be doing well, as for a majority of the episode, they were joking around on how to make the perfect marshmallow. Truck seems to be doing well too, until he gets the attention of Grace, who uses Truck’s body as a host to almost kill Verity. Yup, that happened. We don’t want to get into that scene too much, but it was so painful to watch!

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Lastly, we have Mouse and Bennett. What a team! Still in France with the demon possessing Sister Dolores, the two make a plan to stop more demons from integrating themselves with more religious members of the Church. The two after a while, kill Dolores (thank god! – no pun intended!) and head off to who knows where. Hopefully towards Tomas and Marcus?

Ok, now that we’re caught up, lets get into some questions.

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

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle) – TV Newbie

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99) – Exorcist Fan

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

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

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1. Out of all the bugs possible, do you think there’s a particular reason that a hornet was chosen to come out of Andy’s chest when he refused to look at Grace?

Tim (@FanExorcist): As far as insects go, none is perhaps as terrifying as a hornet…especially a nest of them. I think this insect was used here to really drive home the fact that Andy is up against a nasty force he has no idea what it is capable of…In addition, the demon apparently can inhabit multiple hosts as we’ve seen tonight…so maybe we do truly have a hornet’s nest on our hands.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): There’s the hornets’ nest saying, and the holes, and it could suggest that by refusing Grace, Andy is stirring more than a single entity? That the whole island is full of them. I kinda like the idea of a single super old, super powerful entity more, but revealing that there is more than one demon in the island could be a neat twist and the hornet and many holes could be foreshadowing that.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): To me the beehive symbolizes nesting. It could be a reference to a foster home where children go to seek protection. In this case, I think it was the demons way of showing Andy no matter how hard he tries to withdraw, he can’t escape his past or from under her control. Like the previous parents on the island, the demon is trying to lure Andy to a murder-suicide. As far as bugs are concerned, I’m still trying to figure if the tree cocoon Andy saw previously will come into play; or if the maggots from Caleb’s apple are the same from Nicole’s studio.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): Maybe Andy isn’t particularly fond of them? It seems that the demon could have made anything appear in that moment, but I don’t think it has a big significance. I kinda wanted it to be a locust.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): At first I thought it was a bee, but after looking into it, it’s either a hornet or a wasp. This one has me stumped. Other than it being really gross and painful (those holes in Andy’s skin, eww…), I’m not sure. It was a really good way for the demon to freak Andy out and get his attention. And out of curiosity, I looked up the symbolism behind wasps. One thing I found particularly interesting is that a wasp can be symbolic of communication. Another is that wasps are master architects…and that, in this context, seems kind of sinister in a demonic sense.

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2.Do you think any of the other kids are possessed? Besides Harper, they all seem to be experiencing supernatural “feelings.”

Tim (@FanExorcist):I don’t think the others are possessed…at least not completely. The demon is toying with affecting them sporadically to get to Andy, most recently with Truck. His encounter, although brief, was pretty intense.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I think only Andy is possessed but because the entity in the island has been there for so long, it has a lot of power and can influence even the people it’s not directly possessing. We know it led Caleb to the well by pretending to be Verity, now it was Truck. The demon is old and very clever because it knows exactly how to mess with each kid without arousing suspicion.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): If how the demon took over Truck’s body is any indication, all the kids might be vulnerable to possession at any time. From Caleb’s apple and calling to the well, to Shelby’s calling to the lake, and Truck’s trance, I think the demon ultimately wants all the children to turn against Andy.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I don’t think so, I think that the demon in the house probably effects them in the way that a side effect would. But it’s clear that the demon is going after Andy in particular. It only went after Truck to get Andy’s attention. 

Jessie (@andherewe_go): I don’t really think anyone is possessed yet—not in the traditional way we’ve seen in the series thus far. Andy might be getting close. What we saw between Truck and Verity was an interesting type of demonic “possession,” a manipulation of the demon through paranormal/psychic means. I think the demon is having a good old time messing with all of the kids. It might settle into someone specific soon, but for now everyone seems to be in danger of the chaos it’s causing. With so much weird stuff going on, the island is probably going to make believers out of everyone else, not just Shelby.

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3.Let’s talk about that Truck and Verity scene. What was going on there? How did you feel when Truck got yelled at?

Tim (@FanExorcist): Grace picked him perhaps because he is innocent and trusting. He was also drawn back to that cabin. As a toy for “Grace” to torture we see him banging his head on the wall. Verity, who was dying to get away from the camping kumbaya no doubt, headed in search of him. When Verity tried to stop him, he turned on her…but we all know who was pulling the strings. Of all the children, Verity will be the first to figure out what is really going on….I think we are due for a confrontation with her and the demon. Hope so anyway, it would be a good one. She’s as tough one.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I felt very sad 🙁 This show is tackling all sorts of issues in all sorts of ways and it’s brilliant and heartbreaking. It’s obvious here that all the kids are aware Truck is neurodivergent and Verity is familiar with his sleep-walking episodes but she’s very scared when she finds him, so it looks like Truck’s never hurt himself before and furthermore, he’s never attacked anyone so the experience freaks her out super bad.

The whole scene (and the previous one between Verity and Shelby) informs the audience on the entire family dynamic, we also find out Caleb adores Truck and is very concerned about him, we learn that Verity will shrug off an injury to protect her siblings, and that Shelby is used to Andy handing over responsibility, although perhaps never in this kind of situation. Andy handles the situation poorly but to be fair he’s under a lot of stress, thinks he’s going insane, and it looks like people possessed have a very strong aversion to revealing they’re seeing someone who doesn’t exist; like the demon is a kind of parasite that alters brain chemistry so the victim is irrationally reluctant to reveal what’s really happening.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): In addition to Andy, the demon wants the kids to turn against each other. Caleb thought Verity led him to the well and now this with Truck and Verity. I feel the same way about Truck as when Verity was accused of tricking Caleb. It’s all an attempt to get them to conspire against one another. In the end, threatening the stability of the home and Rose’s view of Andy judgment and ability to parent.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I am still heartbroken over this. Truck didn’t do anything, it was Grace who was acting through him at the time. The demon is trying to break Andy’s family apart and have him all to itself.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): That scene!! The tension in that scene was enough to have me on the edge of my seat. For a second there, I thought Truck was going to strangle her to death—the parallels between Grace and Truck were so well done. I think I forgot to breathe a few times and was yelling at my TV for someone to help her out. That was a tough one to watch because Truck is a sweet kid, so you know he’d never intentionally hurt any of his siblings. And Verity, while she might not believe or be fully aware of the demonic forces at work, knows that Truck wouldn’t be able to attack her like he did. I felt awful for the Kim family in the aftermath of this scene. I wanted them to believe Truck and I wanted Rose to see that he wasn’t in control of his own actions. Caleb being so concerned for his brother and what might happen to him because of this was just upsetting. I want to protect these kids! The demon is doing its best to create doubt within the family in order to tear them apart. I have a bad feeling it’s going to get worse.

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4. Is Grace the demon who has been possessing the entire island or is she a singular entity following the Kim household only? I mean, she did turn into Nicole at the end of the episode.

Tim (@FanExorcist): By now we know that there is a demon on that island and has been there for 50+ years it seems. I think this demon is one in the same here…..maybe. But it has some abilities that will probably throw even Marcus and Tomas off at first.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): I think so. But again, the long game could be revealing there is more than one demon and that they’ve been feeding off the island’s residents for a while. I really hope it’s just the one, though, because if the plot diverge from a traditional exorcism and we don’t get John Cho tied to a bed while speaking in tongues and throwing up pea soup, what is the point?

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): They are one in the same. I think Grace, like the Salesman from Season 1, can take on any form, shape or inhabit any voice. Grace may have been the  shadowy figure at the foot of Rose’s bed as well as the “not-so-dead” lamb born at Holstrom’s farm. More than likely it’s the same demon who took over the first version of Glen Powell that committed the murder-suicide, the Island Witch, and the second Glen Powell who tried to kill Alice at the sleepover. Since she can transition, I wonder if Grace is an entity of Janus?

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I think that the demon who was appearing as Grace is the demon or evil that has rooted in the entire island. Both Andy and Tomas found some weird rock in “Graces Room” upstairs in the attic. Maybe that stone is part of some old relic and the demon is attached to it somehow.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): There were so many reveals this episode, that one was one of my favorites. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it did look like Grace was the little girl at the sleepover in one of the flashbacks to the island’s history while Tomas was pulled into his visions. I think Grace was the demon’s most recent form, but it’s been inspiring evil and murder around the island for decades. There’s a lot of lore about demons taking the form of children, especially little girls. It’s the most disarming form it can probably take. And as a father, Andy would be easily swayed by her. Until now, when Andy’s realized (with Verity’s help) that Grace isn’t real and there’s something seriously wrong going on here. When Andy became resistant to Grace, the demon had to switch tactics in the worst way possible, therefore taking the form of Andy’s late wife.

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5. What are your thoughts on that Marcus/Peter storyline? We’re still screaming about that kiss!

Tim (@FanExorcist): This scene was pure gold, if Ben Daniels isn’t the most underrated actor today, I don’t know who is. The raw emotion and ability to speak only with the eyes and expressions, is incredible. The pairing with Peter was just what we all needed for Father Marcus.  Father Marcus has demons of his own, and this heartfelt compassion from Peter (Chris Cousins) was most welcome.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): Oh my godddddd, strap down, I’ll be here forever. Last year I was so, so worried they wouldn’t address Marcus’ sexuality at all and I was so wrong to be worried and I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.

Handsome Biologist Peter is clearly exactly the kind of person Marcus needed to meet to find himself again and their story line is Peak Heartbreaking Romance because it’s very obviously temporary. Tomás is a dumb boy and Marcus won’t be able to just send him off into the sunset. I mean, it’d be a very satisfying conclusion for Marcus “My protégé is now fully trained and ready to save the world and now I get to have a normal life with this Very Handsome Kind Man.” But it wouldn’t feel complete as a character arc or satisfying when taking into account the whole plot. Marcus is still a fugitive from the church, there’s the whole conspiracy in Chicago, we still don’t know what the Pope is up to. So, there are a lot of threads that are still in the air, which means Handsome Peter won’t get his very well-deserved happy ending with this weird hot former priest who really needs a hug.

Plot aside, in terms of TV and representation and diversity on network television, the fact that this kiss happened, that we got to see two men over 50 kissing and talking and being vulnerable with each other is so mind-blowing I still can’t wrap my head around it. I don’t think I’d ever seen this with a couple that wasn’t already established and in a show that wasn’t a comedy. It is a dead serious scene prefaced with hands down the best monologue I’ve seen ever, and it is treated with all the gravitas a character bearing their soul should be treated with. This is the kind of scene that brings forth positive, permanent change on TV, it raises the bar so much. I am floored by it, it’s amazing and necessary and I hope we get more of it.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I could not be more ecstatic that Marcus opened up to Peter. We’ve all seen how well Marcus connects and identifies with the children, it’s about time he was able to “confess” his past, his demons, and what seemingly brought him into this line of work. I hope Peter will be able to guide Marcus to more clues about what is happening on the Island, as well as help him look more into himself. As Tomas said previously, “Maybe you’re not listening.” Being able to hear God’s voice again will make it easier for Marcus to get clarity on the Island’s mystery. On another note, although Marcus said both his parents were alcoholics, it begs to question if his father was possessed when he tried to strangle Marcus?

Michelle (@Contessa_966): I wanted Peter to be like Saint Peter, Apostle Peter, but I think it will end up being quite the opposite. Yeah he’s given Marcus a way to express himself and maybe work though some trauma, but he’s also essentially holding him hostage on a boat in the middle of the lake that I assume Nicole killed herself in. He’s also keeping Marcus from Tomas while Tomas is in serious danger at the Foster home and I don’t think that Peter’s intentions are all that holy. There is more too him than meets the eye.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): I’m also still screaming about that kiss! Marcus has gone through so much, he deserved that kiss. He deserves every bit of happiness he can get. It was necessary and wonderfully portrayed. I was cheering the two of them on! But more than that, Marcus has found a sort of kindred spirit in Peter, who was able to understand the kinds of things he’s gone through and what it feels like to carry those scars around. I think it was one of the most poignant scenes in the show’s two seasons. And kudos to Ben Daniels for that incredible, emotional performance.

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6. Do you have any conspiracy theories after this week’s episode? It can be about anything we’ve seen this season.

Tim (@FanExorcist): I think we are about to dig deeper into the conspiracy within the Church, with Mouse and BadAss Bennett heading to find this “chicago monster” who we know is Maria Walters. Loved her in season one and hoping she gets her undoing in Season 2. Who better to do that than the MouseBen Duo.

Diana (@xoloitzcuintle): It’s not really a conspiracy theory, but I have a lot of paranoia about Peter because he is so good and sweet and I’ve been hurt before. Mostly I just need him to 1. Be Good and 2. Be Kept Safe.

That aside, I’m very intrigued by Mouse and Bennett, they’re getting all the Prison Break kind of action with the murder and running away and I’m really looking forward to the confrontation with Maria Walters. And not conspiracy, but a theory re: Mouse’s background is that she met Marcus when she was younger and she became an exorcist because she was somehow involved in one of Marcus’ cases.

Sydney B. (@TrinityAnders99): I still believe Cindy has ties to Nachburn Island. This church in Tomas’ vision is the same one across from the well the witch drowns the children. We still don’t know how she and Jordy lost their baby. It might be linked to how the demon possesses the parents to kill their children. I think there is more to Lorraine Graham’s Munchausen syndrome. In essence, she was another parent trying to harm her child. Maybe Harper’s arrival to the island is no coincidence.

We had an interesting throw-back with the molded ceiling coming out from the floor of Nicole’s art studio resembling the kitchen ceiling Angela Rance was attempting to scrub coming down from Casey’s room. The piñata sludge from Tomas’ vision looks like the pool of blood draining from the victim of the first Powell murder.

I am wondering if Nicole’s studio might be the same place Glen Powell #1 committed the murders. This maybe a stretch, but Peter did mention Alice hid in a cubby hole for a while. When Tomas first entered the studio, the camera held on to a certain small, spider-web filled space. Also, the camera seemed to linger for a moment on one of the pillow cases at the slumber party. Alice had pigtails similar to Grace’s pillow mask. I wonder if there is a possible connection there?

Lastly, I don’t want to believe Andy had anything to do with Nicole’s suicide. Did he take the rock from the well and use it against her? Or did Nicole attempt to harm one of the children with the rock? Why is Shelby the only one who shares and communicates? Andy, please tell Rose about your chest nest. Grace, please tell Andy about the shadow figure in your room.

Michelle (@Contessa_966): Probably the fact that Peter is not good. I know a lot of people were waiting for that kiss, but I just don’t think that Marcus is safe in that situation.

Jessie (@andherewe_go): I love hearing everyone’s speculation about what’s going to happen on the show. So many theories, so many ways they can take these storylines. I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy theory, really…more like speculation, but I feel as though we’ve seen some hints that there’s more to Nicole’s death than we’ve heard about so far. With all of the demonic influence on the island, I think she was manipulated into committing suicide. What pushed her to it? What did she experience on the island? Now that she’s back (in a way…), I hope we get to see more of that backstory.

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Final Verdict: With so many twists and surprises, I’m not sure how much more we can handle. Actually, scratch that. We need more!?!

In one of the best episodes of the season yet, “There but for the Grace of god, Go I” was absolutely perfect. From the writing, to the cinematography and the scares in between, everything flowed so well! Do you guys have any questions about last night’s episode? Is Grace actually Nicole? What will happen to Mouse and Bennett? Tomas and Marcus? Ugh, we need more. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. See you next week Exorcist Congregation.

The Exorcist returns next Friday, November 10th at 9/8C on FOX.