TV Review: The Exorcist (Season 1, Episode 5)

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

EPISODE: CHAPTER 5: THROUGH MY MOST GRIEVOUS FAULT

THE DISH: The exorcism of Casey Rance begins. Can Keane and Ortega keep the demon at bay long enough to draw it out of the poor girl's soul?

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW! IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THIS EPISODE YET, STOP READING HERE!

THE DICE-UP: Happy Friday friends and fervent Arrow in the Headers, the official exorcism has begun! That's right, it took awhile to get underway, but the 5th chapter of Fox's The Exorcist series – Through My Most Grievous Fault – finally put the titular deduction of evil in motion. The episode kicked off with an ominous rainstorm descending on the Chicago suburbs, as Keane and Ortega ready themselves for an all out battle for either soul salvation or eternal damnation. Poor Casey has been interred in her boarded-up bedroom, crusty puke staining her lips, the demon inside her clearly taking hold as seen when the girl lashes a filthy-slimy tongue into the ear of her own father, Henry. Will he be any worse for wear? Seems likely. In fact, he seems far more biblically quizzical compared to before, even if still entranced in a fugue state. I hope Alan Ruck gets more to work with than being a mere victimized vegetable, and I have a sneaking suspicion his newfound influence will cause an irreparable riff between he and Angela.

But enough of that for now, it's exorcism time. The two fathers have locked themselves in the room with Casey, who at first, speaks in a pretty weak, nonthreatening voice on behalf of the demon. Almost in a tinny, show-tunes kind of way to be honest. Had me a bit upset at first, for all the wrong reasons. But then, she switches up and speaks in an eerie female Spanish language, addressing Ortega specifically, knowing he's the weakest of the two priests. Then Casey is levitated, violently tossed across the room in all directions, slammed up against the walls and ceiling, the place looking like a disheveled crack-den-hovel, rain pounding the windows and strobe-light slashing through the room. This is the kind of the thing we'd expect from an Exorcist redo. Of course it can't rival the scarifying iconography of the original, but so what, nothing and nobody ever will. In a more intimate attempt, Keane holds Casey's fevered head in his lap, and while the girl moans and groans, we see the manifestation of the demon (the salesman) pin her down by his filthy, long-toe-nailed feet before searing a crucifix into her forehead. "Bring her to me!" he exhorts the girl, telling her she knows what she needs to do to set herself free. Does he mean Kat? Angela? Who?

Less effective for me was when the demon, in the guise of Jessica, tried to seductively tempt Tomas. He can't resist, and soon the demon is exercising its power of the immature priest, thereby quelling the exorcism.  Keane advises Tomas to walk it off, claiming he's been compromised and now a liability. Tomas indeed goes home and bangs his ex with newfound fervor. Now left alone to battle the demon, Keane begins a line of tough talk with the demon. He confronts the beast head on, but the demon reacts by summoning the ghost of Keane's mother, who informs her son that his birth was a unwanted mistake. Shaken ever so slightly, Keane makes another go at the demon, pleading for it to leave Casey's poor soul alone, and just as another eruption of violence could break out, the cops that Kat convinced Angela into calling barge in and bust up the party. No fun. Casey is wheeled out, Keane arrested and Angela apoplectic. Good thing redemption was had a bit when Casey brutally slaughters the entire EMT unit and makes a daring escape into the woods. Keane, meanwhile is caged in the hoosegow, while Angela ends the episode with a confessional with Tomas at church.  

And some confessional it was. To those anagramatically inclined, you may already know that Angela Rance rearranged spells A Clean Regan. Well, it turns out that Angela (a angel) is indeed Regan MacNeil from the original story, all grown up with daughters of her own. She went on the lam after her incident with Pazuzu, changed her name and elected to start life anew. A pretty bold and brazen reveal with only three episodes left, no? And frankly, one I not only wholeheartedly approve of, but one that actually makes the entire series seem more worthwhile. Had it just been a simple rehash of the original novel and movie adaptation, it could never offer anything new or unseen. As it is now, the show has revealed itself to be a long-form sequel of sorts, with Regan still embattled for her own sense of peace, it's now her children's turn to feel the fire. Let's hope Geena Davis gets juicier scenes to revel in moving forward, as she's still a more than capable actor of making this kind of story feel plausible. All this to say I'm now feeling a lot better knowing that creator of the series, Jeremy Slater, had clear intentions of connecting a direct lineage to this show and the original source material, doing so in a way that moves the narrative forward rather than simply calling attention to it as a sad celebratory cash-grab (Rocky Horror, I'm looking at you). Fingers crossed the final three frames deliver an equally unforeseen and even more violent scourge of exorcistic hell. Pray for it! 

THE EVILDOING:

• The demon has infested Henry's already compromised mindstate, entering through his ear
• The demon thrashes Casey around her room, slamming her up against walls and the ceiling, speaking in tongues and various languages
• The demon burns a cross into Casey's forehead
• The demon tricks Tomas into thinking its Jessica
• The demon makes Marcus' mother appear
• Casey slaughters an entire EMT unit in the back of an ambulanc before escaping

CREEPIEST MOMENT: A small moment, but right before Casey is lifted into the ambulance, she undoes her mask, glares at her sister Kat, and flashes a devilish grin. What was that all about? Is Kat the next to be possessed? Could it be her that the demon was demanding be brought before it? I'm now starting to think it's going to be Angela, aka Regan. What says you?

THE CONFESSIONAL: I confess, I had no real inkling tha Angela was Regan. Mainly because the producers insisted on this being a return to the source novel by William Peter Blatty. Shame on me, as none of the first few episodes were consistent with much of the novel. That said, I confess to also being pleasantly surprised. Now I genuinely want to see how the series ends, and even potentially sets up future chapters.