The Exorcist Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Star of the Morning
Carissa Pavlica
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Did Father Bennett finally realize there was something odd about a poster promoting the Pope's arrival that featured the Pontiff's back?
I mean, really, is the Pope coming or going?
There were three very distinct stories at play on The Exorcist Season 1 Episode 6, with a boring little fourth plot line that keeps trying to keep itself in play, no matter how much I'd like to cut it off at the roots. Let's take a look!
Starting small, the story that just won't go away is anything related to Jessica.
It's simply peachy that once upon a time Marcus was a confused young man who didn't know if his future with a woman or God, but he chose God. It's different than a marriage. If he chooses to cheat on God, he loses everything.
There is nothing interesting about his continued confusion at this point when there are such big stakes at hand. In fact, it's ridiculous. Marcus was right that Tomas is never going to become an exorcist, but his line about having too much to lose fell flat.
He doesn't get to be in love and be a good priest. Not at the same time. Sorry. Move on. Satan's coming.
The material with the Rance family and between Angela/Regan and her mother, Chris, was compelling stuff.
Henry was having a hard time wrapping his head around what his wife revealed to him. To be fair, he's also still recovering from a brain injury, so he might need a little extra time to process everything.
He wasn't only concerned about Angela not bringing it up when her own daughter started going through the same thing she did when she was young, but the little things, like who was appeared in her photo albums as her mother and why she didn't trust him, of all people, with the truth.
The last part of that is easy enough to figure out, if Henry hadn't witnessed what he did with Casey personally, would he have ever believed Angela if she told him her story?
The entire reason she changed her identity was because she didn't want to be known as the demon girl. When the news guy was drilling her, saying over and over, REGAN, REGAN, REGAN, she realized her own name had become enemy territory. That's not an easy realization.
It's an even more difficult one to eradicate all that you did to hide who you once were. She was incredibly successful. She would never have wanted to expose her family if she could have helped it.
It was hard to determine if Chris was still trying to take advantage of the situation to try to make money or if she really cared. But the way she talked to Kat and the way Kat defended her mom made me think Chris really was in a crap situation no matter how you looked at it.
And if she wasn't getting work because of her demon daughter, then using what happened to keep her and Regan might have made sense, even if it didn't to Regan at the time.
What I loved was when the two of them learned that as far apart as they believed they had gotten from each other, they were never forgotten, and in fact always in each other's thoughts. With each move, they were aware of where the other was going. There was a comfort in knowing that if they really needed each other, they could reach out.
That was shown beautifully when Angela collapsed into her mothers arms after looking at a girl in the morgue. It wasn't Casey. Her daughter is alive, and it was into her mother's arms that she went to find comfort. What a great moment.
Sharon Gless and Geena Davis as mother and daughter worked better than I imagined, and their performances together were enjoyable. Gless is always a welcome addition to any show.
Everybody was out trying to find Casey. The entire city was rallying because of her disappearance. It was during a press conference that the families of the people slain, whose organs were taken, stood up and asked why they weren't given the same attention.
While the names of the dead were being read, their organs were being burned in preparation for the summoning ceremony. What a harrowing scene. Outside the frame of The Exorcist, when you think of real crimes that have been similarly committed, it's downright bone chilling.
Yet, it was a real head-scratcher for me, too. You'd think those murders would make terrific headlines. They were all on the same street, at the same time, and organs were missing? People would be coming from all over the US to cover that story. The horror of it would be impossible to shake. More, more, more!
And then we finally learned what the heck Mrs. Walters and her friends have been up to. All the most popular, most influential people in Chicago are in on the game. They're the ones summoning demons. Are they hoping to get lucky and maybe summon the almighty Satan?
Why else would they have such an alarming poster promoting the arrival of the Pope? Are they waiting to unveil the "real" poster with him face forward on the day he gets there? No. Those bastards must be expecting someone else, another HE altogether.
Pick me, pick me, pick me, pick me!
Influential Lunatics
That scene was so FUNNY. Pick me pick me? Oooh. Mrs. Walters didn't like being passed over. Is she going to be so angry she'll be a turncoat? She was only in it for herself, and not a good group member. Boo hoo.
And I guess they're going to have to get the police superintendent a new job, because he can no longer be in the public EYE, what with those freaked out eyeballs.
Is the Apple Priest/blind priest/Leader dude of the ritual already a demon? Is that why his eyes are frakked up? Are they ALL going to become demons before the end of the end (if, say, The Exorcist was granted a second season)?
I still don't quite get the summoning ritual and how it ties into Casey's possession. Did the two need to be connected, or is it by sheer happenstance Casey got possessed when she did by Captain Howdy just when the elite were calling upon the big guy.
Surely, I have no idea. But at least we know what they're doing now. It makes sense why Mrs. Walters was so pleased Tomas used the $100k to find Casey, and why the murders weren't national news.
Before signing off, there were two jump scares that were highly effective. Even expecting to see Casey behind Angela's shoulder when she was dreaming, I didn't expect to see THAT version of Casey. Freaky.
The other was Casey utilizing that back-bend spider maneuver all over the tunnel where she was ruling the homeless. That was wild, even though I've seen it done so many times before.
Let's hear what you think of this one. Where's it going? Did you expect everyone to be in on the summoning?
If you need to catch up, watch The Exorcist online to do so!!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
