Angela Rance has left the building.

As we roll at the beginning of The Exorcist Season 1 Episode 9, there isn't a hint of the character we've grown to know over the previously eight chapters. She's gone.

In her place is the woman/demon hybrid I'm calling Regan, because that is who Pazuzu waited almost a lifetime to possess again.

"Chapter Nine: 162" was, I think, a love letter to Geena Davis. 

It was written in a way that her talents were showcased above all else. For this hour, the story flatlined and characters who should have known better by this point seemed to have lost their way. Except for Marcus, who always manages to keep it together.

There's nothing wrong with writing an episode to showcase the amazing things Davis can do as an actor, because she hasn't had the meatiest of scripts up to this point, with the exception of the work she did on The Exorcist Season 1 Episode 7.

It was in that episode when Angela began to self destruct, falling apart at the seams as she realized only extraordinary measures would save her daughter.

She had come to an understanding with her own mother in that process, as well, and Davis pulled off the many emotions beautifully.

My only wish would have been for this hour to have not only have effectively represented Davis' acting prowess, but to use it to further move the story along. Because that didn't happen.

Oh, exciting things happened, for sure. Not only did Regan announce her presence to the group behind the Pope's visit and ensure they stood exactly where, in the food chain, they belonged, but she took the time to let Maria know why she has yet to be chosen as a first born.

It turns out, she smells. Of desperation and mediocrity. Ouch. 

I almost felt sorry for the poor woman. But just a little earlier, was surprised that she was so amazingly unaware of the ties between what was going on with Angela Rance's daughter and her own little group.

Maybe if she understood the overall structure of her demonology, Pazuzu would have been able to look upon her more kindly.

Regan also took out Mother Bernadette with some baked goods. Despite the fact Pazuzu was starving Casey, there's nothing that demon loves more than to eat and drink. And ogle. Ogling seems fairly high on the list of likes, too.

Whether the family was saying prayers at the dinner table, she was taking out a handful of nuns or what have you, Regan was all over the food and drink. 

The biggest disappointment to me during this hour was, believe it or not, NOT the lack of story movement, but the inability of those around her to immediately catch onto the fact she wasn't exactly herself.

Kat continued to drive home the fact that, hey, Grandma died, and she was being a right smart alek about it, as she should have been. But that wasn't enough. It felt more like teenage rebellion than any realization on her part to what was happening.

Henry was only too happy to have his wife bring up the topic of sex, and I was seriously worried about him with that giant grin surpassed only by crazy eyed laughter as she kind of attempted to strangle him.

Dude, that was not fun sexy time.

And poor Kat was being fondled in her bed. Talk about awkward. But at least that was the last straw for Casey, who was already questioning things after mom told her she understood falling in love with a demon and wishing him back. Uh, no.

Marcus and Tomas touched base momentarily, just enough for Marcus to tell Tomas to watch his back.

Marcus lost his traveling friends because they thought they could handle themselves in the face of great evil. They really didn't know what they were up against. 

But what is going on, exactly? When Marcus had Simon trapped, what I heard as their evil plan was they wanted to murder the Pope here, on live television by a wayward (deviant) priest, for the whole world to see, thereby throwing Catholics into a panic.

THAT'S IT?

Is that really all there is to their cunning plan? Then what? Nobody even wanted to enter the body of the Pontiff? Take over Catholicism? Please tell me what I missed. 

As for Tomas, he had dinner with Regan and family, never suspecting a thing, because he was too wrapped up in his own stuff, I guess.

Everyone thought Theresa was a part of the cunning plan to lure Tomas away from the action with the Rance family and into the arms of the demonites, but it didn't seem like that in the end. She appeared genuinely contrite.

Tomas: I can't give you what you want, Theresa, the life that you deserve.
Theresa: I seduced a priest. What kind of life do I deserve?

• Permalink: I seduced a priest. What kind of life do I deserve?

So now as we move into the finale, we have our two "heroes" split up. Marcus is, I suppose, being detained by the group. Will God infuse him with some special powers to get free or something? 

Marcus is alone at the Rance house, and if the family is as worthless as they were at figuring out things about dear old mom, then they won't be able to take down Pazuzu without outside help. 

Where do you think this is going to end up? What's the game plan here? What the heck did I miss about the plan to take down the Pope? Hit me up, peeps!

If you need more information, you can watch The Exorcist online to follow the trail of carnage to this point.

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.