Any horror fan worth his or her salt is familiar with The Exorcist, and so far, FOX's TV adaptation seems to be keeping up with this horror classic. There are conflicted priests! And a spooky soundtrack! And strange origins! One thing that stuck out to me, though, was the fact that it's not clear who is possessed on The Exorcist show. In the series premiere, it seems like the demon may actually be possessing both of the Rance sisters. Will this mystery continue all season? And how will it affect the way Father Tomas and Father Marcus eventually defeat the demon — if they even can?
The Rance family seems nice enough, but you can tell they have some secrets. Mom Angela is caring for dad Henry, who is clearly suffering from some sort of memory disorder. We don’t know if it’s a disease or was the result of an accident, but it’s totally put a strain on the family. That family includes daughters Kat, who refuses to come out of her room, and Casey who often goes to church. This might lead you to believe that Kat is the one who's possessed, but when Father Tomas investigates the house, it’s Casey that the demon chooses to make a statement with. I have to tell you, I wasn’t expecting that.
What does this mean? That Kat is not possessed and never will be? That her mood is just because of her family situation and not because she’s a host? Whatever the case, I think this playing back and forth between the two sisters will be a really interesting addition to the show. In the original movie, it was just Linda Blair puking and her head spinning, but if Father Tomas and Father Marcus don’t know who to trust, that will definitely put a wrench in their exorcism efforts. Can you quarantine a whole family? Will two priests be enough? Is there actually more than one demon? The premiere of The Exorcist definitely left me with more questions than answers.
Images: Chuck Hodes, Jean Whiteside/FOX
