S01.E05: Chapter Five: Through My Most Grievous Fault

[pezgirl7]

Quote

The storm of the century descends on Chicago as Father Tomas and Marcus battle the demon in spiritual warfare; the demon's control begins to divide members of the Rance family.

[NotChu]

Where is everybody???

[janeta]

Exorcising a demon is ok for a two hour movie; how are they going to sustain this for a season? 

[NotChu]

I was thinking the same.  But they have these other subplots to divert attention from the actual exorcism.  On another note...dude's toe nails are jacked up!  

[NotChu]

That older daughter would be packing her bags the moment the police left.   I've never seen the devil run free before.  This should be interesting.

[janeta]

Ok, well that answers my question. :)

[prospazzinator]

I was pretty close to giving up on this show, but I'll be back in 2 weeks. Was not expecting that twist at all! Can't wait to see what they do with it.

[Straycat80]

This was the best episode yet. The demon broke down Father Tomas fast. The twist is interesting, can't wait to see where it goes. 

[pezgirl7]

I didn't see the twist coming. When Angela, or should we call her Regan?, was talking to Tomas, I thought she was going to confess to doing something horrible as a teenager to get attention. I wonder if her story is still well known to people?

Please tell me Tomas was just resting his head on Casey's stomache, and nothing more, when Marcus walked in on them! I'm hoping he's got that woman out of her system, and can stay strong from now on. Marcus faired much better, but I fear for him, because in the original movie, the priest sacrificed himself to save Regan. Also, if the demon was correct, then I was right about getting gay vibes from Marcus. Not that it matters. I don't think that can be used against him by the demon, since he doesn't seem like the type to care what anyone thinks of him.

[RedheadZombie]

Kat's actions were pretty predictable, and I can't really blame her.  She had no business being in the house, where everyone is vulnerable to spiritual attack.  Since Henry has some sort of brain damage, he was probably the most vulnerable, and he also did the devil's business.  It seemed a little silly that Henry knew Angela was lying because the bible was dedicated to"Rags", which is a pretty vague nickname (which I hated in the book).

A few times during Tomas's scenes, there were moments he seemed to look like another person.  Even better looking.  It was strange. 

Father Marcus is mesmerizing.  I would watch a show based on his character.

I love the twist thus far, and I'm taking my comparisons to the movie/book to that thread.

3 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

Please tell me Tomas was just resting his head on Casey's stomache, and nothing more, when Marcus walked in on them!

I don't think so.  "Casey" slyly commented, "just as I was getting ahead", which if you remove the a in the last word, describes what was happening.

[pezgirl7]

4 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

I don't think so.  "Casey" slyly commented, "just as I was getting ahead", which if you remove the a in the last word, describes what was happening.

Yea, I caught that, but was just hoping someone else had another opinion, because that's a big can of Nope right there.

What do you mean by Henry doing the devil's business?

I think what the demon whispered to Henry had something to do with the devil knowing his wife in the past. Henry asked Angela if he had something to tell her before he found the bible, so I think finding the bible was just confirmation for him. I think someone is definitely looking for out Henry, since he just happened to find the bible. And since the bible uncovered Angela's secret, I think that will somehow help defeat the demon.

[monakane]

I loved the twist!  I knew it was coming when Angela said, "when I was a child in Washington, DC".  It was a great tie-in to the movie.  

[Mu Shu]

So is Tomas now getting excommunicated?  He should, since I'm a better priest and I don't even know what priests do, but I know they don't give oral to demon possessed teens, or have sex with married women, or anyone for that matter.  What the fuck, show?   Did you have to take it that far?  

The twist felt clunky to me.   gena Davis was really chewing scenery tonight.  

Speaking of scenery,  set  design is nice.  Bravo to the Argentoesque wallpaper in the girls rooms.

[RedheadZombie]

10 minutes ago, pezgirl7 said:

Yea, I caught that, but was just hoping someone else had another opinion, because that's a big can of Nope right there.

What do you mean by Henry doing the devil's business?

I think what the demon whispered to Henry had something to do with the devil knowing his wife in the past. Henry asked Angela if he had something to tell her before he found the bible, so I think finding the bible was just confirmation for him. I think someone is definitely looking for out Henry, since he just happened to find the bible. And since the bible uncovered Angela's secret, I think that will somehow help defeat the demon.

I prefer your twist on it, but Henry just as likely found the bible when the demon made the ceiling leak.  All the evil glances he kept giving Angela were before he knew her secret - which wasn't very telling BTW, unless you've read the book or seen the movie - so I think there's something brewing in him.  Henry could probably gain access to the pope through Angela, and I'm sure Henry would be present at Angela's side at this big shindig they're planning.

He is coming ........ Marcus thought "he" was the pope.  I thought it was the devil.  It sounded like a threat, not an update on the pope's whereabouts.

[SimoneS]

I came away more confused than before. So the "she" the demon was referring to was Angela/Regan? I kept thinking that Henry was going to kill Angela/Regan any minute after the demon told him the secret, instead he finds the bible.

I was surprised how quickly Tomas became corrupted and Marcus fell for the mother hallucination.

I don't blame Kat for calling the police. From her perspective they were torturing Casey. Her parents should have sent her away.

[pezgirl7]

I thought Henry might have been possessed at first, but when he didn't do anything evil, I just figured the show wanted us to think he was for suspense. I still think he was just mad at his wife because the demon probably told him she's lying to him and she could help save her daughter, but she won't. I hope Henry is OK and not being influenced. Ironically, he seems to have the strongest will/belief out of everyone right now, except for maybe Marcus.

[7isBlue]

I'm watching this now in California. Can Thomas be any dumber?! Argh! Yelling at my tv. 

[CelticBlackCat]

Wow.  Well, well, well.  What an epi that was!  NOW we know why it's called The Exorcist, seems like it's a continuation of the MacNeil family affairs!  I thought it was just too obvious that they named the character Angela.  I didn't see the twist coming at all.

Father Tomas has got to be the most gullible person on the planet!  I was yelling at my TV too.  Did he really think that was the real Jessica in the room?  It just goes to show you how seductive the demon is.  Now he's really mucked it up with his visit to Jessica's house.  Poor Fr. Tomas.

The show has viewer discretion advised and is on late so I think they can go there.

Ben Daniels is a superb actor.  Just brilliant.  I feel as though I'm watching an Academy Award winning movie with him in this show.  The atmosphere is great too.

Yeah, first thing that went wrong is they never should have let Henry go into the attic.  They should have known everyone would want to check up on Casey.  The priests should have guarded the door around the clock.  Second, as I've already mentioned, Tomas the Gullible really blew it.

NOW does Kat believe that Casey is really possessed?  (With her driving away scene in the ambulance.)  They definitely should have sent that chick away before they started the proceedings.  She's acting like she's running the whole show calling the police.  Poor Marcus.  Ex-communicated, arrested, in the middle of the demons in Chicago.

[SimoneS]

I never knew the name of Linda Blair's character in the Exorcist. So the demon really wants to possess Angela/Regan which makes sense. I thought that the good thing was that Bennett showed up to bail out Marcus. I think that Marcus is right that the demons are going to possess the priest. 

[NotChu]

Now it makes sense why "Angela" knew Casey was possessed from the start!  However, I think it would have been a real hoot if they'd gotten Ellen Burnstyn to reprise her role as Chris McNeil.  Now that would've really been spooky.  I wonder if this particular demon is going to turn out to be the original Capt Howdy?

[Mu Shu]

I am confused about the black priest.  He seems to keep helping Marcus, but wasn't he involved in the great organ harvest caper?  Did I just imagine that?

welcome to possessed ville Tomas, you gutless wonder.  Folded like a cheap card table.   If either of the two main priests meet an unfortunate end, I'm picking him.  He was cannoodling with Jessica eye bags long before demon fest.  I hate his story line, and I hate that he caved completely.  

[Gin and Tonic]

12 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Marcus faired much better, but I fear for him, because in the original movie, the priest sacrificed himself to save Regan.

If this show has any sense, they'll keep Ben Daniels around for as long as possible. He is just utterly charming and charismatic as he moves between the angry, scenery chewing exorcist to amiable, kind former priest. I'm not even sure how the person telling Angela that tea would be a blessing and reassuring Kat that he wouldn't hurt Casey is the same person who was spitting and shouting at the demon. And I'm still so impressed with his monologue in episode 2.

12 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Yea, I caught that, but was just hoping someone else had another opinion, because that's a big can of Nope right there.

Given the restrictions of broadcast TV, I never thought that when this show started they'd be able to do anything that unsettled me as much as the original movie, but that whole sequence? I'm not even sure how they got it past the censors, frankly. I hope there's some more fallout from that. Yes, I know it was set up to led to Tomas sleeping with Jessica, but that was just gilding the the lily. The real horror was that Tomas did to poor Casey's abused body. Yeeeesh. It just makes me shudder.

I'm also hoping it's the "rock bottom" moment for Tomas and that the next four episodes lead to his repentance and rejection of Jessica because dear god is she boring.

I like how the show utilizes Spanish. It always drives me nuts when there's a character who doesn't speak English as a first language who speaks English constantly - even when alone or with other characters who share his native tongue. I like that Tomas gets to pray and say blessings in Spanish at times, and that, when alone and despondent, he said his confession in Spanish.

I'll take a wait-and-see approach with the twist they just dropped, but it certainly makes more sense that they've hired Geena Davis for this role. I'm glad she and Alan Ruck are getting more to do!

[iMonrey]

Hey, you're not Linda Blair! She's still around, you know. I guess if they'd cast her it would have been obvious from the start so there wouldn't have been a surprise twist, but it still might have been interesting.

Wouldn't the parents have been arrested when the police showed up and found their daughter chained in her room? How did they get around that?

[Gin and Tonic]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Wouldn't the parents have been arrested when the police showed up and found their daughter chained in her room? How did they get around that?

Yes, they absolutely would have. If by some miracle they weren't arrested the cops certainly wouldn't have sat them down in the living room and been sympathetic for the family's "difficult time." They would've been immediately investigated, especially if Casey is a minor.

[Negritude]

Didn't see the twist coming. Too bad the ratings are low and it probably won't be brought back for a 2nd season. 

I agree about Ben Daniels. He smolders well lol. He was the best thing about that bizarre ballerina show, Flesh and Bone, on Starz. 

[RedheadZombie]

I didn't see the twist coming either.  But it became obvious during the conversation build up, that everyone around Angela had been impacted physically or spiritually.  And the obvious conclusion was the demon is targeting Angela.

And I still see the convo between the demon and Henry as much more sinister.  Demons lie and seduce, so I don't think the main intention was to simply out Angela.  "Casey" could have outed Angela to the priests.  Henry was chosen for a reason, and I don't think it was a heads up, or an act of God that will lead to their victory over the devil.  But I could be completely wrong.  Henry has brain damage for a reason, and I'm not yet sure what it is.

[Happy Belly]

I LOVE THIS SHOW! Sorry for shouting, but this show is entertaining me more than any other non-reality show I've ever watched. The twist? Wow, i actually got goosepimples when she saif my real name is Regan.  I didn't put two and two together when she said she was from Washington, D.C. 

Edited to correct the spelling of Regan's name

Edited October 22, 2016 by Happy Belly

[CelticBlackCat]

6 hours ago, NotChu said:

Now it makes sense why "Angela" knew Casey was possessed from the start!  However, I think it would have been a real hoot if they'd gotten Ellen Burnstyn to reprise her role as Chris McNeil.  Now that would've really been spooky.  I wonder if this particular demon is going to turn out to be the original Capt Howdy?

Yeah, I was going to post the same sentiment!  Nothing like first-hand experience, right?

Ms. Burstyn is 83 years old now but still wants to work.  Hollywood is tough on older actors.  That would have been awesome if she was the Chris MacNeil who came out of the foggy shadows last night.

Captain Howdy aka Pazuzu could be the demon.  Time will tell...

[RedheadZombie]

Anyone taking note of the episode titles?  They seem pretty purposeful so I googled a little.  I'm not Catholic, and I don't know Latin, so this may be obvious to some.  But for the rest of us:

• Episode One:  And Let My Cry Come Unto Thee - From Psalm.  "A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.  Here my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you".  (New International Version)
• Episode Two:  Lupus in Fabula - Literally translates from Latin to English as "wolf in the tale".   References that the person being talked about is appearing, and to be careful.  Proverbially - Speak of the devil, and he will appear.
• Episode Three:  Let 'Em In - No biblical reference, but possibly playing on the Paul McCartney song?  "Someone's knockin' at the door.  Somebody's ringin' the bell.  Someone's knocking' at the door.  Somebody's ringin's the bell."  Creepy.  Obviously the devil's knocking.
• Episode Four:  The Moveable Feast - Refers to observances in Catholicism celebrated yearly, but on changing dates.  For example, Easter.  I'm not getting the connection.
• Episode Five:  Through My Most Grievous Fault - A phrase used at the beginning of Mass or when receiving the sacrament of Penance.   It's also used as an admission that the mistake should have been avoided, similar to a mea culpa.

[Fable]

Interesting twist.  I really thought the secret the demon told Henry was that he wasn't the biological father of one or both of the girls.  I didn't see the Regan thing coming at all.  

[pezgirl7]

3 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

 

• Episode Four:  The Moveable Feast - Refers to observances in Catholicism celebrated yearly, but on changing dates.  For example, Easter.  I'm not getting the connection.

Maybe it just refers to the nasty family breakfast that Casey was dreaming about in the beginning of the show. Also, later the family was eating dinner together, but somberly because Casey wasn't there.

Edited October 23, 2016 by pezgirl7

[Gin and Tonic]

5 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Episode Four:  The Moveable Feast - Refers to observances in Catholicism celebrated yearly, but on changing dates.  For example, Easter.  I'm not getting the connection.

It was used by the couple in the RV when explaining the various "surges" of evil that have happened historically and that appear to be happening in Chicago now. The guy (I think) made a comment along the lines of "evil is a moveable feast." Loose metaphor in other words. The show used it to refer to geographic movement instead of time.  

5 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Episode Five:  Through My Most Grievous Fault - A phrase used at the beginning of Mass or when receiving the sacrament of Penance.   It's also used as an admission that the mistake should have been avoided, similar to a mea culpa.

Not just similar to a mea culpa, it's the actual language used in a Latin rite mass. The translation for "my most grievous fault" may be familiar to non-Catholics: mea maxima culpa. It's the prayer Tomas was saying after he slept with Jessica.

Edited October 23, 2016 by Gin and Tonic

[7isBlue]

6 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Captain Howdy aka Pazuzu could be the demon.  Time will tell...

Oh! That name gave me the chills!

[Frozendiva]

Enjoyed the ep and agree with most of the comments.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Ms. Burstyn is 83 years old now but still wants to work.

And Geena Davis is three years older than Linda Blair. I have to wonder if the show ever looked into using either Burstyn or Blair, or if they dismissed the idea as "too obvious." I mean, assuming it was the plan all along to make this show a sequel to the novel/movie, about the possession of Regan's daughter, why not reach out to Linda Blair and see if she's interested? Yeah, we wouldn't have had a big "twist" at the end of the fifth episode, but that might have actually helped the ratings out from the start if they'd promoted the show as a sequel starring Blair (and assuming they can pretend The Exorcist II: The Heretic never happened).

Edited October 23, 2016 by iMonrey

[CelticBlackCat]

I think it's better to have the twist.  As for ratings, I don't think anything will help a show on a Friday night time slot.  As great as Linda Blair was in the movies, I don't think she wants to play Regan the rest of her life.  Shout out to Linda's animal rescue and charity work!

[iMonrey]

Some shows do OK on Friday nights. Grimm has been around for five seasons and didn't have a built-in franchise to spring off of. Let's face it, this show can use all the help it can get, ratings-wise, so a little much-needed publicity might have helped it launch stronger and keep it around longer. Not enough people have stuck around for this fifth-episode "surprise." Might have been smarter to bill the show as as a straight-up sequel from the outset.

Hindsight is, of course, 20/20.

[CelticBlackCat]

Seems like if they heavily promoted Geena Davis and Ben Daniels being in the TV series, it might have made a difference.  I don't know how much the show was promoted because I watch very little TV and only found a NEW show called The Exorcist moments before while looking on the TV listings!  I thought to give it a watch and was instantly and still hooked.

Edited October 24, 2016 by CelticBlackCat

[Addlepated]

When Angela was cleaning the window during the storm and staring really intently outside, I swear I saw the reflection of her eyes change color and become light.  Geena Davis has really dark brown eyes, and all of a sudden her irises were light-colored in the window.  Did anyone else see it or was I trippin?

Edit: HAHA My TiVo cooperated and I was able to freeze it.

http://imgur.com/a/KcKvd

Edited October 24, 2016 by Addlepated

[starri]

I have to admit, they roped me back in in the last five minutes.  I honestly thought the only reference to the original was the Easter Egg newspaper clipping Tomas saw in the first episode.

The one thing I can't quite square is Regan's statement that Chris had tried to turn her into some kind of sideshow attraction after she was freed by Fathers Karras and Merrin.  Chris was famous in her own right, and seemed to do very well at keeping Regan out of the spotlight.  It just doesn't seem like she'd try and make her famous for something horrific that happened to her.

It was a seriously great twist.  I could have dropped the show had they not pulled that whammy.  Great execution, and the shot of Chris walking up to the Rance house was phenomenal.

[NotChu]

On 10/22/2016 at 4:19 PM, CelticBlackCat said:

Yeah, I was going to post the same sentiment!  Nothing like first-hand experience, right?

Ms. Burstyn is 83 years old now but still wants to work.  Hollywood is tough on older actors.  That would have been awesome if she was the Chris MacNeil who came out of the foggy shadows last night.

Captain Howdy aka Pazuzu could be the demon.  Time will tell...

Shoot, Sharon Gless is 73.  When you get that old, a decade or two doesn't make a difference!  lol  A little make up to diminish the wrinkles.  Plus, Ellen is much spookier looking than Sharon.  lol  Damn Hollywood and their ageism!  

[piequinn35]

Dumb Thomas :( stupid sister! >:(

[NotChu]

I had a thought today.  How come nobody ever addressed the nurse getting choked out by the devil in the hospital scene?  Casey was tied down, so they'd be hard pressed to say she did it.  Did the nurse forget she'd been suspended about a foot off the ground for a few seconds?  that's a big plot hole to me.

[starri]

13 hours ago, NotChu said:

How come nobody ever addressed the nurse getting choked out by the devil in the hospital scene?

I assumed the demon was just showing it to her, not that it had actually happened.  Like the gross breakfast.

One thing I don't get, Regan was claiming the demon is coming for her.  But while she was the one possessed in the movie, the demon was actually after Karras.

[pezgirl7]

3 hours ago, starri said:

I assumed the demon was just showing it to her, not that it had actually happened.  Like the gross breakfast.

I thought that they showed the nurse in the hallway afterwards, looking in shock, and being comforted by someone. I also thought that's when the doctor told Angela that he was going to allow her to take Casey home. We have no idea what the nurse actually thinks happened to her, but maybe she didn't want to sound crazy by explaining it. Also, I could see the demon not appearing to the nurse, just choking her, so the nurse could just be really confused about what exactly happened.

[Door]

I was not expecting this twist! I'm really enjoying the different currents running between the family members. I'm wondering how much of the strife is demonic vs. just them and their bad interpersonal relationships. 

Tomas... to fall to your lust at such a time. Why do none of these people ever think, "Hey, I'm involved in an exorcism at the moment. Better not do anything morally compromising, just in case." I've never been taunted by a demon though, so I'm probably overestimating his practicality. On a shallow note, that actor is obviously a handsome man but he never has been made to look more handsome than wet, sans collar, standing outside Jessica's door. Goodness!

[NotChu]

5 hours ago, Door said:

I was not expecting this twist! I'm really enjoying the different currents running between the family members. I'm wondering how much of the strife is demonic vs. just them and their bad interpersonal relationships. 

Tomas... to fall to your lust at such a time. Why do none of these people ever think, "Hey, I'm involved in an exorcism at the moment. Better not do anything morally compromising, just in case." I've never been taunted by a demon though, so I'm probably overestimating his practicality. On a shallow note, that actor is obviously a handsome man but he never has been made to look more handsome than wet, sans collar, standing outside Jessica's door. Goodness!

Because everyone has weaknesses they think they have under control, but don't.  Tomas was warned early on to get that woman out of his life, but he thought he had a handle on it and scoffed at the idea.  His arrogance defeated him.  That's what the devil looks for.  Those chinks in the armor.

And your note wasn't shallow at all.  Not at all.  lol

[NotChu]

On 10/28/2016 at 7:17 AM, starri said:

I assumed the demon was just showing it to her, not that it had actually happened.  Like the gross breakfast.

One thing I don't get, Regan was claiming the demon is coming for her.  But while she was the one possessed in the movie, the demon was actually after Karras.

I could've sworn, in the movie and the book, the devil was after Merrin.  It had fought with Merrin before and called Merrin's name out when Merrin appeared at the McNeil home.  I think it was looking for showdown #2.  I don't know the working dynamics in hell, but it seems the demons have to possess a regular human host as a means of confronting the priests.  If you mean, at the end when the demon jumped out of Regan's body into Father Karras', that was a means of convenience, I think.  The girl's body was wasted, probably on the verge of death, and getting pummeled by Karras.  I guess you can say Karras literally beat the devil out of her.  lol  If you watch Exorcist 2, you'll find it is actually the death of Merrin the devil relishes the most.  Anyway, that's my opinion.

[starri]

I think for purposes of the show, Exorcist II and the two prequels are basically ignored.

I haven't actually sat down and watched the original for a long time, but Karras is being haunted by dreams and visions well before Chris is desperate to have an exorcism.  Plus there's his entire crisis of faith that got set off by the death of his mother.

[lyric]

Why in the world would they skip 'Halloween weekend' to air a new episode?  I'd think people are looking for some good, creepy tv this weekend of all weekends - I know I was!  What a wasted opportunity.