Welcome to the Legion!

the-exorcist-104-5

As most Fox shows goes, ratings tend to dwindle after a strong pilot. The Exorcist isn’t immune to this effect, so it’s no wonder that EP Jeremy Slater decided to put us on the hype train two weeks ahead. That’s right, the big even is happening sooner than we thought, and it’s going to take the whole episode. We have to get to that point first, which is what Episode 4 takes its sweet time doing.

After the events on the subway, Casey spends her time writhing on a hospital bed while doctors try to figure out what’s wrong with her. Meanwhile, Father Tomas tries to find a way to perform the exorcism himself, even if it means going over the bishop’s head.

Marcus, disgraced and defrocked, is on a bit of a “How Stella got Her Groove Back” journey. He meanders through his story looking for people who would help him in his time of need. He finds himself at the doorstep of a convent where a circle of nuns have a much different method of expelling a demons. At the same time, he also meets a couple who run a bus tour about H. H. Holmes, aka The Devil in the White City. For a show that gets darker and gloomier as the minutes tick by, the couple — armed with an alarming amount of knowledge on demonic summoning rituals — is a welcomed comic relief. They’re cheesy and genuinely funny, and I hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of them.

the-exorcist-104-2

Marcus and Casey make the most progress in their individual storylines than Father Tomas; although, there are some developments with the latter than have me concerned. We’ll get to Tomas later.

With the nuns, Marcus learns an alternative way to expel demons from its human host. We’re more or less “familiar” with Marcus’ method by battling a demon until it is forced out. The nuns’ way is a bit more…patient and loving. The mother superior invites Marcus to an exorcism where he is encouraged to actively participate. He does, and manages to drive the demon out using the nuns’ method. This is a big win for Marcus, and it gives him the confidence to do the same with Casey. That’s all well and good, but this whole scenario happened too fast to my liking. It’s a small gripe considering the show has an endgame to get to.

Casey is confined to a bed in a hospital room where the doctors are exhausting nearly every resource they have to figure out what’s wrong with her. Her family isn’t allowed to visit while she’s under observation, and it’s driving Angela absolutely up the wall. During two days of tests, the Salesman keeps popping up and antagonizing Casey. Their relationship in the previous episode was as I feared: the Salesman is Casey’s emotional and physical abuser who, up until now, made her believe he was a loving companion who only thought of her best interests. He begins showing his true colors when Casey starts to see him for what he really is. The Salesman’s appearance becomes more and more gruesome with each visit, as does his acts to persuade her to do what he wants.

the-exorcist-104-3

“The Moveable Feast” seems to be shuffling around a bunch of little pieces, but they’re almost all overshadowed by Casey’s torture. I don’t mean it as a bad thing. It’s quite the opposite, really. They all seem to be pieces of a larger puzzle that will likely come into sharper focus after the 43-minute-long exorcism next week. One of those piece might involve Father Tomas’ rich new benefactor.

Last week, Maria Walters (Kirsten Fitzgerald) gave Father Tomas a six-figure donation to his church. No one gives away the touch money and not suspect something in return. While Maria plays coy and admits only to feeling generous, it would be foolish to dismiss her completely. Tomas’ nephew senses evil in Maria’s dying husband, and Maria herself seems to admire Tomas’ willingness to deviate from the Church’s ruling on Casey’s situation. 

As for the bus couple who knew more than they ought to, they mentioned that a big even is on its way, hence the series of grizzly murders and deaths suddenly popping up all over Chicago. What is the devil planning?

FINAL THOUGHTS:

  • “Moveable Feast” is an actual term used by the Catholic Church. It’s in reference to feast days that aren’t specifically locked down by a specific day, such as Ash Wednesday or Easter.
  • I’m pretty certain vocare pulvere, which means “demon summoning,” is entirely invented for the show’s expansion on Catholic beliefs.
  • The Mother Mary is extremely important in the Catholic pantheon, so it makes sense to see nuns invoke her in their exorcism. It is said that demons fear the mother of Jesus just as much as they fear the Big Guy.
  • WHY ARE YOU LETTING JESSICA SLEEP IN YOUR BED, TOMAS?!

About author View all posts

Christina E. Janke

Christina is the co-host of “Intro to Geek” on Shauncastic and Editor-in-Chief at Agents of Geek. Her love of all things Mass Effect knows no bounds. She also carries an obsession with comic books, video games, and quirky television shows. Her heroes are Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Gail Simone. She hopes to be just like them when she grows up.