AND SO IT COMES TO PASS.

We have reached The Exorcist S1 Finale and The Surgeons ask ourselves ‘Was the journey worth the wait?”

We’ve given 10 hours of our time to reach the conclusion to the tales of Father Marcus, Father Tomas and The Rance’s”

But was it worth it? Did the Season satisfy our bloody curiosity?

Let’s take a look and dissect Chapter 10 “Three Rooms”.
Warning, there are spoilers ahead.

1. “How far are you willing to take this?“
   The words uttered by Pazuzu to Father Tomas as he challenges him hangs on the lips of every viewer that has stuck it out thus far.
   How far are the writers willing to push the Angela / Regan storyline? And how deep are they willing to go for this final conflict?
   But… first things first?

2. “I’m dying for Him”
   When the Friars of Ascension challenge Father Marcus devotion to the church by slitting his wrists, they receiving a damning response as he declares his undying passion for the Lord.
   One that cannot be questioned or taken from him, so devoted to the Lord, he is willing to die for Him.
   Oh and did we mention that Father Bennett is still alive? (Although barely)
   And we are gifted with something of a buddy priest moment as our two victims meet again whilst tied up to chairs and bleeding to death.

3. Family meetings can be torture
   Especially if Pazuzu is the one holding the talking stick.
   With arms potentially being pulled from their sockets, kneecaps smashed, and lives threatened, one is reminded of family gatherings at Christmas dinner.
   But one thing that proves trying for our demon on a mission is how blood is thicker than water, no matter how much of it he tries to spill.
   Despite their fractured lives they are willing to stand together until the bitter end.

4. Father Marcus’ mission
   Freeing himself from the shackles of imprisonment and near death, Father Marcus then ventures off to save the Pope.
   Yes that’s right the Pope.
   But not without first pushing Maria Walters to give herself to the demons.
   Free to then prevent an assassination on the Pope b y preventing Father Simon, who by this point has curiously turned into a warped version of Father Jack from Father Ted, if such a thing were at all possible.
   Once Marcus thwarts the plan by killing Father Simon, all is right in the world, which once again feels a bit of a week effort on the part of the Friars of Ascension.
   They’ve been hatching this plan for a while, only to leave all hope of success in the hands of one priest.
   You’d think they’d go all Agent Smith and duplicate themselves to a frenzy in order to act out there task.
   And what happened to all the possessed homeless folk?

5. “You want me, come and get me”
   On the other side of Chicago, the Rance’s have a battle of their own going on.
   It’s revealed that part of Angela/Regan’s psyche still resides inside her mind as she gains in confidence and with the power and belief in the lord behind her, finally faces up to Pazuzu.
   Meanwhile in the outside world, Father Tomas comes too and in a moment that was somewhat reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s confrontation before The Emperor where he tells his foe that he is a Jedi.
   Except in this case, Father Tomas declares that he is an Exorcist, before acting out God’s will and using the words of the bible to take on the demon aided by the Rance family who provide a chorus behind him.

EPILOGUE. Three Priests walk into a bar
So Pazuzu is defeated, left as a bloody pulp in the recesses of Angela/Regan’s mind.
Father Tomas, Father Bennett, and Father Marcus collect their thoughts and once again act chummy over a nice cup of char.
If The Exorcist were to have any life beyond Season 1, this relationship is the one to explore.
Hardened Priests forced together to defeat a common enemy in a life that no one else can or will ever understand.
The Rance family meanwhile take up residence in a remote setting to start life afresh, presumably in a house conveniently left by the now deceased grandmother, Chris McNeil.
And we’re left wondering if Angela/Regan really is free of her Demons and as safe as she proclaims.
My final verdict is that it felt a little too easy by the end of it.

So much promise for a final conflict but it was resolved with the bonding of a family and the words of the Lord.

And I guess that therein lies the issue when you have to have a complete narrative to tell within 10 episodes and not knowing if that story could extend further into a second season, plus you are limited by the direction taken within the Exorcist franchise parameter.

This leaves you confined within the parameters and if Season 2 arise, the series needs to be free to break down these walls and get a whole lot darker.

Only then will it be able to soar above and become an entity of its own.

Without that freedom, its wings will be clipped and it will never fly onwards.
– Paul Farrell

THE PENULTIMATE EPISODE has a tough task to undertake.

It’s sole purpose is to tie up all the strands that have been laid down prior and build itself up with enough of a teaser to allow the final episode to produce the climax.

What will become of the Rance family now that Angela has given her soul to Pazuzu?

Will Father Marcus follow the breadcrumbs left by Father Bennett?

Will Father Tomas finally resist temptation?

Let’s take a look and dissect Chapter 9, “126”.

Warning, there are spoilers ahead.

1. “Take me instead“
   If any of you were wondering, at what point Angela had given of herself to Pazuzu, your query was answered this week.
   The torture that was constantly being inflicted upon Casey was too much to bear, so to save her, Regan pleaded for her daughter’s life in exchange for her own.
   All of which curiously led to “3 Little Dogs sitting on my doorstep, growling a sweet growl”
   And time for Pazuzu to tie up lose ends.

2. The Friars of Ascension meet their match
   Just how powerful is Pazuzu and what demons lie behind or entwined within the Friars of Ascension cult.
   Pazuzu is certainly powerful enough to force the cult members to bow to his demands.
   We see throughout this episode the extent of his manipulation, both physically and mentally.
   So it’s interesting to see that despite resistance, they are unable to fight Pazuzu.
   Does this mean that the Friars are less threatening as a result?
   Perhaps.

3. The Rego’s get too close to the fire
   The first of our victims would turn out to be The Rego’s.
   Too much snooping cost them dearly and so Lester and Cherry, The Exorcist’s answer to the Lone Gunmen (X-Files) met their maker.
   I guess someone had to go, and God forbid it should be any of or leads.

4. The victory lap
   Content on bringing about an end to those that crossed him, Pazuzu then sets his eyes on Mother Bernadette. “There’s been a great disturbance in the force.”
   You could almost hear her saying this when she mentions sensing Pazuzu’s entrance.
   What Mother Bernadette probably didn’t predict was just how damning and vile this demon can be as Pazuzu snuffs out her life like one would to the flame of a candle.
   Another character that had promise but felt as though was cruelly robbed of any further exploration in order to prove the daunting task our Exorcists will have if they have any chance of destroying him.

5. The Set Up
   And so we come to our 3-pronged storyline and what will inevitably be our final conclusion to the Rance family possession.
   Firstly – Father Marcus has the devil in him.
   His drive for revenge leads him to Father Simon. And boy does he let loose.
   But it’s not enough to finish off Father Simon yet (of course) as he is saved by a couple of lackeys and Marcus is whisked away.
   And Father Tomas receives a revelation in the page of a book by Chris McNeil, proclaiming that the demon will chase Regan/Angela until the end of time.
   Cue him chasing back to the Rance household to break up a family meeting.

Are we set for an epic conclusion?

Will The Exorcist reach a satisfying end to this chapter?
The Surgeons will tune again next week to give our final assessment.

THIS WEEK’S EPISODE appeared to follow firmly in the footsteps of its inspiration.

For sometime, this series has been circling around some issues that were questionable and at times uncertain of direction.

But with last night’s reveal, things began to cement itself in place and a clearer direction was left in place.

So let’s open up the operating theatre to dissect the latest episode and delve into this plot a little deeper with 5 key points taking from Chapter Five, ‘Through My Most Grievous Fault.”

Warning, there are spoilers ahead.

1. Angela is Regan
   It was the elephant that had been in the room staring us in the face with no one daring to utter the obvious.
   Yes, the reason that Angela was so quick to recognize her daughter’s possession is that she had witnessed a similar episode before firsthand.
   What’s more she is Regan from the original storyline and inspiration for the series, now all grown up with a new identity.
   A secret that she even kept from her husband Henry. How will there relationship play out now that this has been revealed?
   We all know that the past has a way of catching up with you now matter how hard you try to run away from them.
   And there’s no hiding from these feelings from God or the Devil for that matter, for they know all.
   Now that the demon has found Angela again though, what is his grand plan? Why the fascination with her?

2. The temptation of Jessica part 2
   Speaking of fascinations, the inevitable occurred when the demon explored Father Tomas’ one weakness, his feelings for Jessica.
   Sex is one of the Devil’s greatest assets to exploit and greater men have crumbled.
   Left with his tail between his legs, how will Father Tomas come back from this? Especially as he ‘sowed his seed’ with Jessica anyway,
   Can he truly redeem himself after exploiting his temptation and giving in to his desires?
    

3. Katherine’s Lament
   She may have had her heart in the right place but boy did Kat play into the Devil’s hands.
   She firmly believed that she was helping her sister by calling the police, but all that she enabled was to let the devil roam free.
   Will her good nature be her own undoing?
   Has turning her back on her family only pushed her further away from them?
   The cracks have will and truly appeared and there’s no knowing if they can reunite together again.

4. The return of Chris MacNeil
   This is one area that caught me off guard a little.
   I liked the nod to the ray of hope cast from the street light and the expectation that this savior could be another expert priest arriving on the scene, but the reveal that this was Chris MacNeil left me deflated, it was all very well leaving us to believe that Regan was back on the scene but to introduce her mother too felt a little too far fetched.
   But is this revelation a false hope?
   Will her introduction and its likeness in symbolism to the original film spell out doom for her?

5. The Devil on the run
   And what of Casey? Having finely tune her devil’s side and giving an Ambulance and its occupants a fine work over that would make the likes of Michael Myers blush, she is now on the loose.
   What end to this game of cat and mouse?
   Will she be found and in what state will she be in if they find her?

 – Paul Farrell

IT’S ALL ABOUT the burn in the next chapter of The Exorcist.

Are these incidents separate examples of how much the demon has his hooks into the city? Or are we dealing with more than on demon as prophesized by Father Marcus?

We were also offered further insights into these characters and the demon/s may have had on them for some time.

So let’s open up the operating theatre to dissect the latest episode of The Exorcist and delve into this plot a little deeper with 5 key points taking from Chapter Three, ‘Let Em In”.

1. The car crash
   Isn’t that a thing?
   You declare your true feelings towards your soul mate and friend, when a demon steps out in front of the car, causing it to crash and killing your beloved.
   Such is the plight that faces Katherine in the first of our flashbacks involving the Rance’s.
   But what does this mean and reflect?
   Is this would-have-been lesbian affair, a torment on Katherine’s soul?
   Does the demon capitalise on this often scorned upon view of gay relationships in order to gain control over Katherine?
   What is there to gain from this?
   And did you notice that we never saw Julie’s face at all?
   A touch that I liked and adds weight to the symbolism of their relationship, especially as it was Julie’s face that Katherine was describing that she was attracted to at the time that the accident took place. 

2. The burning man
   If ever the Pope’s welcoming committee needed convincing that Chicago is falling foul to the Demon’s delights, surely it comes in the guise of a burning man, who turns up outside the building.
   Not much seems to be said around this, other than a brief mention from Bennett, who may have been the only character swayed be the depths of depravity circling them.
   Will the clergy finally get their act together, or is it all too little too late?

3. From one burn to another
   After stealing a dress from the store, once again showing how under the thumb she has become, Casey is taken in front of Marcus, who begins to drill her about her inadequacies and jealousy of her sister.
   This action draws the demon to the surface, which reveals to Marcus that he is the same demon from the failed exorcism in Ep 1, much to his disbelief.
   So armed with the proof that Casey is clearly under the demonic influence, (caught on camera by Father Tomas) they try to stake their case for an exorcism, only for Marcus to be slapped in the face with an excommunication.
   Man that’s gotta sting. Better cool off by getting smashed in the church pews.
   Oh, and just burn the excommunication papers while you’re at it too.

4. The curling iron replaces the crucifix
   A fairly infamous scene from the movie, bears witness to Regan using a crucifix to masturbate with. An action that is used to shock her mother in order to display just how possessed she now is.
   Here a similar device is used to shock, but instead it’s the audience that bear witness to the cruel act of self-mutilation as Casey inflicts bodily pain upon her genitals with a curling iron.
   It’s a gruesome moment and one that reflects the fine line between pleasure and pain and treads a similar ground to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser in the process.

5. The train scene
   Earlier in the episode, Henry starts to realise that there is something clearly wrong with his daughter and when he tries to pry into what is going on, he falls into a temporary coma, (a result of his scaffolding injury).
   Cue demonic possession in from of an entire carriage full of people.
   When a guy sexually advances on Casey, the demon arrives and lures the dark side to the surface.
   Casey then shreds the guy apart with his body eviscerated and then his jaw ripped open.
   Fuck that was intense, but another indication that sex is definitely a key attributer to when the demon’s power is at its greatest, when you combine this attack with the self-mutilation scene and the car crash at the beginning of the episode.
   And did you notice at the end of the train attack, there was another sign declaring, ‘He is coming.’ over Casey’s shoulder?

With all this doom and gloom circling the characters, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is no hope for light in the darkness.

But when Bennett hands Marcus a list of places to go to, outside of Chicago, is this a beacon for him to follow in order to restore order and faith once again?

And can Father Tomas take on the torch in Marcus’ absence?

Time will tell in the next episode, ‘The Moveable Feast’.

SO THE EXORCIST TV series finally reached Australian shores and a plethora of excitement had been brewing from the Surgeons of Horror camp in anticipation of where this series would take us.

As usual, there were skeptics and believers among our team of professionals, but as Lead Surgeon, it was my duty to take on board the dissection of the Season.

And what better way to do this, than by dissecting one episode at a time.

The Priests:

Father Marcus

Right for the set-off, this series would focus on the priests, as they will play the centrepiece for the show, which I highly support.
Character is such an important aspect of any movie or TV series. In order to keep our interest they must be strong and filled with plenty of depth, especially as what we hope will transpire is the breakdown or assassination of these characters when they come face to face with the demon.
“You gotta build them up before you can pull them down.”

First up is Father Marcus, played the magnificent Ben Daniels, who can convey depth with a single look.
He’s the hardened veteran of Exorcism. A man that has already witnessed the extent of The Devil’s work and danced in His playground.

But to what extent has he gone too in order to challenge and rid people’s souls of evil?
We get the chance to witness a doomed exorcism take place, where Marcus will stop at nothing to try and outfox the demon, to the point of pulling a gun on a fellow priest.
We’re also given our first twist in the tale, albeit via a painful twist of the neck – a nod to the original – but as was duly pointed out by fellow Surgeon Antony Yee, “That would kill yer”, and in this case, it did, and Marcus would lose this battle.

So, Marcus is a hard-boiled guy from the heart of humanity, shaken to the core, but lived to see the next day. Is he now about to meet his match in the Rance household?

Father Tomas

At the other end of the spectrum, we have Father Tomas, a young pioneer in the priesthood, destined for great things. His parish is in a rundown part of town, but he has restored faith in the community with his energy and spirit. And his sermons reflect this.
But what ails him? There are whispers of his relationship with a woman. Has he truly buried these feelings?

And do you get the feeling that he’s had it too good so far? That his life has been a little too easy up to this point?

Will his quest for greater things lead him to darker places? We certainly hope so.

It’s certainly going to be interesting when he comes face to face with the demon.
Or has the demon already got his hooks into Father Tomas?

Are these nightmares that he is having, the perfect vessel for the demon to manipulate with Father Tomas’ mind, before the game even begins? It would be pretty cool, if this was the case, and the journey all the more rewarding when he does do battle.

All is not well in the Rance household

It would appear from the beginning, that certain things are off kilter with the Rance’s. We’re led to believe at first that the trouble centres on the daughter, Katherine, who was recently involved in a car crash, where one of her friends died.
However, ironically enough, it seems that she is probably the least of our concerns at this stage.
In the “twist” reveal, we are shown that it’s her sister, Casey that is under the devil’s thumb. The sweet and innocent are much more corruptible and mold like putty in the devil’s hands.

Unfortunately this reveal, was pretty obvious and didn’t blind-side me at all. There is promise of more twists to come, and I hope that they bring on the shock factor, as this was a little underwhelming in its delivery of plot.
Having said that though, I do take my hat off to the character development involved in this episode, as it certainly holds potential for further developments down the line.

Interestingly though was Casey’s comment, whilst possessed in the attic, about there being more than one rat to contend with. Are their more people already under the demon’s control?

There are certainly hints that the father, Henry (Alan Ruck) is not all together there and hasn’t been for some time.

And let’s not forget Angela (Geena Davis) the hypersensitive mother of the family who suspects the devil’s hand at every corner. Is there more to her than meets the eye? She seems very quick to shout “Demon” when it comes to Katherine.

What has made her so on edge?

Has she had dealings with the Devil before?

The homage

The last word I have on this episode is the homage to the original movie.
Whilst every fan loves to see the nod of reflection to cinema’s finest moments, in this case when Marcus arrives at the possessed abode and lifts his head to the heavens to gaze upon the lit window of an apartment above, whilst silhouetted by it’s haloed glow, we can only wish that these are few and far between if the series is to make it’s own mark in the franchise and stand on it’s own feet.
Time will tell if indeed the series will be able to stand out of it’s predecessor’s shadow and become an entity in it’s own right.