Before Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist, You Need To Watch This Forgotten TV Sequel Series
by Rafael Motamayor · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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Mike Flanagan is one of the most exciting horror filmmakers working today, with a unique vision that combines scares with emotionally charged stories. He's also proven adept at delivering adaptations that do more than just copy what people have seen before with a fresh coat of paint. Whether it's Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," "Doctor Sleep," or even "Carrie," if there's a new Mike Flanagan horror adaptation out, it's worth paying attention to.
This is why Mike Flanagan being in charge of reviving "The Exorcist" with a new movie is so exciting. The first trailer for "The Exorcist: Martyrs" delivered a surprising look at a movie that seems more inspired by the maligned yet excellent "The Exorcist III" than the original 1973 film. It's unclear at this time how much Flanagan's movie will connect to the original films, if at all. That being said, if you want a true sequel to William Friedkin's classic while you wait for Flanagan's movie, there's a TV show you owe it to yourself to watch.
The show is, well, "The Exorcist," a TV show released on Fox back in 2016. That's right, a traditional, linear TV network aired a horror TV show that was also a sequel to one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. Not only that, but the show was genuinely good.
Though the show's two seasons featured different cases, we'll focus on the first season for now. "The Exorcist" follows the young and skeptical Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) and the veteran exorcist Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels) as they investigate a possible case of demonic possession in a family in Chicago.
Spoilers to follow.
A masterclass in building a legacy sequel
The first season of "The Exorcist" TV show was never advertised as having a connection to the original movies, but it definitely evoked the 1973 movie. The first episode ends with the familiar notes of "Tubular Bells" and includes a shot of a priest standing under a street light with a hat on.
For the most part, the first season was a mystery show about a young priest starting to believe in demons. It was a good mystery, with some fun twists and turns and a rather sadistic demon that attacked not only its host, but others, too. There was also a fascinating subplot involving a conspiracy within the Catholic Church in Chicago, with the committee planning a papal visit being infiltrated by Satan-worshippers who invite demons to possess them.
About halfway through the season, it becomes clear that "The Exorcist" didn't just share a title with William Friedkin's classic; it's a direct sequel to it. Geena Davis, who plays the mother of the young possessed girl and seemed to know a whole lot about dealing with demons, had actually faced one in her youth. Turns out, Davis is actually playing Regan MacNeil, the protagonist of the 1973 film, originally played by Linda Blair ("Yellowjackets" star Sophie Thatcher plays a young Regan in the show). The demon causing so much trouble during the season? That's Pazuzu, alright, back to get his revenge on the family of the girl who humiliated him decades prior.
The way "The Exorcist" dealt with its connections to the original, while also building a fascinating mythology of its own — cultists are trying to get the Pope himself possessed by a demon! — made "The Exorcist" appointment TV.
The Exorcist deserved better
Unfortunately, as good as "The Exorcist" was, its quality wasn't reflected in its ratings, as the show was Fox's lowest-rated program in its second year (via Variety). That led to "The Exorcist" joining a wave of cancellations in 2017, alongside "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "Lucifer," and others.
Would this show have performed better in the age of streaming? Probably, but it's hard to tell. The series was sold on the recognizable factor of "The Exorcist" franchise, despite not really telling audiences that it was actually connected to it. Then Season 2 dealt with an entirely original story, while building its larger mythology. It was a hard ask for network television at the time.
And it's a shame, because "The Exorcist" TV show is the only title that's truly understood and captured what made the original movie such a smash hit, all while carving an identity of its own. Still, it's never too late to revisit the two wonderful seasons we did get from this show. If you want a legacy sequel that understands the appeal of its source material while crafting something new that adds to its legacy, this is the show for you. If you want some great scenes of priests fighting a demon, this is the show for you. If you've ever wanted to see a priest investigating a Satanic conspiracy within the Vatican, this is the show for you.
While we wait for Mike Flanagan to bring back "The Exorcist" with yet another take, we'll always have the TV show that gave us one of the best reveals of 2016 (which is saying something considering that year also gave us "The Good Place," and "This is Us").