It would be an understatement to say that The Exorcist exceeded expectations in its, so far, two-year run. The first season did the seemingly impossible by introducing to audiences an astounding character driven horror series that stood not within the shadow of the popular film, but on its own. All that only to reveal it was in fact a continuation of the original film delivered with impressive results.
With the bar raised, surely The Exorcist will fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump in its second season. Well, the finale has aired and the verdict is in: Season 2 of The Exorcist improved on the first season and delivered a consistently entertaining and well written TV series, from beginning to end, driven by two stellar leads in Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels.
The finale was perfection, including most especially the resolution. I am glad they did not go with a sappy ‘we saved Andy’ ending. It fits with the bleak tone of the series, and speaks to how not every battle can be won the way the Exorcists would want them to with some of the more powerful demons out there.
Though Andy died, his legacy will remain. All of the kids survived and they are all reunited, which by the way, was a very bittersweet moment. Andy sacrificed so much of himself for these kids and they will now grow up remembering what he gave up to give them renewed life.
His death was also a wake up call for Marcus. Sometimes the only way to save a person from the thralls of a demon, one as powerful as the one on the island, requires an exorcist to become an executioner, as Marcus openly opposed, before going back on his words.
The killing of Andy was the final straw that made Marcus realize this life was not for him, leading to a splitting up of the team.
Marcus and Mouse are off to reunite with their dear friend, Father Bennett, who we find out is now possessed himself. The reveal was very disheartening. We want to root for Bennett, but these past two seasons he had basically been a punching bag, and it looks like we will never get to see him get his one-uppance.
Meanwhile, while Marcus reflects in his solitude, he finds himself spoken to by God to end the season with an intriguing cliffhanger.
These past two seasons of The Exorcist felt like one long story-of-the-week type of episode that we tend to see in a network show, but yet they had been so masterfully crafted and interweaved with the overarching main story, that they remained compelling throughout.
Marcus and Tomas needed to go through these battles before they confront the evil lurking in the higher ups of the church. And it looks like next season we will be focusing more on the main story, which could make for an rollicking third season, that of which, we may never sadly see.
Episode: 10/10
Season: 9/10
