Back in September my pre-air review of the pilot episode of Fox’s The Exorcist was published and it was not exactly a glowing review. It wasn’t exactly a terrible review either, but it was a mediocre one. I concluded my review by stating that The Exorcist is “not must-see-TV, but it’s worth checking out.” Apparently many of you did not think it was worth checking out at all, as the series has decreased in viewers every week. The last episode garnered a mere 1.61 million total viewers with a 0.6 in the crucial 18-49 demographic. That’s not atrocious for a Friday night, but it’s certainly not good. The Exorcist is in danger of cancellation and I feel partly responsible, so I am here to apologize for dissuading some of you from giving the show a chance. The Exorcist has a rocky start but has steadily improved with each and every episode since its premiere. It has become a great series that every horror fan should be watching.
First of all, I would like to stand by my review of the pilot. I think it is just average. Nothing more, nothing less. There were strengths evident in the episode (the performances, the sound design, those final five minutes) but plenty of weaknesses as well (the over-reliance on jump scares, the lack of innovation with the material). The “been there, seen that” aspects of the possession are still a flaw in the series, but the time spent with these characters over the course of the past seven episodes has made the proceedings far more compelling than they initially were. The series follows all the standard possession movie tropes, but it feels classier than something like, say, The Exorcist II: The Heretic.
In one of my harsher critiques of the pilot I stated:
“Angela approaches Tomas about her suspicions about 20 minutes into the episode. At this point the viewer has hardly seen anything that would lead a rational person to suspect demonic possession, so it seems downright silly that this woman would jump to this conclusion so hastily.”
***SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH***
Silly me. Anyone who has kept up with the series now knows that Angela Rance (Geena Davis) is none other than Regan MacNeil, the main character in William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece. I was quick to judge the character’s motivation, but that is something that comes with the territory of reviewing single episodes (especially pilot episodes) of a television series. Angela’s true identity wasn’t revealed until Episode 5. Based on the pilot episode alone my criticism is valid, but taking all of the episodes so far it makes perfect sense.
***END SPOILERS***
As I mentioned above, I stand by my review. The pilot is a mediocre piece of television when taken on its own. Later episodes put the pilot into a new light and that sort of makes my review null and void. If I had a chance to review the first seven episodes of the series as a whole it would be a solid 4/5. I’m not apologizing for my review. I’m apologizing for discouraging some of you from giving this great show a chance. It’s a show that is better than it has any right to be, especially when you consider the film it had to live up to. I should have known better. A network wouldn’t agree to a television adaptation of one of the greatest movies of all time unless it was great. If anything, NBC’s Hannibal taught us that.
Lest you think I have such a high opinion of myself that I believe I singlehandedly cause low ratings for the show, never fear. I’m not so high and mighty that I think millions of people read my review and tuned out, but I’m sure at least one person did, and for that I am sorry. So forgive me, dear reader, from convincing you to not watch the show. It’s worth it. I promise. The Exorcist has now become must-see TV for me and it should be for you too. Catch up on Hulu and watch the newest episode tonight.* You won’t regret it!
The Exorcist airs on Fridays on Fox at 9/8 CT.
*No, this article was not paid for by Fox. I just hate seeing good horror TV get canceled.