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Your Guide to “The Exorcist”: Preparing for Season 2

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The very idea of beloved classic The Exorcist receiving a television series adaptation was met with groans and skepticism, myself included, prior to its debut last September. Did we really need a rehash of the same story already repeated in horror enough? But then casting news starting rolling in and my curiosity was piqued. What would about this series would entice Geena Davis to sign up for a lead role? Curiosity won out, and by the pilot episode’s end it was becoming clearer that this show was far more special than its title indicated. The show, created by Jeremy Slater, continued to play into the audience’s knowledge of the source material and then flip it on its head. Halfway through the 10-episode run, a huge twist changed everything we thought we knew about the series, solidifying the small but fervent fan base.

Despite positive reviews, the series only averaged 1.2 million viewers among the ages of 18-49; not exactly great.  The network remained silent on the show’s chances for renewals after the finale aired on December 16, 2016. As the months went by, it was sadly assumed to be dead. Thanks to the loyal fan base who wouldn’t let it go without a fight, and the show being produced in-house at 20th Century Fox Television, it proved to be a good day for an exorcism after all and the renewal announcement for season two finally came in May.

The sophomore season is set to premiere on September 29th, and we need to continue to tune in- not only because the show is worth our time, but because it’s the only way we’ll get to know the full scope of the demonic conspiracy introduced in season one. If you’re still sleeping on this series, you can catch up here. If you need a refresher, here’s your guide to preparing for season 2 (warning: obvious spoilers for season 1 ahead):

The Characters:

Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera)

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Fans of the original film and novel will find familiarity in Ortega; a sort of rebooted version of Damien Karras. Like Karras, Ortega suffers a crisis of faith. Early in the season, its revealed how weak his will is in terms of his vows as a holy man, when he sleeps with Jessica, a married woman he seems to have had a continuing on-and-off affair with. When their affair is outed, there’s a temptation in him to fight her husband, a violent notion that’s not very priest-like. It’s through his budding friendship with Marcus Keane and the Rance family’s demonic crisis that he finally finds the voice of God and therefore his faith. Unlike Karras, though, Ortega survives his confrontation with Pazuzu and asks Keane to teach him how to become a true exorcist. There’s more than meets the eye to Ortega, though, as it was strange visions of Father Marcus Keane’s past that made them cross paths.

Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels)

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Steadfast in his faith and desire to save the possessed, this maverick exorcist refuses to give up. Revealed to have had an abusive childhood and a guilt over his failure to save a possessed boy in Mexico City, Keane is willing to defy the Church and all rules if it means preventing another from death by possession. Though he’s a bit rough and unorthodox in his methods. Keane lost most of his allies in the Chicago conspiracy, and figured out the plot almost too late. With new allies in Ortega and Bennett, the loss of his collar will be very interesting for this scene stealing character. The flirtation between Keane and another male customer at a bar at the end of the season opens a lot of interesting questions for someone no longer tied to vows of celibacy and rules of the Church.

Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan)

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Revealed to be one of the few left loyal to the Office of the Exorcism within the Vatican, Father Bennett barely escaped the first season alive. Often at odds with the rule-breaking Marcus Keane, Bennett was the one responsible for getting Keane excommunicated from the Church in the first place. Yet, when not putting himself directly in harm’s way during his investigations, he often assists Keane in dealing with the Rance family possession. His many brushes with death proved Bennett to be a tough ally, and he also seemed to know what he was doing by removing Keane’s collar, especially with the Vatican no longer sanctioning exorcisms. While Ortega and Keane are the lead exorcist and exorcist-in-training directly tied to the season’s main plot, Bennett is vital to the larger mythology of the show and the characters’ main connection to the Vatican.

Maria Walters (Kirsten Fitzgerald)

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A very rich and religious woman who donated a large sum of money to Father Ortega early on in season 1 to help his parish. The Friars of Ascension uses her wealth to fund their plans, and it’s through her that the Pope’s trip to Chicago is funded. When she realizes that she’s a peon considered unworthy for integration, she claims a demon for herself and asserts her role as the new leader of the Chicago group. Her next step has yet to be revealed, but it’s clear that the demon isn’t a fan of its new host.

The Friars of Ascension

A group of sinister villains with the ultimate plan to bring demons back to Earth. Maria Walters was revealed to be a lesser member of the group, led by Brother Simon. Their season-long goal, however, was to assassinate the Pope. The Friars of Ascension use the Ceremony of Ash to integrate worthy members with demons. Marcus successfully thwarted the assassination attempt on the Pope by killing Brother Simon. With many prominent members of society revealing themselves to be members, the pool of who our heroes can trust is vastly shrinking.

The Rance family

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The emotional center of season 1, the Rance family was put through the ringer thanks to Pazuzu returning to taunt matriarch Angela Rance by possessing her youngest daughter Casey. Why would this iconic demon choose Angela and the Rance family? Because, in a shocking twist in episode 5, Angela Rance was revealed to be Regan MacNeil (Angela Rance is an anagram for “A clean Regan”), all grown up and hiding from her past. When things are particularly dire for Casey, Angela offers herself up to Pazuzu in a trade, setting up one final battle over Regan’s soul.  Regan’s mother Chris shows up long enough to fall victim to Pazuzu, but the rest of the family makes it out alive- though some permanently injured. While their story is concluded, there’s an opening to see them pop in again. Particularly Casey, with her personal brush with possession and a special bond with Marcus Keane.

The Possessions and Exorcisms:

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While the season began by introducing a similar pattern of possession seen in the original film; temptation, sin, and oppression to weaken the victim before infestation, the series changed the rules and offered new rules. One of the biggest rules was integration, or the point of no return in possession. Once the possessed fully integrates with its demon, they have no chance for survival and are past the point of saving as it permanently destroys the possessed victim’s soul.

The series also gives us more insight to the possession itself, as we get to see the demon enticing and then tormenting the possessed. It creates a psychological element to the possessions, seeing first-hand the mental cat and mouse game.

When Angela Rance gives herself over to Pazuzu to save her daughter, it means that she’s technically integrated. Her childhood encounter with the demon, however, allowed her to build up a defense mechanism that prevented the full integration. It was a unique twist that also guarantees that future seasons’ exorcisms won’t be repetitive.

Vocare Pulvere is a term used multiple times throughout the season, and refers to a summoning ritual. There are many rituals throughout the season that hint at the larger conspiracy at play, all connected, from the organ-harvesting leading up to the Ceremony of Ash. Those harvested organs are burned to ash and used in the summoning ritual in which a demon chooses its host from the group seated around the ash. It’s lends huge insight into how the Friars of Ascension plan to execute their ultimate plan.

What’s Ahead:

The Setting

Season 2 is leaving behind Chicago and heading toward a secluded private island off the coast of Seattle. Which means expect J-horror tropes thanks to the surrounding woods and water. Series creator Jeremy Slater also cited early Steven Spielberg as an influence, especially Poltergeist. There will also be a six-month time jump from the events of last season.

New characters

John Cho will play Andrew Kim, a former child psychologist running an at-risk foster home on that secluded island. One of the five children in his care will become targeted by demonic activity, and we know Brianna Hildebrand (Tragedy Girls) will play the eldest of the children, Verity. Father Bennett will gain a new ally in actress Zuleikha Robinson, another loyal member of the Office of the Exorcism.

Season 2 of The Exorcist premieres on Friday, September 29 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

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Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

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While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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