The Only ‘Exorcist’ Sequel Worth Watching Isn’t a Movie

David Gordon Green‘s The Exorcist: Believer, which just premiered last October, was all but forgotten in the new year after it struggled to gain any momentum at the box office. The film, which was a direct sequel to 1973’s The Exorcist, failed to connect with audiences in its messy, rushed execution of a possession that all but puts the original film on an even higher pedestal. Now, David Gordon Green has exited the franchise after he was supposed to direct the next two, The Exorcist: Deceiver, and an untitled final film in the new trilogy. The film has been taken off the current schedule, leaving Universal scrambling to find a way to continue the franchise.

But it seems they’ve already been outmatched by the sequel that aired on TV eight years ago: Fox’s The Exorcist. No one truly knew what the show was going to be about beyond that it was probably just a modern re-imagining of the original film. Instead, from episode one, the show subverted expectations and kept viewers on the edge of their seats, and then again mid-season, with a shocking twist. The Exorcist only lasted two fantastic seasons before getting untimely canceled; but it remains one of the most underrated horror TV shows ever and undoubtedly the best sequel to The Exorcist — a fact only made more obvious by the lackluster Believer.

‘The Exorcist’ TV Show Subverts Everything About the Original

The original trailer for the show introduces a new family; a mother concerned about her troubled daughter, a young priest, and an older priest to whom he goes for help. This seems a pretty normal setup for an exorcism story, so why does this show stand out so much? Because the trailer was purposely misleading to the audience. It hinges on familiar tropes in the genre: The concerned mother Angela (Geena Davis), the troubled daughter Kat (Ginny and Georgia‘s Brianne Howey), and an inexperienced priest, Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera), who looks for help in older Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels). It begins very similar to the plot of the original film, but by the end of the first episode, it’s clear this show is a lot deeper than just a rehash of the exorcism story, unlike the new film by Green. Instead of the “troubled” daughter being the one possessed, it’s the “perfect” daughter Casey (Hannah Kasulka) as the victim of the possession.

Subversion is one of the best ways to keep a story fresh, and this show doesn’t stop at the twist in the victim of the possession. Spoilers warning moving forward, if you wish to go into the series fresh. About mid-season, a familiar character shows up, and one of the main cast is revealed to be a past character who had changed her name. Geena Davis plays Reagan MacNeil, and Sharon Gless joins as her mother’s character, Chris MacNeil. These names, of course, are well known to The Exorcist fans. Chris (Ellen Burstyn) and Reagan (Linda Blair) are the original mother-daughter combo from The Exorcist. Of course, these roles have been recast for the series, but that doesn’t discount the stellar performances these actors bring to the show, notably Geena Davis. And thus, the show becomes a direct sequel to the original film.

‘The Exorcist’ Lives Up to the Legacy of the Original

Living up to a legacy is always a difficult task. Even more so when the majority of The Exorcist’s theatrical sequels were disappointing to fans (a notable exception is The Exorcist III or alternately titled Legion). The show was able to live up to the film by not directly advertising itself as a sequel to it. For all purposes, this seemed a loosely connected story at best, touting the iconic theme song and a few Easter Eggs. The show set a lower bar for itself because of that, making it easier to excel in the genre as the show unfolded its true plot to audiences. The first season ends with closure for the family, where they hopefully find some semblance of peace. The show gained momentum in its second half, becoming a disturbing and gruesome watch, especially for network television.

The second season does the smartest thing it ever could. It moves on from Angela/Reagan. Legacy characters are at their best when they are used sparingly and not lazily thrown into the mix for a cash grab. It makes their appearance more impactful to the story, and it lets them rest when it is over. The anthology show goes on to further follow Father Tomas and Father Marcus as they take on another case of possession. This season tackles saving a foster family from being targeted by a demonic presence. This not only allows John Cho to excel in his performance as Andrew Kim but also helps to somewhat diversify the cast more. The series tackles subjects of blind faith, good and evil, and leaves the audience wondering what is coming next regarding the two priests we’ve been following for the series. Unfortunately, this ending was unresolved as the show was canceled after its second season. Even so, the untimely cancelation does not mean the show is not worth watching — it absolutely is.

Don’t Let ‘The Exorcist’s Cancelation Put You Off

Though it is a negative, the show indeed ends with many loose threads. First, the rouge faction within the Vatican that has gone against God continues their plot, possessing Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) as he’s in a coma. After failing to exorcise the foster father, Andrew, Father Marcus goes on his own, leaving Father Tomas behind. In the final scene of the series, Father Marcus looks at the water, and after a moment, he is moved by something. It is implied to be the voice of God, the voice he felt had abandoned him for years. Even though the audience cannot hear anything, the relief in his tearful eyes is palpable from Daniel’s performance. The show ends with Marcus simply muttering “Tomas,” implying that he is the key to the fight against evil. The Exorcist was at its height, like so many shows, when it was cut down by the network. And even if its untapped potential will not be explored, it still provides a thoughtful, harrowing experience in the world of The Exorcist.

The Exorcist became its own entity within the franchise. Despite its first season providing a masterful direct sequel to the original 1973 film, it deepens the lore of the franchise greatly, and at its best, moves on beyond the legacy of the original film. The thought of rogue members of the Vatican using evil to control and gain power (as well as harvesting organs, one of the more disturbing aspects of the show) is terrifying, and allows for a human villain. So often, stories like this get repetitive because someone gets possessed by a demon, and they get exorcised. And while that is still clearly a major part of this show, it doesn’t rely on that as its only source of terror. This series takes big swings too. Father Marcus is revealed to be gay in its second season, after only hinting before. A gay priest in an exorcist film is a modern update, and there could have been much more explored down the road. Overall, the series’ anthology approach makes the cancelation a little easier to swallow, as it feels like this family’s story is done. Despite its loose ends, the show leaves audiences knowing exactly where the plot will go. Marcus needs Tomas and vice versa, and they will fight against evil together, and maybe they’ll even win.

The Exorcist TV show is the only follow-up that really does the original justice. This show did everything right and survived on air as long as it could, it remained great right until its final episode, and it had so much more to offer. With the fate of the franchise in trouble and Believer being one of the most reviled horror movies of 2023, it’s more clear than ever that the Exorcist franchise should have ended when this show did.

The Exorcist is available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.

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