On last week’s episode of The Exorcist, not only was Father Marcus excommunicated, but a possessed Casey turned the tables on a guy getting too up close and personal on the train. What happened to her as a result?
The show opens with a bizarre sequence with Casey, her family, and the demon. The demon taunts Casey for not being totally submissive to him, and punishes her throughout the episode as a result. He slaps her onto the floor, but she awakes thrashing, tied down in a hospital bed. After her incident on the train, Henry brought Casey to a hospital that admitted her under a 5150, meaning they believe she could hurt herself or someone else. This means hospital staff call the shots, and while under this hold, Casey is allowed no visitors. A frantic Angela phones Father Tomas. When he arrives at the hospital, he breaks the bad news that the bishop did not grant him the exorcism. She suggests that he call Father Marcus, but Tomas tells them that he was excommunicated and cannot help with their situation.
Fortunately for the Rance Family, it seems Marcus never left the area at all. He seeks an audience with Mother Bernadette, the first friend on the list given to him by Father Bennett. He’s not permitted to see her by a protective young nun, but he is taken to observe the exorcism of a man in their charge. After witnessing Mother Bernadette in action, he is ushered out by the young nun acting as their intermediary.
Back at the hospital, the doctors have good news to report to the family. Casey isn’t suffering from either epilepsy or a brain bleed, but her diagnosis is still elusive.
Tomas meets with Mrs. Walters, his nephew Louis in tow. When the boy leaves with an assistant, Tomas explains to her that he wants to provide a service, as he puts it, to one of his parishioners, but Bishop Egan stands in the way. He would like to discuss his case with the cardinal, even if it means going over Egan’s head. Mrs. Walters seems amused that Tomas is suggesting such a thing, and advises him to proceed but to keep it quiet. She also calls him out for not cashing her check, but he has it deposited the following day. Tomas and Louis leave when the boy accidentally gets a view of Mrs. Walters’s dying husband.
A knock on the door interrupts Tomas reading a book on exorcism in the safety of his office. An upset Jessica has come to let him know that her husband is cheating on her. He was giving her grief over her correspondence with Tomas, while he was the spouse being unfaithful. Tomas assures her that her husband’s infidelity isn’t her fault, and offers her his bed for the night, rather than have her stay at a hotel. He, of course, sleeps elsewhere. Tomas again ignores her flirtation, and finds her gone in the morning. I think Jessica is bad news for Tomas; every time she appears in the show I want her to go away. Breaking the chain of command when it comes to exorcism is bad enough, but any dealing with Jessica is bound to make matters worse.
Meanwhile, Marcus meets tour guides Cherry and Lester Rego of Moveable Deceased Tours, more friends on Bennett’s list. After their hilarious bus tour, Marcus is back at their mobile home where he spends the night. It turns out that they know much more than the priest realizes when it comes to the ceremony of ash, which is used for summoning, and the overall increase in possessions.
Marcus finally has his chance to speak with Mother Bernadette. She tells him that the man he saw during their exorcism had been in that state for a week, and that there has been an increase in possessions. Marcus tells her that Bennett believes the pope won’t be safe during his visit, and the old woman agrees. It seems Marcus and Bernadette each have a different approach when it comes to performing exorcisms. It’s been 18 months since Marcus lost the boy Gabriel in Mexico City, and Bernadette essentially tells him to get over it and move on. She allows Marcus to participate in their next interaction with the possessed man. Marcus tries compassion over coercion, and he begins to realize there might be another effective method of exorcism.
Throughout her hospital stay, Casey’s demon has been taunting her, all in an effort to get her to agree to complete submission. The poor girl finally relents only when the demon attempts to kill one of her nurses. However, Angela interrupted, causing the demon to retreat. It’s unclear if Casey’s “yes” counted.
The doctors admit to Angela that they don’t know what is wrong with her daughter. They finally discharge Casey, and Angela believes what she needs can’t be found within the confines of the hospital. She has Henry’s blessing to seek Father Tomas’s assistance.
Marcus reappears to Tomas, who tells him he can’t do anything for Casey without his help. Marcus cautions the young priest that getting caught performing an unsanctioned exorcism could cause him to lose everything, but it’s a risk Tomas is willing to take.
The episode concludes with the priests fortifying a room in the Rance home for the ritual. Bernadette gifted Marcus the rosary given to her by Bennett; he will most likely need all the help he can get to deal with Casey’s demon. The troubled girl is shackled in place and it looks like the exorcism commences next week.
Another great episode is in the books. I’ve always looked forward to Fridays, but Friday nights even more so because I enjoy this show so much. It looks like Casey Rance will finally have the exorcism her mother believes she needs. Will it help? I hope we find out soon.
