Horror fans are picky. We’ve seen every jump scare, every creaky floorboard, and every spinning head. So, when Fox announced they were making a television sequel to William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece, the collective groan from the community was loud enough to wake the dead. It felt like a cash grab. It felt unnecessary. But then people actually sat down to watch The Exorcist TV show, and everything changed.
The show isn't a remake. It’s a continuation that understands the DNA of the original film better than any of the theatrical sequels ever did. Jeremy Slater, the showrunner, didn't just try to mimic the vomit-spraying chaos of Regan MacNeil; he built a world where faith is fragile and the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church is just as terrifying as the demons themselves.
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It’s rare to see a network show take such massive risks. You’ve got Alfonso Herrera as Father Tomas Ortega—a charismatic but doubting priest—and Ben Daniels as Father Marcus Keane, a grizzled, excommunicated exorcist who looks like he’s seen the literal mouth of hell and barely survived. Their chemistry is the engine. It’s a buddy-cop dynamic if the criminals were ancient Mesopotamian entities.
Why The Exorcist TV Show Isn't Just Another Cheap Reboot
Most reboots fail because they rely on nostalgia as a crutch. They spend too much time pointing at things you recognize. "Look! It's the green pea soup! Look! It's the tubular bells!" While those nods exist here, the show is remarkably disciplined. It waits. It builds tension.
The first season centers on the Rance family. Angela Rance, played by the legendary Geena Davis, believes something is deeply wrong in her home. One of her daughters is withdrawing, strange sounds are coming from the walls, and the atmosphere is thick with a specific kind of dread that usually doesn't translate well to the small screen. If you decide to watch The Exorcist TV show, you'll notice how the cinematography uses shadows. It doesn't look like a 2016 broadcast drama; it looks like a moody indie film.
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Honestly, the "twist" in the middle of season one is one of the best-executed reveals in modern television. It reframes the entire narrative of the 1973 film without erasing it. It’s a masterclass in how to handle legacy IP. It respects the source material while carving out its own terrifying niche.
The Theological Weight of Season Two
If the first season was about family trauma, season two—subtitled The Next Chapter—is about the isolation of the foster care system. It moves the setting from the claustrophobic streets of Chicago to a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest. John Cho joins the cast as Andy Kim, a widower running a foster home for "at-risk" kids.
The change in scenery works wonders. The foggy woods and decaying house provide a folk-horror vibe that contrasts beautifully with the Vatican-heavy political subplots happening in the background. The show explores the idea that demons don't just possess people; they "integrate." It’s a much more permanent and psychological form of possession. It’s not just about shouting Latin at a bed; it’s about a demon slowly eroding a person’s identity until there’s nothing left but malice.
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Where Can You Actually Watch The Exorcist TV Show Right Now?
Streaming rights are a mess. One day a show is on Hulu, the next it’s buried in the depths of a niche platform or gone entirely because of tax write-offs. Currently, the landscape for those looking to watch The Exorcist TV show is a bit of a hunt, but it’s worth the effort.
- Hulu and Disney+: Depending on your region, the show often cycles through these platforms due to the 20th Century Studios acquisition.
- Purchase Options: If you want to be safe from the "digital purge," buying the seasons on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu is the smartest move. This show is a frequent victim of licensing shifts.
- Physical Media: There are DVD and Blu-ray releases for both seasons. In an era where shows disappear from servers overnight, owning the disc is the only way to ensure you can revisit the horror.
The Cancellation Tragedy and Why It Matters
Fox canceled the show after two seasons. It was a victim of low overnight ratings and the impending Disney-Fox merger. The fans campaigned hard—#SaveTheExorcist was trending for weeks—but the numbers just weren't there for a major network.
However, the "completion" of the show is actually quite satisfying. While it leaves some threads hanging, especially regarding the conspiracy within the Vatican, the primary character arcs for Tomas and Marcus feel earned. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger that ruins the experience. It ends on a note of weary hope.
Breaking Down the Scares: What Makes It Effective?
The makeup effects are handled by many of the same people who worked on The Walking Dead and other high-end horror projects. They didn't rely on CGI. When you see a character’s limbs contorting or their skin bubbling, it’s mostly practical. That physical reality makes the horror feel tactile and dangerous.
There’s a scene in season one involving a subway car that I still think about. It’s not even a possession scene—it’s just a demonstration of the demon’s influence on the surrounding world. It’s subtle, it’s gross, and it’s deeply unsettling. The show understands that true horror isn't just a monster jumping out of a closet; it's the realization that the world you thought was safe is actually indifferent to your suffering.
Expert Insights on the Horror Genre in TV
Horror on television is notoriously difficult. To sustain fear over ten episodes is a marathon. Shows like American Horror Story often lose the plot halfway through, trading scares for camp. The Exorcist stayed grounded. It stayed grim.
Critics like Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com praised the show for its "serious-minded approach to faith." It’s one of the few horror shows that treats the religious aspect with gravity rather than using it as a prop. The priests are flawed. They have crises of faith. They aren't superheroes; they are broken men trying to do one good thing in a darkening world.
Practical Steps for Your Binge Watch
If you’re ready to dive in, don’t just have it on in the background while you fold laundry. This isn't that kind of show.
- Turn off the lights. The show uses a lot of low-light cinematography that gets washed out if your room is too bright.
- Pay attention to the sound design. The whispers and ambient noises are often clues about which character is being targeted by the "integrated" entity.
- Watch the 1973 film first. You don't have to, but the emotional payoff of the first season's midpoint is 100% higher if the original story is fresh in your mind.
- Check the "International" versions. If you’re outside the US, the show is often bundled with "Star" on Disney+, making it much easier to access than for those of us stateside.
The legacy of The Exorcist brand is often diluted by mediocre sequels like Exorcist: Believer. Don't let the cinematic duds scare you away from the television series. It is arguably the best thing to happen to the franchise since the original book was published in 1971. It is smart, genuinely frightening, and anchored by performances that deserve more awards than they received. Find a way to stream it, buy the discs, or catch a rerun—just make sure you see it before the licensing rights send it into the abyss for good.