L'Exorciste

This is a GRITTY and teeth clenching series that will make you think and feel that terror inside. Better than the latest big screen prequels BY FAR...and it doesn't shy away from incredible religious aspects that make some uncomfortable...yet doesn't promote religion. It is not shy about wryly criticizing the politics within the church while focusing on the good individual men, women, priests, nuns, etc who aren't afraid to defy said church (under threat of serious personal and spiritual consequence). I think it frames the truth of demonic possession along with everyday lives of normal people fairly well. Call it science fiction, horror or whatever you want....the show is certainly not afraid to push the boundaries of individual, societal and religious beliefs while providing an incredibly complex story line that is as good as any suspense thriller! Just one thing FOX Network....move the show to a better night than Friday!

I can not believe that Fox cancelled this beautiful tv show :(

This was great. I really enjoyed it a lot. Better than most crap.

8/10

Great show, nothing else quite like it at the moment and such a shame that Fox has wielded the axe on a promising asset once again. I think i'll Boycott Fox shows in future to save myself the disappointment when they inevitably axe it.

I'm not going to start with comparisons to either the book or the movie. I read the book, watched the film and did that over 40 years ago. Enough has been said about both in prior reviews that it just doesn't seem necessary for me to go over ground that's already been covered be it good or be it bad. So I'll start as I mean to go on and address THIS story in THIS TIME.

Good storytelling is a rare and beautiful thing. Using effects to define your characters instead of characters to be there while you show off the effects is becoming as rare as really good storytelling. So letting a plot play itself out in it's own time instead of at a breakneck pace designed to please horror/action fans who want action and gore to define a story instead of characters and the events that have shaped them is becoming equally rare. As the implosion of Penny Dreadful made many of us aware, good storytelling, incredible characters & actors, beautiful sets and costumes, combined with action in service of the story still wasn't enough to save it from destruction. One that many of us are still hurting over.

So now we have Fox's The Exorcist... and after only one episode (which is all it took me for PD by the way) I know enough to be willing to commit myself to whatever amount of time has been given to this series in it's freshman season. Because, for me, the bottom line is that it's a really good example of good storytelling and it's nice to come back to worthy TV after running off to the solace of my bookshelves after the great debacle that was S/3 of PD.

I like the priests. I like that we're seeing signs that their backstories are going to be more fleshed out. I was appreciative of the nod made to the movie out of what was clearly respect and I especially like that the family involved is both diverse and will also have stories of their own to tell. So, in short, it already appears to me that The Exorcist plans to be an actual STORY; played out over a season and that it takes itself, it's characters and it's audience seriously.

Right now, that's more than enough for me. In point of fact, it's enough to guarantee that I'm going to be there throughout it's freshman season hoping against hope that it too has started as it means to go on.