History Series / TheExorcist

** Angela Rance: [[spoiler as we learn she is Regan Macneil, the possessed girl from the movie, who changed her name to escape her past and her mother]].

** Angela Rance: See WhamLine entry below.

** EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler: When Simon and a Pazuzu-possessed Angela finally meet, Simon openly ''states'' that he's been preparing for Pazuzu's return. The demon's thanks? [[KneelBeforeZod Forcing him and the rest of the Friars to bow down]], while offhandedly [[KickTheSonOfABitch killing other members simultaneously]], as well as calling out Maria for being a SpoiledBrat. However, when Pazuzu leaves, that marks the point where they go about their own agendas.]]

** AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[spoiler: Or should we say, ''un''comfortable? Throughout the series, Pazuzu continuously changes appearances; from being a simple man in a business suit, to [[MythologyGag his disguise to Regan as "Captain Howdy" ]], and in his scenes in the first season finale, a charred humanoid...''thing'' with long fingers ending in points.]]

* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler:After Pazuzu possesses Angela, he walks in on a meeting of the Friars of Ascension (several of whom are also possessed) and brings them to heel.]]
* ExorcistHead:

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat has ''another'' knee injury (probably killing whatever small chance she had of ever dancing professionally again), and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound. Meanwhile, Marcus is able to save Bennett and himself from almost being inducted into the Friars and able to prevent the assassination of the Pope by killing Father Simon, but the Friars are still powerful and Maria Walters has finally become intergrated with a demon, implying she now will take control of the cult]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat has ''another'' knee injury (probably killing whatever small chance she had to dance professionally again), and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound. Meanwhile, Marcus is able to save Bennett and himself from almost being inducted into the Friars and able to prevent the assassination of the Pope by killing Father Simon, but the Friars are still powerful and Maria Walters has finally become intergrated with a demon, implying she now will take control of the cult]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat ''possibly'' has a broken leg, and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound. Meanwhile, Marcus is able to save Bennett and himself from almost being inducted into the Friars and able to prevent the assassination of the Pope by killing Father Simon, but the Friars are still powerful and Maria Walters has finally become intergrated with a demon, implying she now will take control of the cult]].

** [[spoiler: Tomas has this well, proclaiming his sins and mistakes ''don't'' make him week define him as to what he is: '''An exorcist'''.]]

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The demon seems to prefer possessing young women because it regards them as inherently weak.

* AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler:After saving the Rances, Tomas and Marcus decide to work together, with Tomas asking him to take him under his wing and train him to be an exorcist, along with the Friars of Ascension still active, now with a newly possessed Maria Walters possessed taking over.]]

* ArcWords: "He is Coming", which seems to refer to [[spoiler: the upcoming Papal visit.]]

* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: In the first season finale, [[spoiler: Angela fights Pazuzu's possession this way. And back by her family's love and Tomas' prayers, ''beats the shit out of him''.]]
** [[spoiler: Tomas as well, although his more deals with the demon giving a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech into Tomas having sinned and lied, along with his CrisisOfFaith. When the demon almost persuades him into [[DrivenToSuicide killing himself]], Tomas remembers suicide is considered a sin and he finally begins to accept his sins and mistakes, allowing him to regain his faith and pull a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Exorcist style]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat ''possibly'' has a broken leg, and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound]].
** [[spoiler: Marcus is able to save Bennett (who's proven to be alive) and himself from almost being inducted into the Friars and able to prevent the assassination of the Pope by killing Father Simon, but the Friars are still powerful and Maria Walters has finally become intergrated with a demon, implying she now will take control of the cult]].

-->'''[[spoiler: Simon]]]''': The Morning Star sends his regards.

* [[spoiler: AndTheAdventureContinues: After saving the Rances, Tomas and Marcus decide to work together, with Tomas asking him to take him under his wing and train him to be an exorcist, along with the Friars of Ascension still active, now with a newly possessed Maria Walters possessed taking over.]]

* [[spoiler: BittersweetEnding: How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat ''possibly'' has a broken leg, and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound]].

** [[spoiler: Tomas has this well, and ''boy'' does it give it]].
--> [[spoiler: '''Father Tomas:''' I am an exorcist!]]

** [[spoiler: The revelation of Tomas's CrisisOfFaith seems to also be a reference to Father Karras's own crisis, right down to the factor being the death of a loved one [[note]]In the 1971 film, Father Karras suffered a crisis of faith due to the death of his mother while in the series, Father Tomas deals with a crisis of faith following the death of his grandmother ''and'' all of his own sins. [[/note]].

* [[BittersweetEnding: How season 1 ends: Angela/Regan is saved by Tomas and she herself is finally able to beat Pazuzu '''to death''', ending her torment from him and she and her family escape to the country to try to live a normal life. The downside is Casey will learn to deal with her SurvivorsGuilt, Kat ''possibly'' has a broken leg, and due to an after effect of the exorcism, Angela is now wheelchair bound]].

* {{Expy}}: Fathers Marcus and Tomas are this to Merrin and Karras from the original movie. [[spoiler:Chris [=MacNeil=] specifically tells Tomas that he reminds her of one of them.]]

* FusionDance: The final part of the possession process is full integration between the demon and its host. [[spoiler:In "Chapter 9", Pazuzu claims this has happened between him and Angela/Regan.]]

* WhamLine: In chapter five, [[spoiler:Angela Rance]] reveals her identity: [[spoiler:"My name is Regan [=MacNeil=]."]]

* ThePurge: In "Chapter 9", [[spoiler:Pazuzu and the Friars of Ascension murder Mother Bernadette, her convent, and the Regos, and it's implied they've killed Bennett as well.]]

* CanonDicontinuity: The series ignores ''Film/ExorcistIITheHeretic''.

* CanonDicontinuity: The series ignores ''Film/ExorcistIITheHeretic''. Not that anyone complains.

* [[spoiler:PyrrhicVictory: At the end of the first season, Pazuzu is down and possibly even dead, the assassination of Pope Sebastian is thwarted, and the Rance family is free from the demons' plans. On the other hand, Maria Walters is Integrated, Casey's got a massive case of SurvivorsGuilt, Kat might never dance again even with rehabilitation, and Angela is paralyzed.]]

* DevilInPlainSight: [[spoiler: Father Simon, Maria Walters...pretty much every member of The Friars of Ascension.]]
* DueToTheDead: When Father Marcus finds [[spoiler: the Regos]] dead, he settles the bodies and prays over them. Justified, of course, given he's a priest.

* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler: After Pazuzu possesses Angela, he walks in on a meeting of the Friars of Ascension (several of whom are also possessed) and brings them to heel.]]

* {{Expy}}: Fathers Marcus and Tomas are this to Merrin and Karras from the original movie. [[spoiler: Chris [=MacNeil=] specifically tells Tomas that he reminds her of one of them.]]

** In Chapter 4, a possessed Casey attempts to [[spoiler: compromise Father Tomas by seducing him as Jessica. The result is...unpleasant.]]
** [[IncestSubtext Every.]] [[{{Squick}} Single.]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Thing.]] about [[spoiler: Pazuzu/Angela's scenes with Casey and Kat]] in Chapter 9.

* FusionDance: The final part of the possession process is full integration between the demon and its host. [[spoiler: In "Chapter 9", Pazuzu claims this has happened between him and Angela/Regan.]]

* GoryDiscretionShot: Not common in this show, but the audience was spared a graphic depiction of [[spoiler: what was left when Pazuzu/Angela was through with the nuns]].

* HopeSpot: "Chapter 8" ends on several high notes -- [[spoiler: Casey is successfully exorcised, and Bennett exposes the Friars of Ascension as Satanists]] -- only for them to come crashing down, as [[spoiler: [[MoleInCharge Bennett's superior is revealed to be a Satanist as well]], while the demon has actually [[BodySurf moved to Angela]], who kills Chris.]]

* HumanoidAbomination: The Salesman, [[spoiler: that is, Pazuzu]], looks human, but his demeanor is most certainly not.

** Most significantly, it is subverted, deconstructed, and more or less invoked in Chapter 9 when it's revealed that in spite of [[spoiler: being outed to his superiors as an adulterer]] Father Tomas is [[spoiler: continuing to rise in the Church and being given a prominent, influential parish to run, complete with gorgeous church and swanky rectory]]. Tomas tells Bishop Egan he doesn't feel he deserves it, he's clearly conflicted and guilty, but he's given little alternative but to try to do right and make the best of it.
** There is also Kat's massive survivor's guilt over the car accident. It's insinuated that, with effort and rehab, she might be able to dance again. Her refusal to try reads as a self-imposed punishment.
** Straightforwardly averted with Father Marcus being [[spoiler: excommunicated]], generally for being insubordinate (and specifically for [[spoiler: pulling a gun on Father Bennet in Mexico]]).

** Averted: Angela, on the other hand, [[spoiler: felt [[TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason completely justified]] in hiding her [[DarkSecret true identity.]]]]

* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome: There is massive media and law enforcement attention when [[spoiler: Casey]] goes missing, [[spoiler: even before the possession rumors]]. Meanwhile, there are numerous people (mostly POC) in [[WrongSideOfTheTracks other parts]] of the city who were [[spoiler: horribly murdered and mutilated.]] The disparity isn't lost on their families.

** The "Exorcist Twist", which is actually [[spoiler: shown to be ''[[RealityEnsues fatal]]'' rather than a scary gag]].
* NeckSnap: [[spoiler: How a possessed Angela kills Chris.]]
** The NeckSnap actually becomes a point of RealityEnsues as well: In the 1971 film, it was used for [[ExorcistHead horror effect]]. In this series, [[spoiler: It only leads to deaths, as seen with the boy Marcus was unable to save and even almost attempted by Casey when possessed by Pazuzu]].

** [[spoiler: Angela giving herself up to Pazuzu to prevent him from performing the ExorcistHead on Casey, causing him to BodySurf into her. Yeah Casey is safe, ''but'' Pazuzu got what he wanted: '''Regan''' and his first act of revenge was killing Chris for stopping him [[Film/TheExorcist 40 years ago]]]].
* ObfuscatingStupidity: The demon possessing Casey goes about it a lot more subtly than Pazuzu, going through the trouble of obfuscating which daughter it was possessing. [[spoiler: Then we find out it ''is'' Pazuzu, meaning he's apparently learned from past experiences.]]
* OnceMoreWithClarity: In "Chapter 9", we revisit a key moment from the climax of the previous episode -- [[spoiler: when Angela stopped Pazuzu from {{Neck Snap}}ping Casey, she quietly told him to [[TakeMeInstead take her instead]], causing him to BodySurf into her.]]

* ThePowerOfLove: [[spoiler: Angela embraces Casey and proclaims her love, finally driving the demon of her daughter - [[SubvertedTrope until]] we see that all she did was give it the host it ''really'' wanted; Angela herself.]]
* ThePurge: In "Chapter 9", [[spoiler: Pazuzu and the Friars of Ascension murder Mother Bernadette, her convent, and the Regos, and it's implied they've killed Bennett as well.]]

** Father Marcus, pretty much all the time. He goes so far as to perform an excorcism after [[spoiler: being ''excommunicated''.]]

** [[spoiler: Pazuzu tells Maria Walters that she was never chosen for possession because she's too weak and pathetic.]]
* TookALevelInJerkass [[spoiler:After the events of the film, Chris [=MacNeil=] used her daughter's possession for money and publicity, insisting it was "God's will." She attempted to make up for it by returning to Regan/Angela's life but it only lead to more drama. They did ''slowly'' reconcile but was cut short when Chris is killed by her own daughter, who's now possessed by Pazuzu.]]

* VillainTakesAnInterest: [[spoiler: Father Simon]] is watching Father Tomas's career with great interest.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler: The Friars of Ascension charity are actually a group of Satanists. They include the police superintendent and one of the benefactors of Tomas' church, along with other "pillars of society". They set themselves up as sponsors of the upcoming papal visit, so that they can assassinate him.]]

** Taken UpToEleven in Chapter 2 when [[spoiler: Casey unknowingly ingests holy water, throws up her dinner, and then pulls a ''huge live centipede from her throat''.]]
* WasItAllALie: Angela's husband questions this after learning that [[spoiler: his wife lied about her name and her past]].
* WhamEpisode: "Chapter Five: Through My Most Grievous Fault." [[spoiler: Angela is the adult Regan [=MacNeil=].]]
** Episode Eight, where [[spoiler: it seems everything is good: Casey's been exorcised, Bennett's exposed the plot to assassinate the Pope, and now the Rance family's going to be on the run in order to save Casey the grief like Angela/Regan endured. ''Then'' it's revealed that Bennett's superior is in the plot as well, and Angela's revealed to be possessed by Pazuzu, who kills Chris]].

* SexyPriest: Father Tomas, especially to Jessica.

* CallBack:
** Chapter 6 features Casey "spider-walking" in a manner similar to Regan in a deleted scene from the first film.
** Chapter 2 shows the Rance family having an unidentified green soup for dinner. [[spoiler:(Angela had spiked Casey's drink with holy water, in order to determine if she was, in fact, possessed.)]] For fans of the film, it is a clear [[ShoutOut reference]] to its infamous "pea-soup" vomit effects. It's not hard to guess [[VomitIndiscretionShot what happens]] next.
** The "Exorcist Twist", which is actually [[spoiler: shown to be ''[[RealityEnsues fatal]]'' rather than a scary gag]].