Warning: MAJOR spoilers for this week's episode of The Exorcist; don't go any further if you haven't seen "Through My Most Grievous Fault"
TV adaptations of classics films have become a lucrative business. From Frequency to Lethal Weapon, many of these shows have carved out specific niches by taking established movie universes, and moving away from the events of the films. However, that tactic doesn't work for every series. The Exorcist just introduced a massive game changer, and it now seems that Geena Davis' Angela has a much bigger connection to the events of the first Exorcist movie than we ever realized.
FOX's The Exorcist dropped a huge bombshell tonight that fans of The Exorcist simply cannot ignore. It turns out that a longstanding theory has finally been confirmed: Angela is actually Regan MacNeil from the original 1973 Exorcist film. In an emotional scene, she explains to Father Tomas that she has tried to run from the events for her entire life, but no matter what she does to try and escape, the trauma of her childhood possession has haunted her every step of the way. As she gives her confession, the scene cut away to a scene of her mother arriving in a taxi underneath a street light -- an awesome visual homage to Father Merrin's arrival in the original film. It's nostalgia at its finest.
You can watch that totally game changing scene below to see the reveal for yourself:
This bombshell means that The Exorcist isn't just a spin-off or an adaptation of the original source material. It's a legitimate sequel as well. While many TV adaptations of beloved film properties often opt to strike out in entirely different direction from the movies, The Exorcist appears to have gone in the opposite direction and actively embraced the events of the film. With that in mind, it seems likely that William Friedkin's classic horror movie will continue to inform the narrative of the show as time goes on. Whether or not that's a good thing is entirely up to you.
There's one other important thing to take away from this particular reveal: TV shows have no problem lying to audiences. The creative forces behind the series had initially promised audiences little more than tenuous connections to the continuity of the original Exorcist, but it's now abundantly clear that they weren't being entirely forthright. We live in an era that's pretty much defined by spoilers and cliffhangers, which means that not everything a director, actor, or producer claims can be taken at face value. Even when our theories get shot down, it's always possible that they could eventually be confirmed.
One thing is certain: absolutely nothing will be the same now that we know the truth behind Angela's identity. The Exorcist airs every Friday night at 9 p.m. EST on FOX. For now, make sure to check out CinemaBlend's comprehensive fall TV premiere guide and fill out your television viewing schedule accordingly!
