Turning heads in a good way

THE EXORCIST

Fridays, Fox/CTV One of the many thoughtful surprise sin Fox’s under appreciated series version of The Exorcist came early in the story, when a jaded, veteran demon-chaser, Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels), meets Mother Bernadette (Deanna Dunagan), a cloistered nun whose exorcism technique is altogether modern and, in a more sublime sense, feminine.

Instead of trying to cast the demon out, Mother Bernadette and her sisters offer a warm embrace and the power of forgiveness. When the moment is right — once the demon inside a human is exhausted by restraint, prayer and holy water — the sisters flip the script and welcome the evil presence back to God.

This method works a whole lot better than all the screaming, cussing and extreme chiropracty. And it once more reminds us that vengeance and hatred eventually consume the soul, while forgiveness offers a way out of darkness.

This version of The Exorcist, created by Jeremy Slater, has a lot more on its mind than simply rehashing one more movie or TV show from the past.

“I was adamant that our show cannot be an attack on the Catholic Church, that we can’t sit here and take easy potshots at something that’s important to people’s faith,” Slater said. “We have to also present the church as it is, addressing some of the ugly little secrets, but also showing it as a powerful force for good in the world.”

That means including old demons and references to pedophiles; it also means showing soup kitchens and bold, problem-solving nuns.

“Mother Bernadette came from a sense that if the show is lucky enough to run for more seasons, it would get exhausting to see the same rite of exorcism over and over,” Slater said. So he and his writing staff, tried to envision exorcism from other perspectives and even other faiths.

It’s impossible to write about what’s good about The Exorcist without revealing some of its shockers. As its story grew more absorbing, The Exorcist revealed that teen Casey Rance, is possessed by Pazuzu, a.k.a. “Captain Howdy,” the same demon who worked his way into young Regan MacNeil in the original film. The Exorcist personifies Pazuzu as a salesman, in a singed business suit, a being that only Casey can see.

Soon enough, Casey’s mother, Angela (Geena Davis), recognizes him and confesses her darkest secret: She is Regan MacNeil, four decades later.

It’s a little bit hokey and a whole lot of fun.