Wisely, The Exorcist’s first trip to TV does not outwardly fit itself into the film franchise, offering up similar but updated conflicts over faith, family and other elements that plague humanity.
There is one big moment in the pilot in which the worlds of the original film and this series are connected, and it’s perhaps the most persuasive bit in that first episode.
But I won’t ruin that for anyone here.
While not the first story about demonic possession, The Exorcist is arguably the most well-known of them all, and William Friedkin’s 1973 adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel has been the inspiration for dozens and dozens of similarly themed films and other pieces of entertainment.