Chapter Nine: 162

Chapter Nine: 162
Season 1, Episode 9
Air date	December 9, 2016
Written by	Franklin jin Rho Jeremy Slater
Directed by	Bill Johnson
Episode guide
Previous Chapter Eight: The Griefbearers	Next Chapter Ten: Three Rooms

Chapter Nine: 162 is the ninth episode of the first season of The Exorcist, written by Franklin jin Rho and Jeremy Slater. The episode was directed by Bill Johnson and premiered on December 9, 2016.

Basic plot summary

"On the eve of Pope Sebastian's visit to Chicago, Marcus and his companions race to avert a potential tragedy. Tomas is offered a life-changing opportunity, but will the sins of the past endanger his future within the church -- Meanwhile, as the Rance family attempts to recover from their most recent ordeal, a new problem threatens to tear them apart."

Detailed plot synopsis

This episode takes place where Chapter Eight: The Griefbearers left off. The coroner takes Chris' body away in a body bag. Angela tells the police that she heard a thump and saw Chris laying at the bottom of the stairs. Superintendent Jaffey hands Angela a tissue and it is revealed that when Angela tried to stop Casey's head from spinning all the way around, she became repossessed. She whispered "take me instead". The Salesman says "let's give them a good show". Superintendent Jaffey knows that Angela is possessed, so he decides that he and Detective Lawrence should stop questioning the Rances and get rid of the reporters and protesters outside the house. Angela decides to go get Casey from the hospital.

They take Casey home and some dogs growl at Angela. Father Marcus, Cherry, and Lester Rego are out looking for Father Bennett. Marcus says that Bennett left with a French Cardinal, who Cherry reveals is Guillot, Archbishop of Lyon. Lester tells Marcus that Maria Walters is funding the papal visit. Brother Simon is the fundraising chair. Marcus knew him when he was a counselor at St. Aquinas, "a renewal center for deviant priests". Brother Simon was watching Father Marcus and Bennett knew. Marcus thinks Bennett is being tortured for information, so the Friars of Ascension probably know about Marcus, Bennett, the Regos, Mother Bernadette, and Father Tomas. Marcus tells Lester and Cherry to leave for their safety.

The Rances have dinner and say Grace. Kat regrets not calling Chris "Grandma". Henry says he knows a few builders in Canada and he could help consult them. Possessed Angela suggests staying in Chicago even though it was her idea to leave. Henry tells Tomas that some days he feels like he's getting better, but other days, not so much. Angela leaves. Tomas tells Henry that God spoke through him when Henry told Tomas how to get to St. Aquinas to find Father Marcus. Henry shows Tomas the number 162 scribbled all over a notepad. According to Henry, "Ever since I woke up from the accident, I've had this low frequency sound in my head. It's like being in a restaurant and everyone is yammering away in the background. Except sometimes, sometimes it feels like there's a pattern. Like, all at once, all those people start saying the exact same thing at the exact same time". He keeps hearing the number 162 over and over again. Lester and Cherry spy on the Friars of Ascension, who are having some sort of meeting. Brother Simon sees them. Lester tells Cherry that they should leave. The Friars of Ascension are having a meeting to plan Pope Sebastian's route when Angela walks into the room. Maria Walters wonders why Angela is there and Brother Simon mentions the demon by its name, Pazuzu. Brother Simon thought Pazuzu left for good after the exorcism in Georgetown with Father Merrin and Father Karras. Pazuzu knows about the plans for Pope Sebastian. Brother Simon reveals that he's been planning the visit for 6 years. Pazuzu forces the Friars of Ascension to get down on the ground and makes Brother Simon kiss Angela's feet. The demon tells Maria Walters that the reason she was never chosen is because the Firstborn are attracted to power and potential. The demon knows that she is desperate and mediocre and will never be chosen. Pazuzu tells them that they need to go after their enemies, starting with Mother Bernadette and the Sisters.

Bishop Egan and Father Tomas tour St. Bridget's. He offers Tomas Father Dennis' place at the church since he is retiring. The Bishop plans on closing St. Anthony's. Tomas believes that he does not deserve the promotion, but Bishop Egan already knows about him and Jessica. Bishop Egan is still willing to promote Father Tomas, but Tomas will have to deal with Jessica on his own. Marcus looks through information about Pope Sebastian's visit in Tomas' office. Tomas offers Marcus a good spot on the parade route, but Marcus turns it down. He receives a text from the Regos telling him to meet them at home, along with a picture of Brother Simon. Casey is sad because she sees a headline about the paramedics that died when she was possessed. Casey feels guilty, but Kat reminds her that it was the Salesman, not her. Marcus finds Lester and Cherry dead. Mother Bernadette knows Angela is possessed and the demon/Angela kills her.

Casey goes into her room for the first time since her possession and looks at the chain on the floor. Angela tells her that they had to use bolt cutters to take it off. Casey says that during the possession, she felt that nothing belonged to her anymore. The demon thinks Casey fell in love with "him" and felt lonely when "he" left. Angela's neck is bleeding. Marcus finds Mother Bernadette dead. The Friars of Ascension, Bishop Egan, and Father Tomas are at the gala at St. Bridget's to celebrate Pope Sebastian's visit. In front of the Friars of Ascension, Maria Walters says that Pope Sebastian is God's hope, reason, love, and the Church. Possessed Angela tries to strangle Henry but he breaks free and she leaves. Father Marcus sees Brother Simon kissing Cardinal Guillot's ring. Casey lays on the couch watching television and hears a creaking sound upstairs. Casey sees Angela and Kat and wonders what she is still doing up. In order to protect Kat, Casey decides to sleep in Kat's room.

Father Tomas is on the phone with Bishop Egan and says he'll only accept the promotion if his staff goes with him to St. Bridget's. He wants a bus to go back and forth from St. Bridget's to St. Anthony's on Wednesdays and Sundays. He thinks the congregation should be shared with people of another socio-economic class and that the people who regularly attend church at St. Anthony's should be able to go to church at St. Bridget's. Tara, Tomas' secretary, lets Jessica into his office. At Brother Simon's apartment, Marcus interrogates him. Marcus asks Brother Simon if he is responsible for the deaths of Bennett, the Regos, and the nuns and Brother Simon tells him, "I didn't kill anyone, priest. You did". Tomas tells Jessica about his promotion and that he doesn't think he deserves it. He is tired of being disappointed in himself and not being the "Rising Star" that everyone says he is. Jessica wishes they could have a normal relationship, but Tomas knows that that can't happen due to the priesthood. Tomas thinks that she deserves a long, happy life. She hugs him and tells him to stop writing to her so that it will be easier for her to let go and move on. Marcus continues to interrogate Brother Simon, who accepts responsibility for the death of the Regos. Brother Simon reveals to Father Marcus that Angela killed the nuns because she is possessed. Kat, Henry, and Casey try to leave in the middle of the night because Casey knows her mom is possessed. Angela stops them before they can leave.

Angela reveals that she is integrated because she invited the Salesman to possess her. The demons believe that the world was meant for them and they are trying to get it back. Tara is reading Chris' book, The Devil in my Daughter. Chris gave Tara her own personal copy of the book and signed it for her. Tara found a red feather in the book. The title of the episode, 162, refers to the page in Chris' book where she realized that Pazuzu would keep coming back for Regan/Angela until the end of time. Marcus is still at Brother Simon's apartment, tied up. Brother Simon reveals that when Pope Sebastian was still an Apolistic/Papal Nuncio (meaning a papal ambassador), they invited him to join the Friars of Ascension, but he refused. Brother Simon grabs the ashes from the urn used in the Ceremony of Ash and says, "Vocare Pulvere". Angela/the demon wants to hurt one of her family members for their "disobedience". Casey and Kat realize that Angela killed Chris. The demon inflicts pain on Casey and Henry when Father Tomas bursts into the room and tells the demon to get away from them.

Guest Stars

• Mouzam Makkar as Jessica
• Deanna Dunagan as Mother Bernadette
• Francis Guinan as Brother Simon
• Robert Emmet Lunney as The Salesman
• Keira Naughton as Cherry Rego
• Ken Marks as Lester Rego
• Kirsten Fitzgerald as Maria Walters
• James Vincent Meredith as Detective Lawrence
• Tim Hopper as Superintendent Jaffey
• Brad Armacost as Bishop Egan
• Melissa Russell as Tara
• Torrey Hanson as Cardinal Guillot

Notes and trivia

• Angela inviting the demon to possess her in order to save Casey mirrors Father Karras' sacrifice to save Regan.
• The growling dogs are reminiscent of the fighting dogs Father Merrin encounters in Iraq when he finds the statue of Pazuzu in the original film.
• The title "162" refers to the page in Chris MacNeil's book The Devil in my Daughter and her revelation that Pazuzu would keep coming back for Regan/Angela until the end of time.
• It is revealed in this episode that Angela and the media discovered that Casey has been found on November 22, 2016, which would be the day that Chapter Eight: The Griefbearers takes place, so this episode takes place on November 23, 2016, the day before Pope Sebastian's visit to Chicago.
• Brother Simon kisses Cardinal Guillot's ring like Father Karras kissing Bishop Michael's ring in the original film.
• Last appearance of Cherry Rego, Lester Rego, and Mother Bernadette.

Gallery

Tara reading The Devil in my Daughter

The Devil in my Daughter

Page 162 of The Devil in my Daughter

Tara, Tomas' secretary

The article revealing when The Exorcist television series takes place

Tomas' exorcism book

Map of Chicago revealing the location of Mother Bernadette's church

Brother Simon kissing Cardinal Guillot's ring

Henry's writing "162"