But Angela wasnt alone in the Pazuzu-pounding department.
Luckily Marcus was able to convince Maria to take action and claim the power she so clearly wanted.
Despite Marcus warnings, he remained adamant, causing the other priest to concede.
Credit: Jean Whiteside/FOX
Was that an attempt to visualize what was going on?
JEREMY SLATER:Absolutely.
Its become both a cliche, and unfortunately, kind of a cornerstone of the genre.
Jean Whiteside/FOX
Because she was possessed as a child, she built up some defense mechanisms.
Was that something you were also thinking about?
Lets see to it they have their own agency, their own desires.
Jean Whiteside/FOX
Lets never make them plot devices that just need to be saved or punished or rescued.
That was our agenda from the beginning and I think we came really close to it.
Im really proud of the work that our writers put in.
In terms of Angela saving herself.
What gives her the strength to stand up to the Salesman in that moment?
Is it Tomas commencing the exorcism, is it her hearing her family taking part?
Youre talking about a demon thats millions of years old, and just massively powerful and dangerous.
But it was that combination.
She has allowed fear to rule her life in a very real way.
Angela has to make that same emotional leap before shes ready to face the demon.
Tomas and Marcus both talk about their relationships with God.
Did you decide to show that because weve been dealing with demons all season long?
Its always been something weve struggled with in terms of how much to show and how much to suggest.
That is what makes faith a little harder.
We do have the presence of good in our show.
We have these little hints and suggestions.
Its the page number of the book that ultimately leads Tomas to saving the family.
All they will do is give you a nudge in the right direction and help you along.
Their power does come from a higher source, and we have to be respectful of that.
And we also have to play fair with the audience.
Marcus does eventually save the Pope.
But was there a chance he might have gotten killed?
He had to walk that path alone.
His enemies are closing all around him.
This isnt the last time they will try.
<pAnd is Maria in charge of the Friars going forward now?
Marias story isnt quite done yet.
It got tricked into accepting a lesser host.
So youll see that the demons eye, its pupil is a little jittery.
Its trying to get out.
There might be some conflicts between the host and the new hands on the steering wheel.
Theres some interesting stuff to explore if we get more seasons.
Also, Bennett is alive!
Was it a feint for the audience, or was he always alive?
We went back and forth in the writers room too.
Is it better to give him a dramatic death and make him the ultimate sacrifice?
[He] makes a pretty good mole on the inside.
So we decided at the end of the day, we liked the actor and the character too much.
Lets bring him back and put him through a little more abuse.
That was the Rance family possession, which has now ended.
The family is saved.
Angela for the first time in her life feels safe.
Shes no longer looking over her shoulder; she can actually be happy and fulfilled and safe.
Marcus and Tomas story is just getting started.
Our challenge for Season 2 is to figure out: What is the emotional spine of the next season?
For this season it was very much about the Rance family.
They were the reason we cared and got invested.
