All work and no play makes ‘The Exorcist’ a dull show

There’s something about demonic subject matter on the small-screen that can easily grab an audience’s attention. From “Supernatural” and “Ash vs. Evil Dead” to “Outcast” and “Lucifer,” there seems to always be room for these baddies in genre entertainment. And while the story isn’t anything new in FOX’s “The Exorcist,” it seems the show is here to capitalize on name recognition and familiar genre tropes.

Tackling demons as entertainment isn’t new for the network. “Lucifer” just began its second season and we’re a handful of months away from “Sleepy Hollow’s” return. Yet, while those two shows seem to have a decent following, we’re doubtful “The Exorcist” will make a worthy impact. And that statement has nothing to do with the talent of the cast, but more-so with the overall tone of the show.

RELATED: 4 ways ‘The Exorcist’ TV series connects to the movie

You see, “The Exorcist” is an iconic film that has conjured up frightening imagery that can still have an impact to this very day. With 43 years since its inception, audiences have seen a couple sequels (and a prequel) hit the big screen, they’ve grown accustomed to the trickery of those “Paranormal Activity” films, they have matured to the notion of found footage as a bankable genre and have seen possession stories that have both failed and succeeded.

To bring “The Exorcist” back, it was a no brainer for FOX to up the ante and flip the script for modern audiences. And two episodes in, it feels like they’ve done that … sort of. Yet, it’s Friday’s (Sept. 30) episode that has started to unveil the show’s true identity. In the original movie, we didn’t get a lot of backstory behind Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) or Karras (Jason Miller). The main concern and focal point was the saving of young Regan (Linda Blair).

That angle, thus far, can’t work in the series. Not because we don’t have a demon expressing interest in a young girl. No, it’s more-so because Casey (Hannah Kasulka) — the young girl in question — is the weakest character in the series. We’re only two episodes in, but for a girl who is puking up hellish insects and causing legs to snap with merely a focused glance, her story has turned out to be the most boring to watch.

That’s not to say that the series doesn’t have some intriguing moves to make? With a peek into Father Marcus’ (Ben Daniels) backstory, we’re almost yearning for a story that follows him — and only him — as he battles the dark forces around us. As we’ve now learned, there is an army of demons wreaking havoc in the neighborhood. Why they’ve harvested those organs remains to be seen, but that’s one detail that definitely piqued our curiosity.

RELATED: Is an ‘Exorcist’ TV series a good idea? Probably not

For the show to make its case as worthwhile genre fair — against the examples we referenced above — FOX might want to rethink its strategy.  Amidst the bleak subject matter, we feel that there needs to be some sense of levity to keep audiences invested. We’re not suggesting they make “The Exorcist” a slapstick comedy. But darkness breeds darkness and a slow burn horror show is a tough sell to television audiences anywhere. Anyone remember A&E’s “Damien?”

It’s commendable that the network has opted to bring the theatrical sensibilities of the movie to the small-screen. However, if they’re wanting to continue this story for another season, they may want to pause for some much needed introspection. Sometimes cinematic stories such are solely meant for the big screen. Is “The Exorcist” one of these stories? We have eight more episodes to truly find out.

“The Exorcist” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

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