question about father karras in the exorcist

Well I’d say he would have killed Regan and then.. who knows? Maybe he would have escaped or killed Chris, and then maybe Karras.

I think the novel has a clue – after emphasizing Karras’ athleticism and prodigious physical strength, we are invited to imagine just what that strength could do when supplemented by a demonic personality. Regan herself, though “just a wee lass”, exhibited preternatural strength. This would be highly increased in a man of Karras’ physique.

As far as the outcome of Karras NOT jumping from the window, Blatty supplies the dialogue. People in the rooms beneath Regan’s bedroom hear Karras arguing with the demon, “No! I won’t let you hurt them! You’re coming with me!” (or words to that effect). Clearly if Karras had not jumped, his first order of business – under the demon’s command – would have been to slaughter the entire household. After that, we might imagine him escaping into the night, a powerful man driven by a powerful demon.

One problem with that scenario is that, as was the case with Regan, one would expect that Karras’ possession would exhibit periods of wild, insane behavior – uncontrolled “spasticity”, seizures, vomiting – that would render him helpless at times, and would certainly bring him to the attention of the public and the police.

We might imagine the possessed Karras being arrested and institutionalized while Kinderman pieces together the evidence that Regan had been possessed, that Karras had “caught” the possession, and had then killed the household.

Kinderman would then confront the possessed Karras in the mental hospital – much as he does in “Legion”. Only in this case, there would be no Gemini Killer involved, but only the “imprisoned”/possessed Karras and Pazuzu… who knows…?

Thanks, Jenny, for your comments. At least this version eliminates the insertion of the Gemini character and keeps the interaction ‘twixt characters we already know, namely the two Ks – Kinderman and Karras. And, of course, the demon.

But if I were to film this or try to write it, I really don’t know how to handle the “out of control” aspects of Karras’s possession. While “competent”, he could strike out and kill and mutilate and put a “Satanic cult” type of signature on his depredations – when he is “sane” and “healthy” enough to do it.

But then he would relapse – like Regan before him – into semi-comatose states, seizure-like states, diarrhea/vomiting, etc. His effectiveness as a real menace to society would be extremely constrained by his “disease”.

Another thought: Karras’ fingerprints would be all over Chris’s house and he’d be easily identified as the murderer. The court system would want to imprison him – if he’s healthy and sane enough – and capital punishment would likely be his fate. Kinderman, though, could come in at this point and argue for the authenticity of possession, trying to save the life of his possessed friend. Of course, if Kinderman is convinced of the possession’s genuiness, what would he do? Call in an exorcist? … You see how complicated this all would get.

Also, would an audience forgive any alternative ending in which the MacNeil household – whom they have come to know and probably love – are all murdered by the would-be hero, Karras?