Eli Roth Presents: The Legion of Exorcists (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

Demonic Portal

[suspenseful music playing]
[clanging]
[roars]
- [screams]
[music crescendos and stops]
[Eli Roth]
Evil is mon the rise.
Demons battle
to possess our soul,
and drag us one stop closer
to hell.
But now, there is a gathering
of spiritual warriors
who defend us against
the Devil's minions.
Go back to hell!
Saint Michael, the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
[Roth] They unite to banish
the demons in our midst.
These are the true stories
of The Legion of Exorcists.
There is a boundary between
the land of the living,
and the dead.
A barrier that shields us
from the Devil's minions.
But exorcists have encountered
a terrifying connection
between the two worlds,
a link known as
a Demonic Portal.
[Scott Johnson] We all enter
into cases
so frequently, that we develop
procedures and protocol.
But one thing we're never
prepared for,
the first time it happens,
is when you're called in
to help,
and someone in the home is
actively working against the help
you've been called to provide.
Sometimes there are skeptics
and non-believers.
Other times, there are those who are
actively working in league with the demonic
to open up portals
and to bring terror
into the home.
I experienced this first hand
with what seemed to be
a normal, loving family.
A father, a daughter, a mother,
and a grandmother living
right down the road.
But things are not always
as they appear.
[snoring]
[continues snoring]
[choking]
[roars]
[Johnson] So, the Dad
was getting greatly affected
by all of this and he was
having trouble sleeping.
And when he did sleep,
he would have these terrible nightmares.
And it just began to
wear him down.
He was afraid to sleep
because of it.
This guy is
a union steel worker.
He's bigger than me,
He's like, 6' 5''.
This is not a small man.
Not weak at all.
And this man is terrified.
It was affecting his relationship
with his wife, with his children.
It affected his work,
it affected his sleep.
And it was to the point where
he could not take it anymore.
[woman's voice echoing]
Staying home again today?
Henry?
Are you taking the day off?
Henry?
- [Henry] No!
I'm not going anywhere.
It came to me again last night.
Couldn't sleep.
[woman] Doctor says
it's just stress.
You're damn right I'm stressed.
Something is trying to kill me.
It's just a dream.
I felt its hands on my neck!
I smelt its breath in my face.
It's not a dream.
[screams]
Jesus! Henry!
What's the matter?
Henry?
[Johnson] Ultimately, for me,
I go there to offer assistance.
This place is out
in the country.
I couldn't help but thinking, as I'm
driving along this winding country road,
that this is a scene straight
out of a horror movie.
[knocking]
Ah. You must be the ones
my husband called.
That's right, ma'am.
I gotta say right now,
I don't put a lot of faith
in holy water and mumbo-jumbo.
And I don't wanna see
a spook-show.
I didn't invite you here.
I completely understand, ma'am.
Your husband did. Maybe we could
just talk to him for a minute.
Fine. Sure.
[Johnson] Thank you.
Henry Duncan?
I'm Pastor Scott Johnson.
I'd like to hear about
what's been troubling you.
That sage?
My wife says it helps
keep the spirits away.
She's patronizing me.
[Johnson] I know people say that
but you have to be careful.
Sometimes, these home cures can
actually help focus the demonic energy.
Mr. Duncan, did you hear
what I said?
Mr. Duncan, can you hear me?
[roars]
- [screams]
What is it?
Talk to me, Henry.
Do you see something?
And we're like,
"What is wrong with you?"
Like, "Look us in the eye,
tell us what's going on."
He was confused.
He didn't know and
At first, when I entered in, I'm
like, something's wrong with the guy.
But he begins to soften and be
much more conversational.
He began to open up.
And what he revealed
was absolutely terrifying.
Are you rolling?
- Yes. Ready.
All right, Henry.
Tell us everything.
It comes for me at night.
[roaring]
I can't breathe.
But I don't think it wants
to kill me.
It just wants me to know
that it can.
Go on. What else?
Oh, dear God.
Wait, wait. Stop right there.
Jean, get a shot of that?
What do you see?
I don't suppose you speak
ancient Hebrew, Henry?
[stammers] No.
It didn't just look like
the Hebrew character,
Aleph.
It was the actual
letter.
Aleph represents
the oneness of God.
The upper yud represents
the hiddenness.
The lower yud represents his
revelation and presence on Earth.
I believe the entity
was mocking us
and insulting any representation
or presence of God in that home.
When you're dealing
with scratches,
you have to be careful,
'cause they can be caused
subconsciously in your sleep,
or there can be
medical explanations for them.
But this shows that something
sentient and intelligent,
and knowledgeable
of a dead language
wrote this character,
scratched this character into Dad's body.
We've got this sleep paralysis incident,
we've got this scratch thing going on,
we've verified this.
Also, I happened to notice,
on the counter,
a bundle of sage that has
been used.
Now, that doesn't throw me off.
What grabbed my attention is that it's
sitting on a bed of multicolored crystals.
That raises a red flag to me,
because those are not tools
in my toolbox.
The crystals indicate that there
is occult activity going on there.
Most likely, witchcraft.
So, I'm like, "Do you mind if
I take a walk around your home,
just to, kind of, get a feel?"
Um, and this is when
things start getting weird.
I'm pretty sure there's a
demonic presence in this house.
But there's something else
going on here too.
Yeah. I saw more crystals,
I saw more sage,
Do you think it has anything to
do with all this new age stuff?
I hope not.
What's that?
Take this.
My dollies are keeping
the secret.
Immediately, alarm bells go off.
This is not a fixture that is
a typical decoration,
in anyone's room.
Let alone a young girl.
At this point, after seeing
the Dad's scratches
and the inverted pentagram
in the daughter's room,
I knew there was something
demonic going on.
The problem was, I didn't know
where it was coming from.
Was this witchcraft?
Was there a portal somewhere?
I just had no idea.
Has your daughter been exhibiting
any unusual behavior lately?
Aggression? Anger? Violence?
No!
What are you talking about?
She's totally normal.
Okay.
Because pentagrams
are not normal.
Besides your bedroom,
is there anywhere in the house that feels
off?
Pastor, this is getting
a bit-- - The basement.
That's the first place
that I saw it.
Saw what?
[sighs]
[distant growling]
Stay close to me.
Jean, holy water.
Heavenly Father,
protect this home,
and all your faithful
children within.
Make known new presence.
Protect this home
with all your power.
Invite yourself into this home,
force yourself into this home,
and demand all the evil
that exist within it
vanish.
[clanging]
[clanging continues]
[roars]
- [screams]
The demon was grotesque.
There's nothing I've ever seen
like it, in this world.
And I never ever wanna see
anything like it again.
And in that moment, I knew
it was time to get rid of it.
I cast out all those foul creatures
who would oppose the will of God
and would seek the corruption
of His children.
[holy water splashing]
If you are such a creature,
and you hear my voice now,
I cast you out!
Get out!
[low growling]
[creature breathing heavily]
[Jean screams]
[Johnson] Jean! Jean!
Help me up! My back!
My back! My back! My back!
My back! My back!
There was three scratches
down her back,
right there.
Pretty gnarly ones.
The fact that it physically
attacked her,
proved to us we were dealing with
a very powerful demonic force.
So, I see the demon rush out
of the window in the basement,
and in my mind, I'm thinking,
"We've gotta find this thing,
we've gotta find the portal,
we've gotta close it off."
The problem is, I have no idea
where that is.
I'm immediately drawn to
the garage that's separated.
In my mind, God reveals to
all of us that
this is some kind of
entry point going on here.
So, I'm like, "Okay. We need to focus on
this because maybe there's a portal here.
There's something going on.
This is the source of all this
bad energy
and things that are going on,
all of this activity seems to be here."
[water dripping]
Scott, look at this.
I see it.
It's a pentagram.
On a mirror.
What's that used for, Jean?
Summoning demons.
Exactly.
Lord have mercy.
Jean, come help me with this.
I don't know what it is,
but I
I'm getting a bad energy
from down there.
We're gonna have
to get this off.
Easy.
Oh, my God!
When I see the depth of this,
and the darkness,
I get this burst of really
foreboding feeling.
That has to be, in my mind,
where this is emanating from.
It has to be.
This has to be some
kind of portal.
Something demonic is there.
And I know we have to
seal this off.
Closing a demonic portal is not the same
as doing the solemn rite of exorcism
on a possessed individual.
It involves more prayer,
using holy water,
anointing oil
to close that gateway
between their world and ours.
Lord, give us strength.
From all evil, deliver us,
O Lord.
From all sin, from your wrath,
from your sudden
and unprovided death.
From the snares of the Devil,
deliver us, O Lo--
I'm sorry, Mrs. Duncan,
you need to take those crystals
out of here immediately.
This is my home.
I'm gonna do what I think
is best for my husband.
Ma'am, we found the source,
it's right here.
We must perform the rites
to close the portal,
and those crystals
will inhibit me.
Then I guess you'll have to
leave it the way it is.
I'm trying to help your husband.
I didn't ask for your help.
There are demons
within this well.
Your husband and daughter
are being affected.
I don't think you understand.
No, you don't understand.
I want you to leave.
And if you don't, I will call
someone who will make you leave.
Out of nowhere,
it was as if a switch
was flipped.
And I was confronted with a very
hostile, aggressive Mom.
At that point, you're a guest
on somebody's property.
You're kind of in a place
where, if you were hurt, that
they may not find you.
You look at this moment and there's no
other choice, but you have to leave.
Right.
So, we left.
Let's go, Jean.
[overlapping whipering sounds]
This is an incredibly
difficult emotional struggle
because you are there
with the ability
to help someone that
actually has a problem.
And you are not allowed
to do so.
[footsteps approaching]
Henry, I'm sorry,
but we have to go.
But I'll try to find a way
to come back.
You have to hold out until then.
There's no holding out.
Have faith, Henry.
We tried contacting them
over and over again.
No return calls, nothing.
What we didn't know,
until about a month later,
Grandma down the road,
and Mom,
were practicing witches.
Ah. [chuckles ruefully]
And they used black magic
to open a portal and summon
demons into our world.
[women chanting] Lord Satan,
by your grace,
grant me, I pray thee,
the power to conceive
in my mind and to execute
that which I desire to do.
[scratching]
That's perfect, honey.
Can you hear them calling?
Yes. What do I do?
Just listen.
Obey.
[demonic whispering]
[choking]
[roars]
This woman and her Mom
were in league with
the demonic powers.
[Rita Strugala] Absolutely.
[Johnson] I don't know
what happened.
I don't know how it ended,
or will end.
But the shocking thing
about the demonic,
is that they will use people
to actively block you
from being able to help.
Like, you're there,
you're physically able,
you're spiritually able because
you have the authority of Christ.
You can help this family.
And you're not allowed.
And so, everyday since then,
I have prayed for that family.
And I think of that Dad
who is a
giant of a man,
just absolutely terrified.
[Henry screams]
And all I can think of
is Mom and Grandma
holding him hostage, basically.
That's what gets me, is this man
who's obviously crying out for help.
And the wife,
and the wife's mother,
they don't care enough
for that man,
or for the children
to even give him some comfort.
That's horrifying.
[Donnie Williams] The problem is
some witches, they enjoy - Yes.
They enjoy doing what they're doing.
- [Strugala] I believe so.
And they don't see that
the enemy has them blinded.
And they don't see what
they're doing is wrong.
[Strugala] These other cases,
a lot of times, you have resolution.
- Mmm-hmm.
[Strugala] You have closure.
Here, you don't. You think
you'll ever forget it?
Never.
- [Johnson] No.
In a situation like this,
opening up a demonic portal
is extremely dangerous
because, as we all know,
very rarely is it just one
that comes through.
It could be many hundreds
or thousands.
And who knows what kind of
untold carnage that inflicts
on people all over the world.
I once worked a case where there
were many portals left open,
discovered by
an unsuspecting homeowner.
[indistinct murmuring]
[man] Hail Satan!
Please, no! No! Please don't!
Once a demonic portal
has been opened,
it can be a source of an
evil infestation for years.
An open door,
a trap waiting for
an unsuspecting victim.
I've been an exorcist in
Las Vegas for about a decade.
And there's a reason why
they call it "Sin City."
All you have to do is
look out your window,
and you can see all
the evilness that's going on.
[Whittington] As dark
as this town can get,
I'll never forget
the first case I worked,
where I encountered
a demonic portal.
And it wasn't until that day
that I realized just how thin
the veil is between our world
and the demonic's.
I got a call form a woman
who was recently widowed.
Living back east is
a constant reminder
that she just lost her husband.
Having a background in real
estate and flipping homes,
the market's pretty hot
in Las Vegas.
So, she decides, "I'm going to
relocate to Las Vegas
and find a good home,
and flip it, make some money,
start my new life there."
But little did she know,
that she purchased a home
with a very dark secret.
Why would someone do this?
What in the world happened
in here?
[Whittington] It was
extremely disturbing.
There was a mattress covered
in stains
that could possibly
have been blood,
and all the mirrors
in the home, covered up.
Help me, please!
- [screams]
Please, help me!
[woman's voice echoing]
Please, help me! Please!
She says, "I could swear
to you, Reverend Shawn,
that I saw the apparition
of this young girl
which made me whip
my head around,
and there was nothing there."
[screams]
She just thought, "You know,
it's been a long trip. I'm really tired."
But this was just the beginning.
[ghostly voice whispering]
Kneel before me
[indistinct whispering]
[TV static]
[raspy growling]
[screams]
[woman 2] Please, help me.
[woman 3 crying in fear]
Linda was seeing apparitions
of a bloody girl
in every mirror in the house.
She's very concerned,
but she's mostly concerned about
the apparition of the girl.
She's starting to feel
that perhaps
a young girl did die
in the home,
and she wants to help
this spirit cross over.
So, I find out, I get
the address to the house,
and I go there.
And she's got her RV
in the driveway.
She goes, "Well, that's where
I'm living now.
I went to the RV
as a safe haven."
So, Linda runs off
to run errands.
She leaves me alone in the house
to conduct an investigation.
I'm getting those Spidey-senses
that there's something following me,
something watching me.
[woman 2] Please, help me!
[coughs] Please!
Please! Let me out of here!
[woman 2 sobbing, choking]
[woman 2 coughing,
crying continues]
Please, help me. Please!
Please, help me.
[woman 2 screams]
Please, help me. Please!
[sobs] Please!
Please! Please.
[woman 2 crying]
- [door handle jiggles]
Please, help me. Please!
I go into the bedroom
that she said the mattress
was in.
When I turn to look
at the mirror,
I see a girl looking at me.
That's when I realized,
this wasn't just a mirror,
this was a portal to hell.
All the mirrors were.
Please, help me.
[sobs] Please.
[woman 2 screams]
[woman 2 crying continues
in distance]
Please, help me.
[woman 2 screams]
- [door handle jiggling]
[Whittington] Master bedroom
door slammed shut,
I go and I
I can't get it open.
I know better than, at this
point, to even fight it.
I need to just absorb
what's going on.
Don't get all panicky
and freaked out.
What do I always do?
- Pray.
I love you, brother.
- Mmm-hmm.
Just That's why I got that
today, brought that today.
I just brought out my
old Catholic prayer book.
Heavenly Father,
protect your servant
from this foul affliction
that has taken this home.
Give me the strength
to battle this evil.
I realized what I was
up against,
that there were demonic forces
attached to this home.
And I knew that I was going
to perform
an extensive blessing and
sealing of the whole place.
I may have been by myself,
but I wanted the demons to know
that I had an army with me.
[whispering] Hail Mary,
full of grace.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
[low growling]
[roaring]
I heard, "Leave."
There was pressure on my back
of somebody large,
standing right behind me.
Just kind of leaning
into me a little bit.
And now, I'm in fear of my life.
'cause not only is this demon
acknowledging me,
it's telling me to leave.
[growling continues]
When that demon told me
to leave,
I realized then,
that my presence
was not welcomed by the demonic.
So, I had to be very careful
in continuing the rest
of my investigation.
[low growl]
In the name of the Lord,
I tell you now,
I am not leaving!
You are leaving!
[demon speaking in tongues]
[sputters]
Every room I went into,
demons were using mirrors
to try to attack.
I realized, in order to make
this all stop,
I had to close the portals,
the portal where it all started.
And I believe
that was the portal
in the bedroom where
the bloody mattress was found.
So, I gathered my strength,
I gathered my faith,
and I went back in that room
ready to fight.
Watch over us during life,
defend us against the evil
and the darkness of the demons.
Assist us,
especially in the moment
of death.
What are you doing here?
[woman 2's screaming echoes]
[woman 2 sobbing]
I came face to face
with this demon.
And I had a vision
as to how all these portals
were opened.
[men chanting indistinctly]
[men] Hail Satan.
The blood we drink,
the flesh we eat.
Praise the body of Satan.
Hail Satan.
Hail Satan.
[woman 2 struggling
and speaking indistinctly]
[woman 2 chokes]
Please. Please.
Release this girl
from her suffering.
You have no power over her!
You have no power over this home!
- [snarling]
Release her! Go back to hell!
Go back to hell!
After hours of one of the most
intense thorough house blessings
you can do at a location,
it felt like a brand new home.
All was good.
And I could actually hear
the demons up on the hillside,
in retreat.
- Awesome.
My theory here,
before I throw this out there to you was,
the girl was murdered
in the home.
I also theorize,
that this place was actually
used for Satanic rituals
Please, help me.
because of the apparition of the
dead girl on the bloody mattress.
And that use of mirrors
enabled the demonic
to enter this home,
and terrorize the occupants.
I do believe that, uh,
maybe that girl was a sacrifice
in a Satanic ritual.
That's why the demons
were so strong in that house.
It's interesting, I've had a lot of
cases that are Satanic in nature.
And in the early 1890s or so,
a lot of people would black out
mirrors, it's called a black mirror,
and they would actually
do this in Satanic rituals
to summon that demon,
to make an offering to summon the demon.
So, they're giving the demon
something to summon it.
It proves to me, there was a
group of Satanists in that house.
And Satanists, they conduct
blood sacrifices for power.
Right.
- For Satan.
And the more sacrifices they do,
the more power they get in the spirit realm.
And sin attracts demons.
There's no way to know how
many demonic portals are open,
unleashing darkness
into our world.
Please, help me.
[Roth] At the next gathering
of The Legion of Exorcists,
as their battle
with evil continues,
the challenge for the rest of us
is to avoid becoming the
victim of a demonic invitation.
[roars]
I knew it was trying to trick
me into thinking it was Sam.
This was the case
that opened my eyes.
It frightened me.
And it frightened me
to the core.
[man 2] Get out!
Go back to hell!
[woman screaming]
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