I wasn’t a fan of NBC’s “Constantine” premiere. I thought it was muddled, terrible attempt to realize a character who’s mostly known for being a double crossing bastard. Truth is, I saw a really early version and when treated to a second viewing of the pilot at NYCC I was left with a vague sense of optimism. But I couldn’t push myself to watch episode two. I figured I love the source material too much to do that to myself. Well, I was wrong.
“Constantine” shows real promising signs of a horror show that will embrace its source material in new and interesting ways. I had my doubts after episode two took a trip to a weird mining town and had a thoroughly underwhelming climax. It left me wanting so much more. The dialogue wasn’t particularly strong and the story felt phoned in. Episode three came and with it we had a spin on The Ring premise, but this time it was a record. You listen to it and you die. Pretty simple, but it had the essence of a dead soul singer trapped inside of it. Somehow this seemed more like the Constantine I knew and loved. The imagery of the singer burning up was haunting, and I’ll admit I’m a sucker for people exploding into rivers of blood inside the confines of a recording booth. Plus we had the introduction of Papa Midnite.
Papa Midnite served as an interesting foil for John. He showed a different side of this magical universe, and I couldn’t help but think he wasn’t so evil himself, but motivated by a different set of principles. John has always been a man who was most comfortable in the grey areas of the DC universe. So it makes logical sense to pit him against someone like Midnite early in the series. Not to mention it was nice to see another familiar face from the comics.
Speaking of which, episode 4 brought Gary Lester. This episode is packed with terrifying visual imagery, and the looming threat of a hunger demon. I thought, I’m finally watching the show I had dreamed of. Mind you, it isn’t perfect. There are still dialogue issues, and I’m not sold on Zed. But this man from John’s past really encapsulated everything I wanted “Constantine” to be. Gary is tied to a dark history of fucking up. He shows that John isn’t perfect, and that he uses people. This doesn’t bode well for Zed. And the end of the episode showed exactly the kind of turn from Matt Ryan that I wanted. He was the perfect bastard as his plan came together.
Matt Ryan is the reason to watch this show. His portrayal of Constantine is amazing. I knew he was the John Constantine we deserve when I saw him prancing around to punk music, bathed in blood, and speaking in tongues. He’s smart, overly confident, and good at what he does. Except he’s not that good, he’s still allowed to screw up and he doesn’t really let that defeat him. Instead he just keeps moving forward be it through blind arrogance or ambition, it doesn’t matter.
Next Week Papa Midnite returns.
I’m starting weekly reviews this Friday and I want to know what you think of NBC’s “Constantine.” Talk to me in the comments!
