Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 13 - Waiting For The Man

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

When another detective goes missing while investigating the disappearances of young girls that coincided with the full moon, Jim Corrigan brings John and Zed in to help him investigate. Unfortunately, Zed can't shake her visions of Jim Corrigan's impending death.  Worse still, John just had a bounty put on his head by The Brujeria.  And Papa Midnite aims to collect....


Influences

Alan Moore's Swamp Thing (The Brujeria), Hellblazer #4 (the basic plot involving a Satanic serial killer called "The Man"), Hellblazer #181 (Gary Lester escaping Hell to deliver a warning to John), Hellblazer: Damnation's Flame (Papa Midnite going after John), Hellblazer #63 (John taking a piss while talking to a supernatural being) and the works of Garth Ennis in general (John's jokes about lung cancer, and the appearance by The Ace of Winchesters).


Performances

It's a small thing, but it says a lot that even the usually cool-nerved John Constantine has his composure shaken by finding all of The Man's child brides laying together in one bed and Matt Ryan perfectly captures the character's revulsion and righteous anger later once The Man is in custody.


Artistry

The general aesthetic of The Man's home perfectly emulates the comics and may well be the creepiest imagery the show has brought about yet.  Forget demons and spirits - a serial killer who successfully enslaves the souls of the young girls he strangles to death is disturbing on multiple levels.


Pub Trivia

The title, plot and a good deal of the imagery and dialogue are taken directly from Hellblazer #4.

Coincidentally, Hellblazer #4 was the issue where John and Zed originally met.

John makes a crack about how he's fit as a fiddle despite his smoking - a reference to how John was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer in the Garth Ennis story Dangerous Habits.

The address where The Man lives is 4 Delano Street.  This is both a reference to the issue number of Hellblazer that inspired this episode as well as the writer, Jamie Delano.


Arcana

Spontaneous Desiccation is the act of a body becoming quickly dehydrated and mummified.

A Blood Moon is another term for a total lunar eclipse, so called because of the red-tint this gives the moon.

A Lunar Tetrad is four successive total lunar eclipses with no partial lunar eclipses in between.

Biblical Tetrads are Tetrads where the Blood Moons fall on Biblical Feast Days.  These are quite rare, with the next one scheduled in 2015.  There is a prophecy - promoted by a pair of American evangelists - regarding the End Times coming about because of the next Biblical Tetrad.

Holy Water can be used to reveal magical ritual markings.

The Diablo Cauter (a.k.a. The Devil's Branding Irons) were used by The Inquisition in the 13th century to torture witches.  Apparently they are also used by Satan-worshipers to torture people.

Full moons symbolize rebirth.

Sacrifices made during a blood moon are used to usher in the new cycle.

It is possible for a human soul to possess a corpse and use it to speak to people, as Gary Lester does to deliver John a warning.

According to Manny, sensitives like Zed communicate more like spiritual beings than most mortals. When a sensitive such as Zed is in need, angels can sense that need and respond.

Again, Manny claims that angels do not have free will and are bound by the will of Heaven.  He envies the freedom mortals have to act freely on their knowledge.

John has a Tibetan spell that allows him to "pierce the vale".  It requires a DNA sample, the right incantation and an electrical shock capable of temporarily stopping the heart.  This last element is required to induce a state of Bardo - the transitional state between two lives on Earth in Buddhist tradition.  The spell combined with the DNA sample allows John to see through the eyes of the person the DNA belongs to.

Papa Midnite raises a zombie to kill John.  In traditional voodoo, zombies are souls trapped in dead bodies, enslaved to the will of a magician.  They possess enhanced strength and durability but can be killed by head-shots with an ordinary pistol.

The destruction of a zombie can stun the magician who created it.

There is a long tradition of magicians using animals as spies, as Papa Midnite does here.  The tradition dates back to at least the time of Norse myth, where Odin made use of two raven familiars - Thought and Memory - to watch distant events. Perhaps the most famous example of this in modern culture is Saurman using ravens and crows to track The Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings.

Papa Midnite arms himself with The Ace of Winchesters - last seen in C103 - when he goes to confront John directly.

For Papa Midnite, the reward for sacrificing John is to free his sister's soul from Hell. z

John knows how to raise a zombie.  He can also create a strong enough glamour to make the zombie look like him and fool as powerful a magician as Papa Midnite at close range.

John knows a ritual that allows him to free bound souls.  He uses this to save the first three girls killed by The Man.


Dialogue Triumphs

Zed: Are you going to roll the dice on Gary's warning too?  Just wait and see what turns up?
John: Yeah. Sounds reasonable.
Zed: You can't ignore the warnings, John
John: Oh, every time I light up I have the Surgeon General harping on about bloody lung cancer and look at me.  Fit as a fiddle!
Zed: What's your point?
John: My point is we all shape our destiny but none of us get to escape our fate. So when my time's up, that's it.

Zed: What are you doing here? John says you never come when he calls.
Manny: He doesn't ask as nicely as you.

John: There's a girl out there with a depraved killer. I'm her only hope of rescue. Can any bounty be worth that stain on your soul?
Papa Midnite: I gave up on my soul a long time ago.

John: Tell me... what would happen if a man like this, after everything he's done, all the children he's's murdered...what would happen if he were... to try and run away?
Jim: He ain't no demon, ain't no ghost.  He's a man.
John: Is he, Jim?
(Jim looks at The Man, undoes his handcuffs, and draws his gun)
Jim: Run.

John: I stare into the face of evil every bloody day. It usually manifests itself as a demon, a malevolent spirit, a bloody zombie, but now...
Manny: John, you've encountered human evil before.
John: I have, but this is something else entirely. We now know what happens when The Rising Darkness meets the worst of humanity  There's not an evil in any realm more bloody dangerous than that.
(John turns away but Manny grabs his shoulder)
Manny: This thing that we've set out to do, you and I - it's working. We can win this war. Trust me.
John: (chuckles) Of course we can. You know me. I don't play if I can't win. All I'm worried about is how to spend the rest of my days after I've driven every last bastard demon back to where it belongs.

Papa Midnite: So that's it? I'm free now? What's the catch?
Manny: You'll never be free. You gave up any hope of that when you went to work for The Brujeria.
Papa Midnite: What do you want?
Manny: I'm cancelling the contract on John Constantine.  You understand? He's off-limits.
Papa Midnite: You work for The Brujeria?!
Manny:  No. The Brujeria work for me.


Continuity

The "previously on Constantine" teaser shows clips from C103, C105 and C108, regarding Papa Midnite, Jim Corrigan, Zed's visions of Corrigan dying and being surrounded by green fire, The Brujeria and Papa Midnite's prophecy that the Rising Darkness was heralded by someone close to John who will betray him.

Zed says her visions always come true eventually.


Location

New Orleans


The Bottom Line

In a fair and just world, this would have been a stunning mid-season finale.  Sadly, this is not a fair and just world and the best that we can hope for is that some magic will see fit to deliver unto us a second season of Constantine and that more episodes will be like this one.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 12 - Angels And Minsters Of Grace

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

A tip from Manny leads John, Zed and Chas to a nearby hospital, where an overdosing drug addict shows signs of dark influence. When Zed becomes sidelined by seizures and Manny stays mum once too often, John grounds the angel - literally. Unfortunately, Manny is totally powerless when he is in a mortal body and Heaven's Light may be the only thing that can counter the darkness that they encounter.


Influences

The Garth Ennis run on Hellblazer (the idea of John binding an angel to his will & John's gambling to win various rare magic items) & The John Ostrander run on The Spectre (new mythology for Eclipso and The Black Diamond).


Performances

Angelica Celaya and Harold Perrineau play off one another beautifully as Zed and Manny finally meet in the flesh... so to speak.


Artistry

The fake out regarding the ultimate villain of the episode is very well played.


Pub Trivia

The title comes from a line from Halmet - Act I, Scene 4 - "Angels and ministers of grace defend us!".  The line is spoken by Halmet, as he sees the ghost of his father.

During the Garth Ennis run on Hellblazer, John was able to bind an angel to his will.  With the assistance of a succubus, John was able to remove an angels' heart.  So long as John held the heart, he could command the angel to do what he wanted. This binding was somewhat more permanent than what John does to Manny on the show, however.

The black diamond called The Heart of Darkness is a reference to the DC Comics super-villain Eclipso - specifically the re-imagining of the villain orchestrated by writer John Ostrander as part of his run on The Spectre. It was there that Eclipso was revealed to be the first manifestation of God's Wrath.  Eclipso became more obsessed with Revenge than Vengeance, however, and was imprisoned inside The Heart of Darkness.  The Heart was broken int 1000 pieces by a gem dealer, which weakened its power to hold Eclipso.  After that, any human who held one of the black diamonds would become possessed by Eclipso and turn upon whoever had made them angry.


Arcana

John's shopping list includes tannis root, adder's tongue and catnip.

Tannis Root is a fictional herb first mentioned in the film Rosemary's Baby.  In the movie, Tannis Root is used both as a reagent in dark magic and as way of devil worshipers marking one another by its distinctive smell.

Adder's Tongue is a name applied to a genus of about 25-30 different ferns.  Their leaves are used in the treatment of wounds by alchemists and white witches.

Catnip - in addition to being a recreational substance for felines - has a number of magical and medicinal purposes.  It can be used to sooth colicky babies or as a blood purifier for infants. Magically, it is often used in love potions and charm spells meant.

The Mill House contains a room that holds a sunny, outdoor meditation garden.  Zed's visions do not trouble her while she is in this room, for some reason.

Zed uses Ariadne's Thread to stop herself from becoming lost in The Mill House.  In Greek Mythology, Ariadne was the Princess of Crete, daughter of Minos. It was she who told Theseus the secret to navigating the great Labyrinth under Crete - using a great ball of string - and how to slay the Minotaur that lived there. Depending on the legend, Theseus either abandoned her once his quest was complete or was informed by Dionysus that he had already claimed Ariadne as his bride to be.

Manny tells John to go to a hospital named for St. Catherine.  There are a number of Catholic saints named Catherine, but the first was Catherine of Alexander who is the patron of nurses and maidens.

John knows a spell that can reveal the spark of life in living beings and dead bodies - aka Elan Vital. The spell produces a bright light capable of burning human corneas.  The spell also reveals the absence of that spark as well as the dark matter radiated by evil forces.

A vial of the air from Hades can be used to temporarily stun an angel while they are possessing a human body.

John apparently knows a siren and had a wild weekend with her once.  Sirens, in Greek Mythology, were creatures who attempted to lure men into danger with their beautiful voices. The myths differ on whether or not sirens had beauty to match their voices or if they had an appearance similar to that of a harpy, with bird-like body parts.  John's description seems to suggest the former.

Angels can be trapped in a human body if a magician can carve an appropriate sigil into the flesh of the human host before the angel can leave the body.

When possessing a human body, angels lose all connection to The Heavenly Host as well as all of their angelic powers.  To that end, a bound angel is little better than an ordinary human. In fact, given most angels lack of experience in managing emotions, they are likely to be more hindrance than help to the magician who binds them.

When an angel possess a human body, magicians will see the angel as however the angel wills their normal selves to look, albeit it dressed in the clothing of their human host.  Reflections will show the face of the human host and non-magicians will also see the possessed mortal as looking perfectly normal.

The Heart of Darkness is a black diamond made of calcified evil. Reportedly forged from the power of a dark sorcerer whose infernal powers once threatened the earth, the diamond was broken into many pieces by an angel's sword.

Since then, humans who came into possession of a piece of the diamond become possessed by darkness, becoming super strong and homicidal, acting upon whatever impulses enrage them most.  In this case, a doctor began killing people who wasted their second chances at a new life.

The presence of dark matter interferes with illumination, either causing lights to flicker or by extinguishing them outright.

The Mill House contains a piece of The Heart Of Darkness in a puzzle box.  Jasper's note says that the box was retrieved from "a gift of God".  John later realizes this was a literal translation of the place where the diamond was found - "bagh dadu" or Baghdad.

The pieces of the Heart of Darkness are drawn to one another like magnets.

The light of Heaven is the only thing that can destroy dark matter.


Dialogue Triumphs

John: Heroes are usually jerks at heart.

John: Hopefully I've got our psychic out of sensory deprevation.
Chas: She needs to rest.
John:Why don't we all just take a bloody holiday, eh?
Manny: (possessing Chas) Don't even think about it!
John: Oh, I forgot - angels.. they can't read sarcasm.
Manny: I can read it. I just don't have the patience for it.

Zed: The thing about Ariadne... Dionysus rescued her but she ended up dying anyway.

(As Chas gets ready to sneak out of his hospital room)
John: Yeah, that's a good idea.  Stay here and they're likely to experiment on you in the name of science.
Chas: Oh, like you did?
John: That was in the name of magic.

(As Manny throws up after smelling a dead body for the first time)
John: (deadpan) Oh yeah.  Go ahead.  That's great.  Just contaminate the crime scene.

John: (To Manny) Oh, and speaking of infernal power... can you use a computer?

(After Manny experiences the pleasure of the flesh)
Manny: I don't know how you get anything done.
John: Well, a little bit of denial and a lot of gin

Zed: My visions?  Are they a gift from God?  Or do my abilities come from somewhere evil? And the tumor is my punishment?
Manny:.Do you think your powers are evil?
Zed: Sometimes they feel that way. But since I've met John, I... I've been able to use them to save lives. And if this is my gift, I'll put up with the pain.
Manny: Exactly.
Zed: So my visions do come from God?
Manny: Like I said, John grounded me in this body. So I'm cut off from my power. But based on what you told me, Zed, you have all the answers you need.

John: I want to tell you something about me that nobody knows. I wake up every morning and for the first five minutes of the day... I imagine that everyone I care about is dead. I lie there and... I mediate on that. So that when it inevitably happens then uh... it lessens the blow.
Zed: Then what do you do?
John: I spark a ciggy and fry an egg.


Continuity

John once again makes use of his enchanted playing card as a fake ID.  It was last seen in 104.

John makes reference to the events of 110 and Zed pushing herself too hard in New York.  In a callback to the flashbacks from that episode, John refers to what he did to Chas to make him semi-immortal as being done "in the name of magic."

Manny destroys The Scry Map.

Zed is able to see Manny as John does by the episode's end.


Untelevised Adventures

John makes reference to a wild weekend he once spent with a siren.  At some point, he won a jar full of air from Hades from her.


John Screws Up

John's binding Manny very nearly gets him and Zed killed.

John also misidentifies the killer and is slow in figuring out what "gift from God" means.


The Bottom Line

The villain of the week is a bit crap and all too easily disposed of in the end - a waste of the potential for Eclipso from the comics.  But the build up and the fake-out are handled well.  And the business of the core cast - particularly the scenes with Zed and Manny playing off each other - are so good you won't mind too much.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 11 - A Whole World Out There

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

Manny sends John to Ivy University, to offer his help to a reluctant Ritchie Simpson - another member of the Newcastle crew - whose students have found a way to travel into another dimension, only to wind up at the mercy of a psychotic killer.


Influences

Hellblazer: Original Sins (the character of Ritchie Simpson and the idea of magically-facilitated dimensional travel) , The Dream Cycle novellas and short stories of H.P. Lovecraft (the rules for inter-dimensional travel are similar), The Most Dangerous Game (a bored sportsman hunting people in a place he controls), A Nightmare on Elm Street and the many urban legends involving a killer who attacks through mirrors and dreams.


Performances

Jeremy Davies steals the show in his return performance as Ritchie Davies.  By episode's end, we see a little of the man he once was - the one person John Constantine saw as a peer - even as we see how remarkably well John has held together in the face of Newcastle, relatively speaking.  The interplay between Davies and Matt Ryan is remarkable and the two are very convincing as old-friends grown apart.


Artistry

The direction for this episode is top-notch, with the opening scene before the title splash being truly terrifying and atmospheric.

The lightning design of Shaw's house is incredibly creepy, as are the visual FX for the realm beyond the house - both before and after.


Pub Trivia

In the Hellblazer comics, Ritchie Simpson conducted experiments using computers in conjunction with astral projection in order to explore other dimensions.

The idea of using hypnosis or magic to force a state of out-of-body travel is a staple of speculative fiction.  For example, the pulp hero John Carter used a form of astral projection to leave his body and travel to Mars.

The rules for other-dimensional travel discussed in this episode closely parallel what was said about mortal travelers in The Dreamlands of H.P. Lovecraft's Dream Cycle. Specifically, how it is possible for strong-willed dreamers to alter the landscape around them or how it is possible for a person to die in the Dreamlands and for the shock to kill their physical body in the material realm.


Arcana

Bloody Mary is the subject of many urban legends regarding a ghostly figure who will appear under various circumstances - usually by saying her name three times while facing a mirror in the dark. Some legends say that - properly summoned - Bloody Mary will tell your fortune, Improperly summoned (or summoned at all in the legends where she is not at all benevolent), she will either scratch out your eyes, strangle you, slash you to ribbons or take your soul.

Catoptromancy is the magical art of divining with a mirror.

The Egyptian chant used by the students invokes the name of "Ma-at" - the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, balance, law, morality and order.

John possesses a magic mirror that lets him see the past.

Samsara is the repeating cycle of birth, life and death in many Eastern religions.  It is possible to achieve liberation from this cycle, but only through good deeds and by fulfilling one's life purpose.

John knows a spell that allows him to detect and analyze residual magic. He uses this to analyze the ritual the students used.

Beeswax candles, hieroglyphics and residual ash are signs of Egyptian magic.

Ritchie makes reference to Shaw's ritual being based on Eygptian dream temple techniques.  Ancient Egyptian dream temples - or sleep temples - were hospitals of a sort that treated a variety of ailments, including mental disorders.  Archaeologists have theorized that the attending priest/physicians used hypnosis as part of their treatments.

A singularity - as Ritchie defines it - is the merging of humanity and technology to bring about immortality for a person's consciousness on a computer network. Or, as John puts it, "a bomb-shelter for your brain."  Typically singularity is applied towards the idea of an artificial intelligence born of technology that perfectly emulates human thought rather a human mind being preserved technologically but Ritchie is dumbing things down a bit for John's benefit.

In Egyptian magical tradition, mirrors are used as doorways to other spiritual planes.

All the mirrors in the Mill House are enchanted to prevent them from being used as doorways.

Typically it is impossible for a being in another dimension to attack people through mirrors.  Ritchie determines that Shaw is able to do this to the students because of the ritual they use to travel to his realm leaving them vulnerable to him.

Astral dimensions can be reshaped by a strong will.

In Buddhism, Nirvana is the state of enlightenment and peace achieved by accepting certain truths. These truths include that suffering is unavoidable, that desire is the root of all suffering and that while one can achieve Nirvana it cannot be done until one rids one's self of desire.


Dialogue Triumphs

John: Alright. we need to talk with Adam.
Ritchie: Okay, so that would be talking meaning talking, right? Not harassing?
John: Oh yeah, well, you know me. I'm well versed in the art of pretending to be a gentleman.
Ritchie: I do know you.. that is debatable.

Ritchie: You see what we are, John? To other people, we are what you call cancer.  We're just spreading our disease.
John: You know, when you're done sitting on your bloody pity party, we've got work to do. All right?
Ritchie: Pity party, that - that's good. That's good, John. Man, laugh it up. Tell your jokes. But I'll tell you something. You don't fool me.I know your secret. I know what you pretend not to feel. You know why? Because I'm feeling it right now.

Ritchie: We are flying blind into his domain. He controls it all! The only rule there is Shaw is God.
John: And he wouldn't be the first one I've dealt with.

Ritchie: Some god you turned out to be, Shaw. You forgot the sun.

Ritchie: All this time you spent here. You could have been building worlds! You could have been redefining life and how we live it! The day you gave into your weakness Shaw, that's the day you became obsolete.

Ritchie: I just don't want to be afraid anymore, John.
John: Fine. That's fine. Indulge yourself, Ritchie. Just like Shaw. You're two visionary peas in a bloody pod. But do me a favor. Don't lie to yourself. This isn't about creating something new. This is about you running away.


Continuity

We see Ritchie Simpson for the first time since the first episode.

John refers to Gary Lester's death in 104.


Location

Atlanta, Georgia.


The Bottom Line

After last week's episode, it's a little jarring not to have Zed or Chas. But Jeremy Davis' performance as Ritchie Simpson keeps this episode from feeling empty. What could have been a run-of-the-mill monster-of-the-week story is strengthened by the interplay between Ritchie and John and a strong script that fleshes out the reality.  Shame the killer and the students are little more than cardboard cut-outs, but you'll have too much fun watching Matt Ryan and Jeremy Davis playing off each other.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 9 - The Saint of Last Resorts: Part Two

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

Bloodied and betrayed, John invites the demon Pazuzu into his body in order to heal his wounds. Now Chas, a harried Zed and an incredibly reluctant Anne Marie must work together to prevent the demon from escaping into the world and save John's life in the bargain.


Influences

Swamp Thing #37 (introduction of Anne Marie, The Brujeria and The Invunche), Hellblazer: Original Sins (John using a demon to heal himself, The Resurrection Crusade and Zed's background) Hellblazer #11 (references to The Newcastle Incident), Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits (John using demons to heal himself) and Hellblazer: Hard Time (John taking over a prison where he's been locked up). 


Performances

The entire ensemble does a fine job, as we get to see all of our cast together in a single episode for the first time.


Artistry

The direction on Zed's visions continues to be amazing.

The lighting throughout the episode is very atmospheric and moody without obscuring the action.


Pub Trivia

The idea of John seeking demonic intervention to heal his injuries is not without precedent. In Original Sins, John undergoes a blood transfusion using demonic blood in order to heal his injuries. And in Dangerous Habits, John forces three powerful demons to cure his lung cancer.

John's taking over a prison from the inside may be a reference to the Hard Time story line, where John did the same thing in an American prison while serving time for a murder he didn't commit.

John's nickname in prison is El Diablo - The Devil.


Arcana

The First of the Fallen offers temporary power to mortals, eventually turning them into his possessions.

John likens demonic permintion to the flu, noting there is an incubation period between the first infection and full possession. John estimates that he has a few days before Pazuzu can take him over but owing to Pazuzu's strength and/or John's overconfidence, it takes a bit less than that.

Chas notes that Pazuzu was the Assyrian god of famine, locusts and storms.

John has a tape-recording of himself reading exorcism rituals in 50 languages, including Assyrian in his kit.

John also possess a ceremonial Tibetan Phurba. A phurba is a ritual knife which symbolizes the destruction of obstacles.  It can also be used as an offensive weapon against hostile spirits.

Up until a certain point, Holy Water causes a violent reaction when sprinkled on a possessed person.

Nahash is the Hebrew word for 'serpent'. It is one of the names used to refer to the physical manifestation of earthly temptation. Other titles include The Trickster, The Tempter and - most recently - Vincente. He was the serpent in the Garden of Eden and was set free by the Brujeria purely so that he could aid them in destroying the world of Man with no other promises or expectations.

Nahash is a shapeshifter and it can take on the forms of people it has killed by slithering inside of their bodies.

When one of the Nahash's physical forms is destroyed, it breaks into a swarm of snakes.

Until they fully take over a human body, demons are vulnerable to anything that effects the physicality of their host. To that end, strong sedatives (i.e. enough heroin to kill a herd of elephants) can be used to disable a demon and its host.

Anne Marie is capable of crafting complex illusions with her magic. Either that, or she is able to change the appearance of her biolocation form. Either way, she uses some kind of power to create an image of herself in nothing but her underwear to distract the guards and she, Chas and John escape from the prison.

Pazuzu is too powerful to be warded off by a recording of John's voice. It takes true faith and conviction to banish a demon king.

Under normal circumstances The Roman Catholic exorcism ritual requires a fully ordained priest to perform. However, it can also be performed by any devout Catholic who has undergone a divine epiphany or otherwise seen first hand proof that Heaven and Hell exist.


Dialogue Triumphs

Manny: To save yourself from Hell, you acted without considering the consequences. It's not that I can't help you, John. I won't.

Manny: I've got to admit - I never thought you'd do anything THIS stupid.
John: I'm John Constantine. I do stupid in spades!

Zed: John talks to an angel.
Anne Marie: What did you say?
Zed: His name is Manny. He came to John for help. You kneel here, night after night, hoping against hope that Heaven hears your words. Well, guess what?! John has Heaven on speed dial! Someone up there thinks he's worth a damn and now he's dying because of you!

Zed: Should I be scared? For John, I mean.
Anne Marie: He's in a bad way. But John believes he has every situation under control and he makes you believe. That's his magic. And his curse.

(As John describes his plan to use a monster dose of heroin to knock Pazuzu out)
Anne Marie: And if you're wrong?
John: Well, then I'll go out riding the world's greatest high. With my first love at my side.


Continuity

Zed makes reference to 107, where she learned of Manny's existence.

Zed grew up near a prison and knows something about how hookers are snuck inside of them.


Location

Mexico City and Atlanta, Georgia


The Fridge Factor

Averted hard as Zed escapes from her captors on her own and Anne Marie proves essential to saving John Constantine.


John Screws Up

Granting that he was in dire straits, inviting a demon into his body in order to heal a bullet wound is foolhardy even by John Constantine's standards.


The Bottom Line

Not quite as intense as Part One, but the leisurely pace  does allow the entire cast a chance to shine as we get to see John's friends come to the foreground as Constantine is incapacitated for the better part of the episode.  A welcome return to form after the break.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 7 - Blessed Are The Damned

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

In the Kentucky town of Briarwood, a modern-day Lazarus has begun performing miracles in the church where he survived a close encounter with death while handling a rattlesnake.  Zed questions whether or not the Preacher Zachary is a willing pawn, but John doesn't care much either way. Because while the source of Zachary's power may be heavenly, the bill must come due eventually and someone will have to pay...


Influences

Hellblazer #5 (the theme of religious faith accidentally tapping into dark forces), Hellblazer #66 (the idea that angels can have their hearts cut out and they still beat until entirely destroyed) and The Sandman: Seasons of Mists (the idea that angel's become mortal if their wings are destroyed)


Goofs

The effects work for the ghouls look goofy as all get out, from the cheap make-up jobs to the lumbering ape-like movement of the actors.

It never is fully explained just why John was unable to take Imogen's feather from Zachary but Zed could. Zachary claims it is because John is evil, but Zachary is just as evil being a murderer, by classical Biblical terms.  Perhaps only evil people can handle a fallen angel's fathers but that wouldn't explain why Zed could handle it... unless she has a much darker secret in her past than we suspected.  It is possible that feathers can only be handled by one who has faith, which would explain why Zed and Zachary could handle it but John could't. This may not be a goof, but it is a confusing point.


Pub Trivia

John says that Chas is away visiting his daughter.  In the comics, Chas is indeed a father and his daughter's name is Geraldine.


Arcana

Snake-handling (or Serpent-handling) is a tradition practiced by some evangelic Christian sects, particularly Pentecostals in the American South and Appalachian regions.  The theory is that those who are truly strong in their faith will be uninjured by the snake's bite.  The practice is discouraged by most denominations in modern times.

Faith-healing is another power claimed by some religious leaders, though few claim to have managed anything so unlikely as regenerating severed limbs.

John possesses a scythe blade that he claims he took from The Grim Reaper himself.  It proves capable of killing ghouls

Enochian is the language spoken by angels.  The first record of Enochian was transcribed by Dr. John Dee (the court magician of Queen Elizabeth I) and Edward Kelley (a spirit medium who worked with Dee), who called the language Celestial Speech or Angelic.  The name Enochian was applied to it by later scholars, based on Dee's assertion that the last human to know the language before him was the Biblical patriarch Enoch, father of Methuselah.

Magic has laws similar to the laws of thermodynamics, in that energy cannot come from nothing or, as John might put it, everything has a price.  In this case, the energy Zachary is using to heal people is being taken out of the immediate environment, resulting in all the fish in a pond close to his church dying and the people Zachary heals turning into ghouls.

Angels can be summoned using a magic circle in the same way as demons.

Dried myrtle can be used to attract angels when attempting a summoning.  Saying please also helps, according to Manny.

Guardian Angels, such as Manny, are assigned to watch over several mortals at once.  Manny notes that he does have things to do besides watch over John.

Angels use echo-location when flying.

Angels are rendered physical when their wings are damaged.  This is the only way an angel can manifest physically on Earth.

Pulling the feather from an angel's wing is apparently enough for it to be "damaged".

According to Manny, angels are heavy compartmentalized and they do not typically coordinate.  This is why he does not recognize Imogen despite sensing her power once he meets her and why - despite John's assertion to the contrary - Manny could not have sensed the injured angel any more easily than John could have.

Manny also notes that angels can die but that unlike humans their souls are extinguished completely and they cease to exist.

John knows a magic spell that creates a circle of protection from evil.  It requires the use of running water, which is a frequent bane for evil magical creatures in mythology, such as the rule that vampires cannot cross running water.  It is also effective in creating a circle that evil creatures cannot escape from.

A mortal who takes possession of an angel's feather can use the touch of the divine within it to perform miracles, though these miracles do drain energy from the local environment and the healed will eventually become ghouls.

Ghouls, according to John, are zombie-like beings created when magic goes wrong.

Baptism is a ritual of purification and rebirth practiced by several Christian denominations.

Angels do not feel pain.

Fallen angels have black wings instead of white, though they are capable of disguising themselves. They are subject to the same rules as angels regarding physical manifestation on Earth.

Angels can possess mortals the same way demons do.  Manny does this with Zed to fight Imogen.


Dialogue Triumphs

(As John is packing his travel bag)
John: (as he places some kind of talisman in his bag) Must have protection.
(John pulls out a chain of condoms)
John: Of various kinds.
Zed: We're going to go visit a preacher in a church.
John: Hmmm.  That's a good point.
(John takes one condom off the chain and stuffs the rest in his bag)

Zed: Blind faith can he a dangerous thing.
John: Spoken from experience?

Zed: I have so many questions I want to ask them.
John: Good luck with that, love. They're real cagey types. What do you need them to tell you?
Zed: Where my powers come from, for starters.  Do they come from God or somewhere else?
John: Doesn't matter where they came from.  What matters is what you do with them.  And what they cost you.


Continuity

Chas is away visiting his daughter during the events of this episode.

We see John smoking before he puts the cigarette out just before entering Preacher Zachary's church.

Zed mentions that she saw a lot of false prophets claiming holy powers as a kid.

John cannot speak Enochian, but he can identify it by sound.

John once again notes that he was born in Liverpool.

While no specific religious denomination is mentioned, Zed is confirmed to believe in some Christian doctrine while John has little use for organized religion in general.

Zed is able to pitch a tent but she denies having been a Girl Scout.

We see Zed pickpocket Zachary to take the feather while she is being baptized.

John stores Imogen's heart in a jar.

Eddie - the model who asked Zed out - is working with the people who have been trying to track her down.


Location

Briarwood, Kentucky


The Bottom Line

As a character piece for Zed and Manny, it works very well.  As a monster-of-the-week episode, it's incredibly weak.  Of note purely for how it defines the rules for angels and fallen angels.  Beyond that, there's really nothing of note.  At least, nothing positive worth noting, with the goofiest monsters yet.  Still, the core cast manage to sell their scenes together.  It is only when the ghouls come out or John has to deal with Preacher Zachary that we see the wires holding everything up.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 6 - Rage of Caliban

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

John and Chas hit the road to investigate a mysterious murder that killed two parents but left their young daughter unharmed.  When the evidence points to a demon as the culprit and a tracking spell leads them to the next likely victims, John will have to face his own inner demons and conquer his fear of failure, lest he condemn another innocent child to Hell!


Influences

Hellblazer #11 (Astra's death & damnation is referred to) and many other stories from the Jamie Delano run on Hellblazer (details of John's past and Chas' past).


Goofs

The bed clothes of Henry's parents change between his first nightmare and when he is possessed.

John says he spent six months in the loony bin, yet in C101 he had only been committed to Ravenscar for three months and it was specifically said that The Newcastle Incident happened three months earlier.


Performances

This episode is a strong one for Matt Ryan, who gets to play John Constantine in all of his conflicted glory.  We see John the Rake in the first scene, as he flees an apartment just seconds ahead of a jealous boyfriend and we also see John at his most vulnerable, confronting a chance to repeat his biggest mistake... and rising to meet the challenge.  Ryan plays all of these moments to perfection.

The interplay between Ryan and Harold Perrineau as Manny also deserves mention and the best bits of the episode feature the two bantering.


Artistry

The sequence with John chasing the possessed Henry into a high-school haunted house is an amusing one while still being somewhat tense.


Pub Trivia

This episode was meant to be the second episode aired. It was delayed in order to hasten Zed's premiere on the show.

The climax of the episode takes place during Halloween night and was originally planned to have aired on Halloween Night in the United States.

The episode's title - Rage of Caliban - is taken from a quote from Oscar Wilde's preface for The Picture Of Dorian Gray. This is itself a reference to Caliban - a monstrous creature from Shakespeare's play The Tempest. The original quote involved the inability of the people of Wilde's time to cope with Realistic and Romantic literature, as they did not wish to see the world for how it was nor how it might be better than it was.

As this episode opens, John is seen being kicked out of a young lady's apartment before her boyfriend enters.  Such one-night stands are common for John in the original comics.

John has a contact who is a paralegal, who is able to get him information on the children whose parents died from Child Protective Services.  John won her trust by helping her dead husband to move on after he started haunting their house.

John's ley line map was penned by a man named Ken Ondaate. This was the true name of Map - a wizard colleague of John's in the comics.

The ley line map also has a note about Alex Holland.  This is likely a misspelling of Alec Holland - the human whose memories formed the being known as The Swamp Thing - a magical creature John Constantine has a long history with in the comics.

One of the magical items in the hideaway is The Sword of Night.  Wielded by the hero known as The Nightmaster, the sword allows the wielder to sense approaching danger, compel others to speak the truth and prevents the wielder from aging.

While holding The Sword of Night, Chas makes mention of someone named Renee he was unable to stop from leaving him.  This is a reference to Renee Chandler - Chas' wife in the comics.

John jokingly tells Manny to get him a gin and tonic while he is in jail. A gin and tonic is John's mixed drink of choice in the comics.

Manny makes mention of John's abusive father and that he had an older sister who tried to protect John from his father.  This is a spot-on reference to John's background in the comics and his sister, Cheryl Constantine.

The Halloween carnival the possessed Henry flees to is held at Veitch High School - named in honor of Hellblazer artist Rich Veitch.

One part of John's journey through the haunted house - his standing before a wall of skulls - resembles a famous painting of John by Hellblazer artist Sean Phillips.

At the end of the episode, John is seen lighting a cigarette while reclining on a car hood. This is the first time we see John actively preparing to smoke.


Arcana

John attempts to glean information from a magical crime-scene by sniffing around it like a blood-hound and licking the walls.

When humanity gained the power of Free Will, angels lost the power to directly influence events on Earth.  This means that Manny is limited in how he can help John beyond offering basic guidance.

John has access to a spell that allows him to see past events within a limited space.  The spell requires that John burn a pre-prepared scroll while chanting an incantation in Mayan.  The smoke created by the burning reshapes to form an image of the past event. (Thanks to @jade_kadir for the correction that the chant was Mayan - not Latin).

Malevolent human spirits are capable of possessing a body in the same way that demons do. They are capable of telekinesis (moving objects through force of will) and leave behind a smell of burning with no evidence of a fire.

The presence of malevolent spirits makes animals uncomfortable yet they have some ability to control animals as well, with Henry staring down a dog that barks angrily at him and commanding a raven to crash into a glass door in front of his mother.

According to John, most people who are possessed become quite chatty about the ordeal afterward and will know the name of the being that possessed them.  John also notes that any spirit can become malevolent upon death, provided they died in a horrible and/or violent fashion.  John also believes the spirits of children are the worst in this regard, "acting out like all brats".

Ley Lines are mystical pathways flowing with electromagnetic energy. Spirits can travel along them like a psychic railroad. John determines that all of the killings took place on the same ley line.

The Sword of Night compels whoever holds it to tell the truth.

John makes use of a magical incense burner to track the murderous child spirit.  The smoke made by frankincense flees away from malevolent energies.

Mandrake Root is a plant with a long history of mystical importance. According to John (and as backed up by Henry's reaction to it) malevolent spirits can't stand the sight of a mandrake root.

Forceful exorcisms of children are the most difficult to perform, according to John.

Three people are needed to hold a seance.

Without the name of a soul, an exorcist cannot free it so it can pass on to the next world nor bind it so it cannot harm others.

John knows a spell that lets him use a mirror to reflect a spirits attack's back upon itself.


Dialogue Triumphs

(After Manny startles him by manifesting behind his back)
John: You know, I've never punched an angel but you are begging for it, mate!
Manny: I could announce my arrival with trumpets. Used to have an entire horns section, back in the day.

John: And what makes me so special?
Manny: Nothing that I'm aware of.  Saint Peter. Ignatius of Antioch, Joan of Arc.... John, they were special.  You're more of a... desperation move.
John: Story of my life, mate!

Chas: So - now what?  We knock on the door?
John: Nah, that never works.
Chas: Why not?
John: "Oh, hello.  We tracked an evil spirit to your house. It might be inside your kid.  Do you mind if we take a look?"
Chas: Yeah, that won't work.
John: No.

John: Piss off. You made it perfectly clear you're not allowed to help me.
Manny: I said the exact opposite.  What, did the shock therapy destroy your hearing?
John: Alright then.  Go and warn Mommy and Daddy about their little demon seed, send it back to Hell.... oh, and make us a gin and tonic, eh?
Manny: Guidance, John, I can offer you guidance!
John: Aw, thank you very much. I made it through my life without any help from you.
Manny: Are you sure about that? How do you know I wasn't by your side when your father burned you with his cigarette? Or stayed you from suicide when your sister left you alone with him?

John: If humanity is what can save us, then overcoming the damage and weakness in my nature - that may be the part of this battle that I dread most.


Continuity

Zed does not appear in this episode. Chas says at the beginning of the episode that she had an art class.

Chas and John drive around in a beat-up pick-up truck, despite Chas getting his cab fixed in C105. (This is due to this episode being meant to be the second episode aired.)

John chuckles upon being informed he can find Marcello Panneti in a local mental hospital, noting he'll feel right at home - a reference to his voluntary commitment as seen in C101.

Chas has a wife named Renee, who apparently left him.

Manny implies that he was John's guardian angel as a child and refers to John's older sister and abusive father.

The killer is the spirit of Marcello Panneti, whose soul jumped out of his body shortly after he killed his abusive parents.


Location

Birmingham, Alabama


John Screws Up

John tries (and fails) to pose as Henry's school counselor.


The Bottom Line

A good episode that's best bits are the character moments that expand the relationships between the core cast and build upon the rules of how angels and demons operate in the world of the show.  This is not to say the main plot involving a murderous child spirit isn't interesting.  Indeed, the final revelation is an honest surprise!  But the interplay between John and Chas and John and Manny define the theme of the episode - and John's character - far better than this week's crisis.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 4 - A Feast Of Friends

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot 

When John's old friend Gary "Gaz" Lester comes to Georgia, it isn't a social call - it's a call for help. Seems the wannabe wizard/heroin addict somehow captured a hunger demon and his twitchy behavior going through airport security resulted in a TSA agent unleashing Hell on Atlanta.  Literally.

With the CDC going crazy trying to stop what is apparently a real-life zombie apocalypse in the making, it will fall to John to clean up Gaz's mess.  Again.  But can even the cynical Constantine stomach what needs to be done to permanently put this demon to rest?


Influences

The title, plot and a good portion of the dialogue for this episode come from Hellblazer #1 & #2.


Goofs

Some of the CGI for the digital bug swarms is a bit dodgy.

How did Gaz know how to find John in Atlanta in the first place?


Artistry

The sequence in which John shares a vision with the shaman perfectly emulates and expands upon the dream-like nature of the original scene in the comics, including the sharing of eyes.

The script for this episode is a good one, borrowing a bit of Jamie Delano's original dialogue for a number of sequences, such as Gaz's flashback to Sudan and the shared vision between John and the shaman.


Pub Trivia

The title for this episode is taken from the title of Hellblazer #2.  It is also the name of a Doors song.

Gary "Gaz" Lester is identified in this episode as part of the Newcastle Crew, who was there for John's failed to save Astra.  He blames himself for the ritual getting screwed up because he was high and panicked in the middle of it.  John describes Gaz as a rich junkie who he and the rest of his mates only put up with because Gary's dad was rich and Gary had a car.

Very little has changed in Gaz's transition from the comics to the small screen.  In the comics, John described Gaz as a "musician, culture-clone and small-time conjurer".  Gaz was part of the Newcastle crew in the comics but he was not stoned at the time of John's failure to save Astra.  Gaz was, however, so useless when it came to magic that John tasked Gaz with trying to track down a cat he didn't really for the ritual when handing out duties to the rest of the crew and he did run screaming at the first sight of a real demon.

One major change from the comics to the show - in the comics, Gaz was part of John's band Mucus Membrane and co-author on their one single, Venus of the Hardsell.  Nothing is said of Gaz being a part of John's band in this episode.

John describes Newcastle as a North England town with horrible weather and an even worse football team.

As in the comics, John is not fond of psychedelic drugs.

John and Gaz are both capable pick-pockets.


Arcana

Zed foresees Manny's approach as a rain of pennies from heaven.

Zed showcases a talent for precognition (seeing the future), retrocognition (seeing the past) and clairtangency (literally "clear touching" aka psychometry - the ability to glean information through touching an object or person).  She also experiences a psychic transference with Gaz, feeling his pain, guilt, addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

The Seal of Solomon is a powerful symbol of protection in Islamic and Jewish mysticism.  It is the symbol upon the Ring of Solomon - a magic ring, sent from Heaven itself, that gave Solomon the power to command genies, demons and other wicked spirits. John paints the seal onto a bottle in order to give it the power to contain the hunger demon.

The enchanted playing card John uses as a fake ID is the Nine of Diamonds.  In tarot cards, diamonds correspond to pentacles and the Nine of Pentacles symbolizes self-confidence, self-sufficiency, independence and freedom - a fitting card for the independent Constantine.

Mnemoth is a hunger demon who manifests as a swarm of carpet beetles (the most destructive pest in the world, according to John) when it is traveling between hosts.  When inside a host, Mnemoth is driven to consume any foodstuffs in the immediate area while the host's body wastes away into an emaciated shell. If no cooked food is available, Mnemoth will eat raw food or attack living creatures in an attempt to eat them.

The Mist is a foul-tasting hallucinogenic root that may be the most powerful drug in the world. Its effects last forever unless one takes the nectar that is the natural counter-agent.

The only way to permanently banish Mnemoth is to trap him in a living human body that has been prepared with sacred symbols carved into its flesh while Mnemoth was inside it. The symbols must be carved with a kusa knife.

John casts a spell that enables him to mind-control a security guard into dancing until an alarm is shut off.


Dialogue Triumphs

No dialogue is spoken, but John's quietly changing the number on the "It has been ___ days since our last incident." sign to "0" is quite funny.

John: Anyone in here who's still alive?!  Preferably not possessed and feeling peckish?

John: You know what I always say... "Everyone has the capacity to change".
Gaz: I've never heard you say that before.
John: Exactly.

John: This demon requires a sacrifice. That's what I learned from the shaman. No cage, bottle or vessel can hold it; only a body. A live human body.
Gaz: Mine
John: ...we could draw straws.
Gaz: It was your plan all along, wasn't it?  That's why it's just you and me here.  You sneaky bastard... my chance... to finally make my life mean something.
John: It won't be quick. Could be days of sheer agony before you die. And there's no going back. Do you understand?
Gaz: There's no better way to go out.  A mage... like John Constantine!

Zed: You're sacrificing him?! You're sacrificing your friend's life?!
John: It was his choice and it was a brave one.  You need to respect that!
Zed: You manipulated him!  You tricked him into it!
John: That demon was one of the most powerful and malevolent entities I've ever come across!  What we did saved countless lives!
Zed: I don't care!  Gary loved you and you betrayed him!  All he cared about was to make you proud of him, for once,  John! Huh?! He wanted to be just like you! Thank God he's not!
John: He came to me!  You think I wanted this?  Any of it?  I told you this would happen.  People around me die.  If you can't handle it, then go!

Another silent but powerful scene is Manny's appearance as he joins John in his sitting with the violently dying Gaz in the episode's conclusion.


Continuity
Zed has never tried any kind of recreational drug in her life.

Chas is gone for the entire episode, finally getting his cab fixed after the events of The Pilot.


Location

Atlanta, Georgia and Sudan.


John Screws Up

John drops the bottle he prepared to trap Mnemoth.

John butters up Gaz in order to convince him to volunteer to sacrifice himself to send Mnemoth back to Hell.


The Bottom Line

A decent adaptation of the original story, though Hellblazer fans may wonder why some of the changes there were made occurred in the first place such as Papa Midnite being involved in the proceedings.  Perhaps the show-runners feared things becoming redundant since next week's episode will also center around a Constantine/Midnite team-up?  In any case, this is a solid episode but it will probably appeal more to new fans of John Constantine than the old sods.

Still, it's not bad and it could have been a hell of a lot worse.  No pun intended.  Apart from some iffy CGI, the whole affair is good, well-acted and decently directed.  One feels they could have done more to build on the original material, though.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 3 - The Devil's Vinyl

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

John Constantine has many faults but he does try to look after the few friends he has.  So when the producer on his first (and only) album turns up dead of an apparent suicide, John would probably feel the need to look into matters even if the location of the suicide weren't on his map of supernatural brush-fires. And since it is, John definitely feels the need to check things out.

With Zed in tow, John makes his way to Chicago.  Before too long, they are tangled up in a web of mysteries involving Faustian pacts, a legendary blues man and a cursed record that captured the voice of The Devil. And behind the curtain, an old enemy of John's lies waiting to strike...


Influences

Hellblazer: Original Sins (the introduction of Papa Midnite, all the information we have on John's band Mucus Membrane, and the expansion of Zed's background), Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits (mention of The First of the Fallen), Hellblazer: Damnation's Flame (mention of The Ace of Winchesters), The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (the plot is a supernatural detective mystery set in Chicago and Chas mentions getting help from a local P.I. buddy), the comic House of Mystery (the interior of John's hideout seems to match elements of the titular house) Doctor Who (John's hideout is bigger on the inside and John's enchanted playing card is reminiscent of psychic paper), The Sex Pistols' Anarchy In The UK and the American urban legend of a bluesman who sold his soul to The Devil for fame and fortune.


Artistry

The scene of The Devil coming for Willie Cole is truly terrifying.

The sequence in which John storms the radio station, armed only with a recording of Anarky in the UK is a perfect combination of thematic form and visual irony.  There's something darkly funny about John using punk rock to fight a literally evil album and trying to restore order to the world using a song about destruction.  All mixed with images of people fighting and Chas trying to destroy a radio transmitter.


Pub Trivia

The hideaway John and Chas have been using being bigger on the inside may be a reference to the House of Mystery.  A location in the DC Comics universe, the New 52 version of  The House is owned by the comics version of John Constantine and used as a base of operations by Justice League Dark.  The House is well known for having ever-shifting architecture.

The hideaway being bigger on the inside may also be a reference to Doctor Who, where The Doctor's time machine - The TARDIS - is also bigger on the inside than it seems to be from outside.

Another possible Doctor Who reference lies in John's playing card that looks like whatever the holder needs it to look like. This is remarkably similar to the psychic paper that The Doctor uses whenever he needs a fake ID.

There are a number of American tall tales and urban legends about various blues singers selling their souls to The Devil for amazing skill as a musician.  One of the most frequent targets of this legend is Robert Johnson,who was ranked 5th on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest guitar players of all time. Johnson died under mysterious circumstances at the young age of 27 and his legend seems to have inspired the tale of Willie Cole that lies at the heart of this episode.

John makes mention of having been lead singer for a punk band called Mucous Membrane.  This is indeed the name of John's former band in the Hellblazer comics.  He identifies Bernie as the producer on their first (and only) album - a single called Venus of the Hardsell.

The name of Bernie may be a tribute to Bernie Wrightson - the artist who co-created Swamp Thing and did the artwork on a number of classic DC Comics horror titles. Interestingly,Wrightson's first professional work was on the House of Mystery comic.

John can fake a Southern USA accent.

We learn a few more details about Zed's life in this episode.  Chiefly that Zed was a name she gave herself and that she has a cross necklace that she wears in private.  This fits with the background of Zed in the comics, where Zed adopted her alias after fleeing a Christian cult that was headed by her father.

Papa Midnite was a powerful magician, nightclub owner and New York City mob boss, who first appeared in Hellblazer #1. A reluctant ally and occasional enemy to John Constantine, Papa Midnite would work with John only to avert magical disasters that would endanger the world at large.  He was originally depicted as a tall, heavy-set, bald, clean-shaven man, who wore a grass skirt, white tail-coat and white top-hat when working his magic. He would later be killed indirectly by John's actions in the Damnation's Flame story-line.

In 2005, at around the same time the Constantine movie was released, Vertigo Comics released a Papa Midnite mini-series which resurrected the character and rewrote virtually all of his established background. The new Papa Midnite also had an appearance closer to his depiction in the movie, as played by actor Djimon Hounsou. His previous appearances were explained as his using magic to cause John to see what he expected to see when confronted with a voodoo priest. Most Hellblazer fans consider this story non-canon and it is telling that no Hellblazer writer felt compelled to use the new Papa Midnite in any story afterward.

Papa Midnite has returned in the New 52 Constantine comic book.  His background is still largely undefined past him being a practitioner of voodoo and his having a reluctant alliance with Constantine to deal with larger magical threats to the world at large.  The show's version of Papa Midnite seems closest to this incarnation, though John confirms that he is a drug dealer and a voodoo priest like the original.

John identifies The Devil by the title First of the Fallen.  This was the name used by Garth Ennis during his run on Hellblazer to separate his version of The Devil from the other beings who were said to rule Hell in other Vertigo series and other books by DC Comics.

Papa Midnite being a fan of Christian religious programming is not as contradictory as it might seem. In the real world, Voodoo or Voudon is an adaptive religion that has incorporated and absorbed many deities into its pantheon over time.  New Orleans Voodoo includes The Virgin Mary and various Catholic saints among the beneficial spirits who may be called upon to aid a practitioner.

The Ace of Winchesters is a magical gun from the DC Comics universe.  It was first referenced by Garth Ennis in Hellblazer #72. John attempted to buy the guy from an agent of Papa Midnite but wound up stealing the gun after the agent doubled the sales price in an effort to bleed John for more money. The gun later showed up in Garth Ennis' comic Hitman, where the full history of the gun was explained.

In Hitman (and in Hellblazer, presumably) The Ace of Winchesters was a magical rifle forged by a Texas Ranger who sold his soul to gain the skill needed to create magical guns.  It was forged using the bones of saints, gems from Hell and the steel of an angel's halo. Instead of having the ability to never miss its target, The Ace of Winchesters in the comics had the power to permanently kill demons.

Supernatural creator Eric Kripke said The Ace of Winchesters was the direct inspiration for The Colt - a revolver capable of killing demons - as well as the inspiration for the last name of series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester.  This was one of many Hellblazer references worked into Supernatural, including the appearance of the angel Castiel being based on John Constantine.


Arcana

When we first see John in this episode, he is learning a spell.  The process for this requires John to be naked, covered in blood and chanting while standing in a chalk circle.

John's basic travel kit contains holy water, a police scanner, cemetery dirt and duct tape.

John also possesses several nails from the coffin of Saint Anthony of Padua - the patron saint of lost souls. The nails exhibit a magnetic attraction to one another and can be used as a magical tracking device, assuming someone can plant the nail on whoever or whatever they need to track.

John makes use of a Hand Of Glory to speak to Bernie.  A Hand Of Glory is the severed left-hand of a man who died by hanging, picked in amniotic fluid for seven years.  Once prepared thusly, the hand may have its fingers lit like candles and any dead bodies in the immediate area will come back to life for so long as the hand continues to burn.   The price for casting the spell, according to John, is a few days of his mortality.

John has a playing card that is enchanted to look like whatever the holder wishes it to look like.  He uses it as both a fake ID to get into a hospital after visiting hours and as a credit card in an attempt to bribe a homeless man.

Those who are near death can sense the presence of angels and "see the shadows" on bad people's souls.

The reason for why demons (and The Devil in particular) try to steal humans' souls is explained thus - a soul is basically a spark of creation and a bit of God's love given form. Since demons are denied that connection, they treasure being able to possess it and The Devil himself hordes souls as revenge for having been cast out of Heaven.  Given what we know in The Pilot of how angels react to the suffering of souls, we can only imagine that demons getting a hold of a soul is akin to giving a junkie in drug withdrawal a fix.

Soul Brokers are mortals who act as middle-men between demons and any party desperate enough to sell their soul. This is in keeping with the rule that demons cannot usually manifest on Earth unless specifically summoned.  Soul Brokers presumably receive some sort of benefit from this relationship, though the exact specifics are never explained. John describes Soul Brokers as the ambulance-chasing lawyers of the supernatural world and many of them do hang around hospitals, looking for people who will do anything to save a loved one's life.

A person who has sold their soul through a Soul Broker receives a scroll, written in blood, as a receipt of the transaction.  When the writing on the scroll fades, their soul is claimed.  The only way one can break the deal is by making their Soul Broker literally eat the contract. This act also causes the Soul Broker to lose their ability to contact Hell.

The Ace of Winchesters is a magical rifle that never misses its target.


Dialogue Triumphs

John: The Devil used to be an angel. That's why he's called the First Of The Fallen. You ask a holy type and they'll tell you the soul is the purest expression of God's love. The spark of creation. Every time The First takes a soul he's exacting revenge. Paying back The Almighty for casting him out.

(After waking up in bondage after being knocked out by Papa Midnite)
John: You're gonna have to respect my boundaries. I don't do zip ties without a safe word.

(As Midnite lays out his death trap for John)
John: I always took you for a voodoo priest with a flair for the dramatic - not a cold-blooded killer.
Papa Midnite: I do what's needed.  But I don't need to darken my soul tonight. Not with the situation firmly in hand.  (holding up a small drug bottle) A pharmaceutical dose of Vitamin K. This will stop the bleeding... if you can get to it. Consider it a show of professional respect. If you live, you'll have worked very hard indeed.  If you die, it will be alone with your many, many sins.

Manny: (laughing) What happened?  What happened to the John Constantine with the cajones to tell an angel to go to Hell?
John: Cut me loose and I'll show you, you celestial wank!

John: Thanks for joining us. You bring what I ask for?
Chas: (handing John each item as he lists them off) Headphones. MP3 player. Clean shirt. Orange juice.
John: Really?
Chas: You've got to get your blood sugar back up.
John: (rolling eyes) Alright, daddy.

(Regarding Zed's plan based on her latest vision)
Chas: I think we should do what she says.
John: Alright, but we don't have to just jump when she says it!
(John just stands there a moment)
John: OK. That's long enough. Let's go.


Continuity

Chas's cab is still broken, apparently not having recovered from The Pilot.

As in last week's episode, Zed pickpockets someone.

Chas notes that Zed's fingerprints aren't in any law-enforcement database.


Location

Chicago, Illinois.


John Screws Up

John's use of a Hand Of Glory winds up rising up an entire morgue full of dead bodies.

John gets captured by Midnite and left for dead.  His attempts to influence a homeless man into freeing him would have gotten him killed if not for Zed.

John fails to guess the most obvious reason why a busboy wouldn't be affected by the album and gets into a good frenzied yelling fit before Zed points out he is shouting at a deaf man.

John gets his headphones ripped off and would have fallen to the effects of the album were it not for Papa Midnite's intervention.


The Bottom Line

One hell of an entrance for Papa Midnite.  One hell of an episode all around. Easily the best episode of the series so far, as we see all of the cast coming together and things beginning to gel.

Constantine Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 1 - Non Est Asylum

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

After receiving a message from a dead friend, Master (re: Petty Dabbler) in the Dark Arts John Constantine journeys to America in search of a woman named Liv Aberdine. John's friend was Liv's estranged father and it seems that Liv is about to inherit her father's magical talents for seeing the unseen. Problem is most of the bad things that are unseen don't like to be seen and that makes Liv a very inviting target unless someone can teach her how to escape notice and deal with the bad things that are already on her trail.

But John's problems go beyond paying debts to old friends and playing knight errant for newbie psychics. He's somehow attracted the attention of a guardian angel named Manny, who has a feeling something big and bad is coming and that following John may be his best chance at figuring out what the forces of Hell are planning.  Of course John has little interest in being a canary in the coal mine, until Manny suggests that John might have a chance of reclaiming his soul if he doesn't run away from this fight...


Influences

Various details of John's background come from the Jamie Delano run on Hellblazer. Specific references are made to Hellblazer #1 (the trail of roaches), Hellblazer #4 (the appearance of Zed), Hellblazer #7 (the appearance of Ritchie Simpson) and Hellblazer #11 (The Newcastle Incident and John's battle to save Astra). John's speech at the end comes, in part, from Hellblazer #41 - the first issue of the series written by Garth Ennis.  The appearance of a demonic version of John may be a reference to The Demon Constantine, who first appeared in Hellblazer #94.


Performances

Matt Ryan offers an impressive first outing as John Constantine.  He looks the part and plays the part perfectly.


Pub Trivia

In the comics, as in the show, The Newcastle Incident is what John considers his greatest moment of personal failure. In brief, John botched a magical ritual while trying to save a girl named Astra from a demon named Negral and the mistake cost John his soul and caused Astra to be dragged to Hell. A flashback confirms these basic details are true to the universe of the show, though it leaves out the fine points of how John came to find himself fighting to save Astra.

In the original comics, Astra was sexually abused by her magician father and she accidentally summoned a demon while wishing for something, anything, to protect her.  John and some of his friends summoned a second demon to try and fight the first one and the situation spiraled out of control.  The Newcastle Incident as described by Ritchie in the show matches up with these details, save that he says Astra was merely possessed by a demon and no mention is made of any kind of sexual abuse.

As this episode opens, it has been three months since The Newcastle Incident,

The doctor who interviews John is identified by his nameplate as Dr. Roger Huntoon. As in the show, he was the doctor who ran Ravenscar in the original Hellblazer comics. He also appeared in a number of other DC Comics, as the author of a pop-psychology book about the dangers of superheroes.

The episode opens in Ravenscar Asylum.  In the comics, this is the same mental institution that John bounced in and out of for several years. The biggest difference here is that John is self-committed in the reality of the show. In the original comics, John was committed after being blamed for Astra's death.  John suffered severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of the staff, who were ill pleased at having to care for a child-murderer they felt was getting off scott-free on account of an insanity plea.

Another big change from the comics is that John isn't held responsible for Astra's death by the police, though as in the comics he still blames himself and sees his failure to save her as his greatest mistake.

The scene in which John follows a swarm of roaches to a possessed woman is similar to a scene in Hellblazer #1.

Chas Chandler is introduced on the show as John's oldest friend. While this is true in the comics, there is quite a bit of difference between Chas on the show and Chas in the comics.  In the comics, Chas has lives a delightfully mundane existence as a London cab-driver and has no direct knowledge of magic and how it works. Comic Chas doesn't have the know-how to carve an Eye of Horus and he certainly doesn't have any "survival skills" that let him shrug off being impaled by a power line.

In the comics, Chas somehow managed to survive John Constatnine's friendship longer than anyone else but no explanation - magical or mundane - was ever given for this.

According to Chas, Liv's father died bravely but John cuts him off before he can give any details.

The song playing as the cab is hit by a semi-truck is Social Distortion's cover of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire.

One of the artifacts we see Liv handle in her father's hideout is the Helm of Nabu - a.k.a. the helmet used by a number of magician superheroes who used the name Dr. Fate.  It is sometimes also called The Helmet of Fate.

There is also a mask next to the out-of-sync mirror that bares a resemblance to The Medusa Mask - a magical artifact used by the villain The Psycho Pirate to alter the minds, moods and memories of his victims.

Another item we see in the background bears a resemblance to The Ibistick - the magical wand used by the Egyptian hero Ibis The Invincible.

The three-eyed skull in a glass case that we see among the items in the hideout looks suspiciously like the design for Pandora's Box in the recent DC Comics event Trinity War.

We see the phrase "MORE THAN THIS" written backwards on a black board in Liv's father's lair. This is likely a reference to the magicians in the DC Universe who are able to work magic by speaking or writing backwards, like Zatanna.

The name of Ivy University may ring a bell with DC Comics fans as the college with employs Dr. Ray Palmer a.k.a. The Atom.  Presumably this may be the Atlanta campus, as the original Ivy University was located in Ivy Town, Connecticut.

Ritchie Simpson is another of John's friends from the comics, who made his first appearance in Hellblazer #7. At the time of his first appearance in the comics, Ritchie was the only member of the group of John's friends present for The Newcastle Incident who was still alive.  He was British and worked in a factory. As in the comics, Ritchie is presented as a computer expert whom John recruits for a job. The show's version of Ritchie is an American who is employed as a college professor. He differs from his comics counterpart in that he has to be blackmailed into helping John.

We're told that John's mother died in childbirth and his father blamed him for her death. His nickname for John was "Killer" and he punched John in the head every night "for what you did to your mom."  This matches up with John's abusive childhood in the comics.

John also started studying magic as a teenager, trying to find a way to communicate with his mother's spirit. He was never successful.

We find out in this episode that the demon who took Astra was named Negral.  This matches up with the comics, where Negral was a demon who crossed swords with John on a number of occasions and The Newcastle Incident was Round One.

Once trapped in John's protective seal, Fucifer manifests as a demonic version of John he introduces as "locking eyes with the future".  This may be a reference to The Demon Constantine - a creature made up of the worst aspects of John's personality whom John created back in Hellblazer #94.

Reference is also made to The First of The Fallen - one of the many beings who claims to be a ruler of Hell in DC Comics and the one with whom John would develop a fierce antagonism during the Garth Ennis run of Hellblazer.

John gets into an argument with a bartender over who was a more influential band - The Ramones or The Sex Pistols.  In the original comics, John was a punk rocker before he got into magic and was definitely a devote of the Sid Vicious school of punk.

The final scene depicts a frenzied woman drawing a sketch of John. This is Zed - a character from the comics, who has already been revealed as a series regular.  In the comics, Zed was an artist with her own magical talents and she was a rare match for John in the wits and cunning department.

Some of the paintings we see in Zed's apartment were taken from cover paintings from the Hellblazer comic.


Arcana

Angels feed on the suffering of mortals. This feeding inspires feelings of euphoria in the mortal being fed upon.

Chas carves an Eye of Horus on Liv's apartment door.  The Eye of Horus in an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and good health.

Liv's ability to see lost souls and spirits is a unique talent few magicians have. John doesn't have the knack, despite Liv's father trying to teach him the trick.

Scrying is the art of locating things with magic.

The demon stalking Liv is named Furcifer. He draws his strength from electricity, lighting and tempests. This gives him the ability to control electronics and dead bodies. He also has some ability to create illusions, as he created a glamour of Astra to convince John to drop his seal

Angels have some limited ability to stop time.

John's Demon Seal is a proprietary design combining a Triangle of Solomon with some Elder runes and an Enochian script.

Under ordinary circumstances, demons cannot manifest without help and the more powerful a demon is, the more help they require. Somehow, the demons are breaking the rules and acting more overtly than is common, in regards to trying to kill Liv.


Dialogue Triumphs

Doctor Roger Huntoon: We're all powerless against demons.
John: Not all of us, chief.
Doctor Roger Huntoon: That's right. Before you checked yourself in here three months ago, you were working as (glances at John's business card) an exorcist, demonologist and "Master of the Dark Arts?"
John: That says Master, does it? Although I should really change that to "Petty Dabbler". I hate to put on airs.

(As John goes into a crater)
Manny: You shouldn't be down here.
John: I could say the same about you.

John: I'm okay! So flap off!

Manny: Now, I can't change your fate but I can ease your suffering...
John: Go feed off someone else's loss!
Manny: But yours is exquisite!

(After Liv screams at seeing a very much alive Chas Chandler)
Chas; It's okay!  I'm all right! Sorry to startle you.
Liv: But you're - you died!
Chas: Not exactly. It's... complicated.
John: There's a reason Chas is my oldest friend. He has survival skills.
Liv: No-no-nobody could survive what I saw!
John: Excellent!  If you're not confused, you're not paying attention.

Manny: You fail to grasp the stakes here, John. Liv's power is valuable!
John: So's her life!  If Liv was going to join our fight, she had the right to see the risks for herself. All I did was... give her a choice.  Which is more than Astra ever had.
Manny: You said OUR fight. That mean you're going to help us?
John: Well, it's what you wanted, isn't it? (chuckles) And you call ME a con man. (getting up) Pick up the tab, will ya?  You bastards are going to owe me.

John: My name is John Constantine. I'm the one who steps from the shadows, all trench-coat and arrogance.  I'll drive your demons away, kick them in the bollocks, spit on them when they're down and leave with only a nod and a wink and a wisecrack.  I walk my path alone.  Because let's be honest - who'd be crazy enough to walk it with me?


Dialogue Disasters

John's shout of "What's on the way?" while looking up at crane cam shooting away from him is incredibly campy.


Location

Ravenscar Asylum in Northern England and Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. We also see Newcastle, England in a brief flashback.


The Fridge Factor

Granting that she's meant to be our entry point into John's world, Liv comes off as a second-rate companion to Matt Ryan's Doctor.  Small wonder the show's producers decided to replace her.


John Screws Up

We get a brief flashback of The Newcastle Incident.

John nearly falls for a very basic illusion of Astra and nearly breaks the seal he set around Fucifer.


The Bottom Line

A solid start, comparable in tone to the pilot episode of Arrow.  There's enough meat here to give a taste of the magic-side of the DC Universe at large and a fair number of in-jokes for the die-hards. Yet the whole affair is easily accessible to newbies and horror fans who are ignorant of the vast mythology and they'll likely enjoy the series.  Really, the only weak point of the whole affair is the character of Liv and we already know she's out of the series.