After the show’s foray last week into directly, for the most part, adapting stories from “Hellblazer”, it’s now time for Constantine to start bringing in faces that should be familiar to readers of DC Comics, starting with the once and future Spectre: Jim Corrigan.
This episode is quite the mixed bag, especially after last week’s episode being arguably the strongest so far, so I don’t want to waste any more time before we dive in. Let’s do this.
1. A Colder Open Than Most
I was surprised by this episode, as it really flipped the switch on me compared to previous episodes. The pattern this show has had, especially for episodes 2 and 3 as they were the last episodes that were original stories for the show, was that the cold open was really effective in setting up suspense for the episode, but it ended up lagging in momentum by the last third of the episode. This is, weirdly enough, the exact opposite of what happened here. Instead, the cold open for ‘Danse Vaudou’ was rather tame in comparison as it has Jim Corrigan rather coincidentally witnessing a murder revealed to be committed by a ghost. It works, I guess, as an introduction to Corrigan and gives him reason to interact with Constantine and the gang when they eventually show up, but it certainly wasn’t the best opening the show has had so far. That would definitely still go to ‘The Devil’s Vinyl’, for my money anyway.
2. Speaking Of Jimmy Boy
This episode’s notable selling point was it’s inclusion of Jim Corrigan, the man who will likely become The Spectre as he did in the comics, as played by In The Flesh‘s Emmet J. Scanlan and I have to say I was impressed. Now, I’ll admit, I don’t know enough about Corrigan to know whether Scanlan’s heavy-drinking, sceptical New Orleans detective version of the character is in any way true to how he appeared in the comics, but I did think he fit in well with the show. This is definitely a show focusing on lost souls and the souls of the damned, as evidenced by the actual plot of the episode (more on that in a sec), and Scanlan nailed that this episode. Corrigan was a great addition to the episode and really filled out the cast that allowed to the gang to break off into smaller groups focusing on subplots of the episode’s mystery. And with his connection to Zed and the moment they share at the end of the episode, I hope we see a return from him sooner rather than later.
3. A Returning Face
Remember how much I moaned last week that Papa Midnite’s role had been cut from the story that was adapted to ‘A Feast Of Friends’? Turns out it was because the show was waiting until this episode to bring him back. Go figure. Now, while I’m still sad that we didn’t get to see Constantine and Midnite team up to battle for Gary Lester’s soul, the show didn’t let me go without as we see Constantine and Midnite team up to banish the souls of the damned. I have to admit: I love Michael James Shaw as Papa Midnite. I think this show’s casting has been pretty top notch so far as Shaw brings a mystique and powerful presence to the character and acts well as a folly for Constantine. Shaw’s Midnite, as a Voodoo priest, is a stickler for tradition and reverence for the Loa spirits while Constantine is pretty much the Johnny Rotten of mages. It’s a nice bit of back and forth they have in this episode and is primarily the reason why the second half of this episode is one of the first enjoyable second halves of an episode this show has had.
4. “Don’t Mind Her, She’s Psychic” Or Why Zed Is Worth Watching The Show For
I have had a long standing opinion, ever since watching the film Dredd, that that film is the perfect template of how to create adaptations of comics with enigmatic and powerful main characters. The trick is to have an audience avatar character that gets the majority of the character development while the “main” character is already established as who we recognise them as from the comics. This skips over having to do a trite origin story for the main character and allows them to be their deep, badass self from the word go, but also has a character who develops over the course of the story for the audience to connect to. That character is Zed and this show has nailed that method 100%. While Matt Ryan’s Constantine is all swagger and magic and busting onto the scene with everything figured out, Zed is the emotional core of the series so far as we see her struggle to develop her psychic powers and keep up with this world she has been thrust into. This episode sees us get a glimpse into her past through a connection she has with Corrigan and it is perhaps the most interesting thing, to me, that happens all episode. Please don’t put her on a bus like you did Liv, NBC.
5. The Mystery Of Chas
Chas Chandler. Oh, Chas. What are we going to do with you? You only ever show up every other episode and even when you do, the show comes up with some weird explanation as to why you disappear completely at random halfway through the episode only to show up in the final scene. This episode actually marks the second episode that Chas manages to not get dumped halfway through, but is also the second episode where we see him miraculously come back from the dead with little to no explanation why. You’re a strange one, Chas Chandler. The show wants to shroud you in mystery, but doesn’t always keep you around long enough for that mystery to develop. Oh, well. Here’s hoping you’ll actually get to do something next episode other than drive Constantine around and look surly.
