Looking back on last week’s episode, I wanted to feel like I was being too harsh on the episode. Largely because Jeremy Davies’ turn as Ritchie Simpson was a welcome return that brought a little bit of closure to the Newcastle Incident subplot that’s permeated the season so far. However, looking back, that welcome return was bogged down by a go-nowhere plot with an uninteresting antagonist, a disappearing supporting cast and the feeling that Constantine had wandered onto the set of Goosebumps and walked away entirely unaffected. It felt like an episode slotted out of sequence in order to pad the gap between ‘Quid Pro Quo’, which was one of the best of the season, and this, the penultimate episode of the season.
Going into this episode, I was hoping the show could turn things around going into the penultimate episode. I was hoping beyond hope that if the show could stick the landing then maybe it would turn out better as a whole. As it turns out, well… let’s just dive into our five thoughts on ‘Angels And Ministers Of Grace’, shall we?
1. Uh, Excuse Me? Where were you keeping this quality?
I’ve figured it out. I’ve figured out Constantine. I’ve figured out why this show can go from having so much promise to squandering it away to bringing it back within the space of three episodes. It’s reverse Star Trek! Remember that Star Trek thing where only the odd numbered films are any good? Well, that seems to be the order Constantine is working on because after the utter disappointment of last week’s episode, they have pulled it out of the big this week for the Best Episode Yet.
I am not kidding, all those complaints about last week’s episode? A shallow plot with a terrible antagonist and no repercussions? Somehow, this episode flipped turned everything upside down is everything last week’s episode wasn’t. Ok. So, the antagonist still wasn’t all that great as they were mostly a mystery for much of the episode, but the twist in the reveal and the payoff was actually worth it this time.
I don’t know if I have space to cover everything I liked about this episode in only five thoughts, so I will just saw that this is the episode of Constantine most worth watching so far. It’s just a pity it had to come so late in the season.
2. Google Search: Chris Rock Angel Movie
While this episode was, thankfully, a showcase of much of the supporting cast of the show, the highlight for me was Manny. Harold Perrinau’s cryptic angel who has guided Constantine throughout the show gets the spotlight this episode in a rather different way than in “Blessed Are The Damned”. While that episode gave Manny a personal stake in the plot by tying the episode’s plot to an angel, this episode literally traps Manny in the episode and he becomes part of Constantine’s own Scooby Gang while they solve the mystery of the killer. I don’t want to give much more away as it is genuinely one of the highlights of the season overall, but I will say that Perrineau’s performance and the banter between Constantine and Manny bring a much needed comedic side to an episode that was surprisingly dramatic and dire.
3. Tonight, in a Very Special Episode of Constantine….
This is a tricky line I’m about to walk. For one, Zed’s storyline in this episode is perhaps one of the best jobs the show has done both in terms of writing and allowing its actors to actually Act. However, it’s also incredibly spoileriffic and I do not want to spoil this for anyone who hasn’t seen this episode yet. Why you’d still be reading this if you haven’t seen the episode, I don’t know, but I don’t want to take any chances.
So, here goes: while Manny’s storyline in this episode allows Harold Perrineau to stretch his comedic legs and break up the drama of the show with a little comedy, Zed’s storyline is the opposite. It plays very much into the drama of the show and is a result of a very interesting part of her character. It’s an angle that Angélica Celaya plays incredibly well and proves that she was very much a sleeper hit for the show in terms of the depth she brings to Zed. If one good thing comes from this show, I hope it’s more recognition for Angélica Celaya as an actress as she does a great job here.
Continued below4. The Conscience Of John Constantine
Compared to Manny and Zed, Constantine and Chas have, unfortunately, relatively little to do in this episode, but the show does get one thing right: it sticks the two together. Whether it be the two of them talking at the start of the episode or them investigating the episode’s MacGuffin at the Mill House, whenever Chas is on screen it’s usually with Constantine in tow. And that opens up the episode to exploring a facet of their relationship that has really been explored yet. With Zed going through her troubles and a killer on the loose, this episode certainly takes a toll on John as much as he is loathe to admit it. Thankfully, the show keeps Chas around to operate as Constantine’s conscience and humanity, confronting him and pushing him in the right direction every time he retreats into his shell. It’s an almost brotherly tactic and Charles Halford and Matt Ryan play it well as there’s a slight bit of tension between them even though ultimately Constantine knows Chas has his best interests in mind, even if Constantine doesn’t always have Chas’ best interests in mind. It’s a piece of writing and acting full of subtlety and careful character interaction that this show hasn’t really shown in the past and I hope they keep it up.
5. And now to stick the landing…
Please. Please, Constantine. You’re so close. This episode was good. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was great. It was an example of everything this show could be, blending drama and humour with the supernatural and having something to say with it instead of just culling a bunch of teenagers for a bodycount. Please. I’m begging you. Keep this up for the season finale. I don’t know whether this show is still potentially up for renewal or if NBC has just killed it outright, but this next episode will tell whether this show gets remember as a show with potential axed before it hit it’s prime or a show that limped to the finish line despite a few good episodes and was finally put down.
All I’m asking for is to keep this quality up for one more week and have a season finale as good as this episode was. Please. I’ll do literally anything. Don’t waste this.
