Constantine: Where We’re At So Far
Even though I’m a little late getting around to watching NBC’s Constantine, the 21st century makes it wonderfully easy to get caught up a show, and a combination of Amazon.com and Hulu Plus allowed to me to watch all five of the episodes that have aired so far.
Now that NBC has announced that the show will stop production after completing production on the initial 13 episodes, there seems to be some doubt as to whether the show will be picked up for a second season. I’m here to tell you that Constantine is getting better as its first season progresses, and that you should tune in if you have not already started doing so.
What You Need To Know About Episodes 1-5
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I’m not here to provide a ton of plot spoilers; if you want to begin watching Constantine, you should just jump right in and do so. My advice: be patient. The show starts to really get interesting around episode 4, due to the fact that its writers had to spend the first few episodes providing back story and introducing the main cast.
It’s not much of a spoiler to tell you that the series begins with our hero, John Constantine, willingly locked up in a mental institution, trying to forget a job gone bad. Constantine’s guilt over the murder and damnation of a young girl is what drives him to resume waging war against the forces of evil, and provides a long-term story arc for the first season (and beyond?) to explore, in addition to the monster-of-the week approach that the series is currently taking.
Your ability to enjoy the series will hinge upon how much you like Matt Ryan’s take on the lead character. From the opening moments of episode one, I could tell that I was going to enjoy Ryan’s performance – his Constantine is gruff, sarcastic, and angry, a reluctant hero who would rather be suffering in hell than living with the guilt that he inadvertently doomed a young girl to such a fate instead. Ryan brings a nice comedic touch to the character, so while some of the one-liners fall flat, the way in which Ryan delivers them makes you laugh a little more than you probably ought to.
I admit: I am not watching the show because I am an ardent follower of the Hellblazer comics in which John Constantine is the protagonist. Sorry: I don’t believe that I should have to enjoy the original source material in order to enjoy a film or TV show. (Kind of weird, coming from an English teacher.) If you do read the comics, more power to you! It does sound like the show is remaining fairly faithful to the characters and plot lines in the comics. Still, I’m judging the show based solely on its own merits, and from what I have seen so far, it is fantastic. Which, of course, means it will be cancelled.
Check out the official trailer for the show below, and start tuning into NBC at 10 p.m. in order to make sure this show gets brought back next season!