Constantine Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Angels Walk Among Us

Let me get this out of the way: Constantine deserves a second season.

I don’t know if NBC has made a decision regarding this show yet or not, but if the peacock does go and pull the plug on this show, I hope some other network (or Netflix, or Hulu) is brave enough to bring this show back from the dead.  It’s a darker version of Supernatural, and it is getting better with episode – so much so that I am tempted to say it has the potential to be a tighter show than Supernatural was by the end of its first season.

Sadly, it won’t realize that potential, as NBC has decided to halt production of season one at just 13 episodes.  But folks, John Constantine deserves to live to fight another day, so tune in, flood social media, and sign the petition to save Constantine if you have not already.

Now: onto my review of episode seven, “Blessed Are The Damned.”

Plot Summary

This episode starts by introducing us to Pastor Zachary, a preacher in the backwoods of Kentucky desperately trying to retain the congregation that his father built up.  In a desperate move, the pastor handles a rattlesnake, an attempt to inspire his flock to follow him.  The stunt backfires, and he is mortally wounded . . . but somehow, Pastor Zachary is brought to back to life courtesy of an angel feather that mysteriously appears in his hand.

Yes, angels exist. Sound the bloody trumpets. As for religion, yeah, all right, be nice to your neighbor and all that, but… the world isn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows. You can’t just pray evil away. Still have to fight, hard, on our own.

Even better, the good pastor suddenly learns that he has the ability to heal the sick and the infirm, , which naturally begins to attract the attention of people near and far, the media . . . and John Constantine, who suspects dark forces at work.  With Zed by his side, Constantine discovers that the pastor is getting his powers from the feather, which was plucked from the wings of the angel sent to escort him to the afterlife.  Problem is, the people Pastor Zachary is healing are turning violent . . . and the angel that lost the feather has fallen to earth, dying.

What I Liked:  

This was an entertaining, exciting and well-told story from start to finish.  While it may not have had the emotional payoff of “A Feast of Friends,” it was probably the most suspenseful plot that the series has given us to date.  First, there is the mystery of how the preacher gained his powers of healing.  This leads to the discovery that the first person Pastor Zachary healed is slowly turning into something less-than human . . . and the knowledge that ALL of the people that Pastor Zachary has healed will be following suit.  Soon, Constantine and Zed are racing against the clock, and we even get a scene straight out of a zombie flick, in which Constantine finds himself holed up in the church, doing all he can to keep a small army at bay.  This plot builds, slowly at first, and then with an accelerating pace that makes the final third a blast to watch.

This plot also goes a long way toward showing us how bad things are getting – the rising darkness is making it easier for anything evil to break into the earthly realm.  Literally, the barriers that exist between heaven hell, and earth are eroding, which gives the show a very apocalyptic feel.  The sense of impending doom that we began to feel in earlier episodes is really starting to add a claustrophobic atmosphere to the series – I just hope the show is given ample time to develop this plot.

Finally, this episode managed to flesh out the characters of John Constantine (a given), Zed (who is watching her, and why?), and Manny, who finally crossed over from observer to active participant in the events taking place on Earth.

Anyone who is telling you that this show deserves to get cancelled is wrong, and the people claiming it is a vastly inferior product to a show like Supernatural are idiots who are probably comparing this season of Constantine to the more recent seasons of the Winchester boys, which is entirely unfair.  This show has found its way quickly – make sure it finds it way into your viewing habits, now!