Network: NBC
Episodes: 13 (hour)
Seasons: One
TV show dates: October 25, 2014 — February 13, 2015
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau, Charles Halford, and Angelica Celaya.
TV show description:
This supernatural TV show is based on the Hellblazer comic book series published by DC Comics (under their Vertigo imprint).
It revolves around John Constantine (Matt Ryan), a seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult. He is armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts — and a wickedly naughty wit.
Constantine fights the good fight — or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he’s decided to abandon his campaign against evil until a series of events thrusts him back into the fray. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect the innocent.
He travels the country, finding supernatural terrors that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. Perhaps there’s hope for him and his soul after all.
Other characters include: Manny (Harold Perrineau), an angel assigned to follow Constantine and who communicates with him by stepping into other people’s bodies. Constantine’s longest friend and companion, Chas Chandler (Charles Halford) who has powerful (possibly supernatural) survival skills. Zed (Angelica Celaya) is an artist with an intuitive nature and heightened senses that keep her deeply connected to the world around her.
Episode #13 — Waiting for the Man
Detective Jim Corrigan beckons John and Zed back down to New Orleans to help him investigate the murder of a fellow detective that seems to correspond with the abductions of three young girls, and a rare blood moon. On a hunch, they dig up the detective’s body and discover distinct markings on his chest that John identifies as the Devil’s Branding Irons. This indicates the work of a Satanist, who no doubt abducted the children as a sacrifice. But it doesn’t stop there. The detective’s corpse suddenly becomes possessed by the soul of John’s deceased friend Gary Lester. Gary wastes no time in relaying an urgent warning to John: there’s a bounty on his head, and he better watch out.
Corrigan receives word of another child abduction, a girl named Vesta, and he invites John and Zed to help question the mother. Zed tries to trigger visions in Vesta’s room, but nothing occurs, that is, until she sees Manny in the kitchen. He calms any concern she expresses, reminding Zed of her unique gift that even angels envy.
To expedite the process, John forces a connection between him and Vesta’s spirit using electric shock, her used toothbrush and some errant hair. His vision leads them to the point of abduction – a creepy, abandoned carnival. But instead of finding another clue, he comes face-to-face with a vodou zombie controlled by none other than a bounty-seeking Papa Midnite. The zombie gets the upper hand and is seconds away from ending John’s life when Corrigan saves the day with a swift bullet to its head.
At long last, Zed sees a vision – and the dying man in it provides her with an address. Once there, they find the body of the man from her vision crucified in the attic, branded just like the detective. John senses something far worse and instructs Corrigan and Zed to leave as a precautionary measure. His instincts prove correct and Papa Midnite arrives with his sharpshooting rifle, the Ace of Winchesters. He shoots John in the chest and reveals that John’s soul will free his sister’s; this is nothing personal. A second bullet ends the job… except Midnite notices that the slumped over body isn’t John at all – it’s the dead man from the attic. Before Midnite can react, the real John slugs him to the ground and takes the rifle. Turns out John reanimated the corpse and used a glamour spell to trick Midnite. He leaves his unconscious nemesis for the police to handle.
With Midnite out of the way, John reconnects with Zed and Corrigan and they fill him in on another lead they found: six years ago, a Satanist killed his wife, claiming she wasn’t the pure virgin he deserved, and escaped punishment due to “temporary insanity.” John arrives at the address first and discovers the three young girls dressed in wedding gowns… and long since dead. Corrigan and Zed join him later and the trio locates a barely breathing Vesta in the clutches of the Satanist – who bolts on sight, only to meet an angry Zed armed with a shovel. The Satanist’s comeuppance arrives in the form of vigilante justice, as John and Corrigan make sure he won’t find his way to a courtroom. Vesta, meanwhile, makes a full recovery.
Later, Corrigan and Zed share a drink at a local pub. Throughout their adventure, Zed kept secret a recurring vision of a dead (and glowing green) Corrigan, but here, in private, she shares her fear with him – her visions always come true. He takes the news in stride and states that if death is imminent, then he should seize the moment – and he kisses her. And John sees it all…
John walks out by himself, and he ends up under an overpass when Manny appears. They argue about Zed – is John jealous? – and also about the Rising Darkness. Manny urges him to stay the course, together they can win this war, and John agrees. He’s more worried about what comes after, when he sends every last demon to Hell. What will he do then?
But elsewhere, as the police escort Papa Midnite to jail, time stops, and Midnite’s cuffs fall to the ground. He looks around – who’s the source of this magic? Manny appears and tells him that the contract on John Constantine is canceled. Midnite asks if Manny works for La Brujería and Manny responds:
“No. The Brujería work for me.”
And with that, the source of the Rising Darkness flaps away into the night, leaving Papa Midnite both shaken and free to once again disappear. (Courtesy NBC.)
First aired: February 13, 2015.
What do you think? Do you like the Constantine TV show? Do you think it should have been cancelled or renewed for a second season?
Bring back “CONSTANTINE!” I thought this show, and its actors were absolutely wonderful! Why can’t “the powers that be” see this!!!
PLEASE! Bring this show back!
Loved the show amazing actors wished it never canceled
Loved this show. Characters are excellent. Please someone bring it back…have watched the first series 3 times now on prime…..passing the time till the second series started ….
I am very and highly disappointed I looked forward to this show every Monday. I loved it me and my little brother watched while eating our snack on the couch. So upset really wish you could bring it back
I rank Constantine right along with Supernatural. How is it that Supernatural is starting their 11th season and Constantine didn’t make it to second? I imagine it must have something to do with politics.
I was looking for it to be starting again this season. There was a rumor that it would change networks but it would be picked up for this season. I am so disappointed. You would think that the movies from DC and Marvel would spread to TV. But I guess the advertisers are not into “nerd culture”. “Heavy Sigh”
I think Constantine was a good show overall the cast did a great job. However, I dont think it fit with NBC I think it would have been better on either Syfi or CW. I think a second season on one of those networks would have really boosted ratings. NBC has done scifi/fantasy shows before like Heroes, Knight Rider and a few others but that particular station isnt really known for it. I think that was part of the downfall of the show unless you watched NBC or heard about it from a friend you didn’t know it was there.
I enjoyed Constantine and was sad to hear it was cancelled. To bad more people didn’t watch it. Great entertainment.
CONSTANTINE was a great show. It was on NBC, right?
As I recall, that’s the same network that cancelled STAR TREK, and MAN FROM UNCLE, back in the sixties, right?
So, after almost 50 years, NBC is still full of the same old Shinola?
I loved the show. It was a blast to watch and i looked forward to seeing it every week. I was very disappointed to hear that it was cancelled and am hoping that it gets picked up by another station. John Constantine was a dysfunctional but interesting hero i will miss the show
My kids and I love the show!!! you need to get Constantine back on. It was the only tv show we watched. PLEASE bring it back!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Constantine was a great show I never missed it once, I hope that it comes back it was one of my fav shows!!!!
I really liked the show and am sorry it was cancelled.
I think it shouldn’t have been canceled
EXCELLENT SHOW!! This was a very entertaining show with great characters, mystery and intrigue . It reminded me of Supernatural with there being some kind of monster or “thing” to stop each week. I loved Constantine’s character he was funny,cool and fun to watch with his dont-give-a-crap-Im-already-damned attitude. I would really like to see another network pick this show up. I did hear rumors & I really hope their true!! NOT HAPPY ITS CANCELLED!