So Constantine only lasted for one season (okay half a season), before it was cancelled, probably because there were already several other similar shows on air at the time (2015). I think it had great potential though, and it’s a pity that circumstances were against it! His adventures continue in Legends of Tomorrow Season 4 onwards, which is how I first discovered this series existed. I liked the treatment of the series and how it expanded on a relatively unknown portion of the DC Universe, especially since it has the time to slowly world build and introduce characters like Felix Faust (yay!) (maybe we would have gotten Circe or Morgan Le Fay at some point).

Synopsis of Constantine

Constantine is a horror action drama that revolves around the exploits of the titular character, who is a supernatural detective and investigator. The first season (it’s actually half of a season) sees Constantine investigating a rash of cases that have connections to a “rising darkness” – but what this evil is and what it’s plans are are a mystery. The episodes end on a cliffhanger and a major reveal of the a main character.

Directors: Neil Marshall, Steve Shill, Romeo Tirone, John Showalter, John Badham, Nick Gomez, T.J. Scott, Tom Wright, Sam Hill, David Boyd.

Writers: Daniel Cerone, David S. Goyer, Rockne S. O’Bannon, Mark Verheiden, Christine Boylan, Sneha Koorse, Davita Scarlett, Cameron Welsh, Brian Anthony.

Cast:

• Matt Ryan (John Constantine)

• Lucy Griffiths (Liv Aberdine)

• Angélica Celaya (Zed Martin)

• Charles Halford (Chas Chandler)

• Harold Perrineau (Manny)

• Michael James Shaw (Papa Midnite)

• Bailey Tippen (Astra Logue)

• Jeremy Davies (Ritchie Simpson)

• Emmett J. Scanlan (Jim Corrigan)

• Jonjo O’Neill (Gary “Gaz” Lester)

• Elyse DuFour (Nora)

• Charles Parnell (Nommo)

• Mark Margolis (Felix Faust)

• Robert Crayton (EMT Worker)

• Skyler Day (Miranda)

• Claire van der Boom (Anne Marie)

• David A. Gregory (Eddie)

• Juliana Harkavy (Sarah)

• Tracy Fisher (Nurse Brad)

Good treatment of dark and gritty subject matter

I’m not usually a fan of of the whole gritty and dark and serious and moody tone, and that put me off the first time I heard about the series. I mean, come on, don’t we have enough of such series? So I didn’t really give Constantine a chance when it came out in 2015. But after watching it, I liked the treatment of the show and felt it was justified. That’s because it fit in with the world views of the characters, the generally bleak storylines, and the blood and pain that Constantine constantly had to endure. It was justified! So as much as I generally don’t enjoy such grittiness, it was a good fit and helped improve the overall quality of the show.

Constantine’s characterisation

Constantine’s character is what adds colour to this show, and I’m glad that it’s pretty much the same characterisation as that in Legends of Tomorrow. He’s the typical snarky and sarcastic on the outside, caring and hurting from trauma on the inside kind of character. And that’s built into the show, when you see his tough guy exterior fade and little bits of his traumatic backstory are revealed. So when he constantly inflicts pain on himself to cast spells or save the day, it feels like he’s subconsciously punishing himself for his perceived failures and guilt. It takes some reflection to understand, and the show never explicitly calls it out. It’s fairly subtle, and I enjoyed this bit of characterisation.

Believable portrayal of the supernatural

The show is quite close to Supernatural in terms of its approach and genre, although it’s far more bloody. I think Constantine gets bloodied in every episode, whether it’s through self-inflicted wounds or a brawl with other monsters. I think it’s this similarity to Supernatural that really attracted me (especially since Supernatural has ended, but that’s another story). What I felt Constantine did better is that it didn’t overuse the “monsters are hiding as humans” trope, so we actually got monsters that weren’t human in some episodes. That made it a tad more realistic and believable.

Special effects were constrained by budget

But then they were clearly working on a budget, and it showed in the special effects. I mean, kudos for trying and all, and I could see how the writers were very ambitious when it came to the fantastical aspect. It looked much better for sequences that mixed practical and digital effects, rather than those that relied solely on digital effects. So this is another point for the grittiness of the show, since it helped keep the special effects budget low but still on brand.

Chas and Zed are meh

I also found Chas and Zed kinda meh. I mean they’re all right as supporting characters, but we never really get to know them all that well. They felt like exposition machines, or like flesh walls for Constantine to talk to. Maybe we would have gotten more stories about them if the season had continued, but as it stands… they could literally have been given other names and it wouldn’t have mattered. Manny was all right, but he didn’t feel as enigmatic as intended – he just felt stubborn and irritating.

Should you watch Constantine?

I wished I had watched Constantine sooner, but since I’m not in the US I don’t think I would have contributed to their ratings. The tone of the show was a better fit than expected (and also better executed than other shows), although the special effects budget could have done with a bit more of a boost. The supporting characters may have been boring, but the protagonist wasn’t. And at the end of the day, Constantine became such a memorable character (dare I say, fan favourite?) that he lives on in another show.

Rating: 7/10

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