Saturday, February 14, 2015

Constantine: Season 1, Episode 13


Constantine
Episode Title: "Waiting on the Man”
Channel: NBC
Director: David Boyd
Writer: Cameron Welsh
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Runtime: 43 min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: February 13, 2015

Here's to hoping that this isn't the way this show ends.

Waiting on the Man” featured a satanist with a thing for sacrificing girls. It was all part of some sort of twisted marriage ceremony. The most notable thing about this week's villain is that he was just a man. The Rising Darkness doesn't need demons, ghosts or sorcerers to wreak havoc in the world; its influence is strong enough that it can turn regular people into its own agents of chaos. That's not to say that the episode was lacking in the supernatural department, it's just important to note that even regular joes can perpetrate the types of things that require John's attention.

The team was reunited with Jim Corrigan in New Orleans for their latest adventure. One interesting bit of note occurred following the capture of the bad guy. John talked Corrigan into shooting the Man in cold blood as he “tried to escape.” Corrigan only seemed to give it a moment or two to think it over before following up on John's suggestion. It was a coldly harsh moment for both characters, and while we know that John is willing to almost anything to keep people safe, Corrigan going along with it so easily seemed a little odd. The audience saw through Zed's visions the future that is in store for that character. After a pep talk from Manny, Zed decided to let Jim in on what she knows. Looking back on Manny's scenes with Zed in the last two episodes makes it clear that he's nurturing her trust in him, to use at a later date. Stop reading here to avoid a major spoiler.

Manny's reveal at the end of the episode, that he's the one behind the darkness, was very important to the show going forward. It finally gave the audience a face to attach to all the things we've seen so far. Instead of henchman and phenomena credited to the darkness we've now got a mastermind pulling the strings, right under John's nose. Maybe. My immediate thought upon hearing Manny's admission was that it was a ploy to buy John some safety. Even now though I'm not sure if I believe that or not. I can see it going either way, and it's a good sign when a show can keep you guessing that way.

Manny's confession was delivered to Papa Midnite, who had tried to collect the bounty on Constantine's head. Although he and John didn't have a lot of time together on screen it was good to see Midnite back. He's the kind of villain that you love to see pop up. You know he's going to give John all he can handle, the animosity between them grows with each failed attempt Midnite makes on John's life. At the same time they're always one crisis away from setting aside their differences and working towards a common goal, waiting to stab the other in the back as soon as the newest threat is dealt with. It's the type of arch-nemesis relationship that can make both characters better.

Conclusion: If this is the way Constantine ends the audience is going to be left with a lot of questions. They've set up so many stories; The Spectre, Zed's family, Manny's place in everything, the Rising Darkness, and more, it will be shame if we never find out what's going on. “Waiting on the Man” did a great job of showing us where everything might be headed, now we just have to hope that we get there.

Rating: 8/10

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