#SaveConstantine

When Constantine first aired I really enjoyed the show. I recall thinking less favorably on some episodes, but overall I saw nothing but the basis for an excellent show. For anyone who paid it any attention you're probably aware of the drama surrounding it's possible cancellation and the (allegedly) immense fan outcry against that. Thus, #SaveConstantine was created and used to communicate just how many people enjoyed the show. It was one of the few times I bothered using a hashtag,  because Constantine could have, should have, grown into an excellent series. I planned on writing about the series then, but before I could they announced the show was officially cancelled and by then I didn't feel like thinking on it any further. Having re-watched the first, and only, season over the last couple of weeks I realize only now that Constantine didn't just have potential to become excellent, it already was.

The show is a monster of the week sort of set up wherein Constantine, his, I guess, psychic friend Zed and Chas, the man who won't stay dead, hunt them down and put a stop to them. It's a little disappointing that the main plot line centers on this event known as "the rising darkness", seriously how just cliche is that. Basically every episode is great to fantastic. The Gary Lester episode is one of my favorites, and the one about a possessed child (a trope I'm very tired of) pulled it off fairly well.

While Matt Ryan was the perfect casting for Constantine in my opinion (if nothing else YouTube a clip and witness Constantine made flesh), the rest of the cast is mostly great as well. Chas might seem a little boring, but I really enjoyed his blase attitude about his tendency to die repeatedly and the bits of his personal story we saw were all good. There's an episode with a variety of evil things including a ghost who goes around asking if she's pretty and killing any who answer, when Chas bests her by asking her questions back he became one of my favorite characters in the show. Papa Midnite is another contender, while some of the episodes kind of painted him as a little dumb at times, really he's just set in his ways and possibly more cocky than Constantine himself. Where John uses it to hide his self loathing, Midnite's comes across as much more genuine.

The third wheel of the main cast is possibly one of the worst actresses I've seen though. Zed is so fucking boring and bland it's just baffling. We don't get to see much of her plot, and what does show up is a little lame. It's just so hard to get past her inability to emote with the proper emotions, she'll be happy but seem uninterested, or she'll be sad but seem happy. It just. What? Another main-ish character is Jim Corrigan and, well, I don't really like him either. I don't know if they were pressed for time, but man he comes off as a creepy a lot (and not just because Zed keeps seeing him in his ghostly Spectre form (which never fully comes to fruition!)). Aside from these two though I'm at least content with the rest of the cast. They got Hector from Breaking Bad and "the grass" guy from Lost even! Plus Constantine's Navi in this show is fucking Michael, also from Lost. Every time he shows up I, of course, shout WALT! Hell, the guy who kidnaps Claire shows up too. Don't watch Lost kids, at least not all of it, it isn't worth it aside from Meme's (Char-Lay! WALT! We have to go back! Tell my your secrets grass!).

Where was I? Right. The future isn't entirely bleak at least. John showed up in an episode of Arrow (I don't know why but I still watch that show. I started late, just to spite a friend who hated it, and to be legit when I went on rants about how bad it was. Now I just hate watch it, probably unhealthy) but his appearance was pretty lame, though Matt Ryan did an excellent job with what he was given. For some reason the big bad of the season was a magic user, and yet Constantine didn't show back up. Instead Arrow uses the power of friendship and light to beat the bad guy who's last name was literally dark misspelled.

Thankfully I'm not here to talk about the televised cyst that Arrow is. This guest appearance has lead to some talk about more guest spots, or maybe even a second season on the CW. I don't really like the CW as a network, and each superhero show has gotten more cringe-worthy in following seasons (Legends, prove me wrong) but hey, Supernatural still manages to maintain mostly consistent quality, and Constantine is a very similar sort of show. If a second season could only happen on the CW, I'd rather that than never see Matt Ryan don the trench coat again.

If you haven't given it a shot and you enjoy supernatural shows, wise cracking characters, and really nice, mostly subtle, world building elements I implore you to check out Constantine. Also, the 300 issue run of Hellblazer, the comic series that inspired the show, is great as well. And it kicks off with the Gary Lester story!