Constantine: A Whole World Out There
January 30, 2015 6:00 PM - Season 1, Episode 11 - Subscribe
John is sent to help an old friend at Ivy University, where students have figured out how to get to an alternate dimension - only to be met by a killer.
This episode felt really off. With the Rising Darkess supposedly lurking around, it's frustrating to see the show fall back into the "scary thing of the week" format, barely linking to the overall plot. It's not surprising the show is on the edge of being cancelled. It has a lot of potential, but the show don't seem capable of gelling into a coherent and intereseting story. The last 10 minutes were nicely character driven, but it was long slog to get to that point
This episode felt really off. With the Rising Darkess supposedly lurking around, it's frustrating to see the show fall back into the "scary thing of the week" format, barely linking to the overall plot. It's not surprising the show is on the edge of being cancelled. It has a lot of potential, but the show don't seem capable of gelling into a coherent and intereseting story. The last 10 minutes were nicely character driven, but it was long slog to get to that point
Jeremy Davies's performance was the only good thing about it.
I was really happy to see him in this episode. Davies makes anything better. I was actually surprised to see him in this show.
And, yeah, this was a really off episode. Overall, though, the show just isn't finding its stride. It's had a few hits (like last week's episode) but, honestly, Matt Ryan just isn't good in the role. His Constantine is pretty much one-dimensional despite attempts to give the character depth. I just can't get past the "Brit with a chip on his shoulder" act. I really, really want to like this show, but it's fighting me on it.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:56 AM on January 31, 2015
I was really happy to see him in this episode. Davies makes anything better. I was actually surprised to see him in this show.
And, yeah, this was a really off episode. Overall, though, the show just isn't finding its stride. It's had a few hits (like last week's episode) but, honestly, Matt Ryan just isn't good in the role. His Constantine is pretty much one-dimensional despite attempts to give the character depth. I just can't get past the "Brit with a chip on his shoulder" act. I really, really want to like this show, but it's fighting me on it.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:56 AM on January 31, 2015
I'll be contrary and say I thought the story was really strong this week.* The Austin Osman Spare meets "Dreams in the Witch House" conceit certainly draws on elements Hellblazer often did, even if it was much more slasher horror than the book usually ever went. At the same time, though, it felt like a script that with a few tweaks could have been a Supernatural ep. I enjoyed it as a solid hour of entertainment, but it didn't have to be an episode of this show. I'll take it, though. Still, it would have been nice to check in with the rest of the usual cast.
*I don't know whether it was drawn from any of the comics, although Ritchie was, broadly speaking. A visually similar but otherwise fairly different version of the character appeared in an early issue that, to be honest, was a rare misfire from the book's first year. In it, Ritchie leaves his body -- much as he does here! -- to, uh, enter the internet or something as an arcade-game-like avatar of himself and...I mean, look, this was the '80s.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:53 AM on January 31, 2015
*I don't know whether it was drawn from any of the comics, although Ritchie was, broadly speaking. A visually similar but otherwise fairly different version of the character appeared in an early issue that, to be honest, was a rare misfire from the book's first year. In it, Ritchie leaves his body -- much as he does here! -- to, uh, enter the internet or something as an arcade-game-like avatar of himself and...I mean, look, this was the '80s.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:53 AM on January 31, 2015
Well now we know how the show will handle a Nightmare On Elm Street.
posted by Catblack at 8:56 AM on February 1, 2015
posted by Catblack at 8:56 AM on February 1, 2015
As I mentioned in my recap, I actually like that they don't have Chas and Zed tagging along every week. Constantine is not meant to have sidekick companions. I also like it when a show can move back and forth between the season's larger arc and more stand-alone, MotW-style episodes, as Constantine and Supernatural have done a pretty good job of this season. As for Jeremy Davies, to me, he has actually improved on the original Hellblazer Ritchie Simpson character—plus I love his office (and his prescription-sedative-influenced wardrobe).
posted by obloquy at 6:24 PM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by obloquy at 6:24 PM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
Recaps
FoxSisters
posted by homunculus at 9:05 PM on January 30, 2015