Constantine Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Angels and Ministers of Grace
Henry A. Otero
at
.
I've got to say, this week's Constantine Season 1 Episode 12 certainly didn't feel like the penultimate installment of the season.
That's probably due to the fact the season was cut short at 13 episodes. Still, I thought it was a solid story and enjoyed Manny's involvement more than ever.
In retrospect, I should have guessed who the killer was, but the story was just so engaging I went with the flow.
That poor junkie girl had no clue she was about to experience her final high. Brutal the way that creature tossed her about like a rag doll. I was surprised she didn't die from that overdose, but it made for an interesting twist. The story had to kick off somewhere right?
After the events of New York, it was no surprise Zed was feeling a bit shaky. Loved that she described that peaceful room as "a good song on repeat," but like John said there's a war going on. Get with the program pretty young psychic.
Of course Manny appeared to poop on the party and gave John a mission. Were you as shocked as I was that he burnt the scry map? This entire season that map was our guide to the case of the week. Guess all bets are off.
The scry map is a crutch. What's going on out there is pervasive; Invunche, brujeria, the serpent himself. We're off the map now John, you need to read the signs around you. Use your instincts, Zed's visions; stay vigilant.
Manny
Chas' line about being used by Manny was great! At least that wasn't as painful as the screwdriver trick John pulled on him. I seriously don't know how Chas puts up with it.
I wondered what Zed would see when she touched the girl with the black veins. It didn't surprise me at all it was an angel. However, the seizure sure came as a shock. What brought it about? Was the vision of an angel of death coming to claim a soul?
The deceased girl was pure darkness, no spark of life. The effect of the dark matter was cool, but I wondered if Zed was somehow affected by it. Interesting to find out Zed had a tumor which possibly causes her visions. Didn't see that one coming.
Zed: A tumor's causing my visions. That explains a lot doesn't it? Cold hard science.
John: Humans always look for narrative and causality. Nothing that he just said suggests that this mass and your visions are linked in any way.
Zed: You don't want to believe it.
Talk about throwing the smoking thing in our faces right? John was not only smoking on the rooftop but a doctor shows up hoping to bum one off him. Not that I'm complaining, I found the early NBC censoring of Constantine silly but the series hasn't suffered in that regard at all. As a matter of fact, some of the material has been quite gruesome for network television at 8 p.m.
There's chatter Constantine will be moved to Syfy next season. While 3.5 million viewers isn't impressive for NBC, those numbers would be solid for Syfy. That's roughly double the viewers of most Syfy shows. I'm sure NBC realizes loyal fans will follow Constantine anywhere, a guarantee those numbers would translate over to Syfy if the show is moved there.
Anyway, John's heartfelt plea for Manny to fix Zed was really touching. If for no other reason, Constantine should be renewed because Matt Ryan deserves to be on television. The guy owns this role; no question about that.
Manny: This is not your fault.
John: You're damn right it's not my fault, now fix it or I'm not working for you anymore.
Manny: And how would you suggest that I...
John: Heal her.
Manny: I'm sorry John, this is out of my hands and yours. Now look, you can set yourself on fire with anger or you can focus on what you can control.
John: I think I'll do just that mate.
I had not seen the preview for this episode, so I wasn't expecting John to trap Manny on Earth. It certainly made for an interesting role reversal. Watching Manny puke and enjoy his mortal body was fun; Harold Perrineau was brilliant.
John sure was enjoying Manny's predicament wasn't he? "Now did you get those files or were you too busy playing doctor?" Constantine asks the angel. I loved the duo's dynamic this week, it was a nice change.
Manny shared a moment with Zed, but in typical Manny fashion he couldn't give her a straight answer about her visions. If she thinks they're a gift from God, then that's got to be good enough. From the final scene, I assume she's not evil.
Ultimately, the "black diamond" creature proved to be Zed's doctor. Let's face it, the guy seemed a little too good to be true. Manny was set free and appeared in angel form to take the man home.
What did you think of "Angels and Ministers of Grace"? Did you enjoy Manny's corporeal experience? Were you surprised Zed's doctor was the baddie? Is Zed's tumor a gift from God? Why can she see Manny now? Your turn guys, go ahead and share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
NOTE: Constantine Season 1 Episode 13, the season finale, is titled "Waiting for the Man" and airs on Friday, February 13.
As always, remember you can watch Constantine online via TV Fanatic if you want to re-watch an episode or happen to have missed one.
