 |
| Giving Hell...Hell |
Still no word from NBC about renewal or cancelation of it's new gritty, dark, engaging show Constantine. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but there are plenty of reasons for NBC to renew it but here are my top three reasons.
 |
| Yikes! She couldn't afford plastic surgery? |
 |
| Burn, baby, burn! |
1. Faithful Rendition Makes A Must Watch
Before the film Constantine I didn't know anything about Hellblazers or the cigarette chewing, smart ass, wise cracker from Liverpool John Constantine. Needless to say the film was a bad first impression. I looked up the comic after that and was as appalled as the Hellblazers fandom at the film. Although it was an interesting plot, the cast was poorly chosen. There were no Brits available? How did we get stuck with Keanu Reeves and Shia LaBeouf? So when I heard that NBC was doing a show I groaned with other Hellblazer fans. But after seeing the Pilot I was unexpectedly blown away. Matt Ryan was an excellent choice for the lead. Not only is his look for the character spot on (also he's Welsh) but Matt Ryan has settled well enough into the role that he makes us sympathize and cheer for John. And John's not a good guy. He's not in it to save the world though that's what he usually ends up doing. He's arrogant, stubborn, makes inappropriate jokes, and gives little regard for collateral damage. However, Matt Ryan gives a great enough performance that brings out the tortured side of John that suffers from guilt, loneliness and desperation and that he's had a dark childhood with an abusive father who blames poor John for his mother dying in childbirth. He makes us want John to succeed.
 |
| This is perhaps the one and only time we'll ever hear John say "Please" for anything |
Matt Ryan isn't the only well cast character. Angélica Celaya as the optimistic fiery psychic Zed perfectly counteracts with John's pessimism, sullen outlook. Then there's Harold Perrineau as the angel Manny. Harold brings a sort of charisma to the cryptic angel. He takes some pleasure in frustrating John. But I see there's more to Manny. It seems that John is becoming somewhat of a bad influence on the dutiful angel, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing yet. Charles Halford brings an enigmatic energy to Chas. He makes me curious to want to know more about him. Like is he already dead? How can he die and come back? A wonderful supporting cast with an energetic lead makes for great television and because of each character's mystery and personality one could draw out 5 or 6 seasons based on them alone.
 |
| Buck toothed fangs? Is she from the South? |
2. The Rising Darkness Makes Everything Go Bump In the Night
The issue that some fantasy shows have is that they can get lost in doing creature features each week. While that's interesting, story lines can get mixed or lost leaving the viewer confused and just as lost. The Rising Darkness pulls everything together. Every spell gone wrong and creature summoned is connected creating a consistent story line that will keep viewers from getting lost and still we get to see the dark aspects of John Constantine's world. It even brings into question who started the whole thing? Was it the First of the Fallen? Or even Nergal? That connects John's personal mission in getting Astra back, a child that John sent to hell (by accident of course).
 |
| The least Manny could have done was snuck in some whiskey. Boll*cks |
 |
| This angel is much prettier than John's guardian angel |
I like the twist on angels that the producers took on them in this show. Manny isn't an Aryan and he has cat eyes. Seems like all angels have cat eyes here which gives them one extra trait that separates them from humans. The creatures we've seen so far just scream bloody gore horror which really speaks to my blood loving gory side.
 |
| That's called smoking, genius |
When I heard that Constantine was going to air on NBC I thought: "Oh man... they're gonna sanitize it." But that's not the case. NBC gave the producers plenty of leeway with this one and Constantine has pretty dark content: murder, rape, and even some nicotine addiction. First few episodes you barely see John's nasty habit, only hints but now we see him light up and take a puff more often. Cigarettes are basically John Constantine's signature.
 |
| You know, love, shagging a nun is on my bucket list |
3. Popularity Spreading Like Hell Fire
Low numbers at first but after a few episodes the numbers rose real fast. Through word of mouth and advertising Constantine's fandom has been growing. This show has the potential to be right up there with The Walking Dead (not a fan of zombies personally). People who don't even know about the Hellblazers comics can and are getting sucked into the show. Producers and actors continue to use Twitter to their advantage. Smart idea. Getting fans to care about your project is a sure fire way of getting their support especially if you communicate with them. It gives fans an extra boost of confidence and makes their day when their favorite actors and people involved with the show tweet with them. At this rate the numbers for Constantine will outshine Grimm which is now on it's fourth season.
 |
| Bloody gory is what I like |
Great actors, great story, all around the perfect show to binge on and to share with friends who are fans of gore and the occult. I hope that NBC realizes the gem they have and not give it up. There are very few shows that blow me away on TV today so it's nice to add Constantine to the list.
No comments:
Post a Comment