Constantine - Series Premiere - Review: Sympathy For the Devil
Recap and review of Constantine - Series Premiere - Non Est Asylum:
Following in the lively Friday night tradition of Grimm, Constantine offers an interesting take on the supernatural procedural. However, whereas Grimm featured a protagonist who often had to conceal the nature of his abilities from those closest to him, the premise for Constantine is much more open. There are no secrets here, only demons and evil spirits that need vanquishing, by any means necessary.
"Non Est Asylum" is a pilot plagued by several changes to the series at the structural level: Lucy Griffiths had initially signed on to play Liv Aberdeen, the female lead whose mysterious past and unique powers were to be a huge element of the series. However, showrunners Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer ultimately decided to take the series in a different direction, necessitating that some of Griffiths' scenes be reshot to explain her absence in the series going forward. This leads to an episode that doesn't really tell us all that much about what the show is going to be, from a narrative standpoint. It seems, instead, more like a proof-of-concept episode, a short film meant to show us what kind of show this could be, but not telling us much more about where its focus will lie. Is it a supernatural procedural of the vein of Grimm and Supernatural? Or will it be more of a character study with the occasional Case of the Week that needs solving? Right now, it seems like it wants to be the latter, but will have to be the former for a while, until it develops the characters to the point that it can start telling those sorts of deeper, more introspective stories. But I'm fine with that. Every new show needs time to find its footing, and at least Constantine has more of an immediate identity than most, even if it's uncertain whether it's more interested in its high-concept premise or the characters at its heart.
Credit: Quantrell Colbert/NBC
Of course, I say that it's a bit murky as to what will be the show's overarching story now that Liv Aberdeen is gone, but there's actually a fairly interesting conflict on which the show can hang its hat: John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is an exorcist/occult detective who's spent time in a mental institution following a tragic incident in which his actions brought a demon named Nergal to the real world -- a demon who would go on to claim the soul of an innocent little girl named Astra. The loss of Astra fuels John's actions, as he seems on a mission of karmic redemption. At least, that's how it seems at the start. By the end of the episode, John comes across as someone hellbent (no pun intended) on vengeance, to defeat Nergal and free Astra's soul from the torment of Hell. It might seem like a conflict that is fairly straightforward, but that's what works about it. Matt Ryan is an actor of immense intensity, and the pathos he feels over his responsibility in Astra's death makes him feel more relatable, in a strange way. He feels flawed and human and self-aware about his own failings, in a way that not all protagonists tend to be. He's also resolute in not only redeeming himself, but righting his wrongs. And that makes him easy to root for. I may have not been entirely sold on the pilot itself, but I was sold on Ryan almost instantly. He's charismatic but capable of subtlety as well. It's a balanced performance that anchors the episode.
Credit: NBC
And it's an episode that needs anchoring, after all. "Non Est Asylum" is a far busier pilot than most. In no short order, we establish: Liv Aberdeen is the daughter of an old friend of John's who could see spirits trapped between worlds; a demon named Furcifer, who apparently draws his power from electricity; John is condemned to Hell for his past; an angel named Manny (Harold Perrineau) makes an offer of leniency in exchange for John helping them in their fight against the demons; and John has a mysterious partner named Chas (Charles Halford) whose "survival skills" include somehow not dying from being impaled by a downed power line. The crowded nature of the episode can occasionally make it hard to follow, but the episode benefits from some solid setpieces, such as the scene in which John shows Liv how to use her father's pendant to see the restless dead that walk among us. The climax is also pretty exciting, as John is able to trap Furcifer in a demon seal, only for the demon to nearly trick John into releasing him by offering to release Astra's soul. His triumph over Furcifer, and his forceful dedication to hunting and defeating Nergal to free Astra for good, is a wonderful moment for Ryan, who establishes John as someone who's dedicated to doing the right thing, even if he comes across as a bit of a loner and a pessimist. It's a lively characterization that gives the pilot far more emotional power than it might have had otherwise.
Credit: Quantrell Colbert/NBC
"Non Est Asylum" is a decent way to kick off Constantine, as it illustrates what the series is while hinting at what it could be. Sure, maybe having Liv get spooked by all this and run off to stay with family is a clumsy way to write Lucy Griffiths off, yet it still leaves the door open for a possible return. But hey, even if she never does come back, there's no way to tell if the series we might have had would be better than the series we're apparently going to get. So playing the "what if?" game doesn't really help right now. I can only judge the show by what it is right at this moment. And this was a pretty engaging pilot. If nothing else, it should pair well with Grimm on Friday nights.