Twelve episodes down and one to go… Can Constantine pull off what seems to be the almost impossible and get renewed for a second series? The answer is still up in the air, but rumours abound that suggest the show will return. It may be on another channel (SyFy is one name that has come up) or exclusively through an online streaming service, but it seems the folks at NBC don’t quite want to give up hope for the show yet.
In a minor break from the norm of the show, this week’s episode includes a lighter vein of comedy, as opposed to the usual dark humour from Constantine’s acerbic wit, though his method of entry to a hospital still smacks of black comedy. The humour in this episode comes from Harold Perrineau’s Angel, Manny, after he’s trapped in a human body by a spell. Prior to this episode, Manny’s role was to pop in, dispense some cryptic information that links to whatever happens to occur the during the episode and also hints at things to come, then disappear once again, leaving everyone in the party confused about what just happened. Placing Manny within the body of a human allowed him to shed the stoic exterior and experience emotions, such as lust, pain and empathy. As the show has progressed, Manny has slowly shifted away from giving out cryptic clues, and taken a more active role in guiding the team as to where to go. It seems unlikely that he will ever be made into a fully-fledged member of the team (angelic abilities would make it somewhat harder to write entertaining stories without removing the tension entirely) but his character has shown some of the largest personal growth within the show.
The episode managed to marry the mixture of humour and tension well. Despite not being given much screen time, the identity of the episode’s villain was nonetheless kept hidden through great application of lighting and camera tricks to obscure their face. The visual effects used to denote the murder victim’s black veins creeping throughout their bodies was subtle, yet disturbing. The underscore to the episode carried plenty of sustained strings to keep tension high, whilst also highlighting some of the more sensitive and sad moments as well.
The end of the series is in sight, and the possibility of renewal hangs in the balance. Constantine, despite its relatively low ratings, appears to have a strong fan base. As time goes by, it looks less and less likely that we’ll see a second series in the offing, but there is still plenty of hope out there. The rich vein of DC’s magical side of the universe is largely untapped, but it carries a lot of weight. If they can get this show off the ground, there’s no telling what could happen with other potential characters.