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Thursday 17 May 2018

Constantine 1.5 "Danse Vaudou" Review

                                            Image result for constantine danse vadu
New Orleans - my favorite city, though this was filmed in Atlanta.  For the first time Constantine actually lights up a cigarette.  He uses a zoetrope here which was used in seance's by Queen Victoria.  Saying that there's a psychic connection between Zed and the map "which is what I wanted."  Yeah always what he wants - for the greater good of course, he's the master after all.  Running into Jim Corrigan and his line of "occult investigators."  Isn't as funny since there are paranormal investigators out there.  Constantine still hasn't got new cards printed, but why bother, he won't really need them and who's to know they're incorrect.

Constantine: "I'm flattered luv, but we really oughta keep things professional...I respect everyone I sleep with but I usually like to get to know something about them first, you know what I mean."  Well, 'usually' being the operative word cos in all probability he doesn't really get to know them if he can help it.  Too many complications involved in that.  Zed tells him to ask her anything, he asks, where she comes from? Why she's running and why why she's risking "your life seems a better alternative."  Zed doesn't like champagne - now he knows something about her.

Little by little we got the character development evolving and that simmering chemistry.
Constantine: "two at twice the trouble."  Two cases that is.  Jim arrests him for murder.

Ghost killing on the road Supernatural 2.16 Roadkill.  The DB was a hitchhiker.  

Spirits with unfinished business are formed of the energy from a soul of a once living person who is not evil.  A spirit that remains behind and refuses to move on is known as an ‘intelligent’ spirit.  These maintain or reflect the qualities of the human soul.  But if the person was bad or evil, the spirit will also retain such a character trait.
See his hair's more strawberry blond there's so much involved in brunette hair going blond, the shade doesn't work out right.  As I can tell ya, it looks more reddish blond.

Chas loses another life and Constantine releases himself from the handcuffs (like Dean) only he's a magician.  Now if ever Dean Winchester and John Constantine got together, we'd see them as one entity.  Constantine is Dean and vice versa.  No coincidence that Sam and Dean's Dad was named John.  Or as I like to think!

Constantine:"...wouldn't kick that out of bed!"  And the references in this ep too, at least I prefer to say that.

Jim asks how Constantine can live with the knowledge that this is all real.
Constantine: "it marks you for life but it doesn't change who you are."  Unless you're like that to begin with.
Constantine: "sounds like your hell - but on a path for redemption luv."  (That theme again see elsewhere.)
Constantine: "a lot of my clients are haunted by the people they've hurt by their crimes."
Actually haunted.   He was like a medium.
Papa Midnite returns.
Constantine: "voodoos nothing but a magical excuse for a party."  Who brings up the acetate and losing it.  Constantine overpowered again by his dust, happens a lot to him.  Constantine says it took him so long to notice the Rising Darkness and if he erases his debt, then he's got questions for Midnite's sister.

Jim works out what Zed is running from which is more than Chas could do after he said she doesn't show on any databases.  But Jim is a detective and it's his job.

Matt: "Jim and I cross paths on a case and I think what's interesting is Jim is into this world which he doesn't believe;" what's interesting about their relationship is they both want the same thing, ultimately, but they come at it from different angles and they're willing to sacrifice different parts of themselves, and I think that ultimately, Corrigan wants justice, but that comes from a form of rage and a form of anger. With John, it's complicated. There's those things as well, but there's a lot of other stuff going on as well."

Midnite calls him "jackass of no trades - master of none."  Ha, I said that but not a jackass.  As they head to the cemetery Midnite doesn't want a lecture from Constantine on "gullibility.  Making reference to his ego, he's a magpie of magic and steals from other cultures.
Constantine: "whatever works."  Midnite's one to talk about stealing with his reputation and stealing the acetate for himself.  They need to burn the corpses.  And great to see Constantine doesn't throw his lighter into the fire, cos heck there's not that many made (in reality) and it's far more valuable than to just throw away.  Constantine doesn't have a phone.

Constantine: "guilt is a very powerful emotion."  Speaking from experience, he gives Midnite the lecture anyway.  There's a lot of energy involved as the three women can't forgive themselves for the deaths of their loved ones, thus driving their ghosts.  Jim tells her she's been reported missing by her family and he can't forget a face like hers.  He worked in missing persons once.  Zed said she shoplifted an apple and a stale cheese sandwich.  She doesn't exist anymore.  She has a vision of what Jim will become.  See Constantine had more to worry about here with Jim entering the picture than he ever did with Gary, in a personal capacity of course.

Constantine wants to find out about the Rising Darkness and is told his efforts will be in vein as the Darkness is controlled by someone close to him, "someone will betray you."  No narration from Constantine at the end.

Meets with Papa Midnite again who's got plenty of bones to grind about losing that vinyl from 1.3 (see Constantine didn't use it to bargain with the devil - his integrity remains intact and always will.)
A tentative truce in that he gets to find out Constantine will be betrayed by someone close.  So we (some) immediately jump to the conclusion that it will be newcomer Zed.  Since we don't know much about her and another reason why she perhaps wanted to stay with Constantine.

Zoetrope from the Greek: translation - "wheel of life" and an excellent hypnotic device.  Yet more flirtation on the part of Constantine and Zed - particularly relevant here as we get the introduction of Jim Corrigan and Zed's visions of him now.  She sees him 'die' very clearly here but visions may appear to show one 'fate' (no pun) and end up meaning or turning out completely different in reality.  Strangely she's never had visions of Constantine (aside from the sketches) but I mean in the sense of his impending doom, damnation to hell.  Apparently perhaps showing this eventually might be avoided.

Zed was quickly fitting in already and proving she's capable of holding her own.  Possessing the psychic abilities Constantine so desperately needs in his continuing fight.
Constantine: "she's a regular smorgasbord - picks up impressions from tactile stimuli which I'm guessing is kind of a buzzkill in the sack."  Yeah first thing he'd think about!  Especially when he sees her with Jim in 1.13 which wold have been such foreshadowing here, you know he wants Zed all to himself and for himself!

Matt: "I think that Jim's world is very much based in the real world and John obviously knows about the world beyond ours, so there's whole other kinds of levels to what's going on with John and John uses his humour as a defence mechanism...He's become really good at kind of just hiding it, whereas Corrigan is someone who I think is – you can kind of see more on the surface, he's a little bit more scarred, but I think that John's problems are probably more deeper rooted, if that makes sense, but he hides them.  He hides them well."

[NB these musings of mine have no reference to the comics and what goes on therein - but strictly limited to the TV show - which was filmed in this way to satisfy both fans of the comics and novices.  You really don't have to have read a single issue of Hellblazer to understand the premise of this series and the stories!]

Hellblazer Special #1 Confessional
#151 Good Intentions Part 1 had Constantine hitchhiking too.

Supernatural reference here from Roadkill where Molly died in a car crash but she didn't know she's dead and that's why she hasn't passed over and won't do that until she accepts this truth. ****

 Supernatural 2.4 Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things
Necromancy “actively seeks out the spirits of the dead” who have knowledge of information, not available to anyone else; or the conjuring the dead for divination, practiced by magicians, witches in Persia, Rome.  It was outlawed in Elizabethan England under the Witchcraft Act 1604.  (Perhaps something Parliament still needs today.)  A practice commonly used in Voodoo.  Where it involves either conjuring the spirit of the dead body; or summoning the corpse itself. 

Zombies are present in cultures ranging in India, China, Japan, Native Americans.  Are also associated with medieval Norse mythology where “dravgr” were the dead bodies of warriors brought back to wage war on the living.

This concept of relevance for the LOT Necromancing the Stone ep most likely but won’t know until I see it.

Daniel Cerone tweeted:
"I forgot we lost my Hitchcock moment in the final act.  Ah well, season 2.  Fingers crossed. #Constantine #SaveConstantine 25/4/2015 Cameo
Was this for 1.13??
Look for David Goyer and I sitting at end bar when John walks out.
My Hitchcock moment. #Constantine. #SaveConstantine #Hellblazer"

Redemption
Constantine mentions redemption here again as recurring theme.  Redemption  being one way for Constantine to salve or assuage his conscience over Astra.  His own Achilles Heel in some respects.  His turning to the dark arts was his own way of struggling and giving his life meaning.  However, it is a wonder that he didn't sign or sell away his soul at this early stage of his 'sorry' life.  But suicide did enter the equation. See Redemption.

Another scene indicative or implying  Constantine doesn't have a phone (mobile/cell).  Jim gets to the nitty gritty of Zed's past which is something Constantine didn't get to do - in honesty he had problems of his own with Midnite and now the new reveal.

Blood Moon a reference to the New 52 Future's End also included Constantine.
Gary's death was like in the comics and he 'haunts' John' any chance he gets; as well as coming to his help.
Some tweets from Matt:
"I would run I mile from that house. But John would prob run towards it ha #Constantine 14 Feb 2015 But  personally I'd be like John love the scary paranormal world!!"



"What I love about john is you can put him in any situ and he will find a way through.  #Constantine #SaveConstantine"

My Matt Ryan book.  Yeah I know a lot of you are fans in name only which is fine but this was a labourious one to write so do check it out!!

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