Constantine 1.12 "Angels and Ministers of Grace" Review

                                                
They can't find anything strange on the map.  Zed is alone, Ariadne's thread is mentioned.  As Constantine tells her "heroes are usually jerks at heart."  Dionysus's adventure started from one piece of thread.  Zed only saw this room and it never changes.
Constantine; "helluva hangover comes from magic but the best curse for a hangover is another drink."  No one's prepared for what they do, "but this is the labyrinth we choose to walk."

Constantine: "I forget, angels they can't read sarcasm."  (Like most people I know or don't know.)  Manny's always giving him information seen as another form of manipulation dressed up as angelic guidance."  Manny burns the map calling it a crutch and he should use his instincts and Zed's visions.  Chas: "I hate being used."  That's an understatement.

Daniel Cerone tweeted:
"Ah the scry map.  Felt so smart at the time.  Turned into an albatross.  Writers cheered when Manny burnt it. #Constantine"  25/4/2015

So much foreshadowing in just this opening part of Manny - what's to come - betrayal.
Chas has a screwdriver through his leg and Zed sees an angel, "light was like it was trying to kill me."

The doctor didn't find anything on the dead woman and he's ever seen black veins before.  Constantine experimented on him "in the name of magic."
Detective Constantine thus he always needs a raincoat.  He says Elan Vital, the human body can always give off a spark.  Constantine doesn't want to see Zed just yet since he can't face what she's going through, but he does succumb to his feelings.  Introducing himself as "colleagues" whereas she says "friends."  He says she's not to blame for the mass and visions.  Ariadne ended up dead.

Manny: "filthy habit" when Constantine's with his cigs again.  He asked if Manny knew about Zed and if he can fix it.  But as always it's out of his hands.  Always being the piss poor excuse.  Constantine uses air from Hades on Manny to control him and he can't stay in a human body for long, he'll lose contact with the host and his angelic powers.  As Constantine says he wasn't using his powers anyway, I said that too!  A sorcerer destroyed the Black Diamond of evil and an angel's sword shattered the diamond scattering the pieces around the world. It's clarified evil and a human can't touch it.  Chas can and Constantine uses the cattle prod to get it out of his hands.
Constantine comments on Manny socializing and making "two sods feel pleasure" it's not a sin but he wasn't around when those rules were made.  "Denial and gin" helps him get his work done.  Manny and his filthy habit again, drinking and smoking.

Zed senses Manny's not a doctor and he wanted to see how she was doing, saying Constantine sent him as he's "having a rad time communicating feelings."  She asks if her visions are a gift from God or evil.  Since she met Constantine she uses them "to save lives.  Her gift so put up with the pain," is what she wants to do.  Manny: "you have all the answers you need."  Yes more cryptic lines from him cos she needs to decide what to do.    Manny saying Constantine's missing Zed as support.  After all the dark Constantine's seen and he still has the heart to do this work, it's not his fault.  He realizes the Black Diamond is a gift of God, meaning 'Baghdad.'
Constantine: "heavenly light is the only thing that can fight dark matter."

Constantine reveals his secret how every morning he imagines those around him are dead for the first five minutes and meditates on that.  When it inevitably happens it lessens the blow.  He then sparks a ciggie and fries an egg, true to life!  ha.
Manny says she should enjoy her time with Constantine and she admits she can see Manny.
Zed: "magic has its cost if that cost is pain I'll take it."  Constantine taught her that.
Constantine: "you have changed angel."
As for her visions question, Manny replies "I'm here aren't I."

Stop lighting up in church dude!  Funny Daniel Cerone tweeted this too!! "John is smoking in a church.  Lighting up with a Communion candle.  Is this #Hellblazer or what?"
"We went from John not smoking at all to sparking up using a church candle.  We've come a long way."
"Demons and angels, John doesn't discriminate.  They're all his puppets."

Dionysus is such an oft used deity in many shows/plays.  More recently in Venus In Fur (UK play.)  This episode, Zed's the one who seems to be wallowing and manages to find a room in the millhouse which brings her some peace.  As for the 'wallowing' word she does have every right after everything she's been through and is going to be dealt yet another blow.

Ariadne was in BBC drama Atlantis (another shortlived show).  All from Greek myth.  She was the daughter of King Minos of Crete and Pasiphae, she helped Theseus with the Minotaur.  In some tales; she was wed by Dionysus.  In others, she was abandoned when asleep by Theseus and Dionysus found her again and married her.  Some say he asked Theseus to leave her there so he could find her.  This in effect absolved the "Athenian culture hero - of desertion" and in a roundabout way Constantine alludes to this when he says, "heroes are jerks at heart".  Also showing why he's your typical, average anti-hero.  Ergo non-typical anti-heroes are jerks too!
The Labyrinth was built by Daedalus to capture the Minotaur and found it difficult to escape from his own creative intricate design.  But Zed here manages to find this room - through the Labyrinth's of Jasper's creation: the millhouse with its mazes of rooms.

Manny cunningly burns the map (well it was an eyesore and had to go) so much for being a "crutch".  Adding and mentioning the Ivanche, the serpent and the Brujeria  from 1.8/9.  Oddly  though why did he bring them up now - no one else did.  Did he see that map as somehow eventually being, or bringing about his own downfall and crutch for whom?  Manny and his plans for Constantine.

Constantine won that vial of air from a siren.

"Elan vital" (meaning vital impulse) a term used by French philosopher Henri Bergson the force of life present in all organisms and contributing to evolution.

There's a shard of the Black Diamond they seek back at the millhouse.
Daniel Cerone tweet: "kudos to Dave Blass for designing that tricky Hellraiser puzzle box encasing the Black Diamond.  Straight from DC lore."
"Matt has a great cackle."
"Was that a tear in John's eye?"  I said that too when he recalled Astra earlier on .

Constantine mentions the William Rede - this is the morality system in the neopagan religion of Wicca containing the saying, "An it harm none, do what ye will."  After Manny says he interfered with that doctor/nurse couple and what they had.
Later it became in some texts, "An it harm none, do what thou wilt."  Not to be confused with the doctor's Hippocratic oath of "first do no harm."  As well as Aleister Crowley's Law of Thelema: spiritual philosophy with its roots in Western esotericism.  "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.  Love is the law, lover underwill."  Developed in the early 1900's by Crowley - English writer, magician and mystic.
Daniel Cerone tweet: "doesn't seem like a sin to me but I wasn't around when they made those rules."  this was Daniel's favourite line of the episode.

Perhaps in this scene the most baffling bit was Manny's face when Constantine asks 'are you wearing perfume?'  You know now that he's momentarily free of being an angel.

Zed develops or is now found to have a tumour and she believes perhaps this is a cause of her visions.  And let's not forget her unequivocal devotion to angels and believing in them still; even after her experience with Imogen in 1.7.  That's a sign of her faith and devotion, not some foolhardy notion she's clinging on to.  All the more real when Manny reveals himself to her, although perhaps he's not the right angel for her to cement this belief into reality.  Manny actually swoops in to rescue Zed and Constantine now.

Constantine tries to explain why he couldn't be there for Zed.  He does lament about Zed and what she's going through - does he feel guilty this being brought on or manifesting now cos of him.  But he does have masked feelings here?/

Daniel Cerone's tweeted:
"Zed seeing Many means more Manny.  Stellar."

"I like to hunt."  Yay Supernatural and Dean!!

"Yes that's Jonjo recorded from the UK to voice the animated corpse.  RIP Gary Lester."  [Yeah and Gary should've gotten his own hashtag#.]

"This story is ripped from the pages of #Hellblazer.  We're proud to say.  Siren's Call.  Sung by Bear McCreary's wife."
"NOW THOSE are wings."  Re Cas Supernatural 

And as if ironically, we get a quote from Hamlet re the episode title.  (Matt was in this stage production in 2013-2014 version but not as the lead Hamlet and hopes to play the title character one day!)
"Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd
bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell.
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
thou comest in such a questionable shae that I will speak to thee..."  Act I Scene IV.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526609115&sr=8-4&keywords=mila+hasan

Constantine 1.11 "A Whole World Out There" Review

                                             
This is the episode where they filmed in the cemetery at night and weird things happened.  See later.
Constantine mentions Bloody Mary and we're back on the booze train and wallowing.  I was gonna say self-pity and Manny did!  Then Constantine uses "wallow."  Another one of his friends, we meet Gary again after the pilot 1.1 ep.  It would appear that since Gary's dead that Ritchie would be next, some sort of perverse foreboding, I wouldn't call it justice with the Rising Darkness hunting down Constantine's friends in lots of ways to make him vulnerable and alone.  No help but had a thought on this that perhaps the Rising Darkness was a product of Negral or some other demon in the sense of hunting down all of the Newcastle Crew that were present at that seance with Astra.  Although obviously I'm not alluding to the comics at all.

Ritchie shut down data mining.  Constantine said he stole from a campus cop so there's a "big difference."

Constantine: "I'm well versed in the art of pretending to be a gentleman."  Ritchie was his true partner in crime.  All the others "worshipped the ground I walked on."  All of the Newcastle Crew were "shut down in some way."  Which is what I just said.
Constantine: "I'm not exactly a guiding light am I - bollucks [Manny disappears] really get on my nerves sometimes."

An Egyptian ritual took place as he found evidence in the cemetery.  Out of body travel and Jacob Shaw was a traveller to alternative realms.  His journal is missing.

Ritchie's working on a new project of how singularity and technology and humanity can merge consciousness, can find in mortality in a computer network.  Ritchie mentioning the "Darkness is almost here."
Ritchie blames them for what happens and Constantine doesn't fool him - knows his secret and what he pretends not to feel - he's feeling it now?  Guilt.

In Egyptian magic/myth mirrors are doorways.  Myths of mirrors as in Supernatural.  As she uses her phone and what did Constantine just say about mirrors and reflections.  A bit like Supernatural 1.5 Bloody Mary ep with the mirrors and reflections.  Mirrors also reflect the soul and so it’s bad luck to break them, they also reveal secrets, which is why Sam wanted to summon her: his secret being revealed in the mirror by his own reflection.

As we know it’s bad luck to break a mirror which is why most people also cover them up at night and during thunderstorms, so no reflections can be seen in them in the dark and not just when someone dies in the house. 
Mirrors have also been seen as gateways to other worlds.
Mirrors were used in the ceremonies of some ancient religions, believing evil beings didn’t have a soul and because this wasn’t reflected in the mirror and consequently they had no soul.
about the camera capturing the soul and how people in olden times believed this, like the mirror being a reflection of the soul.

Ritchie tries to reason and the end consequence is that there's no reasoning here with Constantine, who adds, "just like back in the day 'ey?"

As they enter Jacob's reality Ritchie says it's "too much like it and he can override this world.  Jacob introduces himself and doesn't want to know who Constantine is.
Constantine: "you're an arrogant, bloody sod aren't ya?"  Like Constantine, but he doesn't do this for selfish reasons or as one would say, it takes a sod to know another sod!.  Constantine believes in Ritchie who lets the sun shine through.  As Jacob preferred the dark.
Constantine is nailed to the mantle - no religious connotations there.
As Daniel Cerone tweeted: "John nailed to a cross perfect." 31 January 2015.
"John #Constantine nailed to the cross.  Well the hearth, classic more closer of fire.  Hell fire!"

Jacob's world will fall apart now.
Ritchie wants to stay and Constantine tries to talk him out of it saying this is only his imagination.  Ritchie decides what's real: "the reality that I want - endless possibilities - paradise."

Constantine's not going to lose another friend in this fight.  Gary's voice so heard?
Ritchie "forget about darkness closing in."  Constantine says he's running away from it and Ritchie returns.  He says: "inner peace is possible - but human kind's suffering won't end..."
No narration here again from Constantine.

X-Files ep 9.11 Audrey Pauley where there was the little hospital where Monica was stuck and Dogget had to find her.  She was in purgatory with other patients suffering ailments and he asks the help of  a hospital employee to help her and connect with her in the alternate world.  Catching a 'Dr Death' figure in the process.  Similar in some ways to Jacob here.  He was feeding off the students in this reality in bringing them here and keeping them.  What was his end goal anyway.  I don't know why I thought of this X-Files ep, it just came to me with the production and the sets.

Constantine and Ritchie have their brief reunion where it's revealed that Ritchie was the only one who wasn't in awe over what Constantine did in his dabbling and being more pragmatic - he took it all in his in his stride as he was the "scientist" in the sense of his computer stuff??  Jacob's travelling to alternative realms doesn't fall in the realm of astral projection.

Daniel Cerone: "Matt and Jeremy awesome in the scene.  Comparing themselves to cancer.  Spreading their disease.  perfect."
"Ritchie is a deep thinker.  I love the dynamic between Matt Ryan and Jeremy Davies."

This episode introduced us to Ritchie again part of the Newcastle Crew.  That sun comment from Ritchie made Jacob look like some vampiric or nocturnal fiend - praying on the vulnerable, or those gullible enough to fall into the experimentation and ritual crap?  But why the need to kill them even if they did use the ritual.

Ritchie returns and can't stay there - was it his conscious decision to return or did that world just collapse in on itself now that Jacob was dead.  Significant line about finding inner peace - we all do that - need to - to survive life's lows.  But suffering is never-ending in many ways, always will be since the beginning of time.  Referencing Eve again in many ways and that damned apple.  Also Constantine said it too in 1.6 with Marcello that life is painful.
Daniel Cerone: "Ritchie saved the day not John, we're proud to pint out.  heroes, super and otherwise are overrated."

Daniel Cerone; "Kevin Blank surreal landscape."

Obligatory cheesy horror flick opening in this ep with the ritual cos things always go awry there and this wasn't going to be any exception.  Constantine listens to Warner Zenon and in some ways an appropriate song to wallow to.  ?/

Ritchie returns as said, only he doesn't in the comics and he was only in a few of the Hellblazer issues anyway.  This was going to be his refuge from Newcastle - but man if he wanted that what took him so long - cos he could've found his "perfect world" in any reality, already having Jacob's journal.
Was filmed at Agnes Scott College, Atlanta.
There are actually four Noble truths at the heart of Buddhist thought.

Daniel Cerone tweeted:
"If we get a DVD release, I'd love to extend some of those scenes, John and Ritchie, John and Manny etc."

"Jeremy was awesome.  Though for every scripted word you give him, he adds 5 with his ad libs.  Lots of fun."

"Ahh!  This was a 3 min scene between John and Manny.  Had to be radically cut for time.  Insert knife in heart."  {Or Knives In Hens re Matt's play!  Oops.}

Daniel Cerone" 741 this episode heavily inspired by Ritchie Simpson's demise in #Hellblazer.  Into the computer."

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

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526609115&sr=8-4&keywords=mila+hasan

Longmire 6.2 "Fever" Review

                                       
Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) recounts what happened to him to Walt (Robert Taylor) with Malachi (Graham Greene) being at the house where a woman led him there feigning bring in trouble.  Then Darius came in and beat him up, taking him out to the Crow Res and staking him there, well tying him to stakes.  As Walt enters the house and finds no sign of Malachi or Darius.  He then takes the stakes as they look like those from Knighthorse's (A Martinez) place.  Walt wants Henry to move in with him for a few days for his own protection, but he refuses.  Then strikes a bargain that if Walt doesn't go after Knighthorse he will move in with him.  They shake on it.  Since we know Walk will do anything, within the bounds of the law to get Knighthorse behind bars. Henry says Knighthorse wasn't attacked cos he has his own security.   Walt takes the stakes to Cady (Cassidy Freeman) and shows them to her, telling her they came from his property.  He just wants her to know the kind of man she works for.  Think we all know that by now.  Not a criticism but think sometimes she needs some things visually spelled out to her.

Cady takes the stake and goes to Knighthorse's property.  She then hits him with it telling him he did this to Henry.  He argues that anyone one could've got onto the grounds cos of the woodland surrounding it.  Also why use his own stakes, which is what I said.  She then goes to see Henry and tells him what she did and also about the sweat visions.  Henry thinks that Knighthorse could've appeared to her so she would help Henry and he needed her to find him, which is what Walt did.  He also says that whatever Walt does is good and when he does a bad thing, it's still good cos otherwise he would've given up and never found him alive.

As Walt heads back to town, he sees Ferg (Adam Bartlett) running to break up a fight in town.  Two treasure hunters were arguing over one of them following the other to scope out his leads.  Lewis (Max Woertendyke) doesn't admit he was following Cullen (Brendan Patrick Connor) so Walt lets Cullen go and not Lewis so that way he won't be following anyone.  Vic (Katee Sackhoff) calls about the death of a farmer, whose DB has been found on his land after being shot and killed.  The grave in  the makeshift family cemetery has been dug and Vic says that these family plots give her the creeps.  (Horror films anyone? ha).  Ferg looks inside the house and finds a box of money.  Everyone knew he kept money hidden but not exactly where.  Of course initially it could have been about last week's ep and followed on from Cowboy Bill robbing banks, but this ep was about that darned treasure hunting with the poems for clues, which had all the treasure seekers out in droves.  Hence the title of this episode, Fever as in gold!!

As Ferg counts the money, a man comes in reporting his missing brother, Adam and how they  ere searching for treasure and he's gone missing now.  He left his phone behind and he never does that.  Walt accompanies Jay (Brian Stepanek) to the common camping ground where other treasure seekers also hang out and shows his photo around.  It's the same place where Lewis ends up.  No one's seen him and Walt gets a call from Vic on Jay's phone.  She tells him she found the old man's will and the sole beneficiary was Cody (Duke Davis Roberts) who they find and he tells them his mother, Rena, married him.  But he didn't like him, he wanted them to change their ways and converted his mother into going to church and stop being  Cheyenne.  Cody was at work and has bought a brand new truck, as well as working at the casino.  He hated him cos he threw him out after he dropped out of school.  Cody claims not to have seen him for up to eleven years ago, but then his mother's funeral was only seven months ago.  He didn't even want him to bury her his way, but buried her next to his dog, Jake.

At the camping ground Walt meets Lucien (Peter Weller) who shows Walt the treasure map and where they're all searching.  He then turns up at the office asking Walt why he's spending so much money on a lawyer when he can just settle.  As Walt explains he tried to do that his offer wasn't accepted.  Ferg also finds that Adam's credit card was used and later finds it was used by his wife, (Jackie (Molly Hawkey).  She tells him they didn't get a divorce and are separated and she couldn't get another credit cad so they use the same one.  She had to repair the toilet and needed supplies.  Also telling Walt about how he'd go missing for days and how that treasure hunting broke up their marriage.  Which was another clue about him going away for days on end.

Walt drums up help from the rest of the treasure hunters to find Adam and they help.  Ferg finds his DB over the edge of the cliff and Jay fights with Lewis over him being the one who killed him. They're arrested and locked up, as is Cody.  When Lewis is released, he gets his belongings and says the other phone isn't his.  He found it near the site where Adam's body was found and he can't unencrypt it.  Thus Jay's story was a lie as he said he left his phone behind. He couldn't even get that right!  Nice touch with The Treasure of the Sierre Madre poster, the film with Humphrey Bogart where the hunt for treasure led to murder and bloodshed.  See these things don't end well, as if that wasn't a big enough clue for Walt if he hadn't figured it out already that Jay was behind the killing.

When Walt gets home he finds Knighthorse sitting on his porch and thinks something's happened to Henry.  In which case why would Knighthorse still be around.  Knighthorse tells him about Cady and how she struck him but he didn't kidnap Henry.  He's also in trouble and needs his help.  He turns over Malachi's ledgers to Walt so he can hand them over to the FBI in a bid to find Malachi.  Henry says he is also in trouble too and also fears for his life  Walt obviously goad Cady into confronting Knighthorse cos he couldn't do it himself and she tells Henry what I said last ep about her not thinking before she acts.  She blames herself for Henry's predicament as she was the one who got Darius released.

Elsewhere Vic leaves before her ultrasound for the investigation and Travis (Derek Phillips) makes stupid remarks about her age!!  He then shows up in Walt's office and hands him a box.  "Marry me, Walt!"  ha.  He tells him that she's pregnant and if he doesn't want to marry her cos he thinks she loves him, then he will.  Nah you just don't do something like that, it wasn't his secret to divulge.  What makes him think Vic will even contemplate marriage to either one of them and especially after last season where she kissed Walt and he knew how she felt about him.  Obviously he doesn't feel the same way and it's not his baby, though that wouldn't make a difference, marrying won't make things right.  This isn't the dark ages you know and single mothers do exist! Well that put Walt in a right pickle!!  No cravings intended! ha.

Oh and here's a bit more uncanny stuff on my part when the credits were on screen, I said probably someone from the cast will direct this ep or a future one and lo and behold Lou's name came up!!  Couldn't believe that!!

Constantine 1.10 "Quid Pro Quo" Review

                                         
Another episode in the vein of Supernatural in some respects.  As I said it cuts both ways when it comes to comparing the two shows.

Constantine casts a duplicity spell so the millhouse will lead anyone who comes after Zed away.  She talks of the Resurrection Crusade again and how they are fanatics.  The leader needs Zed and crucial to the vision.  She's not afraid of the underworld cos it's not her father??
Constantine: I survive on instinct - mine tells me you're alright and it doesn't hurt that you're easy on the eyes as well."
Zed: "can't say the same" about him."
Constantine: thanks."

Chas is with his daughter in Brooklyn.

Two year earlier  Constantine casts a spell on Chas in Welsh but knew it was related to Merlin cos of the 'dragoon' draig in Welsh, word and Merlin always used that word often enough and when he called upon the dragon for help.  Constantine leaves with "a bird."  What a chicken?!

He says how "sinew from Achilles Heel will make one impervious to magic."  Obviously that was gonna come in handy and once again he's on the ball with knowing what to throw into his bag (no not purse!)  Chas needs his help since she's in a coma and Constantine notices the celestial burn marks on her meaning the soul has left the body.  "Holy grail of black magic."  He sees his medium who'll be able to contact Geraldine and Astra comes up again, at least she will never be forgotten.  Renee doesn't want Constantine here.  Obviously she'll be saved - that's part of his redemption

Two Years Earlier  Chas is still alive and didn't die in the fire.Constantine speaks of the tragedy and were lucky to leave when they did.  Chas was healed overnight.  Constantine: "it bloody worked."  He cast a protection spell on Chas and it was a myth/legend created by Merlin to absorb all the lives around the Round Table if the Knights were killed.  Chas can die 47 times since he absorbed 47 lives that perished in the fire.

Constantine always wanted a cattle prod.  Fennel the medium is paranoid and calls Constantine a liar and a thief and here Chas' muscle comes in handy but he's also pissed cos he wants to save Geraldine.  During the seance it's hijacked by a demon: "you bring war Constantine."  But was it really him who started this war.

Constantine: "someone once said nine tenths of reality is perception and in my reality it's eleven tenths."  Felix Faust is behind it and he's just the second lackey to his general.  Karabasan demon and he wants Constantine to sense him and wants him cast to hell.  Loads of spells in this ep.  The Rising Darkness means Faust can become stronger overnight.

Constantine: "failing you Zed, fails us both."  His cattle prod came in handy then.  Constantine is slapped again in the series.  Faust changes the deal after Constantine destroys the demon and tells him how he creates magic by accident whilst others work hard at it.

So Constantine's knocked out by Chas this time.
Daniel Cerone tweet: "high time John got slapped!" Ooh harsh!
John just bitch slapped Chas and I was gonna say he deserved his own bitch slappin' in return.

Zed tries to communicate with Geraldine and it goes wrong.

Chas uses the Achilles Heel and blows up Faust with a grenade and himself too.  Chas dying and returning would depend on how violent the death, but people have been saved cos he's still around and Constantine wouldn't change the spell even if he could.

Two Years Ago  Where it's said Constantine tried to undo the spell but couldn't.  He has "a weapon against evil by my side" in Chas.
Constantine tells Zed she 'blew a fuse' and how it's not safe for her to expose her soul to the spirit world as it takes training and shes only just started learning.  "Don't open too soon."  She tells him his mother said her death wasn't Constantine's fault and giving him some redemption from his guilt further.  Constantine lies on the bed next to her.  No narration again.

This ep loosely based on Hellblazer (2005) All His Engines.  Delving into how Chas got his 'powers' to heal and can't die as he took those 47 souls cos of Constantine's spell.  Timely then that he tried it when he did cos no one foretold or foresaw the nightclub fire.  Just as Chas is on his way to Brooklyn, the map also reveals this location.  As Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper plays on his radio.  Aptly!  [Played in Supernatural 1.16 faith ep which I mentioned in the context of 1.7 ep of this.]

Constantine uses a Devil's Trap see 1.1 Constantine for more.

Faust asks "what do you know of legacy?"  Referring to Constantine's childhood/teen years.  What is Constantine's legacy: saving the world one battle at a time; atonement; saving his own soul.  That dark powers, magic can be used for good.  Mainly to overcome his downward spiral and that he is better than his father, a better man who, perhaps selfish in some ways, does think of others otherwise he wouldn't so this.  Even if he does have to sacrifice those around him at times, his friends.  It's a necessary part of life, but also it's out of his hands in a lot of ways since it's fated to happen.  Only destiny shapes us and we can alter it.  His destiny was this and now he's making the most of it and doing good with it.  as well as getting a kick out of it too.

Chas has 32 lives left.
1.1 - electrocuted.
1.5 - killed by a ghost.
1.6 - Squashed between cars.
1.9 - Killed by a serpent.  And the number of times he died between the two year flashback - so that's not 32 he's got left by now, cos we don't know about those.  Including the fight with 'Swamp Thing', the Monkey King (a demon) in the flashback is mentioned with Renee.  And he cuts his own throat here.
Daniel Cerone: "I hope to do a Monkey King episode if we get the chance."
"Chas absorbed 47 souls and Lillian Axe, the rock band in this episode has a song called 47 Ways to Die.  Coincidence or karma?"
As I said, 47 was always Alias's number of significance.
"we want this series to be around long enough to get Chas down to his final life.  A truly unique hero's journey!"
And in another reality this would've happened.  Still can obviously: - which in terms of TV hours/seasons could've been a long time further down the line in my opinion!

Daniel Cerone tweet: "I finally got Zed in bed."  I added, rhyming with bed head hair next day! Ha.

Matt Ryan plays a good drunk."  Practice makes perfect!

Zed's message to Constantine from his mother - not blaming him for her death - why would she?  Of course no more exposition or explanation on this - or how Zed saw her, but more importantly why and why now?  Especially in an ep where we deal with family; the  importance of family ties.  Since Constantine has his sister in the form of immediate family but no contact.  This would bolster his strength more as he won't have to think that way since it was banged and beaten into him by his father since he was little that he caused her death.

Daniel Cerone: "John's mother from the spirit world.  Can the golden child be far behind? "
"Love John's casual arrogance."
"Respect to Matt Ryan and Amanda Clayton for this scene."  Where they both argued in the hospital.

Daniel on characters: "Chas was the most constant, long living companion - maybe the only living companion...the strong, silent type, very laconic kind of character we wanted to roll out  in the story...we will open him up deeper 1.10.  In the pilot Chas comes back to life - some people started translating that to the idea that he's mortal.  We promise you he is not mortal."
"Those lives are infinite - flashbacks tell the story and we get to know more about Chas - we meet Rene and his daughter.  We figure out what makes Chas tick."

Faust was from Justice League. "Faust was also based on #Hellblazer All His engines."
Daniel Cerone: "smutty infantile boy.  Faust knows John too well."

In the comic, it's Geraldine's daughter, Tricia, who is the Vic in trouble.  Thus this story being brought forward earlier than it would have been filmed.

The ep title is from Book I of John Milton's Paradise Lost.
"with this rebellious rout
fell long before; nor aught avail'd him
To have built in Heav'n high Tow'rs now,
nor did the 'scape.
By all his engines, but was headlong sent with his industrious crew to build in Hell."

Nightclub fire Daniel Cerone's tweet "fire scenario really happened in a Rhode Island nightclub.  We watched the YouTube video and recreated our own version."
I had a feeling this ep alluded to that fire in Rhode Island club 20 February 2003 where 100 people were killed and 230 injured after pyrotechnics were set by the touring band Great White's manager and ignited plastic foam.  Also the basis of a story in CSI:Miami 1.22 Tinder Box fireman ep with Ben Browder.  This episode of Constantine was not aired in Rhode Island cos of the similarities.

Daniel Cerone; "true fact: John Constantine was a shite football player but a star winger on Newcastle Ultimate Frisbee team. " Frisbee's not that big in the UK!  But hey true footie fans would say that's cos John never played for Liverpool FC or Man United!

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

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526609115&sr=8-4&keywords=mila+hasan

Constantine 1.9 "The Saint of Last Resorts" Part 2 Review

                                           
Constantine swallowed a demon to save himself!  Manny admonishes him by telling him he can't take the devil into him and leave God!  Now he's "lost all hope of salvation."  The demon would heal Constantine and he didn't get any help from God or Manny.  Manny can only think of the Rising Darkness and could've stopped the force behind it.  So he "acted without considering the consequences."  But that's just Constantine, it's what he does.

Daniel Cerone: "'I'm John Constantine, I do stupid in spades.'  Quote directly from #Hellblazer."

Manny won't help as if he ever does. He's cast off his spiritual protection.  The possession won't take effect immediately and like a flu has an incubation period, so there is hope for him..  If he can't get the demon out of him then Chas will have to kill him.
Constantine: "how much worse can the actual place be?  I've been carrying hell around all my life."  He must perform a self-exorcism but he can't fight it.  With the demon reinforcing, "I will not be cast out!"  That's what they all say.

He attacks a street gang, or rather the demon within him and ends up in a Mexican prison, not the place to be.  Then came the wolf whistles!!  The so-called barrister from the British Consulate is in league with the devil.  Yeah bollocks to that!
Daniel Cerone: "don't blame John.  Pazuzu made him do it."

Chas explains how the soul is delivered to hell and consciousness is pushed out.  And we get another good view of Matt's triangle tattoo on his back.  Manny appears again as if to rub it in further and reiterates his same comment once more about cigarettes killing him.  Well he's already damned!
Constantine: "I'm John Constantine, I do stupid in spades."
Manny telling him that no powerful evil can hide from heaven and he knows what he's talking about in more ways than one.

Constantine: "I'm not ready to die.  I have more work to do."

Constantine: "What if I don't know what I need."  Resorting to calling Manny a selfish wanker!"  Well we all know what the Winchesters used to call angels and think of them, aside from Cas of course.

Chas tells Anne Marie how they chose to help Constantine in this fight cos really it's not just his fight and if humanity knew what he does they would either take a flying leap or maybe the more open ones, those who believe would be there to help.  Though he wouldn't appreciate it the meddling as he says he works alone.  As in Winchester fashion too and vice versa, it's long hours and unpaid, without any gratitude aside from those he helps and that's not all the time either.

Zed tells Anne Marie how Constantine got the angel and she didn't, Manny came to him for help and not Anne-Marie but  her praying gets her nowhere.  Anne Marie feels Zed is a true believer but feels sorry for her since he will also disappoint her too.  If she stays alive that long.

Constantine comments his demon is "more real than a rusty metaphor."
Daniel: "my fave thing about this episode - Good honest exorcism.  No tricks or angelic saves.  Just great actors, straight drama."
"So seriously, strap in for this exorcism - Matt Ryan KILLS IT.  Exhausted himself on the day, it was a feat of endurance."

"John jonesing for a fix.  See, smoking AND heroine.  What else do you want?  Oh yeah a bi kiss."  From Hard Times episode 2.

Zed and Chas find a  way to get inside the prison, with Zed 'losing' her bra and telling Constantine, "I know what I look like, don't get any ideas."   She's here for here conjugal visit with him.
Anne Marie also shows up with more unwise words of wisdom: "...his magic and his curse" and how he makes everyone believe he has everything under control.  She advises Zed to leave Constantine.

The demon doesn't react to holy water and he has lots of spells on the recorder.  The trickster shows up; he's the serpent from the Garden of Eden.  Zed's running from people who are trying to use her gift for the wrong reasons.  He tells Anne Marie she must perform the ritual since the demon won't listen to him.  As they bring him back to the millhouse.
Constantine: "Pazuzu won't listen to a wanker like me."  She's experienced divine epiphany.  The demon taunts Anne Marie by telling her she to give up cos she did that in the past and ran to Mexico and only felt alive in Constantine's shadow.  Zed will return to her father.  Zed talks Anne Marie around by telling her she must forgive herself for what happened.  She's guilty for introducing him to magic and "for creating John Constantine."

After much excruciating pain, the exorcism proves successful as it would have done.
Constantine: "I could murder a bloody drink."    He apologizes to Anne Marie for a second time.
Anne Marie: "John Constantine doesn't do sorry."  "Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness" as Gibbs says in NCIS. Gibbs' Rule No 6.

So what was going through his head at the end buckling up and all that apologizing, in anticipation of the exorcism.

So as said, Constantine 'swallows' or rather takes a demon inside of him to save himself from bleeding to death and all he gets for it is fault finding and being berated from Manny.  As if he doesn't deserve better than that.  Not that Manny would help him.  Thus all hell breaks loose.  Manny could've/would've seen what was going down with the babies - but still he didn't interfere to help the innocent.  How much free will do babies have that they can make their own conscious decisions.  Double standards there in staying out of this.  So Constantine was right when he said he didn't get any help and really he was going to wrestle with the consequences and his own conscience with doing the right thing - which was not to lie down and die.  Or come to terms with his mortality when there were other options available and how he has been "carrying hell around" him all his life anyway.  But he wasn't about to let hell win over something as "trivial" as a bullet in the overall scheme of things.  And let's not forget what would happen to the so-called precious Rising Darkness fight;" without the greatest asset in this world to fight it!

Once again Anne Marie has nothing but contempt  for Constantine even after she shoots him.  She's another one who didn't think of the consequences of shooting Constantine and how exactly would that have helped them.  Some revenge there on her part for the past and let's also not forget self-righteousness much Anne Marie and leave it at that.  Aside from the fact once again she set him into this "career" path, albeit inadvertently in the greater scheme.  She was the one who came to him now for help.  Thus no, Constantine, isn't the only one who does "stupid in spades."
Chas again was the only one with a semblance of any reason here when he bats for Constantine and defends him too - way to have him in your corner!  To reiterate Manny, as Chas also says, they're the ones who decide to help Constantine putting their own lives on the line and choosing to.  It's not a question of blind faith or the blind leading the blind.  They're old enough to decide - as opposed to a teen who was introduced to it: the dark arts by someone who should've known better.

As for Manny not helping, he could've just revealed his true intentions going on there since there was more going on with him than just angering heaven whether he helped or not.  And yeah more self righteousness from an angel of the Lord too.  Particularly since angels were responsible for damning his soul to hell as revealed in 1.1.  [On a different note, Cas had no qualms about helping his new charge Dean in Supernatural over and over, even if he incurred the risk of suffering heaven's wrath.]

During all this Zed has a vision of Anne Marie praying and pulls out all the stops to help unlike people taking a backseat and procrastinating, if even that.  Manny wallows in his earlier angry outburst and still needs Constantine's help in the dark fight.  Wonder why the change of heart there?  An angel - he's full of so many contradictions.

Vicente eats Stanley, the Consulate rep in a scene reminiscent of Supernatural and the Leviathan - well they had big gobs to devour humans.  But Vicente is actually the trickster, the Tempter - the original serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden - so we're back to that whole allusion for the Brujeria and Lamashtu (not to be confused with mange tout!)  Vicente thinks Pazuzu is someone he could get on side too.
Chas has a phurba; Tibetan ceremonial three-sided stake just incase the exorcism fails.  [Yeah exorcism in a prison yard forget the exercise!  Okay slimy pun was daft!]

Constantine tells Anne Marie if he dies, "then I'll go out riding the world's greatest high - with my first love at my side.  There are worst ways to meet your Maker, eh?"  How was he sure that's where he'd end up?
Secondly, he still sees Anne Marie as his first love and she thought their relationship was just fleeting.  Of course he could just be saying that at this time, you know one of those dying declarations which don't necessarily have to be true.

So divine forgiveness all round then and I said that too; "sorry" is one thing Constantine does not do.

With the demon tormenting her in some ways bringing up what Constantine must've bottled up in his subconscious.  Though there's little doubt the demon would say anything to possess and remain inside.  To quote Dean, "demons lie."  This was where Constantine not only got to meet his "demon" self for real whilst possessed - as in 1.1 where it was a sign of things to come.

Pazuzu's rant to Chas about his family - was also a foreshadowing to 1.10 next episode infact.  No mention made there of what Pazuzu said to Chas with his family being "lost."

Matt tweeting to William Shatner: "just like to say I'm a huge fan.  Thanks for your support on the show.  #Constantine."
Reply: "There's a price.  I'm going to hit you up for an autographed item for my charity Horse show in April [2015.]"

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

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526609115&sr=8-4&keywords=mila+hasan

Constantine 1.8 "The Saint of Last Resorts" Part 1 Review

                                                   
Zed frantically sketches and Constantine comments her strength's coming back.  The Old Testament says if you touch an angel you can see what they see.  The Ivanche ripped throats in Noah's day.   He gets a message from Anne Marie but she's in Mexico.  If the demon was human she would've gone elsewhere for help and Constantine owes her.  She appeared to him using bi-location: the power to be in two places at once.  He slept with her once when younger and "magic was his salvation when growing up and she hooked me up with the occult scene."

And Chas didn't get to drive a green Mexican taxi.
Matt's Liverpudlian accent is strong in some scenes.
Constantine knew one of them would go to Mexico but there'd be Tequila and skinny dipping involved.

Anne Marie: "don't call me honey."  She should be thankful I add sarcastically!  Mentioning Judith, Gary and Ritchie.  Judith we had yet to encounter and probably would'v been ep 14 if the show had lasted.

Zed finding that door obviously will come in handy.
Constantine uses rune stones and mentions wall dwellers, fairies all targeting children.  Yes it was the nosy nun!  If she was afraid why snoop around.
Constantine: "Sister flirtatious - she started it."  See!

Constantine lost Anne-Marie's trust when he left her bed and went "trawling for girls."  He apologizes.  It's his ego she hates.  As in Pride and Prejudice fashion, Anne Marie and Constantine had their own Lizzie Bennett and Mr Darcy scene going on here.  What with her prejudice against his arrogance and  his pride in being the only one who can help, well ya gotta there!

They go to his house and Constantine finds "human fruit!"  Yuk.  Akin to the tree of forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden, evil more like.  One of Eve's sister's is at work, "goddess of hell."
Anne Marie: "your arrogance is out of control."  When Constantine tells him his baby is okay.  The woman will cast a reflection only in water.  Chas tells Anne Marie how Constantine can't work if he lets people get too close to him, like Anne Marie.

Watching all these eps gave me deja vu, especially on first viewing!  Have no idea why!!

Silly not much of a goddess, she let's him see her reflection in the fountain goddess, she let's him see her reflection in the fountain.  Sister flirtatious was just an amateur.  He mentions their names, Di Rehih, Nama, Lilith, Lamashtu!  As soon as Constantine said Sister of Eve Lilith did come to mind See Supernatural below.  Well that would've been too Supernatural if it had been Lilith so luckily it wasn't!  Lamashtu eats children and is also a kind of vampire.

He's told about La Brujeria - warlocks in Chile.  During prehistoric times wielded magic before God struck them down and there is no spell to stop them.
Constantine mentions the Rising Darkness and that the fight was started by the Brujeria.

Anne Marie: "you can't care about anybody and do what you do," as she repeats what Chas told her.  And another chicken bites the dust.

Constantine;:"I'll have to dress as a woman."  Yeah would've loved that!
Anne Marie: "no price is too high to save them" they're babies.  Newcastle was his failure and she had nothing to do with it or anything to repent for.  She should've "shagged him" instead of showing him magic.  It was his world and she says he took that world to hell.
Anne Marie volunteers to take the baby and it was what he wanted her to do all along.

He mentions the icon of Pazuzu and he and Lamashtu were soulmates.
Hell and earth will become one Lamashtu tells Constantine and they figured out how to break the boundary for the Rising Darkness.  Anne Marie shoots him to get the Pazuzu to attack Constantine.  "Oh you're a quick study luv."

This was the mid-season finale so part 2 didn't follow the following week.  Fall finale which brought everything to a head and Constantine face to face squarely with Anne Marie once more.  The one who got him into the occult scene.  So it was pointless her having a go at Constantine for what he does/did and for what happened to Astra.  Who could have foreseen that.  She's not 'clean' or pure either in the sense that she too carries around guilt for what happened.  But appears to find it easier to blame Constantine for everything.
Her guilty conscience led her to become a nun and Constantine's line of "get thee to a nunnery." Why do women always have to retreat to becoming nuns to hide from their guilt and shame.  As she also accuses him of hitting on a 'Bride of Christ' - yet she snogs him back!

As for the phrase "get thee to a nunnery"  - it has a double meaning (double entendre) since a nun signifies pureness - the other meaning of nunnery is a brothel.  Thus Ophelia (from Hamlet) in many ways both chaste and impure at the same time.  Something reflected in Anne Marie - her turning to God when things went awry.  Yet she was the one most into the black arts.

Why did it have to be Chas to put things into perspective and tell her that Constantine can't/doesn't let people get too close to him.  Did she really not know him that well.  In 1.?/ it was Chas who told Zed this to discourage her from staying around.

We get the first mention of what's behind all this Rising Darkness - the Brujeria from the Spanish meaning of "witchcraft."  Coven of ancient witches/warlocks hailing from South America.  Their ultimate goal: to destroy heaven.  Witches plotting to take over the earth and what better way to do this than get an angel on their side (Manny.)  But there's lots that could've been done with this storyline.  They are behind the Rising Darkness, as said.  Their 'governing body' is called  "The Council of the Cave" and they themselves are protected by the Ivanche - which they also created themselves.  Zed draws one here and one is also revealed in reality here too in the sewers.
In Swamp Thing they were behind the death of an American girlfriend of Constantine's called Emma.  The Brujeria also appeared in Swamp Thing Issue #46 Revelations.

Eve's sisters were Naamah, Durgia, Lamashtu, Lilith.  Lamashtu being behind it here.  In the comics, Anne Marie is much older than Constantine, at least by 20 years.  She had to be to get him involved in the occult.

Supernatural Lilith mentioned in 3.12 Jus Im Bello
It is a myth that Lilith was Adam’s first wife. One tale says that God created Adam and Lilith was his twin, they were joined at the back.  Not getting the equality she demanded from Adam, stated by one Muslim legend, she left him and slept with the devil, thereby leading to the creation of the Djinn (made from fire.)  The name is also found in the name of Sumero-Babylonian goddess Belit-ili.  Lilith is also the name for a night demon in search of children to kill or kidnap (see 1.18.)

Pazuzu is "King of the Demons of the Wind."  He is conjured or invoked in a response to other demons - mostly Lamashtu using an amulet with his likeness as Constantine had or by his effigy in some form.  Is a demi-god but not associated with possessing humans.  (Appears as the demon in The Exorcist films.)  No that mantle was taken on by Constantine when he needed him to save his life and thus had to embody him to do so.  Lamashtu is actually a goddess.
Pazuzu, a god or demon, was invoked to protect new mothers and infants against Lamashtu's malevolence, usually was depicted on amulets and statues, as he was here.  Pazuzu was said to be the harbinger of famine and drought, he was also invoked against evil for protection.
Daniel Cerone: "did John take the Pazuzu inside?  Yes.  Told you he was bi."
Matt: "question - once you've had a demon inside you - will you ever be the same?"
Daniel: "you tell us squire."
(No you're not the same re Supernatural."
"John runs a prison.  Pure #Constantine."
"Love it when John gets all emotionally dark and honest.  Man needs a hug."  #Constantine."
"That was John's 4th shot in this scene alone.  #Constantine"
"Our brilliant prod designer Dave Blass, currently sitting in my living room, designed and built that sewer on our stages. #Constantine"

Judith is mentioned here as part of the Newcastle Crew re Daniel Cerone's comments about her eventually making an appearance and the script for 1.14 which was already written and introduced us to Judith.

In some respects, Anne Marie gave Constantine his "unjust desserts" when he hints at perhaps needing a human sacrifice (she says she's willing - but would be respectful if he came straight out and said it.).  But the tables are turned when Constantine is the one getting shot by her and becoming the "sacrifice" to the Ivanche causing him to take drastic action.

Obviously this cliffhanger had to be resolved unlike 1.13, had to be cos couldn't leave Constantine dangling between life and death.  Although the (un)natural progression of this would be his soul in hell.

This episode showing the series really found its edge and would continue to grow from strength to strength.  I mean look how much was included in this episode.  So fast-paced containing more backstory than you could throw an apple (from Eden) at!  As well as some serious mythology and those creepy demons.  What more could have been on the cards just to show how intriguing this show could get.

Zed is their salvation.  Seems like Constantine is the world's salvation and Zed too is the same but for the Crusade and their own nefarious ends.  Explaining her running away.
Eddie tells Zed her father wants her home and calls her 'Mary.'  Only we learn about about Zed is and how her father wants her back for their own purposes, which wouldn't really have any bearing on the Rising Darkness would it.   But it goes deeper than that it can't really be all about witches.

Angelica: "there comes a moment where maybe I just want to kick some girl's ass [Anne Marie]..."  That moment Matt was talking of - ha - where you just know that connection is there - the romance more than just the physicality of it all.

Daniel Cerone tweet: "Matt Ryan possessed is about to blow your mind.  I wish I were watching for the first time.  You're all beyond lucky."  17 January 2015

#Constantine is not a role model.."
"This episode the VFX team were nominated 4 V ES award ."
"That's his magic and his curse."  Quote from the pilot used here.
Filming took place inside an actual prison.
A mausoleum was used as a convent.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Ryan-Behind-Becoming-Constantine/dp/0244677557/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526609115&sr=8-4&keywords=mila+hasan

Once Upon A Time 7.22 "Leaving Storybrooke" Review

                                          
Alice (Rose Reynolds) and Robin (Tiera Skovbye) drive into Storybrooke and think they will just blindly accept them, they're strangers after all.  As Granny's (Beverley Elliott) prepared lunch for the Dwarfs.  Grumpy (Lee Arenberg) of course is almost run over and leads the charge against them as they run away.  Robin finds Zelena (Rebecca Mader) with her five year old self in the car and knows she doesn't have magic otherwise she wouldn't be driving Reggie's (Lana Parrilla) car.  She tells them they need help and to get the magic bean she's been hiding.  Ella (Dania Ramirez)and Lucy (Alison Fernandez) are in a house with some heat as Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) and Rumples (Robert Carlyle) also arrive.  Hook refuses to give up as there's always some way out and they try to break the glass, Rumples now being mortal.  As they try, Hook finds a real hook in the snow, shattering the glass.  Hook asks why Rumples didn't kill him when he had all those chances and he replies cos he was the only friend he had.  Hook had brains which is why he kept him as his partner.

Reggie attempts to plead with Henry (Jared S Gilmore) telling him that she's a changed person and didn't mean to kill his grandparents, but he refuses to listen.  Stubborn like his other mother, Emma (Jennifer Morrison).  He reminds her that in this realm stories are written in blood and he will do the same tomorrow, as he cuts her hand with the blade.  He will fight her and get his happy ending culminating in her death.  As Reggie is locked away she dreams about her Robin (Sean Maguire) as he serves her a drink in the tavern.   She tells him about Henry and he reminds her of how he saw the good in her once too and how "no one's path is set."  Their story she says was so short, but he says it was still "epic" as they kiss.  She wakes to find a feather in eher hand.  With Henry finding he can use Reggie's blood as ink, Rumpelstiltskin has new plans and has magicked up stories for all of his enemies with far from happy endings: all being alone.  There's one for everyone we know and begins his revenge with vanquishing the Blue Fairy (Connor Keegan Tracy) to her own dark world through the book.

Rumples picks up a dreamcatcher and recalls a happy moment with Belle (Emilie de Ravin).  Coming to terms with not being able tot see her.  Hook and Robin attempt to remove the guards from the castle gate to rescue Reggie and Robin asks him a question but doesn't think it's an apt time.  Hook tells her it may be the only time she has.  She asks for his blessing to marry Alice, which of course he gives.  Henry (Andrew J West) rescues Reggie but is confronted by a guard.  However there are two other guards there who help him in the form of Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas).  They have a discussion around their round table on ways of defeating Rumpelstiltskin.  Charming mentions the books that he found with all of their names and as they look at their destines he's weaved out for them (no pun, well on second thoughts!)  Reggie comments on how they're all alone in there and Snow mentions her usual line of how she and Charming always found each other.

Rumples has found some magic Rumpelstiltskin had been saving for a rainy day and hatches a plan to defeat him.  He sprinkles it on his hand and decides he will rip his heart out.  Reggie faces off with Henry in their duel and he doesn't want to listen to her telling him she's a different person now.  Though when it comes to actually killing her, he can't go through with it and drops his sword, as she tell him she will face death if he knows he is loved and doesn't need Rumpelstiltskin.  Rumpelstiltskin opens the portals for the others to meet their fates and all hold onto the table.  But Alice can't hold on much longer.  Didn't she have magic she could've used to help herself first and maybe the others too, or did the writers forget that plot device, in favour of getting Hook to grab hold of her no matter the consequences for him.

Their portals vanish and Hook lies dying on the floor.  Rumples can't get to Rumpelstiltskin to use the magic and rips his own heart out, so he makes the ultimate sacrifice and rips out his heart, placing it inside Hook's chest.  The ultimate sacrifice for a friend.  Hence their earlier conversation in the globe.  Saying "you don't do the right thing for a reward, you do it because it's right."  As Hook is saved, Reggie walks in but is too late to save Rumples.  Hook tells her he saved him.  But Rumpelstiltskin also meets his demise and is no more.  Reggie wishes Rumples peace and is saddened.  However he finally gets his reunion with Belle which is what he wanted all along.  He gets his happy ending with Belle after proving that he has changed and saved everyone from the darkness, not just Hook.
                                      
                                         
Regina tells the two Henry's that she's going to cast another curse.  This time she will need a piece of everyone's heart and hopefully she can reunite all the realms so everyone comes together in one place, in one Storybrooke and not be alone.  Reggie is surprised as the two Henry's accompany her to her coronation.  By unanimous vote she has been elected Queen of the realm.  The "Good Queen."  She accepts this and as Emma arrives with the real Hook and baby Hope, fashionably late.  Reggie in her final speech says of how they will be happy, sad, suffer losses but they will still have adventures.  As we see flashbacks to past eps to accompany her words.  (Epic speech!)

"I thought my story came to an end a long time ago, and then you people came into my life, people who gave me a second chance. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me next, or for everyone.  I refuse to believe there won’t be more adventures, more love, more family, and yes, there will be more loss. Because that’s just a part of life. And in the end, we can get past it all. With hope." 
(Yeah baby Hope! ha).

                                                                     The End

It may not have been what we expected but in the end they all got their happy endings and as Emma put it, their "new beginnings."  But rather it went Reggie's way with her preferring to call it a "second chance."  A new concept in a show that took our fave fairytales and weaved new life and magic into them, transforming them into a modern arena.  It may have been a little bit of a letdown in certain places, but you can't deny that in the end, it gave us seven years of enjoyment and entertainment in its own way and with its versions of characters old and new, that we grew to love and will miss!  Including the cast who played them. 
Leaving Storybrooke for the last ever time!!  A helluva fairytale ride!