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!
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!!
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