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!

Constantine 1.7 Blessed Are The Damned Review

                                            
Zed gets picked up at art class by the nude live model. As she sees a vision of a snake.

Zed and Constantine head out to the so-called faith healer's territory where he's set up and she agrees to drink from his cup with Constantine's gripe: "middle of bugger all!"  Clearly he's a city guy.  He got the scythe from the Grim reaper.
Constantine: "I must have protection of various kinds."  I.e that protection!  But halves them for the church visit.

Constantine: "suckers make easy prey."  He didn't see Zed as religious.  Zed comments on the judging, guiding and damning.

Constantine: "I'm not critiquing or anything but I'm pretty sure he's not keen on me."
He recognizes the Enochian "language of bloody angels." Of course and she comments on them existing.
Constantine: "nobody wields that kind of power without consequences."  Unlike Supernatural no cast were in mortal danger in this episode and by cast, I should actually have said characters.  Unlike Dean. See Supernatural 1.16 Faith.

Constantine: "sharp tack you are luv;" re the comment on his accent being all foreign like!
If they're in the "middle of bugger all" why the need for that much protection or any at all - he really didn't have time for any pick-ups.  In contrast to Zed in the opening. Well luv there really was now't there to pick up anyway!! Ha.  Prime example right here with that woman and her foreign comment liking his accent!  Unlike Matt and his Valentine's Day tweet of "hitting the singles bars" and as I said hitting the with what exorcism spells??!!  Yeah exactly, like you really need to trawl bars and singles ones at that!  And that pic, was that gonna be plastered on a dating site or App?!!

Constantine gets corn on a stick "the only thing around here that isn't deep fried."  No Chas' roasts or English brekkie here but brekkies usually are greasy.  Contradiction there, ha!

Constantine: "miracles are ours to make luv.  - Scry map - bad."
Tweet: Map on fire hard to put out like it would be cos John!!

There's something in the church and "this one isn't as awe inspiring as the name suggests."  Constantine calls for Manny.  Like Dean did for Cas and wasn't answered right there and then.  Uses dry myrtle to call Manny and he says please too.
"Pobrecitos" the power required to make the healing take place is draining the energy all around.  Sigil of Ouroboros to summon Manny, which is a symbol that depicts a dragon or serpent eating its own tail.
Manny: "courtesy counts."  Constantine says he just wanted to hear him beg and it reminds him of an ex.
Manny: "it will only make sense if you stand facing the sun."  Like the explanation of rainbows in Alias.  But my bestie gave me a great explanation for that!!  (See my Alias book if you're interested - heck not really!)
Constantine: "bollocks."  Yeah thought that too in response to the above book plug!

Constantine: "you're in this bloody fight with me or you're not."  To Manny, loaded line this.  But not definitive either way.

As I tweeted: @HaroldPerrineau How do you think a #Constantine and Manny showdown would've fared? Sad it didn't come to that.We can still hope. John with wings could amount to something, or perhaps only in my imagination,or when the fancy strikes to doodle when waiting for trains @mattryanreal

Daniel Cerone: "We're proud John doesn't need to save the day every day. Harold as Manny killed it. Give the angel his due. #SaveConstantine #Hellblazers"
"John has a sex life!!! #Constantine"

Constantine: "echo location."  Locate an angel but not one fallen.  An indication or foreshadowing to Manny and yet I hesitate when I say that!  Imogen's had damage to her wings and lost a feather - the only way an angel can enter their realm.  [Which doesn't explain why Manny can enter their realm though does it.  Infact it contradicts it.  Unless they too have free angel will to do so.]
Constantine; "piss poor design if you ask me."  Manny wasn't aware she fell, see how can they not?
Constantine: "literally riddles and minimally helpful guidance also part of the plan."
The soul is extinguished and angels cease to exist"  Manny reveals himself to annoy Constantine, harking back to his comment about punching him and he doesn't hit angels.  Imogen is corporeal and that's why she's visible after she fell.  Angels are cagey.

Zed wonders why he's still so cynical.  He replies religion is okay but the world isn't good, "can't just pray evil away."

Constantine: "you know one of these days you're gonna have to let me be the mysterious one of this duo."  Zachery accuses Constantine of being the only evil one here.  He talks of 'ghouls' "formed by magic gone wrong."

Zed wants to believe and start all over.  There's more mystery to her but also to him too.  Manny questions Imogen's pain now she can feel the sun on he skin.  Why that particular question.  I he contemplating feeling pain in the future or his his own future downfall, if it ever happened of course.

Constantine finds out Zachery killed someone by accident and he committed a mortal sin so was on his way to hell.  Here we go again Manny and free will given to humans to stand on their own, but only fall over.  We get some Constantine fight action!
Imogen has black feathers as she killed a mortal just to see how it could be done and how easy it was.
Manny says Zachery and Constantine have nothing in common and she fooled them all.  "...Barrier between hell and earth is getting thinner than it's ever been."
Constantine: "anything to leave hell will find a way."  No narration at the end in this ep.
Zed's date with Eddie, she's a mystery.

Supernatural's 1.16 Faith ep here where these healers always get a lousy rep, is it any wonder and here one was needed to save Dean's life.  Leaving Dean to ask why he was being saved and how Layla was left to die.  Cos he was needed for the greater good and continue the fight. Also here the culprit was an angel but in Dean's case, it was the preacher's wife and her use of magic.  She was taking peoples' lives so he could heal people.

Constantine's clearly not into deep fried food - unlike Dean!  At least he thinks of food as I've said before.

Some crazy, twisty dialogue here referring to Zachery telling Constantine he's the only evil here as if a reference to 1.1 and Constantine's evil "twin" - but that was the demon appearing to him.  The other thing was angel lore and this one fell by taking a human life which they aren't meant to do.  Manny here shown in a good light - when did his "fall" occur and what was his price?  Mortal sin?  Of course all moot at this point.  But amazingly he does come through it the final moments and saves Zed from Imogen.

Ghouls: Constantine's definition of being forged by magic.  In myth can be formed by divine punishment too.  More readily appearing in Arabic folklore as "Ghul" - a shape-shifting Djinn feeding on children believed to be sired by Iblis (the devil) in Islam.  Iblis was the first of the fallen.
Ghouls have made appearances or references in 9 eps of Supernatural thus far.
Mention again of Nate being a ghoul.

A bit of a routine episode but can show the consequences of angels committing mortal sins, such as killing a human.  Does this bode a little of Manny's fate.  But he does not want to kill Constantine so much (not anymore in 1.13 end) but has other plans.  Were the Brujeria proving too powerful for Manny.  As always more questions than answers and as always most are just my own thoughts and opinions.

Use of Enochian language in Supernatural since Cas arrived.
Echo location.
The Supernatural episode where Cas finds a dead angel On The Head of a Pin is a great episode for lore on angels and angel wings.
Also Supernatural 2.13  Houses of the Holy
Dark angels are seen in angelic lore as those becoming demon-like, such as the devil; a fallen angel, not dark as in the true sense of the word.  Then there are those that bring vengeance and are fierce, these are always empowering and compassionate and will never fail humans.
Angels encompass all faiths and religions from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrians.  In religious circles angels are seen as stepping stones, or ‘intermediaries’ between God and humans.

This one also opens the history of Zed's past with Eddie entering to fool her into returning home.

Imogen's heart is placed in the jar next to the Medusa Mask (also shown in 1.1.)  The mask has the power to manipulate feelings which match whatever appearance the mask takes on.

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!!

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 7.21 "Homecoming" Review

                                           
As the others in Hyperion Heights are celebrating getting their memories back and the curse being removed; Henry (Andrew J West) celebrates with his family and with Reggie (Lana Parrilla).  Also Alice (Rose Reynolds) and Robin (Tiera Skovbye) bring in Beignets from Tiana's.  Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) is in hospital but stable and is later leased as Alice calls him when he returns home.  She can't come any closer still but misses him and wanted to see him, declaring his love for her and her for him.  Henry mentions Facilier to Reggie and they haven't seen him here and she heads over to see him.  When she gets there she notices Rumples' album on the floor and can hear some loud water sounds from the fountain.  Well Facilier was easily removed from the picture and the finale too.  She magics the water away to find Rumples (Robert Carlyle) tied up there.  He breaks the news about Facilier to her and tells her his Wish Realm self killed him.  They need to stop him.

Henry, Ella (Dania Ramerez) and Lucy (Alison Fernandez) celebrate with three cupcakes and as Lucy lights the candles and makes a wish, she and Ella vanish.  Henry is approached by Rumpelstiltskin and tells him he wants the dagger in return for his family.  Saying that Rumple's been weakened and poisoned by love.  As Rumples, Hook and Regina talk of his dagger, Henry needs their help and Reggie says they will stop him together.  However they "will not negotiate with villains."  Henry adding that could've been their family motto at any other time.  There might be something Alice has hoarded and Rumples returns with the mirror with Reggie.  It's broken but they think they can get it to work.  Going through the portal they are separated and Rumpelstiltskin was the one who cracked the mirror to ensure they'd be separated.  Henry and Reggie end up in Rumpelstiltskin's castle and see Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) in the stock who tells them they won't get out of here alive.  Cruella (Victoria Smurfit) arrives.  She's been helping Rumpelstiltskin and she won't tell them where they are until she's threatened by Henry and they fight, as Reggie put s her into the cage after the swordfight.

Cruella tells them they're in his dungeon, wouldn't that be obvious.  They find them in a snow globe on the table miniaturized.  Rumpelstiltskin was waiting for them and still wants Henry to get the dagger or else they will freeze in there.  The glass is unbreakable and Reggie can't use magic on it either.  Rumples and Hook finds themselves at the cottage rumples recognizes as his old house.  This is where he showed his cowardice and hobbled his leg so he wouldn't have to fight in the Ogre wars.  As we too rightly remember.  There isn't anything inside the cottage that will help them.

In the Wish Realm we see Henry (the original) riding back into a cave to rescue Sleeping Beauty but he fails at that cos the Prince strolls in and kisses her to awaken her.  Losing out again, seems this Henry (Jared S Gilmore) is a failure and always misses his boat/chance.  In this realm Rumpelstiltskin offered him a chance to be a hero in return for a deal.  However Henry said he would find his own "happy ending the right way."  Recall he told Henry he would only find his happiness with his help and his way when he was in this realm and went back (or forward) to Hyperion Heights Henry.

Hook knows someone who can help them and takes Rumples to his "beachfront property".  A friend helped him when he was down too and was going to binge on drink.  He calls for Ariel (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) who thinks Rumples is the Dark One, however he miniaturizes her wand.  Hook tells her he's here to help and rid their realm of their Dark One.  She gives them the scant remaining shell of squid ink she has left.  Hook and Rumples return to stop Henry from giving the dagger, but he criticizes Rumples for not doing for Lucy what he would've done for his own family and Reggie's magic won't work on the globe.  Rumples wants to confront Rumpelstiltskin with the ink and Reggie cos with him as she has magic, but tells Henry and Hook to look for something in the library to break the globe spell.

Rumples finally says he will hand him the dagger as long as he gets to be with Belle. He had no belle in his realm which is why he's such an evil monster.  He tells him how more people shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of the dagger.  As he hands him the dagger the handle is tainted with the ink and just for a moment Rumpelstiltskin loses his power.  However Reggie interrupts them and his magic returns.  Couldn't they just have given him the dagger, yet if he did that then there'd be no way to defeat him.  So he was thinking on the lines of doing good after all.  Rumples knows killing Rumpelstiltskin is the only way to end the darkness in the world even if it means he won't be reunited with Belle.

In the library, Henry notices the quill on the table and gets an idea.  He is the Author after all and can just write another chapter in their book.  So he knocks out Hook and heads to look for the Apprentice (Timothy Webber) telling him he is the rightful Author and needs his pen.  He places his hand on Henry's heart and sees all the adventures he has written about.  He warns Henry that his job is to record stories and not create them, which is what he was going to do here.  Oh yeah and that line being directed to Once writers where he says how it's a "complicated story and the timeline alone would make one's head spin.  Only a true author could weave such a tale."  Okay some self-indulgence for their final time or rather penultimate time of writing for Once.  Henry steals the ink from Cruella's hair who vows to get him back, alas not in this show!  Ha.

Henry now confronted by himself: the Wish Realm version who is bitter and wants to write his own happy ending but can't and so made the deal with Rumpelstiltskin.  He tells Henry to write "the powers of the guardian are no more."  With the others there to hear that too.  Rumpelstiltskin vanishes them all into the snow globe with Lucy and Ella, that was a mistake on his part cos he underestimated the power of their determination to get out of there.  As well as the others in Hyperion Heights knowing something was wrong, particularly Alice, who gets a pain in her heart and knows Hook is in trouble. 
Reggie is still there and Henry didn't want her sucked into the globe cos she's the Evil Queen who crushed his grandparent's hearts and wants revenge.

Tiana (Mekia Cox) is at a loose end in Hyperion Heights and stress bakes Beignets when Naveen (Jeff Pierre) tells her she should be doing more.  Alice and Robin ask for her help and she asks if anyone has anything magical they may have forgotten about.  Remy (Trevor Roberts) hands over his magic bean he had been keeping incase he needs it.  Alice and Robin take it and the truck to Storybooke as a detour where Robin gets reinforcements. 

The action hotting up for the final ever episode of the show.  It was good that the writers managed to remove Ella from the rest of the show cos she wasn't really an original character and would've gotten in the way.  This one was for the important characters and so they could have their ending.  Otherwise it would've left no time for real stories to be told.  But who'd have thought Henry would've become so bitter in his travels and ended up alone.  However in many ways that's how Rumpelstiltskin was too since he didn't have his Belle to make him change.  her influence we saw in Rumples and how he didn't put himself first anymore.  Though they did manage to bring back some of the other characters for a little bit, especially in the next episode.