– Spoiler Review –
After the out of order aired episode last week, Constantine kicked back into high gear with“Blessed are the Damned,” which changed things up a bit by bringing in a unique tale that wasn’t the usual person possessed of the week.
Last week’s episode they threw in a line about Zed being in art class to account for her not being in the aired out of order episode, but this week she actually is shown in art class (smooth job, writers). From the moment the class’s male model came up to ask her out, I smelt trouble. The final scene confirmed this thought, as it looks like the model was working for someone looking to lure Zed to him. I’m guessing this isn’t demon or darkness related, but rather something from her hidden past, which Constantine couldn’t help but point out (several times) he knew next to nothing about during “Blessed are the Damned.”
This episode gave Zed a lot of needed and well deserved screen time and it didn’t waste it. She’s a great counterpoint to the jaded demon hunter, while she struggles with realizing the world she’s always learned and been preached to about might not be everything it’s cracked up to be. Her differing views with Constantine on faith help build her character while making for interesting debates for conversations on the show. It’s great to have a show with characters willing to have those types of discussions and it hasn’t been the first time nor will it be the last Constantine will likely go down that path.
Our case of the week is kicked off by a struggling preacher, who against his sister’s wishes, tries to emulate his father and uses real rattlesnakes to make a religious point (and draw more followers) in his next sermon. Things don’t go as planned and he dies, but he comes back from the dead, quickly pocketing a glowing almost feather looking object. The importance of this moment doesn’t change, but rather our information on the how and why of it does, keeping you guessing until the somewhat surprising ending.
Zachary, the pastor, is now healing people, but they are slowly turning into ghouls and trying to get at the pastor. The why behind both of those things is an important part for the underlying mystery behind this episode’s ‘twist.’ Constantine knows the magic being used here is impressively strong, and things look to be pointing to the angels as Zed had a vision of them after touching Zachary and once Zachary starts chanting Enochian: angel-speak. Struggling to find an answer, Constantine tries to call on Manny (where it pays to be nice), which continues Constantine imploring Manny to more proactively assist him in his fight against the darkness. Manny’s initial hint leads Zed and Constantine to an angel, Imogen.
Something seemed a little off about Imogen, especially her reddish eyes, but it was easy to get caught up in splendor of an angel in corporeal form with both Manny and Zed geeking out over the encounter. It turns out Zachary’s healing powers come from a feather he has from Imogen’s wings, but it still doesn’t explain the part where everyone starts turning evil. It’s not until near the end, when Constantine is screaming at Zachary to get his head out of his ass (love it!) and help him keep the ghouls at bay that Zachary reveals he had committed mortal sin by killing someone. So while everyone assumed pretty little Imogen was an angel taking Zachary to heaven, in reality she was taking him to hell, which meant she was a fallen, therefore evil, angel. I wasn’t expecting this twist, but I love how it affected Manny and Zed the most, the two who are so staunch in their beliefs and convictions. For Constantine, it’s nothing too out of the ordinary.
Having Manny pull out Imogen’s heart was an awesome moment, showing he isn’t without compassion and willing to help Constantine by breaking the rules. As long as he doesn’t go all Imogen and kill a human next, he’ll at least be on the side of good for awhile, though it’ll be interesting if we get to see the punishment he may receive. And I can only guess what Constantine will want to do with an angel’s heart…
Here are a few other things:
- Is it just me, or did we never find out why Zachary’s sister got sick and if she really actually ever got better?
- Classic trope of something made to keep evil from getting into a place turning into something to keep evil from escaping. But as Constantine explained it, it would only stop evil from crossing the path of flowing water, so couldn’t Imogen have flown out the other side of the barn and gotten free?
- Manny questioning Imogen was an intriguing scene and the biggest first hint about her true nature, and maybe just how close in thinking all angels might be about humans.
- Chas got the throwaway line of the week to explain his disappearance, though I didn’t realize/know he had a daughter? And he had to make nice with her? What happened?
- DC’s official site has the skinny on who might be the man using the model to lure Zed in and what exactly holding onto an angel’s heart could mean going forward.
- Did he really take that scythe from Death himself?
- It seems the imminent betrayal by one of Constantine’s closest friends still isn’t that imminent.
By giving Manny a bigger role, expanding a little bit more on Zed’s past, and the surprisingly fun twist with Imogen, “Blessed are the Damned” was a return to demon hunting form after last week’s slight misstep. As long as the show can continue to use it’s interesting premise to bring about more unique cases of the week like the one found here, Constantine could be a light within the TV darkness to focus on going forward.
+ Differences between Zed and Constantine
+ Manny’s role in things
+ The twist
– Chas has a daughter?
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
SEE ALSO:
S1, Ep. 13: “Waiting for the Man”
S1, Ep. 12: “Angels and Ministers of Grace”
S1, Ep. 11: “A Whole World Out There”
S1, Ep. 10: “Quid Pro Quo”
S1, Ep. 9: “The Saint of Last Resorts” Part 2
S1, Ep. 8: “The Saint of Last Resorts” Part 1
S1, Ep. 6: “The Rage of Caliban”
S1, Ep. 5: “Danse Vadou”
S1, Ep. 4: “A Feast of Friends” (plus reviews for episodes 1-3)