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The one who steps from the shadows: Constantine (NBC) (1 Viewer)

Adam Lenhardt

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Apologies in advance if there's already a thread; I tried searching but just got a bunch of threads for the Keanu Reeves movie instead.Matt Ryan was a lot of fun in the title role, bringing buckets of swagger and charisma to the role while still making his John Constantine a very dangerous individual.The pilot was directed by British film director Neil Marshall, except for the bits at the end that had to be reshot after Lucy Griffiths was dropped from the cast.I'll be sticking with this one for a while. I like the tone it struck.
 

NeilO

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Interesting start to the series. I don't know if he will be writing much about the series, but executive producer Mark Verheiden's blog is here. Over in this article, they mention why Lucy Griffiths was written out.
[color=rgb(68,68,68);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;]“Look, here's the deal — Liv felt like the right character to introduce this world,” Cerone said. “She was the classic window into the world. She was green, she was an average girl, she didn't know these [demons] existed, and she didn't know why these things existed. She was a great character.”[/color]But when the showrunner was given a full series order, he saw the landscape suddenly change. ”We started coming up with situations and realized this is a very reactive character,” he explained. “Liv isn't his peer, she isn't an equal, she isn't someone who brings much to the game. Yes, she's got this newfound ability, but she'll just be tagging along, asking questions, and not really challenging John.”
“So, you know, we own that,” he added. ....
Trimming Griffith from the series roster was a controversial move, but Cerone thinks it will better serve the story in the long run.
“After looking at it hard we thought, we need someone who can go toe-to-toe with [Constantine],” he said. “We need someone who can challenge him, provoke him, get under his skin, and detect his bullshit — and that's what the Zed character does.”
 

Sean Bryan

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I really enjoyed this. I never read the comic and have only seen the Keanu movie. I thought this was cool and am looking forward to more. I thought the Liv character was fine, so I hope the transition to a new female companion goes smoothly. But this won't be the first time characters change or storylines are dropped from pilot to series.
 

KevinGress

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I think this is the only new show this season that I actively sought out. Same as Sean - only know the character from the movie, so I did some research. Will have to watch a couple of episodes to get a feel on whether this is a show I'm going to stick with, given it's dark subject matter.
 

Hanson

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I thought this was a very good start. The actors are terrific, and the dialog is quite good. The production values are tremendous. If they can keep up this level of atmosphere and production, I'll keep watching. I know the character from his appearances in Swamp Thing, and they really nailed the look -- Constantine really looks like he stepped out of the pages of the comic book, which can be the trickiest part to pull off. Not sure why there was a spate of bad reviews. This is exponentially better than The Flash, which has garndered more positive feedback.

As long as they hew closer to Hannibal than Smallville, I'll keep watching.
 

Patrick Sun

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It felt like a quasi-rehash of "Supernatural", which I quit watching about 4 seasons ago, so not sure if my interest will be sustained in this show. I'll give it a few more epsiodes, but I'm not optimistic of my own feelings towards it.
 

KevinGress

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Patrick Sun said:
It felt like a quasi-rehash of "Supernatural", which I quit watching about 4 seasons ago, so not sure if my interest will be sustained in this show. I'll give it a few more epsiodes, but I'm not optimistic of my own feelings towards it.
I agree. I think it needs to strike a balance between the 'exorcism of the week' and moving forward with its overall arc. Maybe Papa Midnite will satisfy both, along with introducing another interesting character (which the show needs too).
 

Hanson

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Not sure why they got rid of the girl from the pilot, but Zed is a misfire so far. I think she's supposed to be mysterious and alluring with a big dollop of sexual tension, but she's just a dud so far.
 

Josh Dial

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Hanson said:
Not sure why they got rid of the girl from the pilot
Because she was an audience surrogate, which is highly played out. That being said, I'm not sure Zed's character is much more...
 

DaveF

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I know nothing of the comic, but have an irrational fondness for the Keanu movie. I've season passed this hopes of something interesting.Two episodes in, it's ok. I enjoy it. But I'm not sure if I can handle "hell" weekly. It's a more literal hell than in, say, Buffy. IVe got mixed feelings about John. His swagger and braggadocio and self deprecations (mild dabbler in the dark arts) I mostly like, and think the right style. But it can get to be a bit too much some scenes.I appreciate the explanation for what happened with the first girl, and the entrance of the new girl. I was confused. Modern TV is so well planned, this lurching and fumbling of the cast is uncommon.The monster of the week..."the mines too deep and we awoke the demons" was a dumb myth when I heard it as a child. It didn't play any better as a TV story as an adult. But I like the characters and the style, and the passions.I'm hoping it has time to find its stride, and get into it.I'm watching. This is travel TV, so I'm looking forward to my next trip to see episode 3.
 

Greg_S_H

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I've known about Hellblazer since the '80s, but I've never read the comics, so I don't care about the "Constantine Lite" complaints. In fact, from some of what I've heard, I probably wouldn't love those elements anyway, haha. I'm enjoying this show, however. It's a pretty good companion to Grimm. That was pretty hard what he did to his old mate.
 

KevinGress

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Greg_S_H said:
That was pretty hard what he did to his old mate.
Yeah, and it seems pretty much in line with the character, from what little I've read. I just wish that outcome didn't seem so telegraphed.

Still liking it; it's not great, but it's good. Not sure what it'd take to make it great.
 

Greg_S_H

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They're shutting down production after the initial 13 are completed. They're saying a second season is still possible, but it seems like a major longshot.

I like the British slang. "Result!" "Look the part." The like.
 

NeilO

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I asked one of the executive producers about the situation and he wrote back on FB:
[color=rgb(20,24,35);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:12.222222328186px;background-color:rgb(246,247,248);]Mark Verheiden[/color] We have some great episodes on the way. NBC did not cancel the show and will run all 13 eps. Fingers crossed re: ratings (way up last week) and we do hope the show will be back next Fall for a season two! But fans need to watch/tell friends to watch/tweet at #SaveConstantine/make some NOISE.
 

Malcolm R

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Given that they've announced a production shutdown, the ratings will now only go down since the implication in the press is that it's canceled.

They should have just let it end quietly after 13 eps rather than making a major announcement now about a "shut down."
 

DaveF

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I'm inclined to delete it from my Tivo. No point in getting into a show that's practically canceled and won't have a satisfying conclusion.
 

NeilO

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DaveF said:
I'm inclined to delete it from my Tivo. No point in getting into a show that's practically canceled and won't have a satisfying conclusion.
It could very well may be that the 13 episodes have a nice arc and a good conclusion for a first season. Obviously it won't be as satisfying as if it were further down the line, but there are very few series that had satisfying conclusions period.
 

DaveF

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NeilO said:
It could very well may be that the 13 episodes have a nice arc and a good conclusion for a first season. Obviously it won't be as satisfying as if it were further down the line, but there are very few series that had satisfying conclusions period.
Possibly. Crucial to me, is this is not a must-see, one-season wonder. It's ok, and given time to mature could improve. But it's canceled, and not can't-miss TV. So it's dropped in priority for me. I've got some travel coming up, so I may watch it then.
 

Greg_S_H

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If you want to save this show, Little Orphan Annie has a message for you. Set your decoder pin to B-12: 12, 11, 2, 8, 25, 14, 11, 18, 16, 23, 12, 53, 21, 3, 25.

"Be sure to watch your Constantine!"
 

KevinGress

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Overall, I'd like to see it continue, but it hasn't 'wowed' me enough to be upset if it is, indeed, cancelled. Guess it's just been too bland. And now that I think about it, that's probably what's been holding it back - it's too watered down, too 'nice'. It probably needs a home like HBO or Showtime (or Netflix) to really be able to do the things necessary to be a good/great show.

I'll watch what's left and if it comes back, great, hope it continues to get better. If not, I'll move on.
 

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