CONSTANTINE Yet Another Hero

Article first published as CONSTANTINE Review on Seat42F.

FOX has Gotham, ABC has Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, the CW has Arrow and The Flash, and now NBC has CONSTANTINE. It’s getting very crowded for superheroes on the television airwaves. And those are just the ones directly based on the comic books, as Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, and others could be considered in this genre, too. How does the latest, inspired by a DC character spun off of Swamp Thing twenty-some years ago under the comic title Hellblazer, stack up with its competition?

Well, for starters, CONSTANTINE has a different tone than most of its peers. While other DC series have gone to dark places after the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, CONSTANTINE is a horror title, so it necessarily doesn’t have a lot of fun in its DNA. The world is shadowy and washed out, and the titular character and his friends, what few of them he has, all struggle with their inner demons as much as the literal ones invading the world.

John Constantine (Matt Ryan, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Layer Cake) begins the series in an institution. Once mired in the supernatural world, he has distanced himself from all that junk and tried to clean up his life. We soon learn this is because he feels responsible for something that happened to a little girl awhile back, but whatever his reasons are, he’s out of the business and working on bettering himself.

However, just because Constantine is done with demons and such doesn’t mean they are done with him. After all, the show isn’t called Demon Hunter Rehab. So Constantine is forced out of hiding when a threat comes to town that requires his unique skill set. Will he continue to resist, or step up and be the hero that the world needs him to be? Take a wild guess.

Constantine isn’t alone, of course. An angel named Manny (Harold Perrineau, Lost, Sons of Anarchy) is assigned to watch over him, much as Constantine is given the task of protecting Liv (Lucy Griffiths, True Blood), a young woman whose father he knew. Constantine’s best bud, Chas (Charles Halford, True Detective), lends a hand and a taxi, and while not a main character, a reluctant Ritchie Simpson (Jeremy Davies, Lost, Justified) is roped into joining the gang, at least temporarily.

What unfolds is not a standard procedural tale, but rather, an involved narrative that is both scary and dire. I could compare CONSTANTINE to shows like Grimm, Hannibal, Dominion, Arrow, Gotham, and more because it borrows from all of those in tone and style, though isn’t a carbon copy of any of them, either. CONSTANTINE stakes out its own piece of the landscape, and it does manage to feel somewhat unique.

I can’t say it’s among my favorite programs, though, at least not from the pilot alone. It’s not that the pacing is slow, because a lot happens, but I still felt my attention wandering. It’s a bit boring, perhaps because it puts bringing the fright ahead of making one care about the characters, even as it doesn’t commit fully to an action piece. It’s pretty consistent and decently enough made, but just doesn’t grab me the way others have. And it won’t help DC unseat Marvel as Comic-to-Screen King anytime soon.

I will say, CONSTANTINE isn’t really predictable. One of the characters mentioned in this review (not Simpson) isn’t sticking around, at least not full-time. They are neatly written out of the story, kind of making them feel like they’re in a case-of-the-week guest star situation, but with a role that is developed more than most, as if intended to be a main character, then dropped. There is a replacement coming to the story soon, which may change my overall opinion of the show, depending on how the dynamic could shift. So the jury remains out, for now.

CONSTANTINE premieres Friday, October 24^th on NBC.

A 'Guy Walks Into a Bar' on Justified

FX's Justified starts building towards a climatic finale this week with "A Guy Walks Into a Bar." Boyd (Walton Goggins) outsmarts Quarles (Neal McDonough), using a legal loophole to get his pick for sheriff into office. Quarles does not take it well, getting high and threatening Raylan (Timothy Olyphant). Raylan is ready for a showdown with Quarles, but the bartender, Lindsey (Jenn Lyon), diffuses the situation, earning her a place in Raylan's bed. Coming out of the confrontation, Quarles gets reckless with his life, and Raylan gets reckless in court, telling Judge Reardon (Stephen Root) to go ahead and free Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies). The judge reluctantly complies.

Last year, Margo Martindale won an Emmy for her fantastic recurring role as the villain in season two of Justified. Up 'til now, McDonough has been interesting, but has not risen to her level. "A Guy Walks Into a Bar" changes all that, allowing McDonough to relish the dark depths and borderline insanity of his character. Whether telling the tale of how he killed his drug-addicted father, who sold a child Quarles into sexual slavery, or facing down two men wielding guns with no seeming care for his own life, this is a new, desperate Quarles. McDonough expertly lets the inner feelings bubble to the surface in a tour de force performance, certainly putting him on the short list come awards season.

Raylan is also heading towards self-destruction. After Winona (Natalie Zea) leaves him, he appears to be itching for a fight, an urge that is growing within him every week. He won't be able to ignore it much longer. It may be a natural reaction for Raylan to deal with his sadness, but it's not a healthy one. Moving in above a bar and setting himself up in Quarles's path are not good signs of mental stability. Raylan can usually handle himself in any situation, and he shows the 'cool' factor that makes his character so great in his stand off with Quarles this week. But he also lets Dickie out, seemingly just so he can stage some kind of altercation again, and possibly kill Dickie this time.

Catching Dickie just might be something Raylan is not prepared for. Dickie has also crossed the ruthless, creepy Limestone (Mykelti Williamson). The best case scenario for the marshal may be that Limestone murders Dickie quickly and quietly. Should Raylan insert himself in the middle of their situation, and find Limestone backed by his gang, it's hard to imagine how the lone lawman could come out ahead. Raylan does better with one-on-one, or even two-on-one, battles.

The wild card here is Boyd. Boyd is the one that bested Quarles, even though Quarles's rage now seems pointed mainly at Raylan. Boyd also has dealings with Limestone, and would like to see Dickie dead. Not to mention Boyd's past with Raylan. Fully back in the criminal world, Boyd is the one with connections to everyone, but it's uncertain whether he is more valuable alive or dead to any given party. Or how his self-preservation instinct will balance with his business sense.

Also, if it's apparent that Quarles is about to go down, look for Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) to switch sides or flee, which could lead to another unexpected game-changer.

Justified was just recently picked up for a fourth year. It continues its excellent third season run Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To catch up on episodes or buy DVDS of Justified, please go to amazon.com

The devil is Justified

In tonight's episode of FX's Justified, "The Devil You Know," Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) hunts for Dickie (Jeremy Davies) and Dewey (Damon Herriman), who break out of jail with the help of a guard, Ash (Todd Stashwick, The Riches, Men of a Certain Age). Figuring that the trio (which is actually a sextet at first) is heading for Dickie's family money, Raylan goes after the holder of said money, Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson, 24, Forrest Gump). Which results in misguided machinations, leaving Ash nearly dead and Dewey killed. Dickie, with some help, takes out two more of the group, and escapes.

Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough, Despeate Housewives, Tin Man) goads Devil (Kevin Rankin) into standing up to Boyd (Walton Goggins). Devil gets Johnny (David Meunier) behind him, but that doesn't stop Boyd from killing Devil first as soon as Devil makes a threat.

While Justified has been back on the air for three weeks now, it's a hard series to review, and getting harder all the time. That's because episodes, including "The Devil You Know," aren't about a certain event or complete story anymore. As the series goes on, plots get more and more serial, with each week just adding a piece to the larger framework, rather than standing alone. This is certainly not a complaint, as only the best shows are able to successfully do this. But it makes it quite difficult to review an hour at a time.
 
Justified reaches some awesome new levels in season two with the Mags story, and it's gratifying that there are continuations of that still occurring in season three. Yes, Mags is dead, but her money sets the sights of many a bad dude on her son Dickie. Dickie is now out of prison, but Limehouse tells him that there is little money left. Too bad that's not something that the people after the cash are likely to believe, especially with how untrustworthy Mags turns out be towards her neighbors. Dickie is still, and will continue to be, a wanted man.

The best thing that Dickie could do is let Limehouse keep the money. Now some may keep coming after Dickie, but it buys him time and leverage to not have the stash with him. Ash learns the hard way that it's not so easy to get Dickie's family's fortune. Others could repeat the mistake. Boyd, for one, is likely to try. But maybe by not keeping any of it, and possibly still having business with Limehouse, Dickie will have a little flexibility and protection from his enemies. Of course, Dickie is still hunted by the law as a fugitive, so there's that...

Speaking of season two faces, in "The Devil You Know" Raylan pays a visit to Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever) to ask for information. Fans get to see what has become of the girl. She may not be happy, but she's leading an honest life, helping with a family. This should teach her the right things and keep her on the straight path. That's really the most important bit of this small scene, as Loretta isn't getting involved in this season's issues, so she's not important anymore. That's good for the safety of her character, but bad for the viewers who enjoy her.

It's wonderful to see Dever again, even in this tiny, insignificant role. She has been wasting away on the sitcom Last Man Standing lately, and any reminder of what a terrific actress she can be is welcome on the TV screen.

What is Boyd going to do now? Presumably, he still wants Dickie's money, not realizing that it's gone. But knowing that others are going after it, Boyd is probably wise to lay low. Especially after a betrayal by a close lieutenant, which doesn't exactly put Boyd in the best position to go after any large score right now.

But the bodies are piling up around Dickie. So something is going to have to break in this plot soon.

What does Robert want with Boyd? By approaching Devil, is Robert looking to get into business with Boyd? Take over Boyd's territory? Is Robert testing the waters? Or trying to undermine Boyd? Does Robert want Boyd's cooperation, or want him out of the way? It's a real mystery. All that is known is that Robert represents an organized crime group, which wants to make at least part of Kentucky theirs. To what end? Well, we will have to wait for the rest of the season to play out. But he certainly a threat, even if an undefined one.

Which means that Raylan's job is quite a challenge lately. Raylan knows the score with Boyd. But he's just met Robert, and been thoroughly unsettled by him. And surely Raylan isn't comfortable with all of these familiar faces, such as Devil and Dewey, winding up dead. Sure, some casualties are to be expected on a series like Justified, but it seems that the herd of recurring characters is really being culled as of late. Which leaves room for something big and, likely, unpleasant. Even with the plot remaining murky, the anticipation level is building as viewers are left to wonder what Raylan's main challenge will be this season, and how he will cope with it.

Watch Justified Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

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Article first published as TV Review: Justified - "The Devil You Know" on Blogcritics.

Justifed ends in "Bloody Harlan"

     FX's Justified ends season two with "Bloody Harlan," which has a lot of death, and no shortage of action. All of the various plot threads come to a head, and tie up nicely, without much cliffhanger. The feud between the Bennetts and Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) explodes in a big way, with each group doing damage to the other. Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) risks his life and his relationship with Winona (Natalie Zea) to try to save Loretta (the unexpectedly very talented Kaitlyn Dever), who rushes straight into the hornet's nest on her quest for revenge. Art (Nick Searcy) must decide whether to stick his neck out for Raylan, or truly write him off.

     This season's baddies, the Bennett clan, will be sorely missed when the series returns for a third run. They are complicated and interesting. They're willing to engage in some wicked things to protect their family. They have morals that are tightly followed, but loosely defined. Plus, they are all portrayed be stellar actors.

     Coover (Brad William Henke) is first out, killed by Raylan weeks ago. The dumbest and least rational of the group, that makes sense. Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor), the cop, is a more tragic story, as he is ready to go straight. His family is switching to all-legal income, and will be moving away from crime and gang violence. Yet, Doyle is still enmeshed in illicit activity when Raylan finds him, and protecting his crooked kin earns him a bullet in the head. Dickie (Jeremy Davies), who is the baddest of the bunch, ends up in jail. Too bad he and Doyle could not have switched fates, as that would be a cheerier ending.

     The matriarch, Mags (the amazing Margo Martindale - give her an Emmy already!), is always the best, though. She is willing to kill, and also willing to sell out her neighbors, if it benefits her family. Her dream is to help Doyle's kids have a nice, clean life, but she takes what she thinks is the easy way navigating through it, by engaging in dark affairs to give them the seed money needed to start. This is her fatal mistake.

     Mags's final showdown with Loretta may be the single best non Raylan-centric scene in Justified yet. Loretta knows that Mags killed her father, and forces a confession out of her with a gun. She even shoots Mags in the leg. But as Mags is staring back at the teenager, there is a real moment of raw emotion between them. Mags cares very deeply for Loretta, at least as much as Loretta hates Mags. While Mags may fear for her life, there is just as much concern for Loretta's soul as Mags advises her not to finish the job. Mags wants Loretta to have a better life, much like she hopes for Doyle's family. Killing someone would be an act that would forever steal Loretta's innocence and goodness. I wouldn't go so far as to say Raylan is intruding in the confrontation, but his absence in the scene would have taken away nothing. 

     Justified loves playing with shades of grey, and both Loretta and Mags embody that wonderfully. While Loretta may have been justified (he he) in killing Mags, she made the right decision to not do it. But Mags also knows her time is up anyway, and so with a real sense of poetic justice, she offs herself the same way she killed Loretta's father - a poisioned glass of moonshine.

     Boyd has toed the line between rebel and do-gooder for two seasons. He seems to be leaning towards the former, as he does a splendid job in murdering almost all of the men the Bennetts send after him. Boyd is smart, at least as smart as Mags. Sure, she only agrees to meet with him to distract him, but he knows that, and is ready for her. With the Bennetts out of the picture, Boyd should have little trouble running Harland County next year.

     It's too bad that Boyd is going the way of a villain. He could make quite a nice partner for Raylan, even in an unofficial capacity. The two seem to have an understanding now, and do their best, especially on Boyd's end, to stay out of each other's way. Boyd will not provoke Raylan, but given the path he is on, sooner or later Raylan will have to take him out for good. Raylan may have taken pleasure in that before, but by the time it happens, I doubt either will enjoy the conclusion.

     Even more of a reason for Boyd to go over to the dark side is that Dickie manages to shoot Ava (Joelle Carter) during the fire fight. Ava has been portrayed as a good girl for the most part, but she keeps some seedy company, and always has. She knows what she is getting into by being with Boyd. Considering who her former husband was, she is right in thinking she has found a better version of him. Boyd has his faults, but he also doesn't usually shed unnecessary blood, and he has stood by Raylan when Raylan really needs him.

     The only real unanswered question in this episode is, did Ava survive the gunshot? Carter's twitter feed suggests that she did not, though she quickly backtracked. At this early stage in the game, the writers and producers may not even know if they will include her or not. She certainly doesn't have a whole lot to do this season, but neither do other main characters, like Tim (Jacob Pitts) and Rachel (Erica Tazel). Each of the Bennetts have more plot than the three combined. It begs the question, is Ava necessary?

     Raylan is at a crossroads as this episode comes to an end. He has gotten serious again with Winona, and they have a baby on the way. Yet, she said she may not be there for him when he gets home, since he follows Loretta against her wishes. Winona can be a truly selfish person, and not letting Raylan go save a young, teenage girl that needs him is not her best side.

     Should Raylan have chosen Winona? In a way he did, asking Art for a transfer so that he can have a stable job, not one where he routinely risks his life. But Loretta is facing an immediate threat, and Raylan has an established a responsibility for her. Winona needs to understand that. Perhaps she is thinking of her baby growing up without a father, but had Raylan died, his death would have been noble. It is a debatable point, but she should have let him have this one last mission before taming the beast.

     Art, on the other hand, has already written Raylan off before Winona comes to him for help (her parting gift?). She is able to convince Art to go to Harlan, and he and the other marshals, as well as various other law enforcement officers, swoop in and save Raylan's hide. Does this mean that Art has forgiven Raylan? Or did he just see the nobility in saving Loretta's life?

     The series would suffer mightily if Raylan left the Marshal's office, so it looks likely that Art and Raylan will find a way to move past this. What their relationship will be like going forward is anyone's guess, as it is strained and tested repeatedly this year. Winona is a major source of that strife, so if she leaves, that may help patch up Raylan and his boss. But as long as there is a working relationship, things will go on as they have been.


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     Justified has already been renewed for season three, and will return next year on FX.

     To catch up on episodes or buy DVDS of Justified, please go to amazon.com

Article first published as TV Review: Justified - "Bloody Harlan" on Blogcritics.

Justified Returns With "War"

     FX's Justified returns for a second season with "War". "The Moonshine War", to be precise. There are few shows I look forward to more than this one, and last night's episode did not disappoint in the slightest. In what will kick off this season's big arc, Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) returns to an area near Harlan to tangle with more bad guys that he used to know. This gang is a family that controls a whole tiny area, running the local store and police force, as well as many, many miles of marijuana farmland. There is moonshine as well, of the homemade apple pie variety, though no one is fighting over that. But it's still a fun episode title.

     The clan is led by Mags Bennett (the fabulous Margo Martindale, Mercy, Dexter, The Riches), who insists she just runs the store. Mags seems sweet, taking a shine to little Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever), offering Raylan alcohol, being one of the few locals who is nice to Rachel (Erica Tazel), and even apologizing for torture committed by Dickie (Jeremy Davies, Lost). However, before the ending credits of this premiere rolled around, she had poisoned Loretta's father for calling a tip line about sexual offenders, specifically, one who had threatened his daughter. Clearly, she has a zero tolerance policy.

     Which shows you that Mags is going to be one tough cookie. She has total control of the town, with the help of Dickie, Coover (Brad William Henke, The Chicago Code, Lost, October Road), and her son in law enforcement, Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor). She has run things seemingly uncontested for decades, until Raylan and Rachel are drawn to town looking for the sexual predator, whom they catch. But with most of the new group signed for multiple episodes, you can bet that something else will draw Raylan back, and with a bunch of actors so talented, I am definitely looking forward to it.

     Besides that little taste of new story, much of the episode was spent catching up on the old plot, too. Raylan stopped Boyd (Walton Goggins, deservedly promoted to series regular) for taking his revenge on the gang that killed Boyd's father. Then the marshal traveled to Miami. With the help of his former boss, Raylan resolved the price tag on his head without any more bloodshed. Nice and neat, no? I liked the Miami plot, Raylan's past following him, but it's nice to know that things will be staying in Kentucky for the foreseeable future.

     Nice, even after Raylan was offered his old job back in Miami, which he turned down. Now normally when a show pulls that twist, it would seem fake. Or it would be because Raylan had grown to love the people in his new (old) home too much to leave. But I don't see that as the case here. Though never spelled out completely, it appeared Raylan is staying in Kentucky out of spite, not fondness. His Kentucky boss, Art (Nick Searcy), wanted him transferred back to Florida. Raylan didn't feel his conduct deserved another transfer, so he stayed.

     Raylan's stubborn streak is one of his defining characteristics, and while it sometimes bites him in the butt, other times it just proves how strong he is. This fell in the latter category. I still believe Raylan would like to leave Kentucky, but only on his own terms, not those dictated by others. He feels his name is tarnished now, and it needs polished clean before he moves on. It's a viewpoint that is understable, and totally consistent with the character. My money is on Raylan doing just that.

     Ava (Joelle Carter) was absent after the beginning of the episode, so no forward momentum for Ava-Raylan fans. But there was some definite steam between Raylan and Winona (Natalie Zea), who is getting divorced, and ended up in Raylan's bed once again, against his better judgment. Seems that Raylan's stubborn streak is no match for a woman he has strong feelings for, and Winona definitely falls into that category. As to whether this season will focus more on Winona, or pull a full-fledged triangle, we'll have to wait and see.

 

     While Justified has plenty of action, it's also a slow burner, and this season is just getting started. By the end of last year, so many things wound together and came to a head. Without seeing much Ava, without knowing what Arlo (Raymond J. Barry) is cooking up next, without knowing why Raylan will return to butt heads again with Mags, and without having a clue what Boyd was blowing up in that mine shaft at the end, I couldn't say where this season's path will lead. But I am just as excited for next week's episode as I was for last night's, after an absence of most of a year. So that should tell you something about the high quality this show achieves.

     Justified airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on FX.

Article first published as TV Review: Justified Returns With "War" on Blogcritics.


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Scrubs, Chuck & Lost: missing persons

     Three of the best shows on television will be returning soon, but this time they will be down a few cast members.  Is it the economy, scheduling conflicts, or creative decisions?  I don't know, but it certainly won't be the same without them.

     Chuck returns in January, and Anna Wu, played by Julia Ling, will no longer be at the Buy More.  This is hugely disappointing to the fans, especially those rooting for her character and Morgan to work out.  Chris Fedak, co-creator of the show, gave a glimmer of hope, however, when he mentioned to Ausiello that although she is not in the original order of thirteen episodes this year, six more were picked up and they are still being written, so there's always a chance.

     Scrubs has undergone a complete makeover, and will be missing practically the entire cast.  Only Drs. Cox (John C. McGinley) and Turk (Donald Faison) will be starring in the new year, which is moving to med school, with only an occasional visit to Sacred Heart, the hospital the show has taken place at up til now.  Judy Reyes, who played Carla, only wanted to return full time, and because of the new setting, it was decided not to honor that.  She is not currently signed to return at all.  The show will even get a new narrator, with Zach Braff being reduced to a handful of appearances.  Fear not though, most of the former cast will pop up from time to time, and there are plenty of new faces that will hopefully continue on the very funny tradition.

     The most disturbing shakeup has been for Lost.  Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) and Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) are out, the latter currently starring in V.  They are both set to appear a little, along with former cast members Ian Somerhalder (Boone), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), and the recurring Katey Sagal (Helen), and likely more.  But Desmond was arguably the best character on the show, and he already had only limited screen time last season, being off the island but not with the Oceanic Six.  Also, he was added later in the show.  Very disappointing.  The enjoyable Jeremy Davies is also gone, and not yet signed to return at all.  The bright spot, however, is who was added.  Joining Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Locke, Sun, Jin, Hurley, Ben, Miles, and Sayid this year as full time cast members will be Jeff Fahey (Frank) and Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert).  Emilie de Ravin will also star, after taking last season off, as will Zuleikha Robinson, who played Ilana last year.  This final season is a complete mystery to fans, but it should be nothing if not interesting.