Constantine, "Non Est Asylum"

Most people probably only know the character John Constantine from the forgettable 2005 film. That’s too bad, because the DC Comics warlock is a great character, not at all like Keanu Reeves’ tired, dreary performance. But it’s not at all surprising he was watered down (and changed from British to American). His comic Hellblazer is quite dark and often brutal, its protagonist rather misanthropic, and its sociopolitical edge rather untenable for a mass Hollywood product.

So, what of the new NBC incarnation of Constantine? Well, at least they let this John Constantine (Matt Ryan) be British, though the network took away his chain-smoking privileges, which upset some longtime readers.

The series’ first episode begins with the title character in a British mental hospital, hoping to learn that his visions of the occult are all in his head. Of course they’re not imaginary, as he soon finds out. After giving up on his treatment, he heads to Atlanta to seek out a young woman (Lucy Griffiths) who has undiscovered supernatural abilities and is being hunted by some sinister force.

There’s good and bad to talk about here. Among the good, Ryan is probably the best John Constantine that network television can give us. He’s got the character’s dry, funny deadpan and cynical, disaffected shell that lets just the right amount of a more sensitive interior show. Most importantly, the show incorporates the rather important character trait of being haunted by a soul he couldn’t save. And the supporting roles have strong veteran players, such as an authoritative Harold Perrineau as a guardian angel and Jeremy Davies as a meek hacker who shares in Constantine’s pain.

On the bad side of things, the show is a little more like the movie than the comic in all the wrong ways. At its best, the comic has seen its share of sophisticated writing and compelling drama. The show, so far, consists mostly of routine action, simple jump scares, and special effects that aren’t very good even by broadcast TV standards. And given, it might be because the writers decided to drop a character after the pilot was finished, but the whole thing just seems like a standard monster-of the-week show.

The program deserves a chance because at least they’re trying to be respectful to the character. But I don’t have the highest hopes of it ever living up to the Hellblazer comic, not just its highly intelligent plotting and depths of depravity, but also its wicked sense of humor. For all its heavy subject matter, the comic is often laugh-out-loud funny. The show so far doesn’t have such a sense of humor, which could really help make up for its shortcomings.