If you tuned into Constantine on Friday night, you may have noticed a few changes in the show from the pilot. Sure, shows make changes all the time after airing a pilot, it’s nothing new, especially if the writers/creators find that something doesn’t quite work. What was interesting, however, is the fact that many of the changes that were made seemed to distance the show from the established Hellblazer comics from which the character John Constantine originally hailed. Are the deviations from the source material a good thing? Who knows, but the changes clearly make Constantine a lighter version of himself than we are all used to.
Liv is Out, Zed is In
In the second episode of Constantine, we were introduced to a new female supporting character by the name of Mary “Zed” Martin. Unlike her female predecessor from the pilot, Liv Aberdine, it seems as though Zed will be a romantic interest for Constantine; although it is too early to tell. While her presence definitely brings a dose of femininity to the show, even if it is unrecognizable at times, there is something quite awkward about her being there. I’m not sure if it’s just poor chemistry between Angelica Celaya (Zed Martin) and Matt Ryan (John Constantine) that made almost all of their scenes together appear awkward, or if her apparent sidekick nature just doesn’t fit well with the story line (she’s not badass enough) but something doesn’t seem quite right. Also, Zed being introduced as the sidekick could prove weird to watch since we are all used to Constantine’s cab driver and long time friend, Chas Chandler, being his sidekick.
Too Much Like Supernatural
In the original Hellblazer comics that date back to the 1980’s, John Constantine was pretty much the first of his kind. That is, a supernatural detective, dark exorcist or dabbler of the dark arts, as he likes to describe himself. Since then, shows like the wildly popular Supernatural series have taken the concept to new and exciting heights on the small screen. Unfortunately for the creators of the Constantine television show though, the genre is currently being dominated by the likes of Supernatural. This is probably why the show has clearly chosen to tone down the Constantine we know from the comics to match the shows currently in demand. Is playing it safe the smartest move? Only time will tell. But, I can’t imagine too many hard core Constantine fans loving the holy-watered down version of Constantine currently being portrayed on Friday nights on NBC.
I was certain that the television adaptation of the character would prove interesting and entertaining, with such a dark and manipulative character like John Constantine. Although the pilot delivered along those expectations, changes introduced to the show by the second episode have declared that this Constantine is not like the Hellblazer you may remember from the comics. While the viability of some changes in the show is debatable, I am certain of one thing: we don’t need another Supernatural, but we could however use one Hellblazer.