Pilot Review: Constantine

Constantine (NBC)
Premiered October 24 at 10pm

If there’s one thing I’m really not interested in watching, it’s a show about someone who fights demons. I gave “Supernatural” a chance way back in 2005 and recently revisited the subject with “Penny Dreadful” earlier this year. Now, NBC is getting back in the business, wisely pairing its new show with something that’s pretty similar, “Grimm,” also a pilot that I didn’t care for enough to continue watching past the first week. While this show may appease fans of the genre, it also does as much as possible to make the title hero as unlikeable as possible, likening his demon-dispelling abilities to his coarse personality and inability to display emotion. In place, he tries for dark humor, and it doesn’t work particularly well. I don’t remember encountering series star Matt Ryan anywhere before, and I’m not keen to see him again. In the supporting cast, we have Lucy Griffiths, who played Nora on “True Blood,” as Liv, who possesses the ability necessary to help Constantine save people, and two “Lost” alumni, Harold Perrineau and Jeremy Davies. If this show’s subject matter appealed to me at all, I might have enjoyed this hour more, but there is a certain discord between the show’s inherent darkness and the casual nature of its characters that feels like it would be unconvincing on any show. This show is all about a crack team of people saving people from the fires of hell, and I can assure that I will be staying far, far way.

How will it work as a series? Eventually, Liv is going to discover that Constantine manipulated her into signing up for this line of work, but I presume that she’ll have thrown herself into it enough to be able to swiftly forgive him. That said, there’s sure to be plenty of hellfire and heartbreak along the way for this eccentric duo and their friends no matter how well they work together.
How long will it last? The show’s ratings weren’t great, especially in comparison to the show in this timeslot last year that got cancelled, “Dracula.” It was up against the World Series, so NBC might try to perfect its freaky Friday night, especially with Halloween serving as the second outing. I still think this one won’t live long.

Pilot grade: D-