Constantine Episode 1.01 Non Est Asylum

It's a gloomy evening at the Ravenscar Psychiatric Facility for the Mentally Deranged, an asylum in Northern England, and not just because the ward sports an unusually high number of the insane. No, the gloom here emanates from the basement where a charming exorcist by the name of John Constantine - a once-mighty force against the demons that lurk amongst us - submits himself to electroshock treatment.

And he seems to enjoy it.

You see, John, a self-proclaimed master of the dark arts and demonologist (both listed on his business card), checked himself into Ravenscar and volunteered these 150 volts as a means to erase the memory of a botched exorcism in Newcastle, where instead of saving an innocent girl named Astra, he witnessed a demon murder her and damn her to hell - a demon he conjured - which in turn damned him to hell. So for John, all the electricity and the doctors' prodding and the psychiatrists convincing him there are no demons is therapeutic. At least, until he finds a room full of cockroaches and a patient wholly possessed by some kind of unknown entity.

So much for moving on.

John elects to do his damnedest and releases the demon from the patient, but not before she shatters all the windows and leaves the room in total disarray. Perhaps the most chilling, however, is the message the entity leaves behind, scrawled on the wall: "Liv Die." Right then and there, John knows - it's time to leave Ravenscar.

The Liv in question resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and works at a car rental business, totally unaware of the mysterious threat that concerns her. Well, until all the lights in the parking lot shut off and the earth collapses around her. That kind of sends the message.

Luckily for her, John's on the case and explains the situation - only to have Liv respond in disbelief (and with a can of mace). After she runs away, John investigates the crater left by the entity and finds himself joined by Manny, an angel with his own message for John: there's something awful on its way.

This warning comes to fruition when the entity claims its first victim - Liv's neighbor. Why not Liv, you might ask? It wasn't exactly fate - John's best friend (and expert cab driver) Chas snuck into Liv's complex and carved a protective symbol on her door, deflecting the demon away from her. Turns out that first entity from Ravenscar was Liv's dead father Jasper, another friend of John's, pleading with John to save his daughter. Just so happens he had to express himself by possessing someone.

It happens.

Anyway, to prove Liv can trust him, John hands over Jasper's old pendant and Liv discovers it holds more than sentimental value - the pendant allows her to see trapped souls. John guides her in a vision that reveals souls in the sky, in the street, all around her - including a ghost train. If that wasn't enough, en route to Jasper's secret mill house, John, Liv and Chas witness a strange electrical surge in a streetlight - and it causes a massive wreck, catapulting their cab into a ditch. A live wire from the wreck literally comes to life - through demonic possession, anyway - and, seconds after Chas saves Liv, it thrusts itself through Chas' chest and he dies. Pretty intense stuff.

Despite the loss of his best friend, John remains surprisingly focused on the task at hand and leads Liv to the mill house. He introduces her to the art of scrying - or, finding the location of where trouble (read: demonic activity) will occur. After consulting an occult textbook, John manages to I.D. the demon chasing Liv - a rare one named Furcifer that draws its strength from electricity. He concocts a plan to bring Furcifer to them that requires a little help from another old acquaintance: Ritchie Simpson.

On his way to Ritchie's office, John once again runs into Manny, this time taking the form of a security guard. Manny freezes time in order to capture John's full attention - and informs him that, perhaps, his soul could avoid damnation. But only if they work together.

Later, John startles Ritchie, a pill-popping, paranoid metaphysics professor, and demands his assistance in exorcising Furcifer. Ritchie resists - until John threatens to out Ritchie as a witness to the incident in Newcastle. This forces Ritchie to agree... but he's not happy about it.

Back at the mill house, Liv encounters another vision, this time in a mirror that only reflects moments from the past - her father Jasper. But before she can fully recover from that, an even stranger vision shocks her - Chas. Only Chas is real; he's alive. Which explains John's earlier nonchalance - apparently Chas has some special survival skills.

Atop a skyscraper downtown, John applies a demon seal to the roof that will protect Liv when Furcifer arrives. While they wait for the demon to take the bait, John reveals a few personal details that explain his area of expertise - his mom died during childbirth and his father never forgave him for it. He taught himself demonology in hopes that he could one day meet his mother...

Today, however, he gets to meet Furcifer, who arrives just as predicted. The seal succeeds in trapping him - but he resurrects yet again as a demonized version of John from the future. Future John grabs Liv, seconds away from ending her life, when John sends a flare into the sky - a signal for Ritchie, who clicks off Atlanta's power grid (and in turn Furcifer's life source).

But Furcifer's not finished - he employs a final plea to trade Liv's life... for Astra's. The appearance of Astra pulls at John's emotions and he prepares for the trade, only for Liv to use her pendant - that's not really Astra. Furcifer's trick angers John and he vows to come for Astra (and Nergal, the demon responsible for her death). A glorious blaze erupts as John's spell sends Furcifer into a violent descent back to hell.

Serves him right.

Later, Chas joins John at a local pub to deliver bad news - Liv decided to leave town. She left behind the scry map and the pendant, intent that John continue his work without her. John admits to Manny - appearing now as the bartender - that he scared her off on purpose. Exorcising is nasty work. It's not for everybody.

And yet, in a dark room, a woman sketches with focus and fury, coal on paper, her floor and walls filled with drawings of John Constantine - in battle, at rest, all perfect renditions. And each bearbthe same signature...

Zed Martin.