Constantine Episode 1.05 Danse Vaudou

After John, Chas and Zed notice New Orleans bleeding on the scry map, the trio travels to the Big Easy and learns that a woman in a surgical mask stabbed a person to death with fabric shears, then vanished. The only witness? Local homicide detective Jim Corrigan, who remains skeptical of John's occult suspicions despite the fact Corrigan shot the murderer several times to no effect.

Meanwhile, outside New Orleans, a young hitchhiker named Philip lands a ride and right as the driver makes conversation, disappears - only to reappear outside the car and cause the vehicle to veer right into a tree. This triggers a vision from Zed who, with the aid of police scanners, guides her companions to the site of the crash. Turns out, it's the third time an accident's occurred by this tree. Corrigan arrives and, mistaking John's presence as more than a coincidence, places him in custody.

With John's hands tied (literally), Chas tracks spiritual energy to an alley where he sees the woman with the surgical mask. She turns on him, revealing a harrowing scar beneath the mask, and then stabs him repeatedly. Chas drops to the ground, dead... that is, until the EMTs arrive. Chas wakes up, his wounds healed. How many lives does he have?

In a police interrogation room with John, Corrigan identifies the surgical mask killer: Misaki Ross, an ex-model who committed suicide after another model, Tammy Frazier, slashed her face. Corrigan also pulls up a file on a dead hitchhiker from three years ago: Philip. Suddenly, John's otherworldly suggestions seem more plausible. The real question is: why are these spirits coming back now? This spurs John's release and he joins Zed in interviewing both Philip's grandmother and Tammy, both stung with guilt for their actions they believe led to Misaki's and Philip's deaths. John and Zed make the real connection moments later: both the grandmother and Tammy contacted a man who promised them the opportunity to talk to the dead and end their guilt...

Papa Midnite.

John locates his nemesis in the middle of a ritual meant to connect a dead soul with a grieving family member. Except, as John explains, Midnite's not talking to the dead - he's raising them. Midnite scoffs and sends John into an unconscious state with magic powder. In private, however, he speaks to the skull of Cedella, his dead sister, in hopes of verifying John's claim. She whispers her response... and soon afterwards, Midnite discovers the answer firsthand: his latest soul connection resulted in a dead husband's return. Even more disconcerting, however, is how the husband appears to suck the life out of his wife. All of these unintended consequences point toward the Rising Darkness and convince Midnite and John to make a tentative alliance: John will help Midnite put these souls to rest if Midnite gives him one question for Cedella. Their plan? Burn the blessed corpses of risen souls at Midnite's ritual space.

When John and Midnite retrieve the corpses and perform the ritual, however, nothing happens. During an intense argument, each blames the other for the failure and even come to blows - punches that lead John to an epiphany. He has Corrigan bring Philip's grandmother, the grieving wife and the guilt-ridden model to the space. The explanation is simple: their inability to forgive themselves keeps these ghosts alive. Once they forgive themselves, Midnite and John try the spell again; it works and Misaki Ross, Philip and the husband all vanish, returning to their rightful place.

Corrigan drives out to the crash site where Zed lingers, having just witnessed Philip vanish, and the two share a moment; he knows she ran away and that someone (her family?) reported her missing. She asks about the case file and he assures her it no longer exists. He kisses her hand in thanks for her help, and it triggers a green-tinged vision of Corrigan, bloodied and ghostly. Could this be a vision of his future death?

At Midnite's walled garden, John and Midnite share a rare moment, too, both mildly celebratory about their success. Midnite makes good on his half of their original bargain and John requests that he ask Cedella about the Rising Darkness. Cedella whispers into Midnite's ear and he relays it back to John: all his efforts against the Rising Darkness are in vain because someone John knows - someone close - will betray him.