Constantine - Danse Vaudou

In a shocking twist, Chas actually does something in this episode.

Using a Victorian zoetrope to kickstart Zed's abilities leads Team Constantine (as seems to be the accepted parlance for DC series ensembles these days) to New Orleans. We can tell it's New Orleans because there's a bar where they're playing 'When the Saints Go Marching In', and because Chas tells us the currently active bloodspot on the map is in 'New Orleans, Louisiana'. Still, props for treating New Orleans the same as, say, London.

Shockingly, the Big Easy appears to have a zombie problem. Local cop Jim Corrigan isn't keen on getting outside help on this, and neither is local magic supremo Papa Midnite (who also bears a grudge for episode 3.) Before long, however, Constantine is in an uneasy truce with Midnite to lay the dead to rest, while Zed and Corrigan try to prevent further deaths. For once, Chas is called on to actually do some stuff this week, and to demonstrate his 'survival skills', making for a truly ensemble episode.

* It doesn't work out so well, yeah.

There's another little Easter egg for the fans, with the presence of Jim Corrigan to tease those who know how his story works out.*

Issues of scope and timing mean that this week's resolution is a little pat, especially compared to the solid gut punch of 'A Feast of Friends'. Sadly, this means that we follow a great episode with a merely decent one, but at least on a par with 'The Devil's Vinyl'. Also, at least John doesn't claim there's nothing blacker than voodoo; that would just be awkward.