CONSTANTINE: The first few episodes

THE FLASH, Arrow, Constantine: one of these is quite not like the others.

Hint: it's Constantine.

After the success of CW Network's DC Comics entities The Flash and Arrow, and Fox's Gotham, there was a lot of hype surrounding Constantine's debut on NBC.
While it is solidly entertaining, there is absolutely no way Constantine can match those heights, and even only two episodes in it is clear to see why it was canned.

I have never read the comics so can only base my opinion on the TV show, but Constantine feels like a program that, had it arrived in the mid-1990s, would've had a long run.
It appears to be a show that is better suited a different time.

Comic book properties are all the rage (and have been for the last decade), but while Marvel's films and TV shows took the world, Arrow proved to be DC Comics' first real success.
The Flash was gladly accepted, potentially moreso than Arrow, while Gotham was met by warm, improving reviews.
Constantine, while solid, does not feel like a program that is easily accepted.

Matt Ryan has done a good job in his performance as Constantine, and Angelica Celaya's Zed Martin adds another dimension to the show, but there appears to be something missing.
Whether it's a character, another great performer, better writing - whatever it is, the series severely lacks due to its absence.

Still, even knowing the series was cancelled at the end of one season, Constantine is a program I'll definitely keep watching.

Ryan will reprise the role in Arrow (and The Flash, perhaps?), so thankfully Constantine will not disappear from our screens yet.