Manny becomes trapped in human form and Zed is faced with an ultimatum as a demon rampages through a hospital.

NBC

“THE BEST CURE FOR A HANGOVER IS ANOTHER DRINK.”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

After the one-and-done philosophy of “A Whole World Out There,” it was anyone’s guess how Constantine would return to its season-long plots, especially with this being the season’s penultimate episode. If “Angels and Ministers of Grace” is anything to go by, the answer is very carefully. While this week saw the return of series regulars Zed, Chas and Manny, it continued to focus more on an admittedly well-told single story, while seemingly relegating the ‘Rising Darkness’ plot to the backburner once more.

With Zed and Chas back in the Mill House, the episode began with Constantine looking to get the team back in action, and is given a lead by Manny who destroys the scrying map after some suspicion by Constantine (and refers to it as a crutch, hilariously making some meta commentary in the process). With nothing better to do, Team Constantine went to see the victim of the latest crisis at the local hospital, only for Zed to suffer a seizure and find out she has a tumor. With Chas back at the Mill and Zed out of action, John needed an extra hand to take down this demon, and he finds it in Manny. There was a lot to like about the Constantine/Manny plot, from the compelling story of the Black Diamond to the vengeful doctor possessed by it, not to mention the comedic moments to be mined from having an angel in a human body. However, considering Manny’s constant wonderment and genuine interest in feeling what it is to be human in “Blessed are the Damned,” it seems more than a bit odd that he constantly complains about being human here.

NBC

Zed’s storyline was a nice crossroads for the character, bringing her face-to-face with her mortality as she questioned whether she was actually psychic or if it was all due to the tumor. Her scenes with Manny and interactions with Constantine during this period really gave weight to her decision, as she thought over whether to remove the tumor or not. A lot was said about Constantine in seeing him avoid her when she might be dying. The ending confirmation of her being able to see Manny at the same time as Constantine was a nice way to answer her dilemma. However, it felt more self-contained than the continuation of events the show wanted it to be.

THE BREAKDOWN

“Angels and Ministers of Grace” definitely showcased the improved storytelling of Constantine, with John and Manny getting a compelling mystery to solve and Zed getting a nice crisis of faith for her character. However, with the season finale coming next, Constantine still has a great many of things to wrap up before its season ends, and possibly the series along with it. Let’s hope our favorite brit goes out with a bang.

Was it great to see Constantine smoking again? What do you want from the season closer? Let me know on Twitter @MaxMielecki or perform your comment spells in the section below. Also, be sure to follow us @YouNerded.

70/100 – Good

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