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Constantine, Ep. 1.08, “The Saint of Last Resorts” is a dark, atmospheric midseason finale

“The Saint of Last Resorts” breaks the mold of a lot of previous Constantine episodes, which partially set up the character of John Constantine (Matt Ryan) as some kind of cynical, occult superhero instead of the hell-bound bastard and con-man from the Hellblazer comics. Instead of having Constantine initiate the case of the week with Zed’s (Angelica Celaya) scrying, this time he gets a call from his magic tutor, old flame, and member of the Newcastle crew Anne-Marie (Claire van der Boom), who has seen a baby snatched by a supernatural force. Because this is personal, John leaves Zed on her own at the House of Mystery, giving her first solo plotline to show how she has grown as a character, along with revealing a new threat other than the vague Rising Darkness. Director T.J. Scott uses the convent, landscapes, and graveyards of Mexico City to give “The Saint of Last Resorts” a real sense of atmosphere and writer Carly Wray mines world mythology and the Hellblazer to craft a primal horror plot as well as cementing once and for all that Constantine is vulnerable, charming, and occasionally funny, but not a hero.

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Black Sails, Ep. 1.08: “VIII.” has just enough firepower to hold interest

All that being said, when the curtain closed on “VIII.” and the first season, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued and satisfied with having spent eight hours with the show. If Black Sails hasn’t quite reached the notes a pirate series on the Spartacus network ought to, it has laid a great foundation that highlights a lot of potential going forward.

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Black Sails, Ep. 1.06: “VI.” continues a strong second half

After an excellent episode last week, Black Sails picks up right where it left off. Following a beautifully-shot ship battle, Flint and his crew find themselves in a bit of a stalemate after boarding the ship they’ve attacked. Most of the action here takes place a night, giving the scenes an appropriately dark atmosphere as Gates tries to come up with some kind of plan to infiltrate the holding without getting his men killed.

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Orphan Black’s near-perfect first season managed to slip quietly under the radar

Orphan Black, Season 1 Written by John Fawcett and Graeme Manson Directed by John Fawcett and T.J. Scott Aired Saturdays at 9 pm (ET) on BBC America Despite heavy praise from both critics and fans alike, Orphan Black’s near-perfect first season managed to slip quietly under the radar—only successfully generating mainstream buzz a few days …

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