Constantine: Waiting for the Man

"Tell me. What would happen after a man like this, after everything he's done, murdered all those children, what would happen if he were to try and run away?"

- John Constantine

"Waiting for the Man" is the thirteenth and final episode of season one of the supernatural horror series Constantine. The series is based on the Hellblazer comic book series by DC Comics. The episode was directed by David Boyd with a script written by Cameron Welsh. It first aired on NBC on Friday, February 13th, 2015 at 8:00 pm.

Synopsis
Just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, a frustrated red-haired girl named Vesta Whitney runs away from home and flees to an old abandoned carnival funhouse in the middle of the woods. She encounters three other girls, slightly younger than she, wearing white dresses. They offer to make her a bride of The Man, and explain how they are all his wives. Their "wedding rings" are noose marks across their necks. Vesta is intrigued and agrees to go with them.

Some distance away, a Creole man is having trouble getting his truck started. This is The Man. A security guard pulls up and offers to help. As he is searching through his trunk for some jumper cables, the Man comes up behind him and strangles him with his own cables. He brings them back to his home, which is adorned in all of the trappings of a Satanic ritual. The Man brands the security guard with a hot iron and then kills him. He then meets his future bride-to-be, Vesta.

Meanwhile, John Constantine and Zed Martin return to the Big Easy where they reunite with Detective Jim Corrigan. Corrigan is investigating the murder of a police officer named Dupree, whom John deduces was killed by spontaneous desiccation. Through this, John learns about the recent missing girls. Seeing as how Satanic ritualism is on the upswing now with the coming of the Blood Moon, John goes to the cemetery to unearth the dead cop. As he analyzes it, the spirit of his recently deceased friend Gary Lester, speaks through the corpses mouth and warns John that a bounty has been placed on him and that all of the members of the Brujeria are looking to collect.

The Brujeria are not the only ones looking to cash in on John's head. Papa Midnite also has a stake in this and feels that the sacrifice of a "life for a life", will enable him to free the condemned soul of his sister, Cedella. He kills one of his followers and turns him into a Voodoo zombie.

John, Zed and Corrigan go to the Whitney household to interview Vesta's mother, Anna Kate. John decides to invoke a spell to "pierce the veil", enabling him to see through Vesta's eyes. This involves gargling a glob of Vesta's hair, brushing his tongue with her toothbrush, and electrocuting himself with a broken desk lamp. From this process, John divines that she was taken near an abandoned amusement park.

The three go to the amusement park where they cross paths with one of Papa Midnite's zombies. They fight up against the zombie, until Corrigan ultimately puts it down with his gun. John then pressures Zed for another vision. She is already sketchy about doing this, for she has already had a vision of Corrigan where she sees him dead. Regardless, she concentrates and comes up with a backwards street address: 4 Delano Street. This is where the security guard whom the Man killed lived.

John goes to 4 Delano Street and begins surveying the area. Papa Midnite arrives and gets the drop on John, shooting him in the chest. As John lies dying, Midnite comes in close to finish him off. This is all a ruse however. Constantine expected Midnite and used magic to reanimate a corpse and then put a glamour spell on it to make it look like himself. He then beats Papa Midnite up and goes off to resume handling the case.

Meanwhile, the Man has Vesta in his house and prepares her for their upcoming wedding. She is receptive to the notion at first and even has a wedding dress, as the other brides encourage her to become part of the family. As the Man begins to invoke the Devil's Benediction, Vesta finally begins to show a little common sense, and realizes that this can not possibly end well for her. She runs out of the house and the man gives chase. He quickly catches up with her and knocks her insensate.

By this point, John, Zed and Corrigan make it back to the funhouse to find the Man dragging Vesta across the ground. John orders him to freeze, but the Man tries to run. Zed appears and knocks him to the ground with a shovel, at which point, she begins beating him repeatedly. Corrigan has to pull her off before he goes too far. He then places the Man under arrest. John bristles at this notion of taking him alive, to which Corrigan has to remind him, that he is simply a man - not a ghost, or a demon, to which John replies, "Is he?". He posits the idea of what might happen if the man were to escape. Corrigan takes John's cue and undoes the handcuffs. As predicted, the Man begins to run away. A gunshot is heard in the middle of the night and the Man is no more. John goes into the house where he finds the bodies of the three young brides in bed. With the Man gone, their spirits can now leave to find peace.

Sometime later, Corrigan and Zed are at a bar. Zed confesses that the reason she had been giving him the cold shoulder is because she saw a vision of him dying, and her visions always come true. Jim seems non-plussed by this, and says that if he is going to die, he is going to make every moment count and begins kissing her. Constantine walks into the bar and witnesses this, which puts him in a foul mood.

As he exits, he receives a visit from Manny. Manny laughs at John and his apparent jelousy. They talk more about the Rising Darkness and Manny tells him that they can win this war. It is not an impossible task. Angry, John girds himself for what is coming, and says he won't stop until he sends every demon bastard back to Hell.

Later, in Houma, Louisiana, members of the NOPD pick up Papa Midnite outside the dead security guard's house. As they arrest him, time freezes and Manny appears. He sets Papa Midnite free and tells him that the bounty on John Constantine has been lifted. Midnite scoffs and asks him if he is working for the Brujeria. Manny laughs and says, "No. The Brujeria work for me". He then extends his angel wings and flies off into the night.

Appearances

 * John Constantine


 * Jim Corrigan
 * Zed Martin


 * Manny
 * Papa Midnite


 * Amberly
 * Anna Kate Whitney
 * Caroline
 * Clement Dupree
 * Gary Lester undefined
 * Vesta Whitney
 * Waynetta


 * New Orleans Police Department


 * Angels
 * Ghosts
 * Humans
 * Zombies


 * Louisiana
 * Houma
 * New Orleans


 * Ace of Winchesters
 * Shovel


 * None


 * Divination
 * Incantation
 * Magic spell
 * Ritualism
 * Voodoo


 * Carnival
 * Cemetery
 * Security guard
 * Strangulation
 * Wedding

Notes & Trivia

 * John Constantine was created by writer Alan Moore and artist Rick Veitch. he first appeared in The Saga of the Swamp Thing #37 in June, 1985.


 * Final episode of the series. Other than John Constantine, this is the final appearance of all characters. Constantine will make later appearances as a supporting cast member on episodes of Legends of Tomorrow.


 * The character of Jim Corrigan was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Bernard Baily. He first appeared in the fifth story from More Fun Comics #101, "The Unsafe Safe!".


 * This is the first and only appearance of Amberly; dies in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Caroline; dies in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Waynetta; dies in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of The Man; dies in this episode.


 * Clement Dupree appears as a corpse only in this episode.


 * Behind-the-scenes appearance of Gary Lester; appears as a voice only.


 * The character of Vesta Whitney is intended as a pastiche of Gemma Masters from the comic series.

Allusions

 * This episode adapts material that was originally presented in Hellblazer #4 in February, 1988 by writer Jamie Delano and artist John Ridgway.


 * Reference is made to the Brujeria in this episode. In the comics, the Brujeria were a secret society of male witches whose origins date back several centuries to the forest of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. The highest ranking members of the Brujería, called the Council of the Cave, lived in Chilóe.


 * The street address of 4 Delano Street is taken from writer Jamie Delano. The No. 4 is taken from Hellblazer #4, on which this episode is based.

Quotes

 * Zed Martin: John says you never come when he calls.
 * Manny: He doesn't ask as nice as you.
 * Zed Martin: But I didn't call for you.
 * Manny: Are you sure? Zed, you communicate on a different level than most mortals - more like a spiritual being.
 * Zed Martin: You felt my need. That's what called you.
 * Manny: It's part of your gift. But you look like you're under the weight of a curse at the moment.
 * Zed Martin: I-I had a vision of a friend. He's going to die. I don't know if I can change that, but I can least warn him. I just don't know if I should.
 * Manny: I envy you. Truly. You know, it's not all harps and halos for us; we have rules to follow. But you, you have choices. You can act on your visions if you choose to. Now, that's a gift. Tell me something, Zed Martin. You love pickles?
 * Zed Martin: I love pickles.

....
 * John Constantine: You finally did it. You traded your last thread of honor for a lousy, bloody bounty.
 * Papa Midnite: Your next words will be your last, Constantine. Choose them wisely.
 * John Constantine: There's a girl out there with a depraved killer. I'm her only chance of rescue. Can any bounty be worth that stain on your soul?
 * Papa Midnite: I gave up on my soul a long time ago. I'm sorry for the girl, but yes, the bounty is worth it. Your sacrifice will free my sister's soul from eternal damnation. A life for a life.
 * John Constantine: No one has that kind of power. Except the Brujeria.
 * Papa Midnite: It seems that you angered them, John. Not your smartest move.
 * John Constantine: Apparently not.
 * Papa Midnite: If not me, someone else would've collected. Who would dare deny them?
 * John Constantine: I don't suppose, uh... I can tempt you with a counter... [Papa shoots at John's head only to notice he's shot the corpse of a dead guard in the head; John hits him from behind]
 * John Constantine: You're not the only one who can reanimate a corpse. I just added a glamour spell. Nifty, eh?
 * Papa Midnite: You better kill me, Constantine.
 * John Constantine: Oh, shut it.

....
 * Zed Martin: Do you believe in fate?
 * Jim Corrigan: I don't know. I guess I just think what's meant to be will be.
 * Zed Martin: I saw you dead. You asked me before if my visions always come true. And I saw you dead.
 * Jim Corrigan: That's why you couldn't look at me.
 * Zed Martin: I didn't know if I should tell you. Who wants the burden of that knowledge?
 * Jim Corrigan: What made you change your mind?
 * Zed Martin: I realized you deserve to know. It was my responsibility to tell you. I don't know when it's going to happen, where. I don't know if there's anything we can do to change it. I'm really sorry, Jim.
 * Jim Corrigan: If I'm going to die... I'm gonna make every moment count.

....
 * John Constantine: Tell me. What would happen after a man like this, after everything he's done, murdered all those children, what would happen if he were to try and run away?
 * Jim Corrigan: He ain't no demon, he ain't no ghost. He's a man.
 * John Constantine: A man? Is he, Jim?