Haunted really brings Arrow full circle. For a year the show has been haunted by the ghost of Sara Lance, of her death and the fallout from that. It's hung over the show, in particular during Season 3, and finally thanks to this week's episode they can move on properly from it. Why? Because, well, now she's no longer dead. She might've came back to life a couple of episodes ago, but Haunted restores her soul. The ongoing plight of Sara, and what's happening to her since she went into the Lazarus Pit, is what drives the episode, but there's one obvious talking point: John Constantine. Matt Ryan's NBC series failed, but he's given a second-chance here in a strange sort-of crossover moment, and suffice to say it works brilliantly. It's Constantine's magic that advances the plot, both in present day and flashbacks, but it's his roguish charm and sense of fun that makes him such an excellent presence to have on the show. His flame burns bright and lights up every scene he's in, so much so it's easy to get distracted from all of the other stuff going on. There's a new character, more mystery about Damien Darhk, a big reveal for Felicity, and lots and lots of questions.
12. Can We Please Have More Of Constantine?
I'll admit to not having watched Constantine on NBC, which was cut short due to poor ratings, but I'd be tempted to start after this episode. The network might not have been happy with the numbers it was getting, but there can't have been many complaints about Matt Ryan's performance, at least not based on this outing. He's a rather different type of rogue to the ones we're used to seeing in The CW's DC-verse, definitely a bit of a scoundrel but, as he puts it, on the side of the angels. He fits in straightaway, and brings something different to the show, and in particular he and Stephen Amell share some great scenes. Both before and after the episode the producers have been insistent on this very much being a one-off, but it's left rather open-ended. There's no sign of a resurrection for Constantine anytime soon, and while you might not need him around every week, could we please see a bit more of him soon?
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
