Neron threatens to kill Ray if Constantine doesn’t open a portal to Hell for him. The Legends arrive to save the day and… just absolutely biff it. To an extraordinary degree. Meanwhile, John meets an ancestor! He is not fond.

Any episode which is basically a Brandon Routh/Matt Ryan showcase is always going to be a good time and this is no exception. Routh is having a blast as Neron, channelling Ray’s normal ludicrous perkiness through a distinctly darker filter. That in turn is helping Ryan take John, a man who looks at black coffee and demands to know which bastard put that much milk in it, and steering him towards lighter territory. John likes the big goof; of course he does, he’s met him. So Constantine’s dilemma of saving Ray by helping Neron is keenly felt and very well acted. Especially when we get to the interaction between John and his ancestor. On the one hand, it’s an excuse for Matt Ryan to wear a wig. On the other it’s a chance, again, for John to step into the light. Yeah he’s a rotten sod. But he’s nowhere near as bad as his ancestor and you can see Ryan stand up on that a little. John’s not heading for the side of the angels by any means, but he’s aware that he’s a better man than he thought now. And righteousness, for a magician like John Constantine, is a weapon that fits his hand like a glove.

Elsewhere, Gary’s demonic nipple

YES.

has possessed him and he’s slowly taking over the Time Bureau. This is played for laughs but it’s also got a genuinely creepy Invasion of the Bodysnatchers vibe to it that works really well. Plus the arc of Gary feeling thoroughly dumped on is… well… earned.

Finally, we have the rest of the team falling apart as the power on their buried ship dwindles. This gives everyone a good chance to air some dirty laundry but more importantly leads to one of the best moments in the show’s history. With minimal power and less hope, the Legends do the one thing they always do: ignore the odds and have a party. That in turn leads to them playing Ray’s Legends card game and, through that, him indirectly inspiring them not to give up. It’s a ridiculously sweet, even moving moment that revolves entirely around what a massive dork Ray Palmer is and it’s a lovely note that carries the episode through its third act. Everything has gone to Hell but so’s John. And he’s not coming back without Ray.

Verdict: The endgame is here and it’s going to get ugly in the very best way. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart