Article originally published as HAND OF GOD Review on Seat42F.
Amazon has released a new drama called HAND OF GOD, the first season of which is available to stream on Amazon’s
website now, free for Prime members. It revolves around Judge Pernell
Harris (Ron Perlman, Sons of Anarchy), who undergoes a traumatic
experience. Pernell begins believing God is speaking to him, asking him
to carry out vigilante justice. Is he right, or is he crazy?
HAND OF GOD sets up a relatively complex
story. We have Pernell, of course, along with his wife, Crystal (Dana
Delany, Body of Proof), who is at the end of her rope, too, but doesn’t
speak to a higher power. The catalyst that has brought them to this
point is the rape of their daughter-in-law, Jocelyn (Alona Tal, Burn
Notice), and the attempted suicide of their son, PJ (Johnny Ferro,
Children of God). The second occurs seven months after the first, but is
likely related, given that he was forced to watch the assault of his
wife.
That would be enough for any couple to
endure, and the Harris family is suffering mightily. With PJ in a coma,
it’s no wonder Pernell snaps. Or does he?
HAND OF GOD doesn’t tell us for sure if
Pernell is insane or righteous, at least not in the pilot. On one hand,
he seems to know things that only God could tell him. Or might he be
processing clues he doesn’t consciously realize? Or is he a lucky
guesser and his luck will run out? The show keeps us guessing, too,
taking us from one event to the next in rapid fire.
Besides the central family, there are a
number of other people involved in the chaos, wittingly or not. Reverend
Paul Curtis (Julian Morris, Pretty Little Liars), formerly a soap opera
star, baptizes Pernell, and may be taking advantage of the judge
alongside his morally-challenged partner, Alicia Hopkins (Elizabeth
McLaughlin, Betrayal). KD (Garret Dillahunt, Raising Hope) is a violent
criminal whom the judge decides to free and use for his own purpose.
Mayor Robert Boston (Andre Royo, The Wire) is Pernell’s friend and
business partner, confused and concerned about the changes Pernell is
going through.
Now, how much each of these people know
and how pure their motives are is anyone’s guess. None seem innocent,
and a couple may be downright evil. But the writers prefer to keep a
twisty, dark story going than lay things out for us, so it may take some
time before intentions are truly revealed.
I like HAND OF GOD mainly because of the
cast. It’s an excellent group, especially Dillahunt and Perlman, and
even if the circumstances aren’t great for their characters, alienating
the audience with hideous behavior, the performances are worth watching
and admiring.
The story, I’m less into. Perhaps
because it’s so hard to figure out what’s going on, combined with mainly
unlikeable players in the drama, it doesn’t draw one in as other
programs do. It’s hard to care if the man that raped Jocelyn will get
justice because it doesn’t feel like that will fix anything for the
family, not even a little bit. And the religious angle is played pretty
cynically. I’m not religious myself, but I’d like to see doubt sewn into
the story that god might actually be involved. Considering what
happens, Satan may be a better suspect.
Still, it’s quality stuff, well-made,
well-acted, and lacking any glaring flaws or plot holes. I think it’s
likely worth giving it a few more hours in order to figure out if the
show is for me or not. It’s certainly for someone, and not a program I
would dismiss for inferior quality, which gives it a leg up on most
fare, especially on the broadcast networks. This is better than that
stuff, even if it fails to be as compelling as, say, House of Cards or
The Walking Dead, in my opinion.
HAND OF GOD’s entire first season is available now at Amazon.com.
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