HAND OF GOD Not Involved In This Drama

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.

You might be tempted to join this CULT

Article first published as CULT Series Premiere Review at Seat42F.

Grade: 88%

As the CW’s new pilot of CULT, entitled “You’re Next,” begins, Detective Kelly Collins (Alona Tal, Supernatural) searches for her missing sister, whom was last seen in the company of cult leader Billy Grimm (Robert Knepper, Heroes, Prison Break). Kelly thinks Billy has taken her little sis to strike a blow against Kelly personally, since she also used to follow Billy, and he didn’t take her leaving well.

So CULT is a crime drama then, with the heroes having to do battle against a mysterious sect that brainwashes their followers and makes them disappear?

Not even close. Instead, the version of CULT that stars Kelly is a series called CULT that exists within the world of CULT, both of which air on the CW. And Billy, while just an actor named Roger Reeves, also pops up everywhere in the real world, presumably mostly in advertisements for the show, layering the same level of creepy that he has done on screen, until one is convinced he may be connected to actual crimes. Confused yet?

Well, that’s not even the half of it. Former reporter Jeff Sefton (Matthew Davis, The Vampire Diaries) is looking for his own brother, Nate (James Pizzinato, Alcatraz), whom has gone off the grid in a large and bloody way, and, get this, Nate is a super fan of the CULT within a CULT. All of the clues Jeff finds point to the fact that the show is more than just a show, and there are shady people out there who take the whole thing very, very seriously.

Plus, both the fictional and real CULT bear the same title and ending cards.

CULT is the epitome of meta in an internet age where meta is the trend. The makers of CULT are hoping that real life fans get involved in the show, though hopefully not in a criminal way, as the fans in the show do, and make this part of their lives. Every word supposedly means something, every scene contains a clue, and an intricate web of mystery is being spun. This is pounded in viewers’ heads so fervently that there is no way to miss the point.

Now, this is the CW, so there are limits into what CULT will do. However, given that the cast isn’t dominated by a bunch of teenagers, romance is barely a whisper in “You’re Next,” and the writing in the first episode seems smart and tied together, this could just be something different that broadens the network’s appeal.

Obviously, the CW is hoping to capture the same population segment who enjoy The Vampire Diaries and other supernatural dramas, even reusing performers from their other franchises. But they are also building something special, something that could itself garner a cult following, and something that might make a splash in the television landscape.

One example of what I am talking about is when, late in the hour, we learn that Jeff is fired from his job at a reputable newspaper because he fabricated a source for a story. This means that Jeff is not a reliable witness, and thus, even viewers may doubt his sincerity and motivations. It’s a nice twist that could keep the direction of the plot shrouded in darkness. But instead of embracing it full on, the show has a character named Skye (Jessica Lucas, Melrose Place, Cloverfield) who believes in Jeff, and thus, we believe in him, too.

Skye works for the network, which gives the series an excuse to venture on set frequently. She is a lowly researcher, though, so her position is expendable, and she can miss work for periods of time without arousing suspicion. It’s a good role to cast her in, someone who has reason to be suspicious about the real-life following, who is open to conspiracy theories, and who has a believable inside track.

While CULT only boasts four main characters, there are a myriad of other players, such as: Marc Segal (Andrew Leeds, Bones), a network executive who wants to help CULT blow up; Kirstie (Marie Avgeropoulos, The Inbetweeners), an apparent cult member who arranges for Marc’s kidnapping; Detective Sakelik (Aisha Hinds, True Blood), the cop assigned to Nate’s disappearance, and who has a tattoo that might connect her to the villains; and Gary Fisher (Tom Amandes, Parenthood, Eli Stone), who works for CULT and dismisses Skye’s concerns out of hand.

What this means is there are a lot of different directions that the story can go, and keeping viewers guessing will be a main draw of CULT.

Only time will tell if CULT can pull off what they’re trying to do. The first episode is promising, but sustained surprises over time is much more difficult, and it’s unknown if it can maintain the quality. A great genre series is a marathon, not a sprint. But at least CULT is coming strong out of the gate.

CULT airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on the CW.