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.

BETRAYAL a Betrayal of Viewers With Taste

Article first published as BETRAYAL Review on Seat42F.

ABC continues its run of soapy dramas with one-word titles, the newest, following in the footsteps of Scandal, Revenge, and Deception, is BETRAYAL. The tale of cheating spouses, murderous sons, and backstabbing business deals, BETRAYAL attempts to cash in on what has become an ABC brand, developing a serial story of intrigue and salaciousness. Sadly, it seems destined to be among the lesser efforts, soon canceled.

The “Pilot” begins by showing us Sara Hanley (Hannah Ware, Boss) bleeding on the floor and being loaded into an ambulance. It’s the same trick Revenge likes to use, revealing a later disaster early in the year, and Sara is one of the two most primary characters, so this sequence not only feels stale, but without tension. Sure, we want to know how Sara has been hurt and who did it, but there’s little danger that she’s going to die.

After dispensing with that bit of nonsense, which the plot won’t catch up to until at least mid-season, the real episode begins. At a party, Sara meets Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend, XIII: The Series) and falls in love. These two are definitely soul mates, as every bit of their electric chemistry hints at, and even though Jack professes not to be interested in art, he even buys one of Sara’s works. Yes, Sara is an artist, and one who has kept her last name, perpetuating the idea that this is a common lifestyle one can aspire to, and that she’s not one of the lucky few.

There is just one little snag with Jack and Sara being together: both are married with a kid or two at home.

Sara’s husband, Drew Stafford (Chris Johnson, Against the Wall), is a bit preoccupied with work, trying to turn a legal career into political office. But he’s not a bad guy. He loves his wife, is supportive of her work, and seeks to celebrate his victories with her. Still, for some reason, Sara isn’t satisfied.

Jack is in a similar situation, happily working for Thatcher Karsten (James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum), his father-in-law. His wife, Elaine (Wendy Moniz, Damages), is shown to be less joyful, not really approving of her daddy, and seemingly a bit jealous of Jack’s relationship with their twin teenagers (Men of a Certain Age’s Braeden Lemasters and First Day’s Elizabeth McLaughlin). But again, no obvious tension that would lead either spouse to stray.

Which is why Sara and Jack’s tryst doesn’t make any sense. Maybe they do have a magnetism that they can’t ignore. But they know it’s wrong, both saying so out loud, and both have a lot to lose. Why would they risk the entire lives they’ve built for themselves on a bit of sex with a near-stranger?

Of course, BETRAYAL isn’t satisfied with just infidelity. Tossing all realism out the window, the death of Thatcher’s brother-in-law not only has this family scrambling to protect Thatcher’s mentally challenged son T.J. (Henry Thomas, Gangs of New York), who is suspected, but also ends up putting Sara in a compromising position. I won’t get into the details, in case you plan on watching the show and don’t want spoiled, but it all feels extremely staged and forced.

Now, it’s true that a show such as this can’t just have a single arc, and with a limited number of characters, lots of drama must be built in to give it legs. However, other series have managed to balance a lot of twists, developments, and players with ease, so when it’s done this clumsily, it doesn’t feel right. Plus, there’s not a single character that really resonates and makes viewers want to get behind them. BETRAYAL may not be the worst show out there, but it puts itself up automatically against its peers on the same network, and it falters by comparison.

By the way, I don’t think Thomas does a convincing performance of a character with his condition. I know there is a spectrum, and not every person with mental disabilities acts the same, but this one just doesn’t feel authentic to me.

Overall, I could be wrong, and BETRAYAL may find a way to capture viewers. But I don’t see anything worth championing from it in the “Pilot.”

BETRAYAL premieres Sunday, September 29^th at 10 p.m. ET.