Ron Perlman's Gritty Crime Thriller Series On Prime Video Is An Underrated Gem

When Kurt Sutter's Shakespearean crime drama "Sons of Anarchy" ended in 2014 after seven seasons, we as fans were all trying to find something that could fill the gap it left behind. Perhaps that search is still ongoing — and no offense to the "Sons of Anarchy" spin-off, "Mayans M.C.," but that show was never able to live up to its predecessor — because nothing can replicate the vibe of the twisted motorbike brotherhood that SAMCRO had to offer. Ben Watkins' "Hand of God," which kicked off in the same year that "Sons of Anarchy" wrapped up, wasn't the answer, but at least it gave us the mighty Ron Perlman back in another leading role, this time as morally-bankrupt judge Pernell Harris.

In retrospect, the main issue that "Hand of God" suffered from and got subsequently slammed for by critics was that it tried to be deadly serious and wanted viewers to treat it as such. Indeed, the Prime Video series at large dealt with subject matter like suicide, rape, cult-like faith, corruption, and so forth. At the same time, the show's high-concept plot was exceedingly over-the-top and ludicrous, so much so that it made it virtually impossible to take the series entirely at face value.

Case in point: When we meet Pernell, his life is in tatters. His son is in a coma and is now hooked up to multiple machines to keep him alive after he tried to die by suicide after being forced to watch his young wife being sexually assaulted. In his desperation, Pernell turns to Christianity and God, who begins to "send him" odd messages in mysterious ways (of course), telling him to exact merciless revenge on those who wronged his son and daughter-in-law. And since he's already on the more dubious end of the morality spectrum, Pernell embraces and welcomes this notion more easily than any sane and good-willed person would. Before long, he even finds a bizarro Christian fundamentalist (Garrett Dillahunt in full warped mode) more than happy to be his executioner. And then we're off.

As much as "Hand of God" deliberately tried to be grim, bleak, and provocative at the time, it was (unintentionally) campy and wild, too. From the outside, Pernell looked like someone who, in addition to having an "I-don't-give-a-s*** what other people think" attitude, had completely lost the plot and gone fully off the rails. Of course, that's also the type of character we know Perlman excels at playing like few others (see also: his work as Hellboy). He was very much the driving force here as the show's vengeful and relentless protagonist, delivering a performance full of high intensity. Not that he wasn't surrounded by talent to assist him; Pernell's friend and the town's mayor was played by the often underused Andre Royo (Bubbles from "The Wire"), while his wife was portrayed by the great Dana Delany. Likewise, the criminally-underrated Emayatzy Corinealdi also co-starred as an escort and the secret holder of Pernell's many sins.

I must say, however, that "Hand of God" is the most enjoyable if you're able to view it through a semi-serious lens without expecting too much depth or realism, while also accepting its multiple plot-related flaws. It's a show that evidently aimed to stir viewers up with bombastic events and outrageous deeds, though much of what transpired on the series only had surface-deep meaning to it. If you desire a painstaking exploration of grief, faith, and a multi-layered existential crisis, your best bet is to watch Damon Lindelof's fascinating, though traumatic and heavy, "The Leftovers." "Hand of God" is more like an excessive B-movie by way of a wannabe prestige TV show — one that not just requires but actually demands little thinking since the more you try to rationalize its story beats, the more you will identify its many problems. 

My advice? Put on "Hand of God," switch off your brain, and enjoy a feverishly charismatic Ron Perlman running amok on a "holy" quest for vengeance.