Dana Delany, Ron Perlman
Hand of God, Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”
Written by Ben Watkins
Directed by Marc Forster
Released August 28, 2014 by Amazon
While Ron Perlman is known for his roles in movies such as Hellboy and Pacific Rim, he’s no stranger to television, having risen to prominence as the titular Beast in the 80s tv series Beauty and the Beast, as well as playing a prominent role in the FX series Sons of Anarchy. The Amazon pilot Hand of God is his newest small screen role, as he plays Judge Pernell Harris, a man suffering from a mental ailment brought about by the attempted suicide of his son, one that causes him to hear voices and see visions. In an attempt to get a series greenlight, Amazon and the creators have released the pilot online, and while the episode is not without its flaws, it nonetheless points towards a potentially engaging show, both due to its cast of characters and the stories it could tell.
One of the strengths of the pilot is the focus on characters. Given the premise, it would have been easy to keep the episode’s focus on Pernell and how he juggles his quest for vengeance with his personal and professional life. The show, however, smartly broadens its horizons right in the pilot, giving the audience a look at other characters such as the Mayor and Jocelyn, thus turning the episode into more of an ensemble, which in turn gives a better idea of how the actions of Pernell are affecting those around him.
This is also aided by the strong group of performers assembled for the show. While Ron Perlman adds an effective amount of gravitas and mental anguish to his character, Andre Royo, Julian Morris, and Garret Dillahunt all give strong performances in the pilot, adding promise to their characters should this go to a series. Dana Delany, however, really shines in her role as Crystal, the put-upon wife of Judge Harris. Being the one who has to clean up the messes Pernell makes, Delany manages to show the character’s exasperation and ability to seize control of most situations while still remaining likable.
Julian Morris, Ron Perlman
Based on the pilot, the show also has the potential to delve into an exploration of mental illness. Rather than making Judge Harris a righteous crusader out for vengeance, the episode instead goes in an interesting direction by instead focusing on the mental imbalance that leads to vigilante justice. Rather than make Pernell a hero, the pilot clearly displays the negative consequences of his actions, from allowing violent criminals to go scot-free to embarrassing police officers and forcing rape victims to try and recall their traumatic experience. The pilot also does a good job of showing how people react to Pernell’s mental illness, from those who enable his delusions such as Reverend Curtis and his church, to those who try to get work done through it, such as the Mayor and Crystal, as well as those who follow it, such as KD. Should this become a series, it will be fascinating to see how these various facets affect Pernell’s mental state, as well as how others continue to react to it. The pilot makes it clear that the Mayor tolerates Judge Harris due to a combination of compassion and a need for him professionally, and he already comes into direct conflict with both the police and Jocelyn in the pilot, both of whom are less likely to indulge him going forward.
There are some notable issues with the pilot, however. The biggest one revolves around how the show handles the rape that’s alluded to. While it does give Jocelyn a voice, the show is still seemingly more concerned with the effects of the rape on Pernell and his son PJ, rather than on Jocelyn, who was the victim. An increased focus on Jocelyn if the series gets picked up, however, would go a long way towards fixing this issue. The ending also poses a problem. Judge Harris’ break from reality is a lot more compelling when it’s clear that it’s leading down a destructive path for him and others. The final confession by the police officer, however, appears to imply that his suspicions and the subsequent actions he took were correct, which undermines much of the pilot. Continuing in this vein is likely to doom the series, as it would pull away from examining the ramifications of Judge Harris’ illness, which comprises much of the pilot’s appeal. Despite these, however, the pilot promises what could be a series worth watching, with a strong cast and an offbeat exploration of characters and ideas. It’s worth giving this one a chance to go to series, not only for the promising performances, but also to see how the potential presented in the pilot plays out.
– Deepayan Sengupta
The full set of reviews for Amazon’s third wave of pilots can be found here.