If you’re a fan of Ron Perlman, you’re a fan of characters that are big, bold, morally unkempt and unapologetic about it all. TV fans last saw him as longtime SAMCRO leader Clay Morrow on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, and we’ll soon be able to watch him play a different character altogether for the Amazon drama Hand of God, and Perlman wants fans to know that his new series is a superior show in several ways. Blasphemy? We shall see.
While speaking at Comic-Con this week in San Diego, Perlman and most of the rest of the cast appeared at a panel along with creator Ben Watkins, and they gave attendees a sneak preview at the show, as well as an in-depth discussion about what viewers can expect. When asked which of his projects were most often brought up by fans, Sons of Anarchy came up, and that’s when he made his braggadocious claims.
That’s a testament to the amazing impact of original TV writing is having on our culture right now. I’m so thrilled to segue from that to something which to me was more original and more scary. And there’s no flavor for this, and you’ve never seen a TV show like this. I’ve never seen a TV show like this before.
Ron Perlman has been in the business for many years, and although his stellar film career is perhaps more celebrated, he’s been a part of some big series, not limited to Beauty and the Beast, Miami Vice and The Magnificent Seven, along with a slew of animated series. This is a guy that knows quality projects, and he further called Hand of God the most exciting thing he’s ever gotten to work on. That seems ridiculous, but everything he’s saying makes us even more excited to see how the twisting and turning Hand of God will play with audiences.
In the series, Perlman is Judge Pernell Harris, a powerful man who has his hands in almost every aspect of his community, and played a part in getting the mayor, played by The Wire’s Andre Royo, elected. Harris’ son had just tried to kill himself when the series starts, which sets in motion an odd turn of events that sees Harris having hallucinations that may or may not be examples of divine intervention, which causes a strain with his wife Crystal (Dana Delaney). Harris’ daughter-in-law (Alona Tal) has the uncomfortable position of trying to decide how to handle her husband’s medical care, which of course is the opposite of Harris’ intentions. Then there’s Garrett Dillahunt’s rage-fueled religion-minded K.D., who assists Harris in some ways, and a motivated priest played by Julian Acosta. It’s a stacked cast, to say the least.
Check out the full season trailer below.
Could Hand of God possibly be scarier than everything Tig did on Sons of Anarchy? We’ll have to wait and see when the series premieres on Amazon Prime this August. Check out the pilot episode for free here.
