Parish
AMC/AMC+, March 31, 2024
Mar 30, 2024
Photography by AMC Networks
Web Exclusive
This new AMC series finds star Giancarlo Esposito lending his singular glare and scene-stealing seething voice to yet another crime saga. He’s long been beloved for bringing surprising depth to supporting characters. First as the son of a police chief on Homicide: Life on the Street in the ‘90s, and more famously as the villain Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
On Parish, Esposito is in the literal driver’s seat. His titular character, Gracián “Gray” Parish tries to maintain his ordinary, family man life after long abandoning his shadowy past as a mob getaway driver. But Gray’s ability to handle Formula 1 worthy hairpin turns is needed for one last job. Sadly, the series can’t outrun such clichés any more than Gray can escape his mob origins.
The premiere begins with Gray weaving in and out of oncoming traffic in his native New Orleans. In subsequent scenes it flashes back to fill in the story. Parish makes the most of this overdone modern movie and TV trope, as Gray is realistically jostled by hitting the gas and brake with the pinpoint timing needed to narrowly evade one crash after the next. Get ready for the whiplash when he finally escapes the cops by zooming ahead of an oncoming Mardi Gras parade before the squad car can.
Credit goes to director Theo Travers, an executive producer on other splashy series like Billions and Power. He co-wrote Parish’s pilot with Sunu Gonera and Danny Brocklehurst, the latter being an award winning British screenwriter whose original series The Driver is the source material from which Parish is adapted.
Travers shoots this gripping opening sequence in jolting closeups. The subsequent flashbacks look glossier than a magazine. Esposito does his damndest to match the eye popping action and overall gorgeous shots with his performance as a stern father. Michaela (Arica Himmel, Mixed-ish), is his argumentative, but often correct, teen daughter who knows nothing of his criminal origins. Gray’s relationship with her is strained as they both grieve the death of his son, who Michaela clearly misses but also envied because he was his dad’s favorite. Wife and mother Ros (Paula Malcomson, Deadwood, The Hunger Games) tries to mediate, but the grief is too fresh. Such attempts to balance the story’s criminal elements with grounded relatability are admirable. Michaela’s dialogue is well written, especially when she implores her father to celebrate her sibling’s life rather than mourn. But the writing for Esposito comes off clunky and feels devised to tack depth on his character, rather than explore believable behavior, especially when he places a photo of his son at the dinner table. Himmel storming off, and Esposito’s committed performance salvage the scene. But the powerhouse actor behind Gus Fring deserves far more nuanced material.
Gray is not only bogged down by trouble at home, and shrinking revenue at his limo company, but also a troubling plea from an old pal. Colin (Skeet Ulrich, hardly recognizable from his days as an aspiring 90s leading man), goes on a charming joy ride with Gray, spinning donuts in a parking lot while swilling beers. When they later lean against the hood and crack open a few more cans, Colin reveals his true motives: he owes a gangster serious dough. Because he took the rap for a prior crime that Gray was an accomplice in, Colin feels Gray is obligated to take on a job that will settle those debts.
Gray agrees, but not before a few listlessly written sarcastic exchanges with Colin and, before that, Ros. Some believable dialogue, and chemistry between the characters, would make us care as Gray the family man slowly gets pulled back in, as the old mobster cliche goes.
The gangsters themselves are the most promising characters on Parish. That’s because they’re not Italian, Russian, or members of any other sect that has been explored ad nauseum. Instead they are muscle from New Orleans’ Zimbabwean immigrant community. Ivan Mbakop plays Zenzo Tongai, a henchman sporting peakhawk bright suits that are outdone by his even splashier swagger. His ostentatiousness is balanced by his restrained and bookish boss Shepherd Thomguy, who everyone calls “The Horse.” Bespectacled and inconspicuous, The Horse’s menace is all the more effective because it simmers. This is especially true after he hires Gray, and orders him to be at his beck and call via a burner phone.
Next comes the best of a precious few effective scenes in the premiere: Gray finally shares a joyful moment with Michaela, teaching her to drive and easing her resentment about her dad and brother bonding so easily over cars while she was left sidelined. She is deflated when he answers a call from The Horse and apologetically cuts their lesson short. What’s more: The Horse chastises Gray for not answering quickly enough.
The potential for grisly work-life balance allegories is rife in that dynamic. If Parish more authentically delves into Gray’s troubled home life, and introduces viewers to untapped Zimbabwaean gangster lore, its plot will better match its pristine visuals. More importantly, it’ll come closer to par with Esposito’s iconic pedigree. But for now, Parish is akin to a luxury model with little narrative torque under the hood.
That’s a shame, and not just because Esposito has been a cult TV hero for decades and deserves much better writing for his star turn. Parish’s sputtering story, and even worse dialogue, are all the more stark because its direction and cinematography are as slick as the limousines Gray ferries clients in in his effort to go straight. Ditto the peppy red Porsche he uses as a getaway car during a big score that could save his limousine business from going bust in this ride sharing era. Parish should be off to the races, but, sadly, too often it stalls out. (www.amc.com/shows/parish)
Author rating: 5/10
Rate this show
