I know it’s hard to believe, but I have returned stargazers! There’s no excuse for my absence except to say a stint of bad weather got me off-track and before I knew it, a whirlwind of life kept this finely tuned viewing machine derailed far longer than I’d anticipated. I’m back now, and that’s all that matters. Well, that, and what I’ve been watching during my sabbatical.

Pernell Harris is a no-nonsense judge quick to dole out the maximum sentence to those that stand before him. When his son attempts suicide after his wife is brutally raped in front of him, the Judge is helpless to dole out punishment to those responsible. That is, until God speaks to him via the comatose body of his son, offering clues to help him exact vengeance. Pernell’s wife Crystal and his best friend Bobo, the mayor, are worried for Pernell; more so because his new-found belief in God, voices and visions are interfering with a major development deal the three worked hard to set into motion for the town. Is Pernell’s faith simply a comping mechanism, or has the Hand of God reached down and chosen this wretch for a greater purpose.

# of Episodes/Season: 10 ( Picked up for Season 2 in 2016)

Time/Episode: ~ 55 minutes

Total Series Runtime: 552 minutes (9 hours, 12 minutes)

Things to Know: I love all things Garrett Dillahunt. You should too. This is as good a show to start for you as any.

Required Prerequisite: None

When Hand of God appeared on my Amazon home screen, two things, or people, stood out to me; Ron Perlman and Garrett Dillahunt. After sitting through ten episodes, these two gentleman remain the top two reasons to watch. Perlman’s Pernell is far from a good man. Dillahunt’s KD isn’t either. Their mission is isn’t a righteous one. However, these two draw you into their plight; Pernell and his desire to right by his son, KD seeking to make amends for the sins of his past.

That’s not to say there’s nothing else worth watching. The battle between the Harris family and Jocelyn (Alona Tal), the wife of their son PJ (Johnny Ferro), for the right to pull the plug on their medically brain dead son sits at the center of the first season. Pernell needs PJ to remain for fear of losing his guidance, while Jocelyn wants her husband laid to rest so she can begin to heal.

There are so many elements in Hand of God, I’m not going to cover them all. Several elements are part of a larger story that will develop over seasons. The only major issue with Hand of God is there are a couple episodes in the middle of the season where there seems to be a lack of focus. They don’t necessarily play into the unfolding stories, but as soon as they appear, audiences are drawn back to the matters at hand.

Perlman and Dillahunt offer up great performances. The theme of religion and politics is prevalent, but shouldn’t be a deterrent. I’d recommend giving Hand of God a chance as I feel it will only grow stronger in its second season.

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