A Review of ‘Parish’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Giancarlo Esposito as Gracián ‘Gray’ Parish in ‘Parish’. (Photo Courtesy of AMC.)

There was a time where crime dramas that focused upon the criminal, were fairly two-dimensional in nature. For those stories really just featured flawed individuals, who did nothing more than revel in the darkness of the life they’d created and did their best to thrive between two worlds. Either in the hopes of finding redemption from the darkness or they were simply trying to survive another day and that brought about perfect escapist storytelling. Since readers and viewers knew deep down that no one could ever commit to one side or the other if they’ve walked in both worlds, for we are creatures that prefer to operate in the grey.
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Which is why somewhere down the line, creatives came to realize that the truth about who we are and individuals that thrive in that space between spaces, had to be reflected in the world of storytelling, and that’s led to a revolution in this corner of the genre. Wherein these individuals now have depth and meaning to their journey as they walk between worlds. Which in turn has given us vastly different stories from this genre, that engage us like never before and well, it just so happens that AMC and AMC+ are about to be home to what might be the definitive series in regard to this type of story. For Sunday, March 31, 2024, will bring forth the debut of Parish, a powerhouse story that we’ve seen in advance and need to discuss with you, in a spoiler-free manner of course.

Because crime dramas come with their own unique twists and turns that would be cruel to spoil ahead of time. But what we can talk about, is the magnificent plot of this story, and how it brings about underlying depth and meaning that no other show in this vein has ever offered, and it accomplishes such feats by introducing us to a man named Gracián ‘Gray’ Parish. A man with a dark past. One that he left behind to raise a family and to live a better life, and he happens to be at a crossroads in this story. For the honest car service, he gave life to, is struggling financially in the age of the ride share and he’s dealing with mountains of grief due to a devastating loss in the family, and the pain he carries and the frustrations he harbors over the unfair rules of the everyday world, pushes him to cross a line when an old friend asks for help with a problem. One that involves the world Gray left behind, and crossing that line might be more trouble than it’s worth.

Which really does give rise, to one refreshing story. Since this tale is less grounded in functioning between worlds out of choice and instead serves as a hard parable about the poor choices we make when we hurt and are eager to feel when our soul is numb. Giving rise to a moving and emotional story as well, one that deeply engages us since Gray is supremely relatable. Courtesy of what drives him to make those poor choices, since we’ve either walked some portions of Gray’s path here, or will down the line, and of course… there’s more that draws us into this world. Such as the fact that what Gray gets himself into is quite fascinating in nature and explores new territory within the genre as well.

But of course, to properly sell a world that is mired in both light and dark, and complete with flawed and struggling characters, a show needs an incredible cast, and you’ll find that here too. Since everyone sells their roles with a unique honesty that compels you continue the journey, with Skeet Ulrich (Colin) and Giancarlo Esposito (Gray) leading the charge with performances for the ages and well, all of these elements bring forth… one of the best shows of 2024. For this one, has it all really. Action, adventure, depth and emotion and themes that stay with us long after an episode ends, and we here at NTG cannot wait for you to see it, nor can we wait to share our interview with Skeet Ulrich as we countdown the days to one refreshing series.

‘Parish’ will make its debut on on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, March 31 at 10pm ET/PT, following the finale of ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’. New episodes will then air on Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.

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