‘Parish’ Recap: ‘Sanctuary’

4/15/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Dax Rey and Giancarlo Esposito as Luke Tonga and Gracián ‘Gray’ Parish in Episode 103 of ‘Parish’ – ‘Sanctuary’. (Photo Courtesy of Alyssa Moran/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Parish’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

When we last settled in to enjoy the fascinating new AMC series, Parish, the situation was quite grim. After all, Gray Parish was under fire from forces unknown and those very forces trashed his prized vehicle and left the Horse bleeding in the middle of a cemetery with seemingly no hope of survival for anyone. All because, Gray once again committed to his darker demons and surrounded himself with a life he left behind in the hopes of feeling or finding direction again. Leaving all of us to wonder what lie ahead for Gray with such trouble surrounding him, and thankfully, this week’s episode of this magnificent series wasted no time in letting us know… that what lie ahead was more heartache for Gray… courtesy of an act of kindness designed to offer a little self-healing.

For ‘Sanctuary’ opened up with the revelation that the Horse, did not die of his wounds, nor did the dark forces surrounding him bear down upon the trio. No instead, the firefight caught the attention of the police and that spooked these men, giving Gray a chance to grab the Horse, and his son, Luke, and move them to a nearby church. Where an old friend waited for him, one that could do some medical work and keep the Horse alive long enough to get him home and get him proper care. But of course, that was no easy task in the interim. In large part thanks to the Horse himself. Who was weary of whom to trust and bled more because of it and well… that’s when we came to understand that Gray didn’t just save this mysterious and troublesome man for the sake of lessons regarding our better angels… but because of a dynamic he saw in front of him that troubled him.

Because Luke was terrified of losing his father and was collapsing emotionally because of it, and well, that brought back echoes of PTSD and trauma for Gray. Who thought of his own loss, and of the damage that little Luke would experience psychologically by losing his dad. The same kind he experienced by losing his son. So, he pleaded with his friend, with her other fellow nuns to offer grace, offer healing, so that young boy would find salvation and hope. Which truly was the perfect way to explore the core conflict for Gray, and how he is using this harrowing adventure to heal his own wounds when in fact, the only person that can do that… is Gray. And well… his selfish needs, while noble in nature, did indeed set the stage for trouble down the line and of course, gave rise to serious impact upon others in his life. Because while Gray was trying to save the Horse from the end of his life, Gray’s family, and others… were deeply suffering.

Bradley Whitford as Anton in Episode 103 of ‘Parish’ – ‘Sanctuary’. (Photo Courtesy of Alyssa Moran/AMC.)

Mainly because, Gray was missing, and that put fear into the hearts of Rose and Michaela. For they had no idea if Gray was alive, dead, or just plain missing. Which prompted discussions with the police, and a search from Rose for any clues regarding Gray’s whereabouts, and the mysterious new client she had heard of. Which instead exposed the very trauma that Gray was experiencing and hinted at the possibility that Gray’s return to this world was also grounded in the desire to perhaps use connections there to punish whoever harmed his son. Making his journey even darker since there is no catharsis in revenge, in fact, eye for an eye would only damage his psyche further. But that aside, this spoke to the core conflict as well, and made for powerful television. As did Colin’s journey, since we came to learn his beloved was laying down roots with his own brother and that too, put him in a world of hurt.

But while it was powerful to explore these elements and dig into the power and impact of trauma, this is still a crime drama at heart and there was more to explore in that regard as well. Courtesy of the Tongas in part, since Shamiso took charge here regarding the attack and its fallout, since Zenso was content to stay pat and revel in the business, and her work and the story in general… revealed that a powerful man named Anton was behind the attack and wanted the Tongas out of the picture. And he will be a big part of the picture going forward. Because the job wasn’t done, and one of his men was captured by Gray when they came looking for trouble, since Gray did save Shepherd and get him home. Which prompted Anton… to just pay the Parish residence a visit and say hello, and that is undoubtedly going to lead to discomfort and consequences.

All because once again, Parish is reveling in his pain, and has made that the focus of his life at this point in time. So, there will be consequences, plain and simple… the kind that will undoubtedly lead to more heartache and pain in his household and likely put him at a crossroads. Wherein Parish must decide to heal… or sink further. But while we wait to see what he decides, we can revel in one powerful episode. One that was as intense as they come and featured some amazing performances. Especially from Giancarlo Esposito. Who just unleashed a gamut of powerful emotions for us to experience, reminding us why he is one of the best in the business, and we will likely get more of that as the pressure increases. Courtesy of what will undoubtedly be a proper introduction of Anton, when this brilliant series returns to the airwaves next week. Until then.

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