Another day, another show gone too soon, but we have to say we saw this one coming. Parish has reached the end of the road as AMC has dropped the axe on the crime drama which starred Giancarlo Esposito in the lead, titular role. Season 1 of the show only just premiered in March, with the final episode airing in May, but it appears AMC didn’t need too much time to finalize its decision. In addition to the Breaking Bad alum, Parish also starred Zackary Momoh as New Orleans gangster The Horse, Paula Malcomson as Parish’s wife, Skeet Ulrich as Gary Parish’s old pal, Colin, and Ivan Mbakop as The Horse’s brother, Zenzo.
“We’re so proud of ‘Parish,’ and thankful for the creative talent involved and the performances they were able to bring to the screen, starting with the remarkable Giancarlo Esposito, Skeet Ulrich, and the entire cast,” AMC said in a statement. “We are unfortunately unable to proceed with a second season, but season one will remain available on AMC+ to fans who want to relive this thrill ride of a series and those yet to discover it.” Parish was created by Danny Brocklehurst and Jim Poyser with the former serving as co-creator and executive producer. Eduardo Javier Canto and Ryan Maldonado serve as showrunners, while Esposito also served as an executive producer, having been a part of the show since its development.
Parish told a character-driven story following Gracián “Gray” Parish, a repentant getaway driver now content with living a normal life. However, following the tragic death of his son at the hands of some gang elements, Parish is forced back to his old ways as he sets out on a vengeful warpath. The show is based on his BBC One series The Driver, also written by Brocklehurst. However, AMC‘s version took many liberties which, unfortunately, turned out counterproductive. One of the more noticeable changes from the original show was that Parish elevated the grittiness with a black car rather than a yellow cab driven by the main character in The Driver.
How Bad Was ‘Parish’?
In the build-up to its premiere, anticipation was sky-high for the series with its thrilling promotional materials offering a lot of promise. Unfortunately, when Parish did arrive, it was instantly panned and currently scores a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Much of the criticism was directed at its writing, which was difficult to look past regardless of Esposito‘s A-list performance. In his review of the piece, Collider‘s Eric Massoto concludes that Parish was a missed opportunity to produce something great, writing;
“Parish is a show that could have been a mindless, action-packed story. It could have been an investigative thriller about the death of a Black boy. It could have been an exposé about real-world issues involving race and taking advantage of people in vulnerable situations. It could have even been about a father reconnecting with his daughter and family after deeply regretting his past attitudes. Instead, Parish fumbles all its themes, barely scratching the surface of them, and delivers a show that feels generic, soulless, and ultimately forgettable. ”
Parish is gone for good, but there’s even more Giancarlo Esposito action to look forward to, including upcoming shows, The Residence and Poker Face, and the movies; The Electric State, The Long Home, The Prince, and Captain America: Brave New World.
via Collider