5 Reasons You Should Check Out Amazon’s ‘Hand of God’ This Weekend

Right now, Netflix might be the most well-known streaming service, but Amazon is the most decorated. Its original comedy Transparent won a Golden Globe last spring and swept the Emmy nominations. However, Amazon hasn’t really dipped its toes into drama…until now. Sure, you can check out the original crime thriller Bosch on the streaming platform, but Hand of God is the first “prestige” drama to make it to full series on Amazon. You’re going to want to check it out just to see if it lives up to Transparent‘s hype.

Storytellers have always tried to push the envelope, but in recent years, premium cable and Netflix have thrown it out completely. Hand of God is no different. From its opening scenes the show forces you to question your faith, your morals, and your own judgment. The show presents a complex world of moral ambiguity where there are no easy answers, just uncomfortable truths. Over the course of the first season, Hand of God will tackle everything from religion, mental illness , homegrown terrorism, racism, sexism, political injustice, murder, rape, suicide, and more. If you’re easily offended, this may not be the show for you.

Even though it may seem like most dramas use controversy to court attention, when we spoke to the producers and stars of Hand of God, they were emphatic that they want to spark meaningful conversations. One sticky subject that they are trying to be sensitive about is the depiction of sexual violence onscreen. Alona Tal plays Jocelyn, Judge Pernell’s daughter-in-law. Her rape plunges her husband into a deep depression, which results in him attempting suicide, which leads to his father’s mental breakdown. Tal explained that “our show picks up seven months after the fact. We deal with her healing. You deal with the ripple effect that everything around her has.”

Hand of God features an outrageous ensemble cast that includes the like of Garret Dillahunt, Andre Royo, the aforementioned Alona Tal, Julian Morris, and Elizabeth McLaghlin, but its lead by the incomparable Ron Perlman and Dana Delaney. Both Perlman and Delaney are television veterans who have been entrancing audiences since the ’80s. Seeing them in Hand of God is watching two masters at work. Perlman said, “We both kind of bring the game on game day and we both know enough to know let’s see what each of us is going to do when the cameras start rolling and that’s when we start to like make our choices and figure shit out. Because with Dana, you know you’re going to get so much stuff. When you’re working with someone who is as brilliant intellectually and as facile emotionally – that’s an amazing combination,” Perlman raved before enthusing about Delaney’s natural “aristocracy.”

It’s Labor Day weekend, which means we’re still two-three weeks from when Fall TV officially begins. Now, you could take this time to watch another episode of The Good Wife or a bunch of cable reruns, or you could stave off boredom by binging a brand new series.

Warning: unlike a lot of shows, Hand of God isn’t going to play nice. It’s going to push you to the edge and then pull you back again. Its boldness is intoxicating and its extraordinary cast delivers charismatic performances that shine through even the grimmest of scenes. Then again, maybe it’s time that you check out a show that isn’t going to talk down to you. Maybe you’re itching for the complex circus of morality that is Hand of God. [Watch Hand of God on Amazon Prime]

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