Honestly, Amazon Prime Video has always had a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to its originals. Long before they were dropping billions on The Lord of the Rings, they were greenlighting some truly bizarre, grit-covered projects that felt more like fever dreams than prestige TV. Among the strangest of that early crop was the Hand of God series. It’s a show that defies easy categorization. Is it a legal thriller? A supernatural horror? A family drama about mental illness? It’s basically all of those things, mashed together with a heavy dose of religious mania and California noir.
The show premiered back in 2014 as part of Amazon’s second pilot season, a time when the streaming giant was still letting the public vote on what stayed and what went. It felt like a gamble then. It feels like a relic now. Starring Ron Perlman as the morally bankrupt Judge Pernell Harris, the show dives deep into what happens when a powerful man loses his mind—or finds God, depending on how much you trust a guy who hears voices coming from his ventilator-bound son.
The messy heart of the Hand of God series
If you haven’t seen it, the setup is pretty dark. Pernell Harris is a "hard-hanging" judge in the fictional San Vicente. He’s corrupt, he’s powerful, and he’s currently watching his son, PJ, languish in a coma after a botched suicide attempt. This wasn’t just a random act of despair; PJ was forced to watch his wife, Jocelyn, get raped, and the trauma broke him.
But then things get weird.
Pernell has a breakdown. Or a breakthrough. He starts having visions. He starts hearing PJ’s voice. He becomes convinced that God is speaking to him through his son, demanding that he hunt down the man responsible for the rape and the family’s ruin. To do this, Pernell hooks up with a fringe church called Hand of God, led by a charismatic but clearly opportunistic preacher played by Julian Morris.
The Hand of God series doesn’t play it safe with religion. It doesn’t treat Pernell’s "conversion" as something beautiful. Instead, it’s visceral. You’ve got Ron Perlman—a man who looks like he was carved out of a granite cliff—sobbing in a baptismal pool or walking through the streets naked because he thinks it's a divine mandate. It’s uncomfortable to watch. It’s meant to be.
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A cast that deserved more hype
While the writing occasionally veered into "edgy for the sake of being edgy," the acting was top-tier. Dana Delany plays Crystal Harris, Pernell’s wife, and she is arguably the best part of the show. She isn't the "long-suffering wife" trope. She’s sharp, pragmatic, and frequently terrified of her husband’s descent into zealotry.
Then there’s Garret Dillahunt. He plays KD, a born-again sociopath with a history of violence who becomes Pernell’s "fist." Dillahunt is a master of playing characters who are simultaneously terrifying and weirdly sympathetic. His chemistry with Perlman is the engine that drives the show’s most intense moments. Watching a corrupt judge and a violent ex-con try to justify murder through the lens of divine justice is... a lot.
Why the critics weren't exactly thrilled
When the first season dropped in its entirety in 2015, the reviews were, let's say, mixed. Metacritic put it at a 44. Rotten Tomatoes wasn't much kinder. Why? Because the Hand of God series is relentlessly bleak. It’s a show where almost every character is unlikable in some fundamental way.
Critics often pointed out that the show felt like it was trying too hard to be "prestige TV." It had the slow pacing, the dark lighting, and the graphic violence of a prestige drama, but sometimes it felt like it lacked the philosophical weight to back it up.
- The pacing was sluggish for some, with episodes stretching the mystery thin.
- The tone shifted violently between psychological realism and supernatural hokum.
- San Vicente felt less like a real place and more like a stage for Pernell's ego.
But here’s the thing: audiences liked it more than critics did. There’s a raw, pulpy energy to it that resonates if you’re in the mood for a story about a man losing his grip on reality. It wasn't a "fun" watch, but it was compelling in its ugliness.
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The San Vicente corruption and the legal angle
While the religious elements get the headlines, the Hand of God series is secretly a show about urban planning and local government corruption. Seriously. A huge chunk of the plot revolves around a massive real estate deal involving a company called Brooks Innovations. Pernell, the Mayor (played by Andre Royo of The Wire fame), and various city officials are all trying to get rich off this deal while the city burns.
This is where the show feels most grounded. It captures that specific brand of California corruption where everyone is "spiritual" and "forward-thinking" while they're actually just stabbing each other in the back for a piece of a tech hub development.
What actually happened with Season 2?
Amazon did something a bit unusual back then. Despite the tepid critical reception, they renewed it. The second and final season arrived in 2017.
By this point, the show had doubled down on the "is he or isn't he" aspect of Pernell’s visions. The legal walls were closing in on him. He was on trial for murder. The visions were getting more intense. Without spoiling too much, the series finale tries to wrap up the mystery of whether God was actually involved or if Pernell was just suffering from a massive psychotic break fueled by grief and guilt.
The Hand of God series ended after those two seasons. It wasn't "canceled" in the traditional sense where things are left on a cliffhanger; creator Ben Watkins got to finish the story he wanted to tell. But it also didn't leave a massive footprint. It didn't become The Boys or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It just sort of... existed.
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Is it worth a watch in 2026?
You might be wondering if you should bother with a show that came out a decade ago and didn't win a pile of Emmys. Honestly? Yeah, if you like certain things.
If you're a fan of Ron Perlman, this is some of his most vulnerable work. He’s not Hellboy here. He’s a broken man. If you like shows that explore the intersection of mental health and religious belief—like The Leftovers, though maybe not quite as polished—you’ll find something to chew on here.
The Hand of God series is a time capsule of an era where streaming services were throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s deeply cynical about human nature.
Actionable Takeaways for Viewers
If you decide to dive into the world of San Vicente, here is how to handle the experience:
- Watch the pilot first. The pilot was directed by Marc Forster (World War Z, Monster's Ball), and it sets the tone perfectly. If you hate the first 60 minutes, you will hate the rest of the show.
- Pay attention to the background noise. Much of Pernell’s "divine" guidance comes through static, electronics, and ambient sound. The sound design is actually one of the most underrated parts of the production.
- Don't look for a hero. There aren't any. Even the characters who seem "good" are usually compromised by the end of the first season. Treat it as a character study of a villain who thinks he’s a saint.
- Expect a slow burn. This isn't an action show. It's a psychological drama that occasionally explodes into violence.
- Look for the supporting cast. Keep an eye out for Elizabeth McLaughlin and Hunter Parrish. They ground the more outlandish elements of the plot with some much-needed humanity.
The show remains a fascinating failure to some and a cult masterpiece to others. It asks a question that is always relevant: if God told you to do something terrible, would you be a saint for doing it, or just a criminal? In the world of Pernell Harris, the answer is usually "both."
The series is currently available in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video. It’s twenty episodes of television that will leave you feeling like you need a shower, but you probably won't be able to look away.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Hand of God
- Compare the Seasons: Watch Season 1 as a standalone psychological thriller. It works surprisingly well if you treat it as a closed loop.
- Analyze the Religious Themes: Research the "Hand of God" church portrayed in the show. It draws heavily on real-world prosperity gospel and pentecostal fervor, which adds a layer of realism to Pernell's radicalization.
- Explore the Creator’s Work: Look into Ben Watkins’ other projects, like Burn Notice, to see how he handles high-stakes tension differently across genres.