After seemingly being absent from scripted content material for almost three years, actor Kevin Bacon has reappeared as the principle character in Prime Video’s The Bondsman. He performs Hub Halloran, a bondsman from the backcountry who will get arrange, sliced within the throat, and left for useless. Due to The Satan, Halloran is alive once more and now tasked with purging Earth’s demons and sending them proper again the place they got here from. However what if this actual plot occurred already? Possibly this was Grainger David’s (The Bondsman creator) soiled little secret he didn’t need anybody to know. Maybe the vastly underrated ’90s FOX present was only a supply of inspiration. However one factor is bound: in case you’re a fan of the newly launched Prime Video sequence, you’ll love Brimstone.
Premiering virtually 30 years earlier than The Bondsman, this 1998 tv present concerned yet one more man who had a contract with the ruler of the underworld. Buying and selling within the wooded nation for a dimly-lit New York Metropolis and being an ex-NYPD officer as an alternative of a bounty hunter, actor Peter Horton steps into the lead position of Ezekiel Stone. He was despatched to the sting when his spouse was sexually assaulted. Stone later finds and enjoys killing the offender. This satisfaction sends essentially the most adorned cop to Hell after he dies. However the punishment doesn’t final lengthy, as he’s referred to as upon to recapture 113 souls that escaped throughout certainly one of Hell’s largest breakouts. Each Halloran and Stone combat numerous hidden demons of their respective sequence. However proper off the bat, Brimstone does one thing The Bondsman doesn’t: present us The Satan.
The Satan in ‘Brimstone’ Makes a Distinction
The Bondsman
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April 3, 2025
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Prime Video
From the primary episode (and showing in each entry thereafter), this playful fiend is dropped at life by John Glover, a legend in villainous roles. He is an ideal foil to Horton’s character and brings a presence that rivals (at occasions surpasses) Bacon’s on-screen try. The Bondsman is likely to be utilizing the absence of the boss to hype a possible second season, however having the identical character constantly current makes the in any other case fantasy state of affairs that rather more dramatic (and entertaining).
Glover’s depiction of The Satan, with all of the quips and wisecracks, is paying homage to Peter Stormare’s tackle the fiend from the 2005 Constantine film. In contrast to Kevin Bacon’s present, the place the Pot O’Gold company acts very a lot by the e book concerning demon retrieval, Brimstone’s antagonistic-leaning mentor walks his personal line. As a lot as he helped Halloran take down the escapees, he additionally liked to drive the protagonist loopy. The surreal buddy-cop dynamic definitely added a twist to this supernatural sequence.
For followers of the horror-comedy style, The Bondsman definitely has the appear and feel of 2010’s Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and the Ash vs. Evil Useless TV present. They are often bloody and gory, however they always stability these horror themes with constant wit. Whereas the dynamic between Stone and The Satan could typically reduce the stress, the emotional core of a resurrected cop making an attempt to reunite along with his spouse is extra distinguished than any brute-force violence or shock humor. The stylistic tone of Brimstone even enhances this thematic try by making every part visually darker. It is as if Stone is transferring by the shadows wherever he goes.
‘Brimstone’ Goes Deeper Than ‘The Bondsman’
If the present scene in Brimstone is about within the day (on a uncommon event) or at night time, you possibly can inform by the colour palette that this story about one man’s campaign towards the forces of Hell is supposed to be a secret. Additionally, in contrast to The Bondsman, the 1998 present by no means exchanges every episode’s foreboding hazard for a joke. All of Stone’s foes have backstories that connect with some spiritual (and historic) moments. Although each exhibits construct their tales from related parts, Brimstone’s dedication to character and world-building proves it was canceled far too quickly. It’s fascinating to see how these two fare when it comes to important and viewers reception.
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Even eight years after being canceled, reruns of Brimstone had been being performed on the horror-themed cable community Chiller. Channels all around the world have aired the present as properly. On Rotten Tomatoes, the John Glover-starring present even has the next viewers rating than The Bondsman! Critics appear to favor the newer present, although. Talking of the person who performs The Satan, Glover posted a nonetheless from Brimstone to his Instagram simply final yr, and the picture obtained an incredible response from followers. Will The Bondsman have the identical sort of long-lasting enchantment? Or will it’s forgotten about as soon as the following horror-humor launch exhibits itself? Solely time will inform.
Brimstone has not but been formally launched on DVD, however the whole sequence can at the moment be discovered on Dailymotion. All eight episodes of The Bondsman may be streamed on Prime Video.