Ever since his career-defining role as the meticulous Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, Giancarlo Esposito has become one of Hollywood’s most coveted performers. In the years since, the star has lent his considerable talent to some of the biggest franchises in entertainment, including a key role in the Star Wars galaxy as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. More recently, Esposito made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society, in Captain America: Brave New World. With such a consistent track record of high-profile projects, it would be fair for anyone to assume that a series with Esposito in the lead role would be a guaranteed success. However, one of his recent headlining projects was canceled after just a single season.
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AMC crime drama Parish first premiered in March 2024 but was officially canceled by the network in October after its initial run. This past weekend, the show was added to Netflix’s extensive streaming library and almost immediately broke into the platform’s Top 10 list of most-watched television shows. The sudden surge in popularity for a canceled series highlights a growing trend in the streaming era, where shows that fail to find a large enough audience on traditional networks can thrive when given a new platform and a global audience. For a project like Parish, it proves that sometimes a show just needs more time to connect with viewers, and that a premature cancellation can lead to wasted potential.
Why Parish Deserves Your Time
Parish centers on Gracian “Gray” Parish (Giancarlo Esposito), a man who has left a dangerous criminal past behind to become a legitimate businessman and dedicated family man in New Orleans. He owns and operates a luxury car service, but his quiet life is shattered by the violent murder of his son and the subsequent collapse of his business. Drowning in debt and grief, Gray is pulled back into the world he fought so hard to escape when an old acquaintance, Colin (Skeet Ulrich), offers him a high-paying job as a getaway driver. This single decision sends Gray on a collision course with a violent Zimbabwean crime syndicate operating in the city, forcing him to rely on old habits to protect his loved ones.
What makes Parish a compelling watch is Esposito’s magnetic lead performance. While critics were divided on the show’s fast-paced plot, with some finding it generic, most agreed that Esposito’s portrayal of a good man grappling with his darker instincts was a powerful anchor for the drama. He delivers an emotionally charged performance as a man torn between his moral compass and the brutal necessities of the criminal underworld. Furthermore, the show itself functions as a tense, neo-noir thriller, using the unique cultural backdrop of New Orleans to create a moody and atmospheric setting. While its initial run on AMC was short-lived, its second chance on Netflix is allowing audiences to discover the underrated thrill ride they missed.
All six episodes of Parish are now streaming on Netflix.
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Courtesy of Crunchyroll
