Kevin Bacon Horror series Sputtert from
“The Bondsman” is not based on a comic book, but the Prime Video series seems to be. Produced by Genre Patstay Blumhouse, the Horror Hybrid Stars Kevin Bacon action in the titular role as Hub Halloran, a fugitive hunter who exchanges abruptly when he is murdered and brought back to life. Where HUB once chased small criminals, he is now being accused of collecting escaped demons by the devil himself.
Hub’s new performance unleashes a flood of comically exaggerated Gore and populates his world with even more colorful characters. He already has a Hyper-Bostonian arch enemy, the current boyfriend of his ex-wife Lucky (Damon Herriman, an Aussie who does a really regrettable accent); Now he has a boss, Midge (Jolene Purdy), who collects souls for Satan on the side of her home bakery company. The mix of Sacred and Profane reminds of ‘Preacher’, the AMC series that itself was an adjustment of a Garth Ennis title from the 1990s. “The bondman” Maker Grainger David and Showrunner Erik Oleson (“Daredevil”, “The man in the high castle”) works.
In the first instance, “The Federalman” embraces the foolishness of Hub’s situation. After taking a few episodes to establish his starting point, there is a procedural rhythm for Hub’s Yacht expeditions, following goals of a possessed priest to a satanic cheerleader. Hub initially cut his throat by some of the hired goons of Lucky, and from the moment he wakes up in a wall before he smokes a cigarette from his still open, “The Federalman” works best when it leans in a macabre sense of humor.
But with only eight episodes of half an hour in the first season, “The Bondsman” has to go from Setup to payout before it can comfortably settle in a long -lasting part. HUB is a second-generation federal man who followed in the footsteps of his Acerbian mother, and a middle-aged divorce, roommate-Kitty (Beth Grant). As soon as Kitty learns the story behind the wonderful recovery of her son, a series of circumstances that she accepts with shocking similarity, she provides a funny complicit while Hub Wayward Souls tries to complete. But the circle of those who are aware continues to become larger, which includes less interesting relationships, such as the Torch Hub still for his ex Maryanne (Jennifer Nettles of “the righteous gems”). A subplot about their once mutual interest in music, before Hub gave up his dreams, feels tackled, while Maryanne herself never comes into the picture as more than an object of the desire of her former husband.
Although “The Bondsman” is named after the task of HUB, it wants the viewer to be interested in his personal life: his dilapidated artistry and his search to redeem himself to the sins that sent his soul old scratches back in the first place. Given how these storylines gradually kill the perverse, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere, I wish I wish that the attention of the show was spent elsewhere. Almost every episode is named after a demon, but few angry spirits are developed into true, “Buffy” style samples of the week, instead they remain unclear faded CGI. The earthly barrels of the demons also appear to be thin sketches. Some are corrupt agents and teen bullies whose malice could have been a little more worked out; Others are children or general innocent people who beg questions about who is chosen as prey, the show does not make much to answer.
The cosmology of “The Bondsman” is generally blurry, which is not a problem if the show keeps things light and spicy. (Why do the Hub’s assignments come through via Fax Machine? Because the devil is old and it looks somewhat scary cool!) But the effort speeds up too quickly through the Hell to save the world, and while bacon is quite comfortable as a charming-but-scuzzy-vuilbag, his charisma is not enough to keep the entire entrance. “The Bondsman” starts strong, but it was not long before the vintage truck from HUB no longer has gas.
All eight episodes of “The Bondsman” now stream on Amazon Prime video.
