After seemingly being absent from scripted content for nearly three years, actor Kevin Bacon has reappeared as the main character in Prime Video’s The Bondsman. He plays Hub Halloran, a bondsman from the backcountry who gets set up, sliced in the throat, and left for dead. Thanks to The Devil, Halloran is alive again and now tasked with purging Earth’s demons and sending them right back where they came from. But what if this exact plot happened already? Maybe this was Grainger David’s (The Bondsman creator) dirty little secret he didn’t want anyone to know. Perhaps the vastly underrated ’90s FOX show was just a source of inspiration. But one thing is sure: if you’re a fan of the newly released Prime Video series, you will love Brimstone.
Premiering almost 30 years before The Bondsman, this 1998 television show involved yet another man who had a contract with the ruler of the underworld. Trading in the wooded country for a dimly-lit New York City and being an ex-NYPD officer instead of a bounty hunter, actor Peter Horton steps into the lead role of Ezekiel Stone. He was sent to the edge when his wife was sexually assaulted. Stone later finds and enjoys killing the offender. This satisfaction sends the most decorated cop to Hell after he dies. But the punishment doesn’t last long, as he is called upon to recapture 113 souls that escaped during one of Hell’s biggest breakouts. Both Halloran and Stone fight various hidden demons in their respective series. But right off the bat, Brimstone does something The Bondsman does not: show us The Devil.
The Devil in ‘Brimstone’ Makes a Difference
From the first episode (and appearing in every entry thereafter), this playful fiend is brought to life by John Glover, a legend in villainous roles. He is a perfect foil to Horton’s character and brings a presence that rivals (at times surpasses) Bacon’s on-screen attempt. The Bondsman might be using the absence of the boss to hype a potential second season, but having the same character consistently present makes the otherwise fantasy situation that much more dramatic (and entertaining).
Glover’s depiction of The Devil, with all the quips and wisecracks, is reminiscent of Peter Stormare’s take on the fiend from the 2005 Constantine movie. Unlike Kevin Bacon’s show, where the Pot O’Gold corporation acts very much by the book regarding demon retrieval, Brimstone’s antagonistic-leaning mentor walks his own line. As much as he helped Halloran take down the escapees, he also loved to drive the protagonist crazy. The surreal buddy-cop dynamic certainly added a twist to this supernatural series.
For fans of the horror-comedy genre, The Bondsman certainly has the look and feel of 2010’s Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show. They can be bloody and gory, but they constantly balance these horror themes with consistent wit. While the dynamic between Stone and The Devil may sometimes lessen the tension, the emotional core of a resurrected cop trying to reunite with his wife is more prominent than any brute-force violence or shock humor. The stylistic tone of Brimstone even complements this thematic attempt by making everything visually darker. It’s as if Stone is moving through the shadows wherever he goes.
‘Brimstone’ Goes Deeper Than ‘The Bondsman’
If the current scene in Brimstone is set in the day (on a rare occasion) or at night, you can tell through the color palette that this story about one man’s crusade against the forces of Hell is meant to be a secret. Also, unlike The Bondsman, the 1998 show never exchanges each episode’s foreboding danger for a joke. All of Stone’s foes have backstories that connect to some religious (and historical) moments. Though both shows build their stories from similar elements, Brimstone’s commitment to character and world-building proves it was canceled far too soon. It’s fascinating to see how these two fare in terms of critical and audience reception.
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Things have come a long way since Kevin Bacon met his end in ‘Friday the 13th,’ and he is very pleased about that.
Even eight years after being canceled, reruns of Brimstone were being played on the horror-themed cable network Chiller. Channels all over the world have aired the show as well. On Rotten Tomatoes, the John Glover-starring show even has a higher audience score than The Bondsman! Critics seem to favor the newer show, though. Speaking of the man who plays The Devil, Glover posted a still from Brimstone to his Instagram just last year, and the image received a great response from fans. Will The Bondsman have the same type of long-lasting appeal? Or will it be forgotten about once the next horror-humor release shows itself? Only time will tell.
Brimstone has not yet been officially released on DVD, but the entire series can currently be found on Dailymotion. All eight episodes of The Bondsman can be streamed on Prime Video.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
