In Prime Video’s horror series “The Bondsman,” Kevin Bacon plays Fred Herbert, a bounty hunter who dies and goes to Hell after being shot on the job. Upon making a deal with Lucifer, he gets a second chance at life, but there’s a catch: Frank must hunt down demons and send them back to the pit. What ensues is a gory, action-packed good time with enough red-eyed menaces and country music to fill a hellish hootenanny.
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That said, “The Bondsman” isn’t the most original show out there. In fact, fans of short-lived millennial comedies might be reminded of “Reaper,” which follows a college dropout tasked with capturing on-the-lam demons for the Devil after his parents sell his soul. However, even “Reaper” is heavily indebted to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” as both shows center around regular people who are forced to embrace their larger-than-life destinies — a premise that’s quite different from that of Bacon’s newest horror yarn.
“The Bondsman” is about a guy who saw action before he became a supernatural bounty hunter, as life had a habit of pulling him through the wringer. As such, the series is more reminiscent of “Brimstone,” a one-season wonder from the ’90s about a resurrected cop who hunts down demons for the Father of Lies in exchange for a second chance at redemption. With that in mind, let’s take a trip down memory lane and explain why “Brimstone” is the perfect companion piece to “The Bondsman.”
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The Bondsman is Brimstone’s spiritual successor
“Brimstone” debuted on FOX in 1998, with the network probably hoping that the show would replicate the success of its flagship horror series, “The X-Files.” Unfortunately, “Brimstone” didn’t set the world on (hell)fire and enjoy the same longevity on the small screen. Nevertheless, fans of “The Bondsman” should still hunt it down for some devilish chills and thrills.
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The short-lived series follows Ezekiel Stone (Peter Horton), a Los Angeles cop who’s damned to Hell following his death. Basically, he’s being punished for killing the guy who assaulted his wife and got away with it. He isn’t completely irredeemable, though; in fact, the Devil (John Glover) views him as a useful tool for doing his grunt work on Earth.
Like “Brimstone,” “The Bondsman” follows a protagonist who believes in a thing called love. In the Prime Video series, Kevin Bacon’s character is separated from his wife, which is more lighthearted than a cop whose spouse was targeted by a creep but still adds a relationship component to the horror and mayhem. By no means does “The Bondsman” rewrite any formulas. Instead, it adheres to the tried-and-tested ones while packing a punch — and a dark sense of humor. Let’s just hope it lasts more than one season.
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“The Bondsman” is now streaming on Prime Video. Solana Token Creator
