Giancarlo Esposito is one of those Hollywood actors that seems to constantly be booked and busy. In 2024 alone, he has a whopping four films on the docket, including Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State. And, when it comes to TV, he’s also had Godfather of Harlem, The Boys, The Mandalorian and more on his plate. Now, Esposito is marking his big small-screen follow-up to Better Call Saul – fellow AMC production Parish. The show just premiered this past weekend and has a low critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences seem to disagree.
The crime drama’s critic approval rating currently sits at 31%, which is admittedly on the lower side. Said score is calculated from a total of 13 reviews that have been aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. Although that may be disappointing to those who are considering checking out the show, they also need to know what the general public thinks. While there are only a handful of reactions to make it up, the audience score is at 90%, which is very impressive.
It’s not unheard of for there to be a disconnect when it comes to an audience’s reaction to a movie or TV show and those from critics. After all, people have varying tastes and evaluate media in different ways. Also, it’s fair to say that Giancarlo Esposito has built up a significant following over the years, and there are plenty of fans who love his approach to acting. So, while I’m surprised that his show hasn’t been well received by pundits, it doesn’t surprise me that general audiences have been more positive in regard to his work.
Based on the BBC One series The Driver, Parish sees the seasoned actor play the eponymous role of Gray Parish, an ex-criminal who has moved away from shady dealings for the sake of his family. However, Gray eventually finds himself succumbing to his old ways after his son is murdered. The series’ ensemble also includes Paula Malcomson, Ivan Mbakop, Zackary Momoh, Dax Rey, Arica Himmel and Skeet Ulrich. Also, among the recurring cast is The West Wing alum Bradley Whitford.
This new show actually isn’t the only fresh entry that Giancarlo Esposito has on the 2024 TV schedule. He also has a starring role on Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which became available to Netflix subscribers in early March. The action comedy series has notched some solid reactions from critics and general viewers alike. As of right now, its RT score in the former camp is 71%, while the number from the latter is 86%.
While the in-demand actor remains busy, plenty are surely wondering about his plans for the next few years. He’s long been open about the fact that he’s had talks with Marvel Studios and revealed in 2022 that he wants to play Professor X, who he’s still down to portray. Something that’s set in stone, though, is his role on Shonda Rhimes’ new Netflix series, The Residence, on which the Breaking Bad alum is taking over for the late Andre Braughter.
More immediately though, viewers will want to strap themselves in and check out Parish as the season progresses. There are likely people who are on the fence, given how critics have reacted via Rotten Tomatoes. But, of course, at the end of the day, what matters most is that you give it a watch for yourself and form your own opinion.
New episodes of Parish air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC, and you can also stream episodes using an AMC+ subscription.
