Giancarlo Esposito’s Crime Series Parish Finds New Life

Parish, the crime series led by Giancarlo Esposito, finds new life on Netflix. Marking a reunion between Esposito and AMC, after the actor’s Emmy-nominated performance as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and the Better Call Saul prequel spinoff, Parish debuted in March 2024. The story centered on Esposito’s character, the titular Gray Parish, as a troubled man who goes on a dangerous path.

Developed by Danny Brocklehurst and consisting of six episodes, the crime drama sees Gray venture back into a life of crime after his son is violently murdered. But despite Esposito’s hopes for a continuation, the ending of Parish season 1 marked the end of the road. AMC announced that the series was cancelled in October 2024.

Now, a year later, Parish has found a second life on Netflix. The crime drama is among a host of AMC shows that have been licensed to Netflix, with FlixPatrol revealing that the Esposito-led series is currently ranking at #3 among shows in the U.S., coming in just behind Mob War: Philadelphia vs. the Mafia and Nobody Wants This season 2.

Parish has been steadily climbing the charts. It debuted at #8 on October 25, then reached the Top 5 on October 26. As of this writing, on October 27, the show is ahead of The Diplomat and Monster: The Ed Gein Story, among other titles.

Giancarlo Esposito peering outward through his car windshield in a scene from Parish season 1 — Giancarlo Esposito in Parish season 1 episode 1

With a Parish cast that includes Zackary Momoh, Paula Malcomson, Skeet Ulrich, Ivan Mbakop, Bonnie Mbuli, Arica Himmel, and Dax Rey, with Amanda Brugel and Bradley Whitford recurring, Espoito had expressed his hopes for a second season and where his character could go next. The crime drama, an adaptation of a BBC One series, drew lukewarm reviews and sits at 52% on Metacritic.

Esposito has kept busy since the release of Parish. On the small screen, he’s had supporting turns in The Gentlemen and The Residence, as well as reprising his performance as Stan Edgar in an episode of Gen V season 2. He has a packed slate and is currently attached to star in several movies, which are in various stages of development.

But for fans hoping to see the veteran performer in a spotlighted lead role, Parish is fairly unique among Esposito’s roles in that the focus is nearly entirely on him. It’s a good payoff for the absolute excellence that he was given space to demonstrate in Breaking Bad, even if the narrative skews differently.