Right up until Episode 5, Parish has followed a certain formula. But, this latest episode, Kumba, jumps to the front of those cliches. Dead bodies are heavy, dammit, and they show this as Gray and his cohort in crime remove a corpse from chez Parish. This one little attention to detail has made all the difference here.
Almost every cop show and other forms of televised violent action, time and again, show dead bodies being very easy to move about. Disposal is easy. Wrapping them up in a rug, or tarpaulin is not an issue at all.
Wrong.
There is a reason that the phrase “dead weight” exists. Suddenly Parish has left behind the candy floss world of television violence and struck a realistic chord with its intended audience.
The series strides forward with a new awareness.
Episode 5
This is the aftermath episode of Parish. Two men killed in Gray’s house, not by Gray, need to be removed. Meanwhile, the axis of power is being shifted. Anton Valmont (Bradley Whitford) has, he believes, cut off The Horse (Zackary Momoh) from his crown and throne. Mr. Tongai is not out just yet though.
It is also an episode that looks back at a lot of grief and pain.
Backstory
Backstory is just another name for memories. In Parish these walks down memory lane are painful. Between Gray’s reliving his past for the remaining family he has and the politician recounting how her parents came to this country, they are not joyous.
Gray is remembering things he would like to forget. Rose reveals that she has memories that are painful as well. The recording Gray receives that references Maddy’s death, brings back more pain and regret. It also makes him become proactive once again, trying to find out who killed his son.
moving forward
Gray will have to reconcile things with Mak and Rose. Before that, however, he will have to face the latest task from The Horse. We also learn the price that some newcomers to America must pay to become citizens; Kumba.
Giancarlo Esposito proves yet again that he has the chops to carry a series. He is in good company. All the actors in this episode have settled into their roles with conviction.
Parish has begun to take on a certain reality. It is odd to realise that removing a dead body could add so much gravitas to a television series. This show is streaming every Sunday on AMC and AMC+.
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