The Big Picture

• Gray Parish's loyalty to The Horse is put to the test in Parish Episode 3, showcasing his struggle to break free from his criminal past.
• The show highlights his descent back into the criminal underworld, despite his good intentions to protect his family from violence.
• The chemistry between Esposito and Skeet Ulrich shines in Parish , adding depth to their characters and bringing authenticity to their on-screen partnership.

Things are looking dire for Gracian "Gray" Parish (Giancarlo Esposito) and his new boss in the upcoming episode of AMC's new crime drama Parish. Debuting at the end of March, the series lets Esposito go beyond his villainous roles as Gus Fring or Moff Gideon to instead play "a good man with a troubled past" who can't seem to escape his old life of crime and the bad habits that come with it. As he continues to sink back into his old ways, Episode 3 will see his loyalty to the Zimbabwean gangster The Horse (Zachary Momoh) tested after a serious injury leaves the boss bleeding out and in need of immediate help. Ahead of the premiere, Collider can share an exclusive clip of Gray going to the one place he believes is safe for them — the local church.

Parish follows the devolution of Gray from a loving family man whose life is on the straight and narrow back into an agent of the criminal underworld in New Orleans after the vicious murder of his son and the collapse of his luxury car business. He's once again tangled with a shady crime syndicate, including The Horse, and forced to get his hands dirty. This time, however, he's approaching the work with good intentions and hopes to break himself and his family free of the cycle of violence that he hasn't been able to shake thus far. His old line of work has dangerous consequences, however, a point made abundantly clear in the sneak peek of Episode 3.

In the footage, Gray rushes The Horse into the back room of the church where a furious Sister Anne, played by SAG Award nominee Amanda Brugel, awaits. She's none too happy to see Gray since she knows he's only bringing trouble with him, otherwise he would've simply brought his boss to the hospital. As sirens blare in the background, both men beg her to help, though she initially refuses both because there's clearly criminal activity involved, and she only has a single year of nursing school under her belt, not nearly enough experience to treat The Horse's nasty wound. With some extra encouragement, she finally cracks and asks Gray to get her medical supplies from the closet. He looks in the mirror as he grabs everything she needs, bringing back a traumatic memory when he eyes his blood-covered hands.

'Parish' Remakes 'The Driver' for a New Audience

Parish was developed as an adaptation of the BBC One series The Driver created by Danny Brocklehurst and Jim Poyser. Brocklehurst reprised his duties as co-creator and writer for the show, albeit with a new partner in Class of '09 and Raised By Wolves director Sunu Gonera as co-creator. It also features a strong cast with Paula Malcomson, Skeet Ulrich, Bonnie Mbuli, Ivan Mbakop, Arica Himmel, and Dax Rey all aboard alongside Bradley Whitford in a recurring role.

The pairing of Esposito and the Scream legend Ulrich ended up being a fortuitous one for both actors, who formed a mutual respect while working together on Parish. In an interview with Collider's Christina Radish, Ulrich explained how this collaboration was something he had long hoped for after seeing Esposto on stage and how their chemistry translated to the screen:

"I had the great pleasure, in 1992, of watching this man on stage at the company I was training at in New York, the Atlantic Theater Company, for a part he won an Obie for. He’s been in my mind, as a performer, for 32 years now. We didn’t know each other in those days. I was more a fan of his. We re-met on an airplane a few years ago and had the loveliest three-hour conversation. He was gracious enough to send me a book that I was really into and am still into. And then, this opportunity came, and I couldn’t believe it. I honestly can’t believe it. It’s a blessing to be amongst this group of creative people. What you see in that connection is a lot of my energy and my admiration turned into Colin’s admiration. That chemistry comes out of a real place. It’s not something manufactured, at all."

Parish Episode 3 airs on AMC on Sunday, April 14. Get our thoughts on Esposito's new television role here and check out the exclusive sneak peek below.

Parish

Follows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick up a Zimbabwean gangster mostly known for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports.

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