Prime Video's latest, The Bondsman, a half-hour runtime drama, is the latest experiment by streaming networks. This show, starring Kevin Bacon, premiered on April 3, 2025. This quirky horror follows a resurrected-from-the-dead bounty hunter tasked with catching and sending back demons who've escaped hell. The quirky plot paired with the eerie storytelling visuals might just be the perfect combination for a shorter runtime.
The first season of the show only had eight episodes, leaving the audience wanting more of the Kevin Bacon show. The show is fast-paced and fun, and everyone involved in the project is hoping for a second season. The fact that the show ends with a major cliffhanger might be good news when it comes to a renewal for Season 2, but only time will tell if this is true.
Here's why The Bondsman has left me craving for more, and the creators of this show need to get on making the second season ASAP.
Why The Bondsman Season 1 needs a renewal
I say Season 1 in hopes that the show will be renewed since it has not been picked up for another season as of now. However, this is nothing to worry about because it has only been a few days since The Bondsman aired on Prime Video. The streaming network will probably wait a few days to consider viewership and the show's profitability before announcing anything regarding a renewal.
The show opens with bounty hunter Hub Halloran being brutally killed in an assignment. However, he wakes up to find himself under the service of Satan himself, assigned to catch and return demons that have escaped hell. This character is tailor-made for Kevin Bacon, as he expertly handles the tormented side of the show, its goriness, and the horror balanced with some dry and dark comedic humor.
The Bondsman doesn't just rely on this quirky plot to carry us through the eight-episode-long season, as that would get boring and fast. Rather, it features some outstanding character growth and relationships. There is a reason why Hub was chosen as the devil's worker, apart from the coincidence of being a bounty hunter. The show explores this deep dark secret and features Bacon's character as something between a protagonist and an antagonist.
Even though Kevin Bacon is the only big name in The Bondsman when it comes to the actors, the other characters do a great job at depicting their characters and building some deep relationships. One of the highlights of the show is watching the rapport between Hub and his mom, played by Beth Grant (who also worked in Little Miss Sunshine and Donnie Darko).
The Bondsman does not pull back when it comes to the rather gory and bloody scenes and is not afraid to feature some of the carnage that the bounty hunter and his hunted leave behind. However, the comedic element of the show does a great job of undercutting the gore. The show is reminiscent of Ash vs The Evil Dead, Ghost Rider, and Spawn (some among a long line of similar premises), but Kevin Bacon is an improvement on the original with his performance.
The ending of the show is an obvious setup for a second season with a really big cliffhanger, so it will be a huge disappointment if the show doesn't end up getting a renewal, but hopes are high. In conversation with The LA Times, Erik Oleson, the writer of most of the episodes of the season, talked about how the ending was deliberately created as a cliffhanger in hopes of a second season.
"I intentionally wrote Season 1 to have an ending that would make it difficult for Amazon not to give Kevin and me more chances to make more episodes. We were evil, devious partners in trying to make sure this show goes the distance."
The Bondsman works out well in all of its gory and comedic glory, much to the delight of the cast and creators of the show, especially Kevin Bacon. The short runtime and even shorter list of episodes in the season have certainly left me wanting much more of the Kevin Bacon show.
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