Brimstone (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Brimstone


caption =
format = Supernatural drama
runtime =
creator = Ethan Reiff
Cyrus Voris
starring = Peter Horton
John Glover
country = USA
network = FOX
first_aired = October 23, 1998
last_aired = February 12, 1999
num_episodes = 13

"Brimstone" (1998-1999) is a short-lived FOX television series, featuring a dead police detective whose mission (assigned by the Devil) is to return 113 spirits who have escaped from Hell to Earth. The series ran for only one partial season.

Chiller begin airing "Brimstone" on July 28, 2007. 'New' episodes will then air Saturdays at 7PM Eastern with replays the following Monday at 8PM Eastern. [http://www.nbcunetworks.com/insidenbccable/pdf/chiller/prog/july2007.pdf]

Plot summary

In 1983, Ezekiel "Zeke" Stone (Peter Horton) was a New York City Police detective whose wife, Rosalyn, was raped. He tracked down and arrested the offender, Gilbert Jax, who was cleared of the charges. Furious, Stone then murdered Jax in cold blood. Two months later, Stone himself was killed in an unrelated event, and went to Hell for Jax's death. The Devil (played to much fan acclaim by John Glover) explains in the pilot episode that this was both because Stone responded to his wife's rape with murder, and because he took pleasure in the killing, which prevented it from being justice. Stone died the most decorated cop in NYC history.

Fifteen years later, a breakout from Hell occurs, led by a pagan priestess named Ashur Badaktu (Teri Polo), and 113 spirits escape. Because the Devil is powerless on Earth (though he can change the rules sometimes, as he does in the episode with Jax and Stone), he makes a deal with Stone: Stone will be returned to Earth to track down these 113 escapees, and if he can return all 113 to Hell (before one of them gets him), he will earn a second chance at life on Earth, and therefore, Heaven. The Devil seems to hinder Stone's work almost as much as he helps it, however, giving some information but withholding crucial facts, or giving only cryptic clues to where Stone will find the next of the escapees, apparently delighting in watching him become more irritable with his interference. It was suggested by an angel (in the episode "It's a Helluva Life") that Stone served God's purpose as well as the Devil's by defeating the escaped souls and in the same episode, the Devil attempts to trick Stone into swearing full allegiance to Hell in return for his wife's life.

Both Stone and the escapees have powers that would qualify as superhuman. Because they are in fact dead and immortal souls, they cannot be killed, injured, or even caused pain, except by themselves or by other escapees, and they do not bleed. Stone wears the clothing he was killed in, and carries his issue service pistol which he has no need to load or reload (this facet, however, is called into question, as he did run out of ammo at the end of "Lovers") and his detective's gold shield (in one episode he jokes, "Badge number 666"), neither of which sustain any damage, including from being hit with bullets. At the time of death, Stone was carrying $36.27 in cash, the amount being a reference to Ezekiel 36:27: "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Every day, Stone begins with this amount in his pocket to cover the day's expenses; the only practical advantage other than his Hell-spawned abilities.

The eyes being traditionally the "windows to the soul", Stone is informed that if the eyes of Hell's missing are pierced - his own included - then the soul will be returned to Hell. Should he be returned, his mission would be considered a failure; therefore, he would remain in Hell and another person would be chosen to return the fugitive souls.

Some escapees have powers such as the ability to generate extreme heat or electricity; the Devil explains that the longer you spend in Hell, the more it becomes a part of you, literally. Even though Stone himself describes them (in the opening narration) as "the most vile creatures", some of the escapees seem no more evil than Stone himself. Stone wears the name and pictographs of these souls as tattoos over his body; as each soul is sent back, his or her corresponding tattoo burns itself off.

Among Stone's allies were Maxine (Lori Petty), the woman who owned the hotel where he stayed, and Father Cletus Horn (Albert Hall), a blind priest who eventually learned of Stone's mission. Stone occasionally worked with police detectives Ash and Fraker (Scott Lawrence). Much of the series' internal conflict was generated by the fact that Stone's wife Rosalyn (Stacy Haiduk) was still alive and he couldn't resist staying away from her.

DVD

"Brimstone" is 40th-ranked on TvShowsOnDvd.com's list of unreleased shows as of June 13, 2008. On September 15, 2008, during a Home Theater Forum chat, Warner Home Video representatives said that "Despite the wonderful work of Peter Horton and John Glover, there are no plans at this time" to release Brimstone. However, minutes later, they added, "P.S. We'll take another look at Brimstone ... the devil will make us do it. thanks for your input and support."

Cast

Main cast

* Peter Horton - Ezekiel Stone
* John Glover - The Devil

Regular guests

* María Costa - Teresita/Waitress
* Stacy Haiduk - Rosalyn Stone
* Albert Hall - Father Cletus Horn
* Scott Lawrence – Lt. Fraker
* Lori Petty - Maxine
* Teri Polo - Det. Ash/Ashur Badaktu

Episode list

# Altar Boys (Pilot) (originally aired October 23, 1998)
# Heat (originally aired October 30, 1998)
# Encore (originally aired November 3, 1998)
# Repentance (originally aired November 13, 1998)
# Poem (originally aired November 20, 1998)
# Executioner (originally aired December 4, 1998)
# Slayer (originally aired December 11, 1998)
# Ashes (originally aired December 18, 1998)
# Lovers (originally aired January 8, 1999)
# Carrier (originally aired January 15, 1999)
# Faces (originally aired January 25, 1999)
# It's a Helluva Life (originally aired February 5, 1999)
# Mourning After (originally aired February 12, 1999)

ee also

* Reaper (TV series) - A 2007 CW series about a young man who is forced by the Devil to track down and capture escaped souls from Hell.

External links

*imdb title|id=0165564|title=Brimstone
*dmoz|Arts/Television/Programs/Horror/Brimstone/|"Brimstone"
* [http://tviv.org/Brimstone Brimstone] at TV IV