AlthoughThe Bondsman’s future may seem uncertain, viewers eagerly waiting for its next installment can check out similar supernatural shows. Given how the supernatural genre brims with stories about characters returning from the dead and slaying demons for the devil,The Bondsmandoes not necessarily bring anything new to the table. It borrows several themes, tropes, and story elements from other renowned shows and movies of the genre and spins them around its unique set of characters.
Despite adopting familiar ideas,The Bondsmannever leaves a dull moment and keeps one invested throughout its runtime. Even its cast members do an incredible job of bringing depth to their respective roles, making its horror-comedy and action feel even more engaging and immersive. Owing to this, it is hard not to feel bad whenThe Bondsmanseason 1’s endcredits start rolling. Fortunately, since theKevin Bacon horror-comedy showshares many similarities with other shows of the genre, viewers can easily find their next supernatural fix once they are done watchingThe Bondsman.
2016–2018
Stan Against Evil
A small town in the USA has a macabre past. A place where witches were burned, it is now plagued by demons. Former sheriff Stanley Miller enlists the help of the town’s current sheriff, Evie, to fight this evil.
Starring John C. McGinley, Janet Varney, Nate Mooney, and Deborah Baker Jr.,Stan Against Evillasted for two seasons between 2016 and 2017 before it was canceled. Despite its premature cancelation,Stan Against Evilremains a great addition to the horror genre because of its campy tone, talented cast, and commendable VFX. The show’s titular character, Stan, is not as morally ambiguous as Kevin Bacon’s Hub fromThe Bondsman. However, like Hub, Stan takes it upon himself to defend his town from supernatural forces like spirits, witches, and demons.
The Bondsman Season 1 Ending Explained: What Happens To Maryanne & How It Sets Up Season 2
The Bondsman season 1 ends with a massive cliffhanger that not only concludes it on a dark note but also perfectly paves the way for an epic season 2.
From a critical standpoint,Stan Against Evilmostly has favorable reviews, with most critics appreciating howit embraces silliness and does not take itself too seriously. LikeThe Bondsman,Stan Against Evilis not considered groundbreaking in any way. However, that is exactly what makes it the perfect series for viewers seeking light-hearted supernatural escapism.
2024
Dead Boy Detectives
Based on the DC series, Dead Boy Detectives is a supernatural comedy-mystery series created for Netflix. Two young men from different find one another in death but decide to skip the afterlife and remain among the living with a new purpose - to solve various supernatural mysteries the way only two deceased detectives can.
Serving as an extension of Netflix’s Sandman universe,Dead Boy Detectivesperformed incredibly well among viewers and critics. It stillboasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 92%. However, despite performing so well,Dead Boy Detectiveswas canceled after season 1. Even though Dead Boy Detectives' next season will likely never see the light of the day, its first installment presents a compelling self-contained supernatural story that deserves to be celebrated for its blend of supernatural mystery and dark comedy.
…Similar to the Amazon Prime Video show, the Netflix Sandman spin-off presents a compelling lore that explores everything from the dark depths of the underworld to the inner workings of demonic corporations.
Dead Boy Detectives, as its name suggests, is far more procedural in its approach thanThe Bondsman. However, similar to the Amazon Prime Video show, theNetflixSandmanspin-offpresents a compelling lore that explores everything from the dark depths of the underworld to the inner workings of demonic corporations. Since the show was canceled because of low viewership, Netflix might even consider bringing it back if it gets enough eyes.
2016–2017
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Created by Max Landis, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is a Comedy and Science Fiction television show that ran for two seasons. Starring Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood, the premise revolves around a man who considers himself a “holistic detective” and solves obscure cases.
Based on Douglas Adams’Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective AgencyandThe Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, this show lasted two seasons before it was canceled. The show primarily revolves around two characters, Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood) and Farah Black (Jade Eshete), who set out to solve supernatural cases while uncovering a web of mysterious events that connect to an overarching supernatural conspiracy.LikeThe Bondsman,Dirk Gentlyfollows a typical monster-of-the-episode formatwhere each installment raises the stakes for the main characters by introducing a new supernatural villain.
2016–2019
Preacher
Preacher follows Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher, on his quest to confront the divine for abandoning humanity. Aided by Cassidy, a vampire, and Tulip, a gun-toting Texan, he wields the power of Genesis, a potent force born from an angel and a demon, to challenge celestial authority.
Inspired by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s popular 1990s comic book franchise of the same name,Preacherfollows former criminal Jesse Custer, who returns to his hometown and becomes a preacher at a local church. He does this solely to keep his promise to his late father but finds a new sense of purpose when a supernatural power takes hold of him. With this, he joins forces with ex-girlfriend Tulip and Irish vagabond Cassidy to set out on a journey to find god while crossing paths with other eerie supernatural forces.
In terms of lore and character beats,Preacherhas more depth and complexity thanThe Bondsman. Just likeThe Bondsman, though,Preacher, too, features a set of morally ambiguous characters who struggle to find their stance in a gray supernatural world. In its four-season runtime,Preacherrarely feels redundant or predictable and manages to maintain a high quality of storytelling until its final episode.
2015–2018
Ash vs Evil Dead
Set thirty years after Army of Darkness, Ash vs. Evil Dead is a black comedy/horror series that stars Bruce Campbell back in the role of Ash Williams. Ash has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity, and the terrors of the Evil Dead until a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind. Forced to come out of his combative retirement, Ash partners with two fellow co-workers at the Value Stop store to face off against the Evil Dead.
With an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99%,Ash vs Evil Deadeasily ranks among the best supernatural shows of all time. The show follows Bruce Campbell reprising hisEvil Deadrole, where his chainsaw-wielding Ash Williams fights one supernatural force after another. Given how Kevin Bacon’s Hub also uses a chainsaw to brutally kill two demons inThe Bondsmanseason 1, and the Prime Video show seems to revisit many tropes that were once touchstones of theEvil Deadfranchise, it is hard not to believe that it was inspired by the Sam Raimi franchise.
