Preacher makes its unforgettably violent debut on AMC tonight, and Hypable had the opportunity to screen the first four episodes ahead of it. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you want to tune in, check out our review, and let us help you make your mind up!
This review is spoiler-free, but will feature some general references to events from the first four episodes of Preacher.
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, penned by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon, AMC’s Preacher has been hotly anticipated by its fans and a long time coming. Several attempts have been made to adapt the series prior to this, though unsuccessfully, but with the right studio, producers and even creator Garth Ennis on board, we’re finally seeing this cult favorite make the ambitious jump from page to screen.
Certainly, I’d had my concerns about how Preacher might work for television — as much as I enjoy the graphic novel, it doesn’t lend itself well to an episodic format, and it was often difficult to visualize how it would play out. Those concerns were assuaged by the end of the pilot (if not by the end of the series opener), and with each passing episode I found myself more and more eager to see how AMC’s version of events would play out.
If you’re looking for a page-by-page transplant of Preacher, from the comic to the screen, then this likely won’t be the adaptation for you. The show, in its first four episodes, does make diversions from the source material — however, these diversions undoubtedly work for the better. I’ve said it previously of book and comic adaptations, but there’s more to faithfulness than making a carbon copy — and Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin have done a phenomenal job at putting their own spin on the source material, without losing anything that makes it undeniably Preacher.
For those of you who may be coming into this show with no prior knowledge of the comics, it’s certainly not required to enjoy it — though, like most adaptations there are hints at what’s to come and nods to the source material that die-hard fans will recognize immediately. However, Preacher does a fantastic job of introducing you to the location and characters, teasing out their morality, convictions, torrid pasts and motivations — be they ones of faith, revenge or pure survival.
Unlike the comics, which takes place across several U.S. states, the central plot of Preacher remains in Annville, Texas over the course of the first four episodes — though there are more than enough hints that this won’t always remain the case. Even as a fan of the graphic novel, I found myself thankful that the setting was static during its gradual build up, and took the time to unfold the town, supporting characters, and Jesse’s conflict of faith in the face of returning home after several years away. It set the tone of the show within Jesse’s struggle to find his place amongst the flawed and complicated humanity of Annville’s disenfranchised population. A more frenetic pace, unlike the slow burn of the introductory episodes, could have found the show stumbling at its first hurdle — and playing the long game infinitely suits Preacher best.
That’s not to say that Preacher doesn’t have it’s more tense and action filled moments. Even in the isolation of the pilot episode, it manages to balance creative and heart-pounding violence with its quieter and introspective moments. I won’t say much more than to watch out for a champagne bottle, corn, and an impressively choreographed bar fight that left me feeling breathless, but even those are a few gruesome gems amongst many scattered throughout the first four episodes.
As for the cast themselves, there’s absolutely no doubt that Rogen, Goldberg and Catlin chose the perfect people to step into the shoes of the central trio of Jesse Custer, Tulip O’Hare and Cassidy. They all bring an undeniable presence to the show, in vastly different ways, all at once complimenting each other, but also provide interesting foils to their best and worst characteristics.
Dominic Cooper plays the role of the titular preacher, Jesse Custer, a man as lost in his own faith and purpose as his congregation. It’s clear that he is not the man he hoped he could be — the man his father hoped he could be — as he moves through his days with indifference. That is until his colorful past crashes into his present in the form of his ex-girlfriend, Tulip. With her arrival, Jesse’s inner conflict and turmoil is exacerbated — and it explodes in the most violent and memorable way possible.
But it’s not just the merging of his past and future that presents Jesse with a crisis of faith, but also his possession of a power he doesn’t yet understand — but one that poses an even more difficult question of Jesse. When you have the power to influence the will of other people, what do you do with it? What kind of man do you become? There are other dangers to this inherited power that Jesse will face over the course of the first four episodes — but we won’t spoil the particulars here. They definitely deserve to be experienced first hand.
Tulip is also a force to be reckoned with, played brilliantly by Ruth Negga. From the moment she appears on screen, she embodies everything that made Tulip such a fascinating, and yet flawed, character on the page. She’s violent, vulgar, and absolutely captivating. She makes no apologies for who she is, what she believes, and what she wants from life. Her introductory scene is unforgettable, and it is impossible to look away whenever she’s in a scene — her presence is demanding, and now that I’ve experienced her Tulip, I can think of no one better to play her.
Lastly, there’s Cassidy. Joe Gilgun plays the foul-mouthed Irish vampire with aplomb, and this was a role that seems to have been crafted especially for him. He brings a much-needed dose of dark humor to the show, and much like Tulip, Cassidy’s introduction is just as unforgettable. It’s difficult to choose between the two, as to which was my favorite. Though, flying in the face of his “comic relief” role, Cassidy and Jesse’s friendship and scenes are a genuine delight, and there are multiple conversations between the two that are equally touching as they are hilarious (listen out for their Big Lebowski chat). Also, if you’ve been, like many other Preacher fans, concerned about the lack of Cassidy’s sunglasses in the promotional material, rest assured he wears them significantly more on the show itself.
AMC have done something utterly remarkable in Preacher, exploring humanity at its lowest and most base point, the loss of faith amongst the day-to-day grind Annville’s inhabitants find themselves in. It searches for belief in the most dire of places, and restores it in the most surprising — Eugene, a boy who survived a suicide attempt, which left him horribly disfigured, is perhaps the most wonderful example of this. That in the face of incredible prejudice and hardship, you’ll also find the brightest spots of genuine love and compassion. The supporting cast — from the Quincannons, the sheriff, the mayor, and everyone in between — are just as compelling as the leads, showcasing the danger of snap judgements and misunderstandings, but also the violent consequences of some of their more unforgivable actions.
No one is inherently good or bad, and Preacher has little interest in making any of its characters so clear cut. There are no apologies for the despicable things that they do, but also little glory in them either — they’re corrupt, flawed, dangerous, but also loving, protective and fiercely human. If this is how Preacher means to go on, I will certainly be there for the entire ride.
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