Tonight, you have the chance to enjoy the pilot of PREACHER on AMC. Do so. It is really really great. And the next 3 episodes are really really great. And then. Finally. At last, I can see what happens next. But Tonight begins your journey.
Life is sometimes incredibly random for me. An email shows up, it contains a link. Next thing I know, I’m gorge watching the first 4 episodes of PREACHER. Now mind you, while I’m very aware of PREACHER, I can picture many of the covers in my mind, but I hadn’t read the series. Sacrilege. Blasphemy. I know. Confession is good for the show, but you should know that I watched those 4 episodes twice that first night. Then the next day I went to Austin Books here in…. well, if you don’t where that is after saying Austin Books, I probably shouldn’t help you. I got the first Trade Paper Back of Garth Ennis’ PREACHER. 3 pages in I hit spoilers from a television perspective.
PREACHER the TV SHOW is a bit more precious with the details of what is happening to Jesse Custer. Ennis’ PREACHER is a floor-boarded gas pedal of awesome crazy that runs at speeds, that might possibly lose the tentatively uninitiated. But after I devoured the TPB of PREACHER, I watched the 4 episode twice more – and then began calling friends to tell them… HOLY SHIT! WATCH!
Now – a lot of you have probably seen the opening of the show, as it got released. As you can see, they start with something moving through the local sector of our general area of space… and it comes to Earth. What this thing is, is explained on PAGE 3 of the first issue of the comic. As of Episode 4, Jesse Custer, at the very least hasn’t spoken in definitive terms as to what is in him. What he is now. You’ll see characters coming after him, but a certain super bloody bastard hasn’t arrived yet, but I feel that saint is on his way in the very next episode (5) that I haven’t yet seen… but that’s pure guess work.
We’ve seen two movies directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen… THIS IS THE END and THE INTERVIEW. This is a completely different tone. This is played for reals. There’s absurdist satiric shit at play, but it isn’t played BROAD. It’s closer to the vest.
I’m not going to go into spoilers here, from the comic or the show, but I will give you a bit on my impressions on a few key characters, that I’m betting will mean something to ya.
I fucking love TULIP. Ruth Negga, who I liked as Raina on AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. and as the W.H.O. doctor on WORLD WAR Z… she’s a revelation as TULIP. She feels like a badass female character ripped out of the kinda cinema that Tarantino’s Gals came from. Pure fucking badass cool. Love her. So much.
Next – CASSIDY… played by Joseph Gilgun… his specialness is fully out and on the table quite quickly and utterly satisfying in ways that are sure to delight each and every one of you. The scene he gets introduced in is absolutely INSANE. Love it. His character like every aspect of the show just keeps getting better through all the eps I’ve seen.
ARSEFACE… You know – this is the most fascinating shift in the book for me. ARSEFACE is a visceral reaction in the comic. A WTF – and you get to know that WTF well, but the second he begins kinda talking – you just won’t be able to help yourself. Your gonna love Arseface. Just being human with a face even more messed up than mine… or even my doppleganger Rocky Dennis. ARSEFACE is a pure bit of perfection. And I can’t wait to see the character grow as the series continues.
I know, I haven’t mentioned the title character, the proverbial PREACHER the show is about, Jesse Custer played by ol Howard Stark himself. What I love about Dominic Cooper is he gets around in the comic verses. He’s in FROM HELL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, AGENT CARTER and now he’s PREACHER. I think my fave role of his was as Uday Hussein in THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE – a criminally under-worshipped bit of badassery. But his PREACHER feels like it’s going to become something really really great. He holds the show together and makes you care about what is coming. I want to learn everything about his past, present an future.
I’m hooked hard. I’ve decided not to read the other TPB for a while – cuz reading that first one has given me a lot of concepts and knowledge that I haven’t earned from the show yet – and I know for a fact I’m going to dive into the others at some point. They’re different enough animals that I like that about it. But at the same time, knowing what I know from Ennis’ brilliant work… seeing how they’re handling this… I love that AMC is doing this show. SO GREAT!
The production design of PREACHER is like every aspect of the show… Pretty damn near perfect. I just can’t wait to see how crazy Seth & Evan are going to let the show get. This train is gaining on the crazy speed with each ep that I’ve seen. I think we’re going to at the 10th and season finale of this season way too quickly. The wait between seasons I feel is going to hurt. Just because… man. I want 1.5… BADLY. So badly. That’s the sweet agony of this job. Of course I had to see every ep with my name on it and on my computer screen, so you better believe I’m DVRing the show and watching them big and beautiful.
This is a show to watch!!!
Keep it cool,
Harry
