In two days, the much hyped Preacher will debut on AMC at 10pm. This has been a long time coming for fans of the comic. Since the middle of its run in 1998, Preacher has been tackled by a slew of filmmakers, including such reputed names as DJ Caruso and Sam Mendes, before falling to the wayside. Finally, 21 years later, the supernatural western drama has been brought to life by the unlikely team of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Caitlin.
Both Goldberg and Rogen, seemingly an odd choice of writers due to their inclination towards comedy, have described themselves as passionate fans of the comic book and it shows in this first episode. The premiere bleeds with ambition, and the thought put into each and every scene can clearly be seen in its direction and writing.
The comedic duo are actually perfect for this show because the backbone for Preacher will be its ghastly humor. Pair them up with a proven dramatic director in Sam Caitlin (Breaking Bad) and you can expect a roaring good time.
Granted, the show has its fair share of gore and violence, but it is not gratuitous. The graphic parts of this episode, which by the way have some hilarious sequences that makes one feel ashamed to laugh at, are kept to a minimum to allow some time to introduce and explore our three main leads, who are all fabulous characters. The chemistry between them is felt right off the bat.
There is something about performances from actors from the United Kingdom that are so captivating, especially in comparison to many of those in North America. Irish actors Ruth Negga, as Tulip, and Joseph Gilgun, as Cassidy, as well as British actor Dominic Cooper as the titular preacher Jesse Custer are three such examples.
Fans of Cooper, in particular, will love him even more in this show. His character can be a tad prototypical - a dark man with a mysterious past - but Cooper brings a certain quiet energy and gravitas to the role. You really do feel his pain and his world weariness without him mentioning anything about himself.
Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy is a scene stealer. Anyone who had seen him in the later seasons of Misfits would know that he is made for this role. Cassidy is like an Irish, R rated Spike (James Marsters), from the Buffy-verse: an anarchic, punk rock vampire who has completely embraced the darkness within him and has a riot of a good time with it. (Interesting trivia: James Marsters was actually cast in a Preacher adaptation, not as Cassidy, but as Jesse Custer in a 2004 version that never made it to screen).
What's crazy is that Cassidy is not even the craziest one in this episode. Ruth Negga portrays Tulip a badass chick without a care in the world. In her introduction, there will be a custom weapon that she makes that is just so ridiculously awesome.
You won’t get to see Tulip interact with Cassidy just yet, but the two of them, respectively, play off Cooper’s Jesse Custer perfectly.
Overall, expect an hour of gloriously unsettling entertainment. Preacher is raucous, it is funny, it is thoroughly engaging, and the characters are a flat out a joy to watch on screen.
