To save Tulip from Angelville, Jesse's got to arrange a new heist: at the bank where Madame Boyd's souls are stored.
Preacher – Season 3, Episode 6: “Les Enfants du Sang”
Tagged Arseface
Preacher – Season 2, Episode 4: “Viktor”
Tulip and Viktor come face to face. Simultaneously, Jesse and Cassidy are tracking down Fake God across New Orleans.
Preacher – Season 2, Episode 3: “Damsels”
In hell, Arseface faces a grim existence. But a flashback reveals more about his past, shedding light on the near death of Tracy Loach.
Preacher – Season 2, Episode 2: “Mumbai Sky Tower”
Jesse, Cassidy, and Tulip stop at Mumbai Sky Tower, where they find a familiar face: the angel Fiore.
Preacher – Season 1, Episode 5: “South Will Rise Again”
AMC’s Preacher
Season 1, Episode 5: “South Will Rise Again”
Directed by Michael Slovis
Written by Craig Rosenberg
* For a review of the previous episode, “Monster Swamp” – click here
* For a review of the next episode, “Sundowner” – click here
We’re in the Old West once more. The Cowboy (Graham McTavish) rides through the dust into Ratwater. This sequence is excellent. From the music down to the way each piece is shot. Very eerie and ominous and thrilling at once. In town for the night, the Cowboy goes to a nearby saloon. As one would. These are the days when scalps are traded over the counter for cash, whiskey, whores; whatever. Across the room a preacher talks to a few men about Noah, though it ends in a dirty joke. Various terrible things happen in the wings of the saloon, a child is forced to watch awful violence, sexual assault. This is the Old Wild West, no doubt. When the Cowboy gets the medicine needed he heads back out. On his way he sees a family headed into town, hopeful and starry eyed. Likely unaware of what awaits them in that hole. Soon, he turns back. He goes to the saloon and heads to find the family. He discovers the family are trading their own scalps. The Cowboy gets beaten down by a bunch of men. Afterwards, he leaves – beaten, bruised, but with the medicine he came to get originally all safe and sound. We discover the Cowboy was in the war, a Virginian, and the preacher there has a problem with him. His horse is shot. He’s left to walk on foot. Quite a juxtaposition with this preacher and one like Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper).
When the Cowboy arrives back home, crows pick at the dead bodies left for him to find. A tragic, horrific end, and setting him on what I imagine will be an awful quest of vengeance. Can’t wait to see how this all ties in with the present. I have my ideas, but like to wait and see instead of jumping the gun.
In present day, Sheriff Hugo Root (W. Earl Brown) is out in the dark looking for intruders. Eugene “Arseface” (Ian Colletti) and his father have a tough relationship, as we can tell from their few interactions onscreen. Also, Hugo has to deal with the fallout from Eugene’s actions, one that keeps the locals up in their business constantly, and all too close for comfort.
Jesse and Emily (Lucy Griffiths) go about their church business, as the former is feeling his new rock star status. Everyone is in awe of him turning Odin Quincannon (Jackie Earle Haley) over to the Lord. Even young kids at the diner applaud him, and without irony. Will the hubris get him in a tough spot? That’s something we’ll have to wait and see. For now, Jesse revels in his new found faith in the work he does. Emily isn’t so sure about it all.
After the events of last episode, Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) is now in on the secret of Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) actually being a full-blooded vampire; pun intended. What I’m interested to see is if their relationship progresses. If the charm of Cassidy works on her, as Jesse strays further from her by the minute, both on a righteous path and on a scary new path he doesn’t quite understand yet. We’ll see if Cassidy can play off that kiss he and Tulip shared during what she imagined were his dying moments last episode. She claims to have a boyfriend; does she mean Jesse as a hopeful, or someone real? Definitely Jesse. She can’t wait to be with him. More than that she’s looking forward to going to get Carlos, claiming her revenge.
Cassidy (to Tulip): “Maybe this boyfriend isn‘t the man you thought he was”
Donnie Schenck (Derek Wilson) is still having a crisis of identity. His tough guy image was knocked down by the preacher. His wife Betsy (Jamie Ann Allmann) tries consoling him, pumping that ego back up. He wallows in self pity. She threatens to screw a guy that has eyes for her, and that actually gets Donnie’s attention going. Nice strategy, Mrs. Schenck.
In the motel, DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef) talks Fiore (Tom Brooke) through what he’ll say when picking up their creepy little phone. Y’know, the one that connects to Heaven, we assume. I love this duo. They can be both eerie and hilarious at times.
Emily runs into Tulip, or the latter runs into her while she pees. An awkward encounter. Also begins to make Tulip question if Jesse is finding love in other places.
One of the most interesting relationships to me is Hugo and Eugene. The son tries to do what he can for his father, but Hugo says awful things to him. The type of stuff you can’t exactly take back. Surely the stress of what’s happened rests on Sheriff Root, yet saying that type of thing to your own blood? Unforgivable. All the same, I still don’t know what Eugene did. Obviously it was horrible. Can’t wait to find out more.
Quincannon is turning over a new leaf. He and Mayor Miles Person (Ricky Mabe) are forging a new relationship, in light of Odin’s faith since being changed. Things are deteriorating faster for Donnie now considering his boss went to the church of the man who beat him terribly. Oh man, I can see a seriously dangerous, violent situation coming to a head with Donnie concerned. Who knows what he’ll end up doing. Moreover, I’m wondering how the power of Jesse will affect Quincannon.
At the diner, still surrounded by many people, Jesse’s power affects a new man – “Be patient,” he tells him in that special voice. Ah, what will this bring? Good or evil? No telling. Just wait.
Tulip keeps on pushing Jesse, publicly this time. And the preacher is not too pleased with her behaviour. She tells a story about a Komodo dragon Jesse wound up shooting in the head. Everyone knows it’s about him. Instead of letting it embarrass or shock anybody he turns that into one of those little religious lessons. “We all wanna be good,” he preaches.
Outside the diner Eugene comes to see Jesse. He worries for his father, worries that it’s his fault (and I guess it kind of is) Hugo is in such a state.
Eugene: “After Tracy Loach, even God doesn‘t want to help me anymore.”
Over at the Loach house, Jesse goes to see Tracy. In the truck is Eugence. And so naturally Mrs. Loach loses her mind, smashing up the truck with a baseball bat. Then he uses his power to stop her from doing so. After all the commotion the preacher tries to bring everyone back together. “Forgive him,” he whispers to the mother. Then she hugs Eugene, forgiving him instantly. The power in the preacher grows stronger. I can’t help but think about the consequences. In the meantime, Donnie’s figuring out that Jesse has a power. He tells his wife about almost killing himself in that bathroom and he worries there’s nothing to be done. Really, he sounds insane. It makes him weep. Not a good image for a rough n’ tumble Texan like Donnie.
Tulip gets her mask on and heads to a drug store. To do what? Oh, you know. She gets some pills for Cassidy. Maybe a turning point in their relationship. Well, they bang in the car. That’s a step. It’s only to get back at Jesse, or to assuage her feelings that Jesse is with Emily. A right fine mess.
At the motel, the two heavenly hitmen find the phone stops ringing right before Fiore is about to pick up. That can’t be good. They decide to go find Mr. Custer for a chat. They’ve been misled by Cassidy; the drugs, all that stuff. This leads to a pretty interesting little conversation between the preacher and the good ole boys from Heaven. Pretty simply, they only want the power back. Perhaps Jesse doesn’t feel like giving it back; he likes the righteous power. “What‘s inside of you, it isn‘t God,” explains DeBlanc to a properly confused Custer.
Quincannon has all the business flowing with Mayor Person by his side. He entertains a bunch of suits, bringing out the brandy. Then he pulls out a nice rifle and blows the three people away, bloody and quick. The mayor’s rightfully surprised: “We grow or we die,” Odin advises before blasting one last body away. Yikes. I knew something was coming.
This was one of my favourite episodes yet. There’s lots of interesting drama, as well as character development. For someone who hasn’t read the comics, I dig that Preacher as a series is being drawn out gradually. The slow pacing is peppered with plenty of fun to keep it interested. So glad to know AMC has renewed the show for a bigger (by three episodes) Season 2. Next episode this Sunday is titled “Sundowner” and I’m looking forward to that like god damn crazy. Stay with me, as we dive deeper into the twisted world of Annville.
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Preacher – Season 1, Episode 3: “The Possibilities”
AMC’s Preacher
Season 1, Episode 3: “The Possibilities”
Directed by Scott Winant
Written by Chris Kelley
* For a review of the previous episode, “See” – click here
* For a review of the next episode, “Monster Swamp” – click here
After Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) tried out his new found powers on young Tracy Loach, we begin this episode first with a woman named Danni giving over plenty of information to Tulip (Ruth Negga). There’s the new job at hand. The one Tulip won’t give up trying to get Jesse in on. She brings Danni the map that she so valiantly fought for, then receives a “last known address” that sends her for a trip back in time. She remembers a time before when it “all turned bad” for her and Jesse. Interesting. We’re slowly finding out more about that relationship, too. For the time being, we see Danni handing over the map to a shady character in the dark of a movie theatre. Lots of intrigue in this first few episodes, so I’m incredibly excited to see that all pay off eventually, in doses. This is an efficient way of keeping proper viewers hooked. Give a little, pay a little, never hand over too much at once and keep the mystery running.
Also, love the opening credits sequence. Good tune, solid feel, and that helps setup the show’s atmosphere nicely.
Back to Sheriff Hugo Root (W. Earl Brown) in the motel room. He’s with the suddenly reincarnated pair of Fiore (Tom Brooke) and DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef), which is awesomely confusing. They’ve convinced him they’re from a higher agency, in town to take care of a case. Low profile, undercover stuff, y’know? Poor Hugo isn’t tough to fool. I get the feeling that mostly he isn’t stupid, he’s just worn out (later with Arseface we start to get the impression the kid had something to do with Tracy and her current state; maybe, maybe not). Particularly when he tells the story of some children going missing. Dark stuff. Now the creepy, suited duo are re-evaluating their plan of attack. “Only this time no surprises,” says Fiore.
Over at the Roach place, the mother isn’t exactly distraught. She’s more in awe. Tracy is sitting up and has her lipstick on and looking well. In other news, Donnie Schenck (Derek Wilson) tries patching things up with his kid, while he’s not off doing weird work for his boss like last episode. We further get a look at Linus (Ptolemy Slocum) and the fact he’s completely forgotten, literally, about the young girl whom he creeped on before. Seems the preacher’s powers are definitely working. At the church, Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) faces more trouble being a vampire. The sun is out and there’s work Emily (Lucy Griffiths) needs done. So he sets about trying to get what he can finished, enough to keep him in a place to stay, I imagine. Then he finds Jesse lurking in the dark like a real weirdo, clearly unsettled about something.
Tulip gets pulled over. She’s in big trouble. Only the slick talking comes out, she throws on a military ring, then BAM – out of trouble. Doesn’t have to go with the same old sexist angle of a woman using her body to get out of a speeding ticket, which is also better writing than normal. Nice little scene that gives us more of her sassy character and also a better idea of the writing in this series, why it’s interesting as opposed to some others. At least for now.
Now we’re seeing the preacher and Cassidy play with the former’s powers. Another fun scene that starts off foolish, and ends foolish, but shows us the budding energy behind the power. Furthermore, we see they have no idea how wild it can get just yet. Cassidy thinks it’s a gift. Though, Jesse doesn’t seem “very stoked” in the slightest. Perhaps what I find most interesting is that they take the time to talk through everything. Instead of Jesse simply going with it, the fact he’s a preacher gives him even more of a reason to stop and ask: why? What the writing allows is a peek into what might happen to a real man, a religions one at that, if he were to become so powerful so fast. “Just imagine the possibilities here,” Cassidy tells him, taking the words right out of my mouth.
Meanwhile, the two creepy, unkillable henchmen suit up. At Quincannon’s factory, Odin (Jackie Earle Haley) is consulting with his main man Donnie. Well, main servant it seems like. I can see Donnie soon snapping. He’s taking shit from almost every angle, especially since the injury.
Once more Tulip catches up with her old flame and faithful friend Jesse. They chat about whether he’s different. He talks cryptically for the most part, “boring the shit” out of her. So she gets on about the big job. He’s adamant about not wanting to go back to his old life, assuming it’s one of thievery, ass kicking, so forth. Jesse only wants to save the town, and in turn himself along the way. She’s got no time for religion or any of his nonsense, which he feels for that old life in a similar way.
Now we get another flashback. Jesse shoots a man in the head, as he and Tulip look to be left behind. Can she talk him into tracking down their enemy?
Tulip: “That promise you made was a little boy‘s promise, made a long time ago. There‘s no such thing as good guys, Jesse. There‘s just guys. Maybe it isn‘t how you pictured it, but your daddy‘s dead, and this town is past saving.”
Cassidy ends up running down the two creepy killers headed back for their precious can and Custer. So a bit of luck puts them out of the game. For a second, before a strange flash starts surging in the sky. Yikes. At the same time, Cassidy gets ready to rid himself of the bodies all over again, and then finds the two henchmen, reappearing, healthy. A real head trip. They just need the can, though. They don’t want to mess with the vampire.
On the road to their destination, Jesse winds up with a gun to his head in a gas station bathroom. Donnie’s been following him looking for revenge; such a sad, weak little man. He wants to her the preacher squeal, like the preacher made him. Jesse uses his powers to almost make Donnie do the unthinkable and blow his brains out in the bathroom stall. Then he lets him go. Whoa. A tense moment, though it appears to make Jesse realise something important: “I get it,” he says to himself. Outside, Jesse tells Tulip he won’t be taking revenge on their enemy Carlos. She’s still not sold, you know that.
At the church, Cassidy’s sitting down now with Fiore and DeBlanc. They aren’t bad guys, so much as they’re around to keep a lid on the power that’s now cropped up inside Custer. Cassidy places himself as the “middle man” and hopes to work out something. Only I can’t imagine the preacher will be happy to give up all that power so soon.
Speaking of the preacher, he gives a tiny ceremony for the first victim of his new powers, the one that cut his heart out in the pilot episode. Only fitting the man that set him on that path sees to his burial.
Very pumped for the next episode. I thought this was even better than the second, as we start piecing things together, bit by bit, and the characters start to grow on us. Stick with me. I have a feeling the rest of this season is bound to be fun, exciting, and at times I’m sure horrific. AMC does good work. Glad to see Preacher is turning out so well, at least for those of us not stuck on their favourite books (comics, graphic novel, whatever) being exactly on screen how they were on paper. This is a good time, and I can’t wait for more. Next episode is titled “Monster Swamp” and directly links to the dialogue between Hugo and Arseface (Ian Colletti) near this one’s end.
Preacher’s Fun Pilot Episode Orders up a Side of Weird with an Entrée of Awesome
AMC’s Preacher
Pilot Episode
Directed by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen
Teleplay by Sam Catlin
Television Story by Catlin, Goldberg, & Rogen
* For a review of the next episode, “See” – click here
Here we are, the series premiere for AMC’s adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s graphic novel(s) Preacher! So excited. Let’s dig in.
We open on a view of outer space, as something rushes around the galaxy. Even bursts a hole through a ring around Saturn. It also cries like a baby, or at least we can hear the cries of a baby. Very interesting (I gather that’s something people who know the comics understand). Heading into Africa. Just like a comic book right off the bat in the way it looks and feels. Dig it.
We cut to a priest in his little African church preaching to the congregation. Naturally, that fucking thing from space is headed right for this poor guy. You already know that. It bursts through the doors and blasts him hard, shocking everybody. Of course everybody thinks it’s a “miracle” and they could not be farther from the truth. The priest rises and speaks in a terrifying voice. Before bursting into a spray of blood over the people. A great opener.
Now we’re with Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper). He wakes in a small room, bottles of booze empty at the bedside. There’s this great little moment where he fixes the sign way out front of his church in Texas, obviously tampered with by some young men being trouble. Father Custer doesn’t exactly command the attention of his congregation reading off his papers, as little kids flick their iPads and others just roll their eyes. Outside everybody is barbecuing and having fun, a few drinks, all that sort of stuff. Custer hears the problems of his people, inconsequential moments. Except for one little kid that’s worried about his mother. Worse, he wants the preacher to hurt his father for beating up on his mom. Seems before Jesse was preaching he did… things. Ah, foreboding little kid. Custer freaks the kid out a little. Freaked me out, too. Still, doesn’t do much good for the kid whose life is probably hell at home.
I love this first ten minutes. Lots of good stuff. And that goodness continues.
The little Texas town is a wild spot. Big ruckus about. Sheriff Hugo Root (W. Earl Brown) is awesome, as usual. Love how he blatantly sees Jesse swig some whiskey in his truck, but completely ignores it. He also ignores a lot more than that in his town. Root doesn’t seem to like the preacher much, so I’m looking forward to watching that develop. I’ve not yet read the graphic novels, I know nothing really of the story. Dig this on its own.
We then switch to 30,000 feet up in a nice little sequence taking us to a plane in the sky. Enjoy the directing from Goldberg and Rogen so far in this episode. Very stylish.
Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) and others are enjoying themselves in a jet. Flying high while flying, as in coked up. Cassidy ends up coming across a Holy Bible marked with some creepy shit throughout. A few moments later he starts an amazing fight with a homemade flamethrower, taking on guys with axes and crossbows and swords – oh my! – and this is one hell of a fight sequence. At one point, Cassidy starts cracking off beer cans like golf balls and it’s golden. A guy tries pouring Holy Water on him calling Cassidy an “abomination” then proceeds to get chowed down on, right in the jugular. Yikes. I’m loving this character already. Going in blind, not knowing the comics, this is a thrill ride for me. When the plane is fucked Cassidy siphons himself off a pint of blood then jumps out. What a cool vampire bastard.
Back down on the ground, Jesse eats breakfast with Emily (Lucy Griffiths). She helps out at the church. We’re graced by Mayor Miles Person (Ricky Mabe), a great actor playing a hilariously nebbish type of character.
Although we’re quickly whisked to Africa, where the priest was attacked by the presence. And some men are investigating. Hmm. The plot thickens.
Jesse checks on a man named Walter who hasn’t come in to work. A woman is in the shower, which sort of unsettles the preacher, so he heads on out.
Another quick switch sees us in a fast flying car heading through corn fields. Inside, Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” plays on the radio and Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) fights with every bit of her strength, tooth and fucking nail. The action so far in this pilot episode is just incredible, I must say. The fighting is spectacular. Tulip kills the dude in such an awesome way. She gets chastised by a brother and sister for running around beating things up, killing people. “A girl doesn‘t always need some stupid guy helping her,” the little girl exclaims, likely summing up exactly what Ms. O’Hare is all about. She’s good with kids, good with fighting. Good with making bazookas and taking down platoons full of men. God damn regular Rambette.
Flashbacks of Jesse’s briefly reveal his father might have been killed. For those of us that haven’t read the comics, this is a mystery starting out. Like how they only give us a taste. Not too much at once. At the same time, Cassidy is a splattered mess in the ground, stuck in a hole. Amazing effects. Creepy little scene, as he finds himself something to eat.
We zip on over to Russia. In a temple, a similar event to the one in Africa happened. Brains, blood everywhere. Some men show up to investigate again.
Custer is busy about town. He meets with the kid’s mom from earlier; she claims BDSM type stuff. Then he’s over meeting with Tulip in her car, even finds an ear. Though she tosses that one off, both figuratively and literally. Their dynamic is interesting, they obviously have history, and that’s all coming into play in their current relationship. What I love most is how we get a real sense of Jesse as a preacher, a genuine man of the cloth, because he sees everybody, he goes around talking to them, he’s just like a small town preacher is in real life (I come from a relatively small town).
Another interesting piece – Sheriff Root is making a Tabasco and meat smoothie, which Jesse brings up to the one, the only Arseface (Ian Colletti). Poor guy. Butthole for a mouth. He tells Jesse he used to talk to God, and he could hear him talk back. Real faith. Now he doesn’t hear anything. Seems Arseface did something, bad, as it looks. Is that what made his mouth look like an anus? I feel bad for him now. Can’t wait to discover the full story. Lots of intrigue for an outsider like me that hasn’t read any Preacher.
In a bar, Cassidy arrives and sits next to Custer. On television nearby it says Tom Cruise has exploded. Amazing. Then Jesse gets a fight thrown at him by the husband of the wife he talked to earlier, Donnie Schenck (Derek Wilson) about all the abuse stuff. Oh my, the preacher’s being pushed to display his fighter side. And fight he does. Not just one man, a bunch. Big, small, all sizes. He kicks a ton of asses. Before breaking the abusive father and husband’s arm viciously.
Cassidy: “Jesus, what kind of a preacher are you?”
Love Joseph Gilgun. He plays Cassidy incredibly, makes me laugh so much. Furthermore, he and Dominic Cooper have chemistry. They are each quite different in their roles, obviously. But also they make it all the better with their portrayals of the respective characters.
Custer says he’s quitting. He doesn’t feel it’s going to work in that town. Not any more. Too much history, I imagine.
Up at the church he finds something strange going on inside himself. He talks to God, asking for answers or else he’s “done“, in his own words. When he gets on his knees and begs forgiveness, nothing comes. Unsurprised, he sits back for a cigarette. Only something other than God has that answer for him. A presence moves forward to where the preacher stands. Then it takes him off his feet, flinging him back.
Later, Jesse wakes in bed. Emily is there to comfort him. He’s been out for three whole days. Coming to he feels different. He acts differently. He even makes Ted Reyerson (Brian Huskey) head to see his mother, so that he can be honest. To open his heart and be true. He literally opens his chest cavity. Takes the heart out for dear mom. “For all this I am responsible,” says Jesse as we cut directly to him. “This is why I‘ve come home. To save you.”
Afterwards, the two men checking into all the strange incidents around the globe are in Texas. They know that the thing from outer space is at the church. Excited to watch that play out further.
What a whopper of a pilot episode. Again, as someone not having read the comics this is a lot of fun. I’m sold already. Bring on more episodes and let’s have a fucking riot! Preacher delivers the goods on all fronts.
