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| Dominic Cooper |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
It's hard to believe, but almost every viable TV network has run a comic book adapted series in the past year. It is just to be expected nowadays, especially with the summer blockbuster like Captain America: Civil War making big bucks worldwide. However, there's few that likely have a series as successful in the zeitgeist right now as AMC. The Walking Dead premiered in 2010 and kicked off the zombie revival, including its own spin-off Fear the Walking Dead, and its own recap show (Talking Dead). It only seems right then that the once prestigious network would continue to branch off into genre fare with their latest offering. Considering that most Marvel or D.C. properties have been sucked up by more accessible markets, it seems like a bold if not interesting move to go after Preacher - which can be summarized as a show about a butt-kicking priest.
It's not nearly as humble as the religious symbolism would have you believe. Yes, the show participates its fair share in crucifixes and guilt complexes. However, the show is also possibly among the most deranged superhero TV series to come out. In its premiere, an Irish vampire massacres an entire private jet before jumping out with nothing more than an umbrella. It's a show whose ultraviolence puts Daredevil's martial arts technique to shame, if just because of its underlying dark humor that accompanies these moments. While there's very little semblance of what the show will be about or if there will be a seasonal arc of who the villain is, the show definitely has the perfect tone to stand out in a crowded market. Considering that it has a character named Arseface, it doesn't mince words often. This may be a show whose character is tied to religion, but there's little that serves so far as Catholic propaganda.
If anything, Preacher is a series that attempts to explore the balance between good and evil on earth. With plenty of supernatural elements already in play, it manages to feel vital. The preacher in question is named Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), who only fights when necessary. Otherwise, he's leading his small town church in prayer and protecting them from the deranged and sinful world around them. The first episode manages to feel like a question of conscience that is rich within the Catholicism that Custer represents. Considering that the show was co-created by and the first episode directed by the Jewish Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, it manages to focus more on what makes the show so immediate without much sacrifice. The show wants to be gritty and violent, and it does so with such ease.
It is unclear what will give Preacher the edge long term. However, it quickly establishes itself as a force of nature. Where CW dramas like The Flash and Supergirl are reduced to more innocent standards, Preacher is allowed to go into more surreal and fascinating places that may even be off limits to Daredevil. While fans of the comic have praised its accuracy, those who are entirely new to the universe will have difficulty finding what the overall catch of the premiere is. Beyond the cool set pieces, what exactly is so sustaining about the AMC series? True, Cooper gives a solid performance and the opening scene in particular sets the tone nicely. However, the lack of plot makes it difficult to do more than promise something better down the road. It isn't a problem, especially since its introductions are fun. One can only hope that it doesn't fade into the mundane nature of The Walking Dead before it.
Overall, Preacher is a show that plays into AMC's shifting brand from prestige dramas (though shows like Halt and Catch Fire still exist) to genre fare. It isn't a bad thing, especially since this will join Humans and Into the Badlands. However, it is yet to be proven if the style will wear thin, or if there's more to Jesse Custer's story than good fighting evil. It is a novelty concept, and one that seems ripe given the universe of Preacher. With plenty of solid action set pieces and witty lines to spare, the premiere is solid in a way that AMC hasn't been in a long time. Now that it has lit the fuse, it's time to see how long it will be before it blows up. I'm hoping that it takes a long time. The highs of the episode are too sublime for things to just go downhill immediately.
It's not nearly as humble as the religious symbolism would have you believe. Yes, the show participates its fair share in crucifixes and guilt complexes. However, the show is also possibly among the most deranged superhero TV series to come out. In its premiere, an Irish vampire massacres an entire private jet before jumping out with nothing more than an umbrella. It's a show whose ultraviolence puts Daredevil's martial arts technique to shame, if just because of its underlying dark humor that accompanies these moments. While there's very little semblance of what the show will be about or if there will be a seasonal arc of who the villain is, the show definitely has the perfect tone to stand out in a crowded market. Considering that it has a character named Arseface, it doesn't mince words often. This may be a show whose character is tied to religion, but there's little that serves so far as Catholic propaganda.
If anything, Preacher is a series that attempts to explore the balance between good and evil on earth. With plenty of supernatural elements already in play, it manages to feel vital. The preacher in question is named Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), who only fights when necessary. Otherwise, he's leading his small town church in prayer and protecting them from the deranged and sinful world around them. The first episode manages to feel like a question of conscience that is rich within the Catholicism that Custer represents. Considering that the show was co-created by and the first episode directed by the Jewish Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, it manages to focus more on what makes the show so immediate without much sacrifice. The show wants to be gritty and violent, and it does so with such ease.
It is unclear what will give Preacher the edge long term. However, it quickly establishes itself as a force of nature. Where CW dramas like The Flash and Supergirl are reduced to more innocent standards, Preacher is allowed to go into more surreal and fascinating places that may even be off limits to Daredevil. While fans of the comic have praised its accuracy, those who are entirely new to the universe will have difficulty finding what the overall catch of the premiere is. Beyond the cool set pieces, what exactly is so sustaining about the AMC series? True, Cooper gives a solid performance and the opening scene in particular sets the tone nicely. However, the lack of plot makes it difficult to do more than promise something better down the road. It isn't a problem, especially since its introductions are fun. One can only hope that it doesn't fade into the mundane nature of The Walking Dead before it.
Overall, Preacher is a show that plays into AMC's shifting brand from prestige dramas (though shows like Halt and Catch Fire still exist) to genre fare. It isn't a bad thing, especially since this will join Humans and Into the Badlands. However, it is yet to be proven if the style will wear thin, or if there's more to Jesse Custer's story than good fighting evil. It is a novelty concept, and one that seems ripe given the universe of Preacher. With plenty of solid action set pieces and witty lines to spare, the premiere is solid in a way that AMC hasn't been in a long time. Now that it has lit the fuse, it's time to see how long it will be before it blows up. I'm hoping that it takes a long time. The highs of the episode are too sublime for things to just go downhill immediately.
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