After driving 150 miles down the highway to hell without ever pumping the breaks, Preacher‘s understandably more reserved follow-up to its eccentrically off-the-cuff pilot can seem like a little bit of a letdown.
It’s softer, more downbeat, more directly character-driven, more dialogue-focused. But that’s not to suggest this episode doesn’t bring the action, or the gore, or the weirdness in healthy doses. It just has other objectives on its mind, and more localized ground to cover. So there’s no continent-jumping. There’s no space travel. There are no high-flying airplane jumps, or driving full speed into cornfields. But that doesn’t make it any less fun, or any less interesting, and that’s a true testament to the continued success of the freshman series. Even when things get a little more subdued and a little more mindful, AMC’s adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion’s beloved graphic novel series is still just as captivatingly bizarre as can be, without ever having to stress upon it or use it as its clutch. The weirdness just comes with the territory, and it helps to give the series the spicy flavor it needs to stand out amongst the crowd.
Though we stay predominantly within the state of Texas this week, we’re welcomed back into the world of Preacher many years before the events we’ve seen before. Trying a couple thousand years, in fact, as we bounce back to 1881, and follow the unexplored pursuits of a quiet gunslinger in the old west, roaming throughout the desert as though he walked off the set of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. The desert surroundings are as lovingly crafted as possible, and returning directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg take every chance they get to compliment their deserted backdrop. There’s something unmistakably cinematic about this show and the way its presents itself, with intercut cinematography and sharply-presented images booming as loud and presently as anything Dillion drew. The mission this mysterious man is tasked upon is anyone’s guess at the moment. We know he is there to help a sick child of some sort, and that he’ll need to travel into the town of our main characters in order to retrieve what he is quested upon. In between night and day, he’s accustomed to settling with pioneers traveling the land, amazed and bright-eyed about the potential of the New West. It’s a promising start, the beginning of something new, but some things, we can read in our silent new character’s eyes, are almost always the same.
Nothing comes without sacrifices. No land is free. And as we follow our wanderer and see the scalped, beaten corpses of fallen indians, we know what he believes to be true. And in some ways, our titular protagonist (Dominic Cooper) knows this to be true as well. As we continue to see him following in his late father’s footsteps and trying to help himself by helping others, it’s evident that he wants to make a good life for himself and those around him, just like he promised on the stand the last time we saw him in his work. He is baptizing. He is passing out flyers, hoping to get suggestions on how to make his place of worship a better place. He is visiting the sick and listening to the troubled, but he can’t do any good. Despite his good intentions, he knows he’s a sinner. He’s a bad man who comes from good intentions, and the word of God is merely text he has memorized. He can’t save anyone, because he can hardly save himself. And Tulip (Ruth Negga), his one-time trusted alley, knows this is the truth.
Following him around town, letting herself get wet with the water of the Lord and stealing our main character’s driver’s wheel to get his attention, Tulip is a driven woman who knows exactly what she wants, and she knows how to get people’s attention — particularly the man she knows all too well. She keeps trying to win him over. He refuses. She tries again. He continues to refuse. It’s a cute little back-and-forth game at this point, and Preacher isn’t clueless. How can he be, especially when he’s tasered and seemingly chained up in the middle of the night by our cunning temptress? Tulip knows how to get people’s attention, and he she knows how to win. She can clean up a house of card-playing regulars at a local watering hole whorehouse like it’s her business of choice, and she can do with a wink and a smile in the process. She’s sexy. She’s smart. She’s empowered as hell. But like everyone on this show, she comes with a dark, twisted past. And Preacher, of course, is no different. He knows his true self; he’s just trying not to fall into temptation. He has the work of his father and his Father to do, and he can be the man he was before (and still is) and get that work done. So he stays faithful, but he is never without sin.
Meanwhile, our trusted, twisted vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) is still around, always mindful of the hot desert sun and enjoying himself a liquor bottle or two in the process. And we get to learn a more about his checkered past. It turns out he’s 900 years old, and that he finds The Big Lebowski overrated. I can only assume it’s because he’s not human. And we also know that he can work his way around not getting a chainsaw to the face when our sunglass-wearing power suit gentlemen finally pay our Preacher a visit at a moment of slumbering vulnerability. This, of course, leads to another awesome little fight sequence in the House of the Lord, and one I’ll talk about more in a little bit. As I’ve stressed before, it’s apparent Goldberg and Rogen are much more cinematic in their approach than some of their comedy peers, and they give each shot a nice sheen and a fantastic balance of grit and beauty. The world of Preacher already pops in 2D, and they just make sure it continues to bounce with each jump and hop as it leaps into the third dimension.
There are a lot of questions left here, including the introduction of Jackie Earle Healey’s mysterious new character, the specifics behind Tulip’s past and what the heck is up with those two suit guys and their little music box. But what should be made clear is this: Preacher is a quality show, and even when it pulls the breaks a little bit, it still knows how to keep going and going and going and going. It’s an exciting, pulpy, balls-to-the-wall shot that has learned well from its peers and continues to only show promise with each passing episode. It’s unclear how fast we’re going in the next few weeks, but I’m still enjoying the ride. Keep up the good work, and I’ll continue to praise its good name.
Now, let’s explore the week’s top five.
Tulip
I cannot overstate the awesomeness of this character and Negga’s performance. Her work is positively electric, and every time she’s on-screen, Preacher positively sizzles with charisma and energy. She’s a beacon of excellence in a sea of goodness, and you only love her and her crooked little smile more and more with each appearance. She’s an ace in the hole, and I’m ecstatic to know Rogen, Goldberg and showrunner Sam Catlin are continuing to use her often and wisely. Negga is a true star in the making, and her Tulip continues to melt my heart with every little wink, teasing smile and pointed jab. There’s been some controversy about her race change and her different appearance from the comic, but I can’t see how anyone can watch her work her magic and be upset. She owns up to the role with completely control and an always disarming sense of cool, and I can’t wait to see more of her in the future.
Cassidy
That The Big Lebowski remark aside, Cassidy continues to prove himself an excellent adversary and a delight screen presence in this second episode. It would be very easy for this kind of character to overstay his welcome, especially in a show like this. But Gilgun embodies the role effortless, almost as if he were always meant to play him, and he springs to (undead) life at every chance to prove himself. It’s clear Catlin has as much fun writing for him as his creators did. He oozes punk cool and he knows how to handle himself in a fight, and that’s going to continue proving itself as a bunch of fun in the week’s to come, it appears. Like Tulip, I can’t wait for him to pop up more.
Church Fight
Although I’ve mentioned it a couple times already, our show-stopping fight between Cassidy and our mysterious suited henchmen is almost nearly as much fun as the bar brawl we witnessed two weeks back. It’s bloody, its crisp, its unflinching and it never relents. It’s well-shot and, shot up close but not too close, it feels like you’re in the moment, avoiding the chainsaw and working your way around the perpetrators. And as a Evil Dead lover, I’m always able to support a nice chainsaw fight or two, and I’m glad to know this one didn’t disappoint. The comparisons between Preacher and Ash vs Evil Dead have continuously become apparent, and adding this little fight felt like a loving wink to their master, Sam Raimi. Anything that gives me fond memories of Raimi is always, always welcomed in my book.
Cold (a.k.a. Scorching) Opening
Once again welcoming us to the action by putting us decidedly away from the action, we find ourselves, as noted before, in 1881 in our first scene, as we follow a silent type we don’t know, and still don’t know by the time the five-minute scene ends. With his destination in check, it’s clear he’s going to provide some repercussions, and he might explain what that mysterious power instead our titular character might relate to. But with a wonderful understanding of style and a fine attention to land in relation to character, it’s among the most beautifully realized scenes I’ve witnessed this year, either on the big or small screen. It’s another signifier for the show’s reverence for different genres and tones, and it continues to prove the prowess of our developers and directors. They know what they’re doing here, so just settle in and let it take its course. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Dominic Cooper
I don’t think I’ve given Dominic Cooper his proper due here. His character, along with his performance, is decidedly more toned down and noticeably more down-to-earth, even if he’s supposed to be a man of God. He has his demons and he wrestles with his familiar insecurities, but our lead always makes them feel humble and sorrowful. He knows he’s not a good man, and he isn’t trying to win anyone sympathy. He’s just trying to steer himself right by not being so wrong, and we know it’s a losing battle but Cooper makes it all worth the while. It’s mournful and well-considered, and it’s clear that it’s as good as anything the exceptional actor has done before. Hopefully, as our nameless lead works through his problems, he only gets more chances to prove himself.
