Preacher - First Look

What the hell is happening? This is a phrase I find myself uttering on more than one occasion while watching Preacher  the latest show on AMC. Although it's six episodes in, I'm still not entirely sure what is going on. From what I can gather, the main story line revolves around a preacher called Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) who gets possessed by this spirit called Genesis. It has the effect that Jesse can make anyone do anything with the power of his voice. Soon, a couple of Angels (played by Tom Brooke and Anatol Yusef) arrive on the scene tasked with retrieving Genesis. They are joined by an Irish vampire called Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) and a mysterious bounty hunter (Graham McTavish) as well as a vast assortment of supporting characters. It is a truly mental series. Saying that, it is also one of the funnest shows I've watched in a long time.

Joseph Gilgun battling an angel with a
chainsaw. What more do you need?

Joseph Gilgun is a true standout for me. I'm a bit of  a fan of his anyway having loved him in Misfits and This is England. I even liked him as Eli Dingle in Emmerdale! It's great to see him get his big break in a huge American production such as this one. The two Angels are also great and some of their interactions with Cassidy are absolutely brilliant. As the title character, Dominc Cooper is well, Dominc Cooper. He's an established actor and the role of Jessse is one he can really sink his teeth into.

Almost too similar to the
show?

If the show has any downsides it could be that there is often just too much going on. The story line is a very simple one initially, a preacher gets possessed by a spirit that gives him the ability to make people do stuff with the power of his own voice. The trouble is that there's other stuff going off alongside this main plot that doesn't appear to have much of a connection, at least not in the earlier episodes. Also, and this isn't a criticism as such, the show is often cartoonish at times. IMO The Walking Dead led the way in how comic books should be adapted for television. While you can't actually tell that that show was born as a comic book, with Preacher it is all too obvious. Like I said though, that's not a criticism, just a general musing. Perhaps, this is how comic books should be adapted and The Walking Dead got it all wrong?

Preacher is a complicated beast to try and talk about because, if I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure what is going on with it. However, that's not to say that it isn't a great show. It is one of the craziest shows around at the moment, a show that doesn't take itself too seriously. Utterly bonkers is a way I've described it before. In a world of The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Outlander, shows with outlandish plots but a serious outlook, it's good to have a bit of bonkers to throw into the mix too. It's also good to see a show that's got legs. Already, Preacher has earned itself a thirteen episode second season order!


Preacher is currently airing on AMC in America. In the UK, you can catch it on Amazon Prime with new episodes added every Tuesday.