Preacher was a highly anticipated show last year that left viewers with a plethora of different feelings and reactions that were all warranted. The show, which is an adaptation of a graphic novel by the same name, took Preacher’s first season away from the source material in order to establish the world and violent craziness within it. Initially, this felt like an interesting choice because Preacher found itself with no structure or clear season path; there was not necessarily a specific antagonist and each week lacked a consistent purpose and ending. Yet, for all of the confusion that Preacher’s first season provided, it gave viewers just as much, if not more, violence, action and overall craziness to latch onto. Now viewers have a grasp for how the show’s universe works and what to expect as season two jumps right into the traditional story and knocks it out of the park.
The first season’s largest problem was easily the fact that the show had no structure, which left most of the episodes feeling like random events happening without a foreseeable ending or lead into the future. At first this idea came across as troublesome, but now allows Preacher to avoid being heavy-handed with exposition in order to keep viewers updated on all the different aspects of this world. Season two kicks things off with a great combination of equivalent levels of fun and consistency. Now that it is clear Jesse has the power of Genesis, people are going to quickly recognize this and come after him. The show quickly informs the viewers that this season will send Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy on a road trip in search of God while at the same time running from an actual antagonist as well. Honestly, that’s all that Preacher needs to provide in terms of a season outline because the show has proven it will have no problem filling in the rest with tons of insanity.
Finally providing a clear cut antagonist is something that feels very exciting though because it delivers a missing aspect from the first season. “On the Road” and “Mumbai Sky Tower” waste no time introducing viewers to the Saint of Killers. The menacing ghostly outlaw immediately fits in with the dark side of the show’s tone and feels like a formidable opponent for Jesse and the crew. What really makes the Saint of Killers a good villain is that the character can sense or hear whenever Jesse uses Genesis, which provides a logical reason for why he can constantly follow them and know where they are traveling to. This is going to put Jesse into a position where he has to think before using Genesis and whether or not the situation really calls for it, and that helps to put some restrictions on how crazy Preacher can really get because Genesis can no longer be used as a cop-out for every sticky situation.
Yet, despite Jesse having to be smarter with Genesis, Preacher will never lose any of its ridiculousness. “Mumbai Sky Tower,” delivered probably the most fun story by incorporating an update on Fiore and how his life has been going since he lost his partner, DeBlanc, for good. Exploring Fiore’s life without purpose was one of, if not, the highlight of these two premiere episodes for Preacher. The montage of Fiore trying to find purpose in life only to end up utilizing his inability to die permanently as a magician’s assistant was incredible. The montage of different ways he could commit suicide and wow the crowd was an amazing display of Preacher‘s dark comedic roots established in the first season. Using Fiore’s depression as a comedic tool is something only Preacher can do though, even taking it an extra step by having Fiore brush off a dying young fan expecting to learn the big secret so he can escape death.
Returning to the screen with a two episode premiere was definitely a smart decision for this show because it was able to accomplish a lot with the extended time. Preacher really hit the right notes by returning with a familiar bang while also firmly establishing the show’s plan for this second season. There is a purpose to the season with the gang trying to locate God, and that opens up a big doorway to some interesting conversations about faith and belief; however, Preacher can accomplish this without sacrificing the dark humor that makes the show so fun to watch. Having a villain like the Saint of Killers smoothly puts some limitations on Genesis and will hopefully force Jesse to show how smart he actually is in certain situations. Road trips are always fun, but Preacher’s road trip with a supernatural foundation, adult tone and dark humor is exactly what viewers needed the show to be.
Other Thoughts:
– Oh man, that car chase opening was golden.
– “ya got some…. cat fur” the random little exchanges between Jesse are one of the things that elevate this show.
– Gotta love the gun association that runs out. “YEAH, WHAT CAN’T GUNS DO?!”
– Awesome musical cues throughout both of these episodes.
– Shout out to Vik Sahay a.k.a. Lester from Chuck, who played Frank Patal, the magician with Fiore in “Mumbai Sky Tower.” Great seeing that guy pop up on screen again!
– The whole segment of Cassidy cooking up drugs with Fiore and then ingesting them for a crazy trip within the hotel room was maybe the most enjoyable sequence from either of the episodes.
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