If you had to choose a time to release a TV show based on a profane and violent comic book, you might probably settle on 2016. The walking dead, for example, still enjoys the kind of figures reserved for half time show dressing malfunctions and moon landings. Daredevil, produced by Marvel, showed that comic book television does not have to be a joyless chore. Let us not forget that your favorite show — the one equally discussed by footballers, academics, and boring peeps — has actual dragons in it. The point here is we are lapping up genre shows. Preacher could not have enjoyed a more receptive audience at such a receptive time. Even so, fewer people are talking about it. Take this for instance: have you ever rushed back home because every minute of not knowing what will happen in the next episode of the show like a nail down your soul? I can bet you a dime that you have not, and that is a shame. Basically, as brilliant as Preacher might be, it is one odd and awkward show to develop cult-like loving for.
The Premise
Jesse Custer, a small-town preacher, is a man who is always questioning his fate after he is inhabited by a foreign spirit referred to as Genesis who gives him the ‘power of God.’ He considers this a gift from God and thus decides to heal everyone close to him. While theoretically it seems like a man looking to understand his faith a bit better, the preacher’s past and the colorful characters around him lure him into abusing his power. Many times, issues dealing with religion are a big ‘no go’ zone for people who do not consider themselves to be spiritual beings. However, in the same way that The Young Pope formed a narrative about Catholic churches without highlighting issues that you have already chosen to expect, Preacher is closely related only that Custer prefers tobacco, bourbon, and cowboy boots to papal wine. It is very effective to place supernatural elements side by side with religious undertones. This scenario creates a good contrast between the Biblical mysticism and feats and what narrations we consider to be untrue that most devout individuals consider true. If there is one message to learn from the premiering season is that all believers must acknowledge God when times are good as when times are bad.
The Gore
From the show’s very beginning, you will gain the insight that this is not the typical movie that revolves around the undead, spirits, and such things that you might bump into in the night. This idea is reinforced by moments in the early episodes of the series. Different moments, such as Tom Cruise getting to an untimely end, a vampire running on an airplane, and Tulip killing someone with corn before creating a bazooka and thereafter shooting a chopper, work towards showing that this is not your usual movie.
Side Characters
Tulip, Jesse, and Cassidy do provide enough intrigue and entertainment to fill up every episode’s running time. However, it might be the side characters who offer an authentic version for what spirituality actually means to those who believe in it, or have lost it, or have never even considered it.
- First of all, there is DeBlanc and Fiore — two detectives who are revealed to be the initial custodians of Genesis, the spirit. The two smash the angel archetype through a number of escapades are, in the long run, forced to move to hell to strike a deal with Satan.
- There is also Eugene Root — he carries the nickname Arseface after his attempted suicide with a gun has made his mouth to resemble a butthole. Filled with guilt for not only what his failed suicide attempt has done to his dad, but he is also struggling with the occurrence of another act that led him to consider killing himself in the first place.
- Lastly, the season’s main antagonist is Quincannon – a cattle rancher who likes killing animals that he has an audio feed of some of his cows getting slaughtered. He is a devout atheist who prefers to worship at the altar of meat. He gets into a direct encounter with Jesse and his quest to instill Christianity into the residents of Annville.
God’s Answer
One big reveal in this series is the physical appearance of ‘God.’ This appearance comes to the delight on not only people living in Annville but also to Jesse himself who considers his spiritual journey to be now complete. This episode is quite rewarding as it confirms to boxes: there is a God, but he is quite unpredictable and missing. These two traits give him qualities that are not usually associated with the Almighty. Not too long ago, the summer was synonymous to re-run season. However, thanks to numerous streaming services, we are now on a 365 day a year watching binge. AMC’s stylish and bizarre show has returned, and it promises an even more ludicrous season than the first.
Equally a thriller as it is a comedy and critique of organized religion, Preacher is definitely one of the strangest and unique shows on TV right now. However, just as in fashion, being weird just to be seen as weird is not at all a winning combination. Preacher, in this light, seeks to strike a most perfect balance — offering you characters that you most definitely care about, situations that require logical input, and a considerable amount of celestial occurrences that will transport you to another world without necessarily making it feel unrealistic and ungrounded. Regardless of whether you are one of those fans that have already taken some Kool-Aid or one who may have missed the first season, below is everything that makes Preacher stand out as one of the most underrated TV shows.
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