Title: Preacher: “On the Road”
Network: AMC
Air Date: June 25th, 2017
Genre: Black Comedy, Horror
Preacher, Season Two returned tonight with one hell of an episode titled “On the Road.” Executive producer Sam Caitlin said it best regarding the season opener,
“Violence, and comedy, and drama, and absurdity. It’s a pretty unique stew. Hopefully, people will recognize all the elements of what makes Preacher, Preacher in that first 10 minutes. It’s just bigger.”
The first episode of Preacher is absolutely that … it’s violent, absurd and hilarious. The first 10 minutes includes baby foreskins, a sing-along, a car chase, a shootout, entrail sucking and a dramatic escape. This is one of the episodes that you realize in those first few minutes, that it’s going to be a hit. Sure, Preacher could somehow bomb right after this vivacious start but… it never does. One thing I really dislike is when reviewing a show feels like a chore. Don’t get me wrong, I know many productions out there put in hard work for their finished product…I get it. Unfortunately, some, in the end, feel like a chore to watch. I couldn’t be happier to say that if Preacher, Season Two, were a ride into hell…I’d be buying a first class ticket.
Season Two of Preacher kicks off immediately following the finale of season one. Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy have set out on the road to find God. Their first destination? Another Preacher. As I mentioned earlier, the first 10 minutes is just violent, absurd and hilarious. Not only that, it’s pulled off perfectly by Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga , nd Joe Gilgun. I love their onscreen chemistry together and just watching the three of them have a conversation is entertaining enough. Personally, Joe Gilgun as Cassidy is still one of my favorite characters of the series thus far.
For those that watched Season One of Preacher and are unaware of the comics, it was pretty clear that the Saint of Killers was going to be a bad dude. His introduction to our trio in the opening was just awesome. Despite Jesse not knowing who he is or his intentions right away, it’s clear he means business. The sound of those hand cannons of his is absolutely wicked and fitting for a man just out of hell. I also like the fact that he just walks. There’s no car, no light jog… he just continues to walk in the direction of Preacher. The Saint of Killers is also extremely brutal and uncompromising in his quest to find Jesse. The tongue ripping scene was cringe inducing. As Jesse finds out at the close of the episode, Genesis does not work on the Saint of Killers.
The first part of the journey leads our trio to Mike, an old family friend of Jesse’s. Mike is played by another one of my favorite actors, Glenn Morshower. While his time in this episode is short, it gives Jesse a lead and Mike also goes out in a pretty bad ass way. The scenes at Mike’s house are further examples how comedy and absurdity are blended into this first episode. It’s the small lines in the right moments that make great comedy for me, like Cassidy saying “Pleasure meeting you, Ashley” to the girl they find locked in a cage. Anyway, after Jesse gives Mike the lowdown that God’s no longer in heaven, Mike points Jesse towards a strip joint where apparently God was.
The strip club is another hilarious little adventure and Cassidy breaks off from the group to “have a look around.” It was a priceless scene to see him in the background on the video monitors during the entire conversation Jesse and Tulip were having with Tammy. The fight just began to get progressively worse until eventually, Tammy winds up shot. We’ll have to see how it plays out but this episode now sets Cassidy up to have a real sense of guilt. Not only has he slept with Tulip but now he has gotten a woman shot, a woman that as far as we know has actually seen God. Cassidy even explains to Jesse later that he won’t let him down again, reinforcing that he feels guilty for his actions so far.
Ruth Negga as Tulip was also a treat to watch in this episode. I dig that she likes a fair fight and isn’t a real fan of Genesis. I’m anxious to see how things play out with her this season. Ruth Negga said in an interview not long ago that Tulip’s past may interfere with the quest to find God. I also like her attraction to Jesse, with her wanting Jesse to beat down the door to get to her. It’s a comedic moment when we see Cassidy in the next room hearing the banging against the wall. Just what did Cassidy see on the TV though? Clearly, with the screen zeroing in on his face, it’s meant for us to know that he saw something important.
Did you catch tonight’s episode of Preacher? If so, what did you think? Did you find it as fantastic as I did? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and check back next week for our all new review. Also be sure to check out our latest review of Fear the Walking Dead.
Verdict: Preacher kicked off Season Two with a remarkable episode that left me wanting more. It had the perfect blend of comedy, violence, and absurdity. It even had a few emotional moments and Preacher has clearly demonstrated itself as being on track to have one hell of a season.
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