Topic: PREACHER (spoilers)

[8ullfrog]

So I decided to dive back in on this series, and I'm glad I did. Only on the second episode, but hoo do they build a tale.

In the first one, something comes into Preacher Jesse Custer's life, something that made other people, including Tom Cruise, explode in a shower of gore. We don't get told exactly what this is, but it's being hunted by two extremely strange individuals.

AND THAT's THE B STORY!

Our Primary tale is that of Jesse Custer, Preacher. He's in a town of very deeply damaged individuals, and he is trying to save their souls. The initial hook story turns from domestic abuse to a sado-masochistic relationship, and Jesse really wishes he hadn't dug into it. Sadly, this comes around back to Domestic abuse on the son of the parishioners. And Jesse is forced to make a choice.


And the dressing is just oh so nice. We've got a fading peeling church where somebody keeps messing with the sign (Kinda like a simpsons couch gag) And a rather craptacular town.


The mascot has been changed from an offensive Indian stereotype to a prarie dog, and well, that dog don't hunt.



Meanwhile, there's a VAMPIRE. I can't remember a more explosive and insane introduction to a character than how we meet Cassidy. He runs into a batch of vampire hunters that for some reason resort to medieval weapons - On a private jet stuffed with drugs and alcohol. Anyway, Cassidy takes a 30,000 foot dive, and it isn't looking too good for him, until a cow wanders along.


Seriously, I knew the comic book was insane, but at the time, I was shocked with how far Preacher pushed the envelope. I mean they can say golly now on cable, but this was by my book, really stretching it to the limit. And I love every minute of it.


I mentioned this in another thread, but the hypocrisy of the people in the town, Jesse and Cassidy included, is as deep as their pain, and extremely compelling.


In the second episode, notes are introduced that aren't quite explained, but hint at a greater arc, without the characters having to just stand by as events happen, as in Thrones. Events have starts, and events have consequences. Hell, we go back to 1881 in the opener, to show that things have never exactly been rosy sunshine. No, this is more a bleached bone sun.


Later events with a chainsaw, and the revelation that Cassidy doesn't much care for "The Big Lebowski" Sear this show into your brain. I don't know if that's a good thing, but it's a hell of a ride.

[6pairsofshoes]

I like the occasional interjection of Johnny Cash and similar music.

I can't determine whether I like it or not yet.  There is sure a motley group of characters.  Tulip's arts & crafts time, "hey kids let's make a bazooka" was entertaining.

[8ullfrog]

Honestly I'd say the second episode has more of a feel to it, first one is kinda dreamy.

I'm up to 6 now, and oh my Jesse takes a master class in making things worse. Funny anecdote about komodo dragons though.

I liked Tulip at first, but she's kind of curdled as a character as time has gone on. Then again, all of them do.

Funny thing, there's an anime called Code Geass, similar premise, absolute command (with caveats) [And horrible consequences].

Can't tell if the anime ripped the book off, even now the library waiting list for the source material is "Buy it yourself".

I'd probably go the dictator route, everyone gets the same command - "Follow my orders, never screw me over".

Then again, considering the principles Jesse has trampled, I expect he's got his Tom Cruise moment coming.


I liked the inclusion of Rusty Cage, I was a big fan of the American collection. Shame it was the end, but hey, The Man told us so.


[Ep 7. - Cassidy sounds like us at dinner, still hates Lebowski]

[Ep 8. - Wow, Tulip, just, no.] [Hell of an episode though, delicious hypocrisy all around, even Angels get in on it.]


My feckin' streaming site keeps badgering me to save westeros in some online farmtown type poo, and I say NO, golly westeros, is a stupid place anyway.


[Ep 9. Had to watch in 240p, brutal. The cowboy from 1881 becomes more relevant, Cassidy finds a novel use for corpses. I'm still mad about the dog, but Breaking Bad never went half as hard as this]


[Ep. 10 Hell of a finale.]

[6pairsofshoes]

I watched the 1st 2 last night.  Lots of gratuitous violence & gore.

I'm still waiting to see if the plot development will offset it.  In some ways it reminds me of American Gods without the references to mythology/world religions.  Preacher wants to do good, struggles with his lower urges, etc.  Tulip is cute but annoying.

I was unclear how she could engage in that sustained combat in the car and come out looking like she stepped out of the pages of 17 Magazine.  That strained credulity a bit, although I did like the homemade bazooka.  There was no explanation as to what was going on with the people she was fighting with, the downed helicopter, etc.  What was that all about?  One hopes for some clarification later, but for now, it was just, "look what I can do with my homemade bazooka!"

Also, why dunk the guy's head in hot water if a simple verbal command can get him to stop thinking about the little girl?  That's what I mean by gratuitous violence.  The artificial deep voice (cue:  now the inner alien-- or whatever the hell that thing that kept blowing up preachers was--is talking).  And the guys in the church with chain saws?  The vampire?  WTF?  One hopes there's a effort to weave these threads together in coming episodes.   For now, it's more like some writers sat down with a kit of plot parts and chose some they liked without considering how they'd actually relate to one another.

[8ullfrog]

It's certainly the same well hole, with Ennis and all that. American gods was so much faff to me, never bothered, won't. Same with that new Good Omens.

Tulip has been a comic book grade assassin for who knows how long, she got removed from the Custer church none too soon, considering Jesse's dad ate a bullet, and Jesse ain't exactly a font of happiness.

As to the boiling baptism, well, as much as Jesse tries to be the Good Guy, he isn't. So a pedophile with  a target fixation is worth a boiling baptism with a heaping dose of genesis lobotomy.  The politician kept reassuring himself that his confessions were confidential, and they were. Problem was, his preacher believed in corrective behaviors.

Genesis is the thing in Preacher's guts. I'm deep in S2, it's still not fully explained, just limits are defined.

Deblanc and Fiore are Angels, but not too good at the job. Genesis is what happens when an Angel and a Demon get it on.


Cassidy killed them a couple times, thinks they're government clones. They do repeatedly state that they are "from the government" so you can excuse him.


It's actually pretty concise poo, everyone has their role, and they suffer mightily if they swerve.

I thought Cassidy's intro was wild, I hadn't seen poo.

Specifically, Hitler is a character in S2.

[6pairsofshoes]

Perhaps familiarity with the comic books might help, but really, it should not be required.   Thanks for the clarifications.

[8ullfrog]

Never read em, do know there was a character with swatstika pasties.

Haven't seen her in the series, I'm on to S3 now. I hear the series is "not canceled" in the "...And final season" sense, which is a coffin nail by any other name.

That being said, holy poo, what a ride.

My streaming site keeps preempting the show with some shity moba thrones game, so literally every episode is cut off by the thrones tone. I've really come to hate it.


Specifically, whenever I see an ad for a show, and they say "and final season" it reads as "golly you viewer".

golly damn preacher is a hell of a show.

[6pairsofshoes]

It seems sort of normal after a while.  I'm about half way through the first season.

[8ullfrog]

Alright, I put this down some point in S3, the last episode is supposed to premier tomorrow, but has apparently leaked.

I notice I comb my hair when I watch preacher. Normally I just let my hair do it's own thing. No one's ever complained really, but I slick it back when I watch preacher.

Mom's visiting a friend, I think I'll load this up and NOT wear headphones. I'm a rebel!

[6pairsofshoes]

I watched episode 7 of S3 last night.  Am tempted to finish it off but should really wait a few days.

[8ullfrog]

Finished off 3. It gets heavy. last line: I'm tired of chess matches flufferman, it's time to play some bless'ed checkers.

The reason I stopped watching 3 would be a spoiler, but it ended up being resolved satisfactorily.

on to four.

4-7. Ow. When god shrugs off a "please let it be benign" in this episode, it hurt. I want Jesse to punch god in the face.

End - we get payoff. It feels good, it made me cry.

A lot of shows poo the bed with their endings. This show did not. I would have liked a bit more Alamo action, but it would have been gratuitous, and also cheap. Yeah, Odin and Jesse messed around on a diorama. Jesse never understood just how bent Odin was. I mean, he got it eventually, but dang. Odin was mess.

[6pairsofshoes]

Thanks for not including spoilers.  I was going to watch more last night but only slept a small amount on Fri. so I slept over 8 hours last night.  What a luxury to get a reasonable amount of sleep.  It's so rare for me.

I'm looking forward to more but as I have a job interview tomorrow morning I'll probably go to bed early tonight so I'll push it off until later.