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Preacher |OT| The Beginning Is Nigh - Sundays 10/9c on AMC



The Variety and AV club reviews mirror my thoughts. Especially this bit:
AV Club said:
"The Possibilities” isn’t a huge nose-dive in quality. The tone is more or less intact, the acting’s still good, and some individual scenes work quite nicely on their own. But what seemed novel and maybe even innovative in those first two episodes is starting to look more and more like a creative team that has no idea how to tell a story. The “let’s keep throwing stuff at the screen” approach isn’t bad for a hook, and it fits the gonzo nature of the subject matter. But this isn’t a sustainable approach. The longer this goes on without a core narrative, the closer we get to tedious incoherency, where shocking events no longer matter because there’s no context to make them surprising.

The only thing of narrative relevance that happened this episode was Jesse revealing his powers to Cassidy, and Cassidy deciding to work with the Angels he killed. There was never any real tension that Jesse was going to be harmed or do harm in that bathroom; as presented, he's been squeaky clean and righteous, and him blowing some misunderstood father's head off in a gas station bathroom before going on a murder run would have been an abruptly out of character moment.

Jesse's powers are interesting in their application (an impression colored by the recent season of Jessica Jones), so it should be fun to see where he goes next with them.

Tulip seems earnest enough, but her crime capers are just getting in the way of the nutty religious narrative about this quiet town.
 
Bah, so much for my plan to catch it on AMC's site hassle-free this morning like last week's---come on now! Here's to hoping the DVR didn't screw up or it'll be some days yet until the next re-run...
 

choco-fish

Member
I haven't seen the 3rd episode yet.

My concerns so far are that its very slow in progressing the story, especially with the amount of material they have to get through.

I expected at the end of the first episode it would follow the comic
and the congregation would all be killed by the word of God joining with Jessie
was disappointed when it didn't play out like that.

They seem to have locked in some characters very early on that aren't even based in Jessie's home town
, like Odin and his meat plant. Arseface interacting with the main characters much earlier too.

Is the show going to be just set in this one town and not move round the country/world like the comics, that would be a bit of a shame, but would make sense from a budget point of view.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Overall this show is a bit of a slog. I like moments here or there but I'm really not liking the drawn out story arcs, the constant mystery over the smallest things, and honestly a lot of the side characters are just kind of... bleh. I'll stick with it but so far I'm not super enthused.
 

DrBo42

Member
Feels like those monster of the week shows like Supernatural except the only monsters are the leads. Can't say I dislike it. By the third episode I'm appreciating the lack of a cliche bad guy and typical arcs surrounding it.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Feels like those monster of the week shows like Supernatural except the only monsters are the leads. Can't say I dislike it. By the third episode I'm appreciating the lack of a cliche bad guy and typical arcs surrounding it.

Which is how I'm curious this will turn into the comics story which is nothing at all like the show tonally aside from being extreme. Its a much different thing once the story proper starts and I'm really not sure if people who like what's going on now are going to like what comes later and vice versa.
 
I've seen all of 30 seconds of ep 3, but Tulip's mention of
the Grail Organisation
had me screaming internally. I haven't done that since, oh, all of a week ago and it too was Preacher related. (Due to how ep 2 started.)

I find myself so hyped for this show xD My biggest fears are what're they gonna cut out from series, and if the show will be able to fully play out without canned.
 

choco-fish

Member
I've seen all of 30 seconds of ep 3, but Tulip's mention of
the Grail Organisation
had me screaming internally. I haven't done that since, oh, all of a week ago and it too was Preacher related. (Due to how ep 2 started.)

I find myself so hyped for this show xD My biggest fears are what're they gonna cut out from series, and if the show will be able to fully play out without canned.

Some of the action beats in the comics would be very difficult to film with a TV show budget, Unless the makers start asking for a GoT sized budget.

Cool username BTW.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I still have no idea what I'm watching most of the time.

Yeah this is one thing I don't care for. The comic is very upfront about what is going on and who the major players are even if you don't know everyone's backstory. It just feels like they're dragging their feet on a lot of things.
 
I just realized that one of the two weird guys in cowboy hat played Mayer Lanksy from Boardwalk Empire.

THANK YOU. That's been annoying me for the past fifteen minutes - "who is that guy? Where do I know him from?'

I have to say though, this show does nothing for me. I put it on, some stuff happens and I just can't care. I've never read the comics so i've come in with no expectations, but just not feeling it at all.
 

Corpsepyre

Banned
I love this show so much! That scene with Jesse playing around with Cassidy was the best. Shit's going to hit the fan if that ending was any indication.
 

IrishNinja

Member
another solid ep, really loving this show so far & constantly surprised at all the major character cameos they're tossing out

as a huge fan of the book, wanted to see what everyone else thought of this theory a friend had:

idea is that rather than Jesse just leaving Angleville & being done with it, moving odin quincannon over shows he'll likely come back later (maybe after losing the eye?) and just combine the Salvation arc with this town, as Sheriff since the preacher position isn't enough to take him down. makes sense, since it's a slow arc & we're dealing too much with building the people of that town & Jesse's desire to save them. they've got a lot of globe-trotting ahead, but it feels they're making much more a central point of this town here

if amc jesse is anything like vertigo jesse, then killing is a nono in his book. to an extent anyway

unless you're a horse-eating frenchie
 

Bebpo

Banned
I haven't seen the 3rd episode yet.

My concerns so far are that its very slow in progressing the story, especially with the amount of material they have to get through.

I expected at the end of the first episode it would follow the comic
and the congregation would all be killed by the word of God joining with Jessie
was disappointed when it didn't play out like that.

They seem to have locked in some characters very early on that aren't even based in Jessie's home town
, like Odin and his meat plant. Arseface interacting with the main characters much earlier too.

Is the show going to be just set in this one town and not move round the country/world like the comics, that would be a bit of a shame, but would make sense from a budget point of view.

I figure at least the first season will be in the town. I think it'd be hard to do the rest of the story without leaving on a road trip, so I can see them leaving town at the end of the season and S2 is in another city. Like one city per season road trip with combining multiple separate location events into one city each season. Would be cool if they get to New Orleans at some point.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
The shows so off beat and tonally different than anything else on tv that I'm compelled to watch. I have to admit that I am left wanting after every episode so far, and not in a good way. Cassidys daylight attire is hilarious.

Also Tulip is a bit obnoxious. Never read the comics but she's grating on the show. Maybe the show character will chill the fuck out after this initial arc.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
The shows so off beat and tonally different than anything else on tv that I'm compelled to watch. I have to admit that I am left wanting after every episode so far, and not in a good way. Cassidys daylight attire is hilarious.

Also Tulip is a bit obnoxious. Never read the comics but she's grating on the show. Maybe the show character will chill the fuck out after this initial arc.

Technically so far she is little to nothing like Tulip from the comics who is even more extreme in her personality in some ways and very different in others.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Ratings:

Episode 1: 2.4 million viewers and 0.9 A18-49
Episode 2: 2.1 million viewers and 0.8 A18-49
Episode 3: 1.8 million viewers and 0.7 A18-49
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Ratings:

Episode 1: 2.4 million viewers and 0.9 A18-49
Episode 2: 2.1 million viewers and 0.8 A18-49
Episode 3: 1.8 million viewers and 0.7 A18-49

That doesn't seem good, seems like the show is losing a lot of people :/ Even with my issues with the show I'd like it to be a success as there is so much potential and I doubt we'll even get to the really juicy stuff till after this season.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Just finished Episode 3. Liked it quite a bit. The story didn't really advance very much other than Jesse revealing himself to Cassidy, but I enjoyed all the moments around it. Felt like they were setting things up for some future payoffs. If this is what a slow episode feels like for this show, sign me up every week.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
That doesn't seem good, seems like the show is losing a lot of people :/ Even with my issues with the show I'd like it to be a success as there is so much potential and I doubt we'll even get to the really juicy stuff till after this season.

I mean, most shows enter a ratings decline after the first episode. That's expected, and the drops haven't been that large. The interesting thing will be if the ratings keep dropping all season or if they'll go up at all. Regardless, the show will be renewed, so no worries there.
 

BruceCLea

Banned
I have to say that I love this show. I haven't read the comics and it's fun to not really know what the fuck is going on. I love Cassidy. That guy is hilarious.
 

vaderise

Member
I don't want to be that guy bit i still can't get over the fact that how inferior is the show compared to the comic series.
Jesse Custer is not a likeable lead.He's a grumpy alcoholic guy that has nothing to do with comic Jesse.Comic Jesse is a person anyone would like to be friends with.He's charismatic. Show Jesse has zero charisma.
Tulip is downright annoying.The Tulip in the comics was a true 90's lady; hot and strong. This version is just irritating.I want her gone.
Odin Quincannon is not a racist weirdo which destroys the character.
Angel guys whose names i forgot are like Hitmans now? Yeah,okay.
Arseface and Cassidy are fine.

And the story seems to go nowhere at this point.We keep getting teasers from comic storylines with Herr Starr,Quincannon,Saint reveals but nothing ever happens.
I could enjoyed the show a hell lot more if i didn't read the comic series but i did and it's my favorite comic book series of all time so i can't stop thinking about the wasted potentials.
 
Jesse Custer is not a likeable lead.He's a grumpy alcoholic guy that has nothing to do with comic Jesse.Comic Jesse is a person anyone would like to be friends with.He's charismatic. Show Jesse has zero charisma.

That is canon at this point in the story. Don't you remember the graphic novels at all? Jesse was very unlike himself when the story starts, but the original story moves so swiftly past this point that we barely get to see it except in brief flashbacks later. Until this part of the storyline is resolved, Jesse Custer won't be like the one we know from the graphic novels, and that's exactly the way it should be if they intend to follow the original story.

Odin Quincannon is not a racist weirdo which destroys the character.

And you base this on what, exactly? We've barely seen Odin in the show yet, and know next to nothing about him.
 

Alpende

Member
And the story seems to go nowhere at this point.We keep getting teasers from comic storylines with Herr Starr,Quincannon,Saint reveals but nothing ever happens.
I could enjoyed the show a hell lot more if i didn't read the comic series but i did and it's my favorite comic book series of all time so i can't stop thinking about the wasted potentials.

I haven't read the comics but it's the third episode. Give it a little more time for the story to develop a bit further. I don't mind it to be honest.
 

vaderise

Member
That is canon at this point in the story. Don't you remember the graphic novels at all? Jesse was very unlike himself when the story starts, but the original story moves so swiftly past this point that we barely get to see it except in brief flashbacks later. Until this part of the storyline is resolved, Jesse Custer won't be like the one we know from the graphic novels, and that's exactly the way it should be if they intend to follow the original story.



And you base this on what, exactly? We've barely seen Odin in the show yet, and know next to nothing about him.

I read the whole series again last week.And i stand on my point.This is not Jesse Custer.He's always too angry and doesn't have any chemistry with Tulip or Cassidy. For example
Jesse kissed Tulip the moment he saw her in the comics even after all the things happened between them. He loved Tulip and he always came back to her no matter what. Here he can't stand her.

And as for Odin Quincannon, Jackie Earle Haley's Odin is a guy speaks very slowly and seems like a very serious angry guy. Odin in comics is a obnoxious little piece of shit who yells all the time and has zero intimidation to him.What makes Odin an interesting character is that he's beyond unlikeable. Here they tried to turn him into a serious looking slow talking.businessman.
 
I read the whole series again last week.And i stand on my point.This is not Jesse Custer.He's always too angry and doesn't have any chemistry with Tulip or Cassidy. For example
Jesse kissed Tulip the moment he saw her in the comics even after all the things happened between them. He loved Tulip and he always came back to her no matter what. Here he can't stand her.

And as for Odin Quincannon, Jackie Earle Haley's Odin is a guy speaks very slowly and seems like a very serious angry guy. Odin in comics is a obnoxious little piece of shit who yells all the time and has zero intimidation to him.What makes Odin an interesting character is that he's beyond unlikeable. Here they tried to turn him into a serious looking slow talking.businessman.

It sounds to me like you're injecting your own interpretations into the writing, seeing things that aren't there. My own interpretations, for comparison: (spoilered since they draw upon some knowledge from the graphic novels, without being too specific)

There's no reason for Jesse to have the instant-kiss reaction to Tulip in the show, since they never left each other physically. His way of treating her in the show comes off to me as a combination of him being truly honest about his intention to serve God (which is true to the Jesse in the comic at this stage in the story) so that her attempts to draw him back to his old life becomes a real problem, and frustration that for all his attempts to protect her from things she doesn't know about, she's not playing along. He's lashing out because she just won't listen to him, and he's frustrated that he can't explain himself.

As for Odin, we've barely seen anything of him yet. I'm seeing someone who's detached from people and obsessed with meat. We don't know how he'll react when he's forced to actually interact with someone who doesn't play along, and I suspect he'll show off his level of crazy then. Keep in mind that the TV show likes to keep the cards close to its chest, so it doesn't throw it all out there right away. Take Odin's secretary, for instance. There were subtle hints in her behavior in this last episode that indicated they may actually take that part of Preacher's story all the way, but they didn't make a big point out of it. Yet. But when they do (if they do), it's going to be insane.

This isn't the graphic novel. I had to learn to adjust to that (which I only managed during the second episode). I strongly recommend you do too. It's not doing things quite as quickly or as blatantly as the graphic novel did, but it's seeding things that are very recognizable, including the stuff you seem to be looking for. Patience. I do believe the rewards are coming.

Since we're griping about differences from the comic: Herr Starr has his hat already, that's some bullshit.

Heh, I noticed the same thing.
 

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
Since we're griping about differences from the comic: Herr Starr has his hat already, that's some bullshit.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Early in episode 3.

Damn didn't realize that was him at all. Need to go rewatch the scene when I go home

Edit: Really disappointed if he already has the hat. The hat choosing scene was one of the funniest in the comic. I loved the one shot of him with the Nazi helmet on and his comment was great.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
I read the whole series again last week.And i stand on my point.This is not Jesse Custer.He's always too angry and doesn't have any chemistry with Tulip or Cassidy. For example
Jesse kissed Tulip the moment he saw her in the comics even after all the things happened between them. He loved Tulip and he always came back to her no matter what. Here he can't stand her.

And as for Odin Quincannon, Jackie Earle Haley's Odin is a guy speaks very slowly and seems like a very serious angry guy. Odin in comics is a obnoxious little piece of shit who yells all the time and has zero intimidation to him.What makes Odin an interesting character is that he's beyond unlikeable. Here they tried to turn him into a serious looking slow talking.businessman.

I agree with you. However please add a space after each period and comma. Your posts are difficult to read otherwise. Thanks.
 
Is the comic book series good in terms of having a solid arc/storyline? I was under the impression this would be about him travelling but he seems settled in the town and there doesn't seem to be anything larger going on.
 

IrishNinja

Member
oh yeah, it's super early & im looking forward to Odin falling apart later. Starr's hat doesn't have the impact that it will (heh) but man, they're planing some great seeds here

Still really enjoying this show but I've had to catch up late on each episode due to Game of Thrones.

we're only 3 eps in, and im already way more hyped for this than GoT, personally...might just be me

Is the comic book series good in terms of having a solid arc/storyline? I was under the impression this would be about him travelling but he seems settled in the town and there doesn't seem to be anything larger going on.

absolutely, he's outta the first town fairly quick - lot goes down in that first arc & he's never looking back
show'll prolly get there around the season's end, i figure
 

Parallax

best seen in the classic "Shadow of the Beast"
Is the comic book series good in terms of having a solid arc/storyline? I was under the impression this would be about him travelling but he seems settled in the town and there doesn't seem to be anything larger going on.

the comic moves much faster than the series.
 

lamaroo

Unconfirmed Member
oh yeah, it's super early & im looking forward to Odin falling apart later. Starr's hat doesn't have the impact that it will (heh) but man, they're planing some great seeds here



we're only 3 eps in, and im already way more hyped for this than GoT, personally...might just be me



absolutely, he's outta the first town fairly quick - lot goes down in that first arc & he's never looking back
show'll prolly get there around the season's end, i figure

No commercials for Game of Thrones, makes picking fairly easy.
 

Platy

Member
Can't find a good image of Jesse with comic accurate hair in the flashback =(

REjWax3.jpg
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
the comic moves much faster than the series.
Yeah, boy is this show meandering for something with the Preacher name on it. There were glimpses of that pace in the pilot, but they threw the brakes on this pretty fast.
 

Hesemonni

Banned
Besides Tulip I'm enjoying this show really much. Can't really complain about not being true to the comics source. Different mediums, different ways of doing things
 

IrishNinja

Member
No commercials for Game of Thrones, makes picking fairly easy.

yeah, but the show catching the books was clearly not a good thing - the quality overall last season was the worst yet, and i'm still on board but things happen really arbitrarily & i constantly feel i'm one big dumb moment over dropping it, personally

...i imagine people not enjoying the walking dead show feel this way

Yeah, boy is this show meandering for something with the Preacher name on it. There were glimpses of that pace in the pilot, but they threw the brakes on this pretty fast.

again, i adore the book but for all kinds of reasons - budget, audience interest, etc - this really wouldn't work verbatim. by now, we'dve wrapped up the first Saint encounter and been onto either serial killer Si or jesus de sade & the awful orgy

instead, we're building Angelville and a hybrid with Salvation, and likely making that later arc (that at the time, many didn't seem to dig, though i was all over it) actually work
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
yeah, but the show catching the books was clearly not a good thing - the quality overall last season was the worst yet, and i'm still on board but things happen really arbitrarily & i constantly feel i'm one big dumb moment over dropping it, personally

...i imagine people not enjoying the walking dead show feel this way



again, i adore the book but for all kinds of reasons - budget, audience interest, etc - this really wouldn't work verbatim. by now, we'dve wrapped up the first Saint encounter and been onto either serial killer Si or jesus de sade & the awful orgy

instead, we're building Angelville and a hybrid with Salvation, and likely making that later arc (that at the time, many didn't seem to dig, though i was all over it) actually work

The only issue I really have with this is how pointless it might seem in the long run or worse yet this town is one we never really get away from. Personally the new and added characters are pretty damn flat and uninteresting for myself. The sooner they're out of that town the better in my opinion.
 

IrishNinja

Member
The only issue I really have with this is how pointless it might seem in the long run or worse yet this town is one we never really get away from. Personally the new and added characters are pretty damn flat and uninteresting for myself. The sooner they're out of that town the better in my opinion.

yeah, im not seeing them stuck here a la Hells on Wheels or anything, but my guess is: season 1 here, ending like the book did, and then a later season returns...maybe after War in the Sun? i'd be okay with this too, it'd be a whole other Jesse
 

Parallax

best seen in the classic "Shadow of the Beast"
again, i adore the book but for all kinds of reasons - budget, audience interest, etc - this really wouldn't work verbatim. by now, we'dve wrapped up the first Saint encounter and been onto either serial killer Si or jesus de sade & the awful orgy

instead, we're building Angelville and a hybrid with Salvation, and likely making that later arc (that at the time, many didn't seem to dig, though i was all over it) actually work

im not expecting it to go at the pace that the comic did, but i hope more happens in this town than has happened. i mean there seems to be more foreshadowing future events and characters than interesting main plot points to me. and honesly, i dont know why they are even hinting at salvation this early.


dominic doing the standard jesse custer look is much better than the slick backed preacher style hes doing here. its like his head is too big for it
 

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
im not expecting it to go at the pace that the comic did, but i hope more happens in this town than has happened. i mean there seems to be more foreshadowing future events and characters than interesting main plot points to me. and honesly, i dont know why they are even hinting at salvation this early.



dominic doing the standard jesse custer look is much better than the slick backed preacher style hes doing here. its like his head is too big for it

He's got a round head w/ wavy hair vs the square head and curly hair of Dillon's artwork. It'd be tough to pull off.
 
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