Preacher is not working for me at all right now

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Preacher has got me stumped.

I mean … have you ever been puttering along, working through the ins and outs of a television program and, suddenly, you realize you’ve lost your way?

Not from the plot of a program. That’s an easy fix. Rewind or go back and see where you missed something critical.

Not from the sudden exit of a character. (That hasn’t really happened yet. But I wish it would in the case of Tulip. I’ve mentioned previously: I’m done with her.)

No … it’s more in the manner in which the events of the show have unfolded at an almost break-neck and absurd manner. Because that’s exactly what’s happened to me watching the 8th episode of the series (“El Valero”) and again this week with “Finish The Song.”

Put simply, things have gone off the rails.

Examples? There are tons of them …

• Quincannon and the circus he’s ringmastering trying to take control of Custer’s church. And even that in itself isn’t the problem. It’s the fact Sheriff Root shows up and isn’t having a single problem with any of it. Yeah … there’s a lot that’s unrealistic about Preacher but that particular action on the part of the sheriff made absolutely zero sense.
• How about Custer going to town sucking back whiskey in the pews of his church? Talk about absurd. Even a raging drunk has a little decorum. Thing is he didn’t even appear three sheets to the wind while he was drinking. He looked coherent as the day he was born. But … there’s Eugene popping up from beneath the floorboards of the church with the preacher offering a hand in extracting him from “hell.” Nope, sorry … it’s just not cutting it for me. Not even the “conversation” between the two was believable. Not even in its absurdity.
• Let’s get back to Quincannon a moment: Did he cut yet another deal with Custer who reneged on handing over the church to him? Why? Everything we’ve seen about Odin Quincannon would completely go against him taking a breath and giving Custer any kind of benefit of any kind of doubt. So … what, really, is the reason behind the man’s generosity? You’ll say “Michael … remember: Custer promised an appearance by no less than God at the next service. That right there is enough to change anyone’s mind.” No … no it’s not. That’s throwing out everything we’ve seen of Quincannon’s character to date and feeding us with another rainbow pie flavored dessert served by imaginary leprechauns riding unicorns. I don’t buy it and I wouldn’t partake of it even if it was gratis.
• What about Tulip and her acceptance of Cassidy’s current condition? Feeding all kinds of critters to him in the belief he’ll heal without question? It’s as if a page of her character got ripped out of the script and was replaced with something we’re forced to believe about her we know is in no way true. Does that make sense? Because that’s the only explanation I have in trying to make heads or tails of where she’s coming from right now.

See what I mean? And I’ve just scratched the surface concerning examples of silliness in these episodes.

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There’s the gathering of the residents of Annville as if the actions of Quincannon in his attempted church coup were a Sunday picnic attraction. Or Sheriff Root’s sudden willingness to kill that Seraph in the bathtub. (Why in the world would he do that, sight unseen?!?) Or Custer having pancakes in that underpass. Let’s not forget Lucinda’s receipt with all its cryptic and comical references (“nimrod,” “beverage not included,” ad nauseum). Not even those could aid in choking down anything that had come before.

It just doesn’t make sense, does it? None of it makes sense.

At the start of Preacher, the absurdity was mind-prodding, quaint, action-packed, intriguing even in getting viewers to tune if for more. (Sometimes that’s what new shows do to hook you.) Now? It’s ridiculous. It’s Lost amid that show’s later seasons, forcing stuff down our throats in the hope we’ll keep interested in the bait being offered, that we’ll keep coming back to see if it will makes sense down the line. I mean that worked for Lost … but that was several seasons in. Not from practically right out of the gate.

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We’re only in the first season of the show for Pete’s sake! We’ve been asked to take bites of too many wild turns with just as many loose ends fraying and blowing about with nonsensical incomprehensibility. And swallow thankfully.

Still, here’s the thing: I’m sticking with it. I have to. I’m committed at least to see what the season finale holds. (Thankfully that comes next week.) I can hold out for one more airing.

And let me tell you … it’s going to have to be a doozy in order for me to return for any part of season 2 …

Has Preacher jumped the shark already? Start a conversation in the comments section below!