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By the time indicator on my DVR, it took a mere 3 minutes and 30 seconds for the season 2 premiere of Preacher to make me fling my hands into the air with manic frustration.
Three. Minutes. Thirty. Seconds.
Now, you might remember I said something along the lines of the need for Preacher to get its act together in order for me to return to season 2. (“Did the finale do a sufficient job for me to engage in season 2 when that rears its head? Barely.”) So … why would I go back?
Having casually read the comic series on which the show is based, then delving in and committing to the entire series when I discovered Preacher was being developed by AMC and then investing in season 1, I had high hopes for the series. Or at least the hope it would do justice to the comic and its characters.
And, for the most part, season 1 did just that. Not without its hiccups, you understand. And not without alienating many comic diehards. After all, the television adaptation isn’t for everyone. It’s manic, wild and out there. And it takes liberties with the storyline when compared to the comic. (What comic adaptation doesn’t?)
But Preacher has the tendency to go way out wonky into the far corners of left field when it comes to making certain points, conveying certain things and giving the people what they want. And I’m good with that for the most part.
That’s not my problem. That’s not what frustrated me.
My problem, the source of my frustration, can be summed up in the image below:
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See Cassidy’s left hand, casually resting atop of the back seat? In full view of the sun?
Yup. You got it. He’s in full blown sunlight.
If there was an explanation, some reason offered telling how he could do so without beginning to smoke and burn I’d be fine. But The Powers That Be give no such explanation. In fact, throughout this first episode (and also several times last season) it’s a point conveyed time and again, that he needs to stay out of sunlight. He’s not carrying around that umbrella to be fashionable, you know!
He’s a vampire, for Pete’s sake! Vampires burn and disintegrate when exposed to the sun!
Dracula! Blacula! Nosferatu! The vampires of Interview With A Vampire! The psychos from From Dusk Till Dawn! Need I go on? Because I could, for hours. There are scads of vampires out there who burn at the touch of sunlight. And Cassidy is no different!
*yeesh*
So, yeah … I’m frustrated as all get out about that.
Now? I have that out of my system. I can go on about the first two episodes, “On The Road” and “Mumbai Sky Tower”.
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Yes, outside of what’s been mentioned above, I’ll admit: They pulled me in. The jokes. The gratuitous, comedic bloodshed. (Usually I don’t go for that sort of thing but it was more comical than not throughout the hours.) Joseph Gilgun (Cassidy) is often a hoot in his role.
As it turns out, our trio (Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy) is at the beginning of their adventure to find God who has inexplicably “taken a holiday.” Behind them (so to speak) is The Cowboy (Saint Of Killers) forever on their trail, courtesy of Fiore’s request. Each time Jesse uses that little gift of command he has? The Saint Of Killers knows exactly where to look. And the dude is relentless.
Comedy, death and destruction ensue to be sure. We’ve been expecting that all along. Nothing new there.
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But …
… what I wasn’t expecting (and which I found of immense satisfaction) was the bit of Fiore backstory leading into his occupation while on Earth in “Mumbai Sky Tower”. (Well, until uhm … you know.) The events and hijinks played out in those sequences showing Fiore being “killed” over and over and over again worked amazingly well. And they were hilarious. For me, Preacher at some of its best moments. (On the contrary, the brotherly love series of events between Fiore and Cassidy weren’t anywhere near as pleasing. They became boring and predictable in short order.)
Most of the rest of the story in both chapters was a lot of what we expect out of Preacher … with maybe a tad more action attached. So, for the regular viewer they were probably satisfied with this duo of tales starting the season off.
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There was, however, something I found interesting as the second episode progressed: Tulip appears to be tiring of the adventure rather quickly. It’s nice to see Ruth Negga act out her character’s irritation in little bits and pieces. I hope that continues as thing progress. It’s a neat little tidbit.
So, I’m on board again with Preacher. For now. It is a fun show, different from much that’s out there in TV Land. And I’m curious to see how this second season plays out in contrast to the first, which was 10 chapters of setting the stage for the things to come. There will be more frustrations and hair pulling on my behalf, I’m sure.
And it might just be me and my quirks about the show, not anyone else’s …
What did you think of the season 2 premiere? Are you hooked? Start a conversation in the comments section below!
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