PREACHER was never the series diehard fans of Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison epic comic book would have liked, in fact, many of them openly disdained the show, but if you stuck with it through all four seasons, and tracked with its often out there vibe, you were well rewarded in the end. True, the show, produced by Seth Rogen, Sam Catlin, and Evan Goldberg, took liberties with the source material, but there are some things that just work better on the page than the screen, something the rabid fans of the book often forgot. This was a show not for everyone, its irreverence, and often blasphemous attitude toward Christianity, and its various denominations, not to mention the profanity and graphic violence, would put many off. And it never did become the big ratings hit I am sure AMC hoped it would. That's on the audience, not the show's creators.
For me, I think the 4th season was the weakest, at least initially, where Jesse Custer's search for God got very twisted, to say the least. This series seemed to work best when it focused on the three main protagonists - Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy - and their journey to find God, overcoming obstacles, and often themselves, in Jesse's quest to find out why the Almighty abandoned Heaven. This was done with the aid of Genesis, a being of great power that grafted itself to Jesse's soul. Making life on the road miserable for them was The Saint of Killers, sent from Hell to stop Jesse, and Herr Starr, the villainous leader of The Grail, a super secret society determined to usher in the Apocalypse with help from the power of Genesis, if only they could separate it from Jesse. The problem with Season 4 was that God become a series regular, no longer a barely glimpsed being one step ahead of Jesse and company, and revealed himself to be an angry God intent upon wiping out mankind and starting over with some new life form that would not disappoint him so. This took some of the mystery out of the show as too many pieces came together too quickly. It also didn't help that Jesse spent too much time apart from Tulip and Cassidy, and that all three seemed to spend an awful lot of time running and being captured, escaping and running some more - the plot often felt busy as the cast scrambled about, and the best moments seemed to belong to the supporting cast, especially when Hitler and Jesus were haggling over the Apocalypse, or when Starr continually lost his patience with his minions, while trying to bring the Apocalypse in on time with a worldwide musical review. And any time the fearsome Saint of Killers, or the eternally hopeful Eugene, were onscreen, the show was at its best. Lachy Hulme as a Brooklyn mob enforcer brought in to torture Cassidy for The Grail, was also very memorable.
The series finale, aptly titled, "End of the World," did end the show on a very high note, giving all the characters both resolution and closure as the Apocalypse is averted, but not without the sacrifice of a likable character. There were some epic fight scenes between the Saint of Killers and Genesis's parents (a demon and an angel), and between the Saint and Jesse, along with a throw down between Hitler and Jesus. Two great confrontations, the first between Cassidy and Tulip, and the other with Jesse and God at the Alamo, really summed up the whole series. It was most fitting that Jesse finally gets to face the Almighty, and get the answers he desired, and that God does not get to hear what he wants to hear. This was one show that paid off all its characters well in the finale: Agent Featherstone dies with the purpose she wanted; Eugene becomes a rock star after standing up for himself; Herr Starr gets an ending much different from the comic, and it feels appropriate; Jesus finds gainful employment. One thing from the comic that they did stick with was the final scene with God and the Saint of Killers before the throne of Heaven, and the final image of the latter is truly bad ass. The ending, with Jesse and Tulip's daughter and Cassidy, I think it ranks high on the list of most poignant series final scenes ever.
So I will miss the fine acting of Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and Joseph Gilgun, as Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, respectively, with the latter never missing a beat with his Irish accent. Ian Colletti was a marvel as Eugene Root, doing such great work with his eyes behind a makeup job. Noah Taylor made a great Hitler and bonus points for Tyson Ritter for playing both Jesus and Humperdoo. Pip Torrens was the Herr Starr from the comic, while Mark Harelik played a God who looked the part, but failed at so much else. My favorite will have to be Graham MacTavish for truly bringing The Saint of Killers to life; he was perfect as one of the comic's most fearsome creations. And a shout out to the producers for that fitting cameo by John Wayne in the finale.
Was this show anti-Christian, mocking of God and faith? To many the answer is yes, and they are free to avoid this series like the plague. But I think PREACHER was a poke at some of the devout who are small minded in their faith, and small in their vision of God. It's a story that gives us a God every bit as petty, mean, and needy as some his believers insist that he must be.
I think PREACHER is destined to be one of those shows people will discover in years to come, and wonder why it was not a bigger deal, almost certain that it will become Cult TV. It's a show with vivid, larger than life characters, grandly acted, filled with violence, humor, and heart.
For me, I think the 4th season was the weakest, at least initially, where Jesse Custer's search for God got very twisted, to say the least. This series seemed to work best when it focused on the three main protagonists - Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy - and their journey to find God, overcoming obstacles, and often themselves, in Jesse's quest to find out why the Almighty abandoned Heaven. This was done with the aid of Genesis, a being of great power that grafted itself to Jesse's soul. Making life on the road miserable for them was The Saint of Killers, sent from Hell to stop Jesse, and Herr Starr, the villainous leader of The Grail, a super secret society determined to usher in the Apocalypse with help from the power of Genesis, if only they could separate it from Jesse. The problem with Season 4 was that God become a series regular, no longer a barely glimpsed being one step ahead of Jesse and company, and revealed himself to be an angry God intent upon wiping out mankind and starting over with some new life form that would not disappoint him so. This took some of the mystery out of the show as too many pieces came together too quickly. It also didn't help that Jesse spent too much time apart from Tulip and Cassidy, and that all three seemed to spend an awful lot of time running and being captured, escaping and running some more - the plot often felt busy as the cast scrambled about, and the best moments seemed to belong to the supporting cast, especially when Hitler and Jesus were haggling over the Apocalypse, or when Starr continually lost his patience with his minions, while trying to bring the Apocalypse in on time with a worldwide musical review. And any time the fearsome Saint of Killers, or the eternally hopeful Eugene, were onscreen, the show was at its best. Lachy Hulme as a Brooklyn mob enforcer brought in to torture Cassidy for The Grail, was also very memorable.
The series finale, aptly titled, "End of the World," did end the show on a very high note, giving all the characters both resolution and closure as the Apocalypse is averted, but not without the sacrifice of a likable character. There were some epic fight scenes between the Saint of Killers and Genesis's parents (a demon and an angel), and between the Saint and Jesse, along with a throw down between Hitler and Jesus. Two great confrontations, the first between Cassidy and Tulip, and the other with Jesse and God at the Alamo, really summed up the whole series. It was most fitting that Jesse finally gets to face the Almighty, and get the answers he desired, and that God does not get to hear what he wants to hear. This was one show that paid off all its characters well in the finale: Agent Featherstone dies with the purpose she wanted; Eugene becomes a rock star after standing up for himself; Herr Starr gets an ending much different from the comic, and it feels appropriate; Jesus finds gainful employment. One thing from the comic that they did stick with was the final scene with God and the Saint of Killers before the throne of Heaven, and the final image of the latter is truly bad ass. The ending, with Jesse and Tulip's daughter and Cassidy, I think it ranks high on the list of most poignant series final scenes ever.
So I will miss the fine acting of Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and Joseph Gilgun, as Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, respectively, with the latter never missing a beat with his Irish accent. Ian Colletti was a marvel as Eugene Root, doing such great work with his eyes behind a makeup job. Noah Taylor made a great Hitler and bonus points for Tyson Ritter for playing both Jesus and Humperdoo. Pip Torrens was the Herr Starr from the comic, while Mark Harelik played a God who looked the part, but failed at so much else. My favorite will have to be Graham MacTavish for truly bringing The Saint of Killers to life; he was perfect as one of the comic's most fearsome creations. And a shout out to the producers for that fitting cameo by John Wayne in the finale.
Was this show anti-Christian, mocking of God and faith? To many the answer is yes, and they are free to avoid this series like the plague. But I think PREACHER was a poke at some of the devout who are small minded in their faith, and small in their vision of God. It's a story that gives us a God every bit as petty, mean, and needy as some his believers insist that he must be.
I think PREACHER is destined to be one of those shows people will discover in years to come, and wonder why it was not a bigger deal, almost certain that it will become Cult TV. It's a show with vivid, larger than life characters, grandly acted, filled with violence, humor, and heart.