Preacher (TV Series)...

[Steve Green]

I wondered why there was a gap.

[Tjm86]

Okay, so downloaded and watched from iTunes..... 

I know that they have departed a lot from the comics in terms of structure and that is to be expected but I do wonder about pacing.  A lot of the key characters from the comics all coming together in Annville?  That ending?  The plane scene?  Cassidy's phone call?

Granted there were some fun comedy moments.  A wry smile about Tom Cruise.  Other than that I have to admit to being a little underwhelmed.  It's only a pilot so I'll give it time to find it's feet but I get the feeling that they are not sure that they are going to get this past the first season so they're trying to cram in as much as possible now.  Given what happened with Constantine I can understand the thinking.

[radiator]

Agree and disagree. What is clear is that the Tv show really needs a larger recurring cast than the comic, which basically had three characters.

What i wonder about is how long the action stays anchored in Annville. A large part of the appeal of Preacher was always the great American road movie aspect - from New York to San Francisco to the swamps of Louisiana, but i can't see how that would be doable on a TV show budget (and I believe the production is based in New Mexico, which seems to limit scope in terms of filming locations...).

It'll be very interesting to see what they do. admittedly its promising that the pilot had scenes set in Russia and Africa.

[JamesC]

Watched it last night. I think it shows promise but I'm not 100% sold.
I'm not entirely convinced by the casting of Jesse. I like Dominic Cooper but he hasn't quite filled the role yet in my opinion. There was one point in his performance which showed real promise though - the moment during the bar fight where he smirked while throwing a punch.
Also, Cassidy isn't quite how I imagined him. He seems a little too silly somehow - I always thought he should be cooler,[spoiler] which makes the revelation that he was the younger, stupid brother during his origin story more of a shock[/spoiler]. It was a very deliberate choice in the comics to never show Cassidy without his sunglasses and I think that would have worked well in the show. Only a small thing but it irked a little.
Other than that, everything looked great and I'll be interested to see where it goes. So far the bodycount is fairly low - [spoiler]things should heat up a bit once the SoK arrives. I expect that'll be the impetus to leave Annville as they go on the run (assuming that's going to happen).[/spoiler]

[radiator]

So far the bodycount is fairly low

I'd say that's for the best - in the comic the body count seems excessive to me now, and the lack of wider reaction to all the massacres starts to stretch the suspension of disbelief. And thats in a comic, let alone in a live-action TV show.

I think people might need to recalibrate their expectations of this show somewhat - it's going to be very much its own thing. Think of it as Preacher meets Breaking Bad.

What impressed me about the pilot is that it feels very fresh and modern, whereas the comic feels painfully rooted in the 90s. I wonder how they're going to explain Arseface, though, now that Kurt Cobain is as antiquated a cultural figure as Jim Morrison was when the comic was being published.

I'm also keen to see how the show deals with the concept of the 'word of God'. It has the potential for some really interesting moral and philosophical discussions that are only really skimmed over in the comics. It's promising that the first time Jesse uses it serves as both a darkly funny moment and a warning of the consequences of ultimate power.

[Tjm86]

Agree and disagree. What is clear is that the Tv show really needs a larger recurring cast than the comic, which basically had three characters.

That is quite true.  I'm just not sure about bringing them all out as fast as they did.  Could they have held off a bit before rolling out Cassidy and Tulip?

What i wonder about is how long the action stays anchored in Annville. A large part of the appeal of Preacher was always the great American road movie aspect - from New York to San Francisco to the swamps of Louisiana, but i can't see how that would be doable on a TV show budget (and I believe the production is based in New Mexico, which seems to limit scope in terms of filming locations...).

True.  It is still very early days and I'm still holding out to see where it goes.  I feel that there are some things that are going to be very risky for them to deal with.  The Lucifer series has ruffled feathers in some quarters out in the states.  Whilst Preacher was a comic it was fairly low key but a TV series is far higher profile.  There are some aspects of the comic that are highly likely to be handled very carefully.

I think people might need to recalibrate their expectations of this show somewhat - it's going to be very much its own thing. Think of it as Preacher meets Breaking Bad.

Very true.  Just as Walking Dead found a way to redefine the narrative, so this is going to look to find its own version of the story.  Part of me wants to root for it and I do hope it finds its feet.  I just feel that it hasn't really started in a way that truly impresses.

[maryanddavid]

Just watched it and the same as Tjm, a little underwhelmed.

There is a lot right, casting seems good, even Cassidys accent which has given rise to some comments, was fine if a little Pat Shortish, Irish boarders will know what I mean.

Setting, music, humour all good.  I did find the throwing of every major character into the mix in the first episode diluted the three main characters presence, especially Jesse himself. 

I like that they have changed the storyline a bit, like in the Walking Dead, it makes for a more entertaining watch.  Enough to bring me back for another episode or two.

[JamesC]

It's been a while since I read the comics but, if they're going to include the undefeatable Saint of Killers (and it seems a shame not to), how can they stay in Annville? Aren't they on the run from him?

[Steve Green]

[spoiler]Rumour is that Graham McTavish has been cast as the saint - has there been any confirmation that they're staying in Annville?[/spoiler]

[Theblazeuk]

I liked it very much and I'm interested in seeing where all the deviations from the source go. So far, for the better.

[Geoff]

Just watched the pilot and I have to say I'm disappointed.

I agree that a direct adaptation would be difficult and that it would suffer from being dated in parts. It does look great, sound good and in some respects feel right...

But I'm not sold on Cooper as Jesse. He strongly gives off this older grizzled world weary vibe whereas Jesse appeared to be (and to some extent was) a rather simplistic young bloke - which made his bizzare and terrible childhood all the more shocking.  His rather stiff and sanctimonious traits were annoying but good characters do get under your skin. The show's Preacher with his dark brooding, is all tried and tested stuff.  His father being a preacher too is lazy I think and robs the show of some of best of the original series with Jesse's GI father.

The show's Tulip just comes across to me as another clichéd kick-ass female cipher I'm afraid. Lecturing the kids about female empowerment whilst making a bazooka out of tin cans! Sorry to be so blunt - but what a load of bollocks! The Tulip in the comic was a far more subtle portrayal of a strong female character I thought.

Cassidy lying in a crater with his guts all around him 15mins after his first appearance was too much too soon.  A bit of mystery around Cassidy and his regenerative powers would have been welcome to start off with. Also, as someone on here has already said Cassidy should appear to be more of a cool, sound bloke - so if he were to let you down or betray you it would hurt - not the rather clownish figure here.

There was a certain wild originality in the comics that made them compelling and exciting.  The show is, well... fairly entertaining but nothing out of the ordinary.     

[Tiplodocus]

Me and (not so) Tiny Tips right enjoyed that.

It's awhile since I read the comics (I think I sold them on to Logan!) but I liked the way they had juggled stuff about for this adaption.  Agree that Tulip was a bit crap but inventive action scenes and fights more than made up for that (something Daredevil could vary).

Looking forward to more.

[JayzusB.Christ]

http://www.slashfilm.com/the-toy-box-2/#jp-carousel-356096

They're quick off the mark!

(I liked this version of Tulip personally.  So far, anyway. Maybe a touch of Tank Girl about it in her acts of mindless mayhem, but, well, nowt wrong with that in my book.)

[radiator]

As much as I don't really understand the appeal of collecting action figures in general, I really, really don't understand the appeal of those tacky funko pop figures. They seem to be everywhere these days and I think they're absolutely ghastly looking.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

It's been a while since I read the comics but, if they're going to include the undefeatable Saint of Killers (and it seems a shame not to), how can they stay in Annville? Aren't they on the run from him?

The Saint of Killers is in the first episode; there are fleeting coloured cuts to his face in the B&W flashbacks.