Preacher (TV Series)...

[JayzusB.Christ]

As much as I don't really understand the appeal of collecting action figures in general

I agree entirely.  But I think we're in a minority on this board.

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

Totally missed that!  I was dreading that there would be no Saint of Killers at all, which, as much as I don't mind departing from the source material, would be very silly indeed.

[auxlen]

'Underwhelmed' seems the best response.
Really was hoping for a belter of an ending...but ...
I did enjoy Cassidy, tho.
arse face could have been a tad more arse facey, too.

[radiator]

Well, I for one really enjoyed the second episode - it's even hooked in my girlfriend now (she can't stand to watch/listen to Arseface, though). Who'd have thought we'd get the [spoiler]Saint of Killers[/spoiler] origin story in the second episode?!?!?!

I've got to be honest - I'm finding the (comparatively) subtle, playful wit of the TV show far more appealing than the sledgehammer, gross-out vulgarity of the comics, and the TV show Jesse - older, more world-weary and rough around the edges - is a much more engaging, compelling character than the - lets face it - rather bland, slightly obnoxious, right about everything all the time, perfect human specimen Gary Stu he is in the comic.

While I have a few reservations - it feels like there might be a bit too much going on, plot-wise - this is shaping up to be the perfect adaptation of Preacher. Faithful where it counts, but smarter in surprising ways.

Line of the show: "Your dinner's getting cold".

Going back to the comics, I'm approaching the end of my reread now, and I must say I was probably a little harsh on it before. It definitely improves in leaps and bounds as it goes on, in both writing and art. In particular I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Salvation' arc this time around, which I always thought was a curious exercise in treading water before.

And for the people unhappy that the TV show isn't following the plot of the comics closer, it's worth remembering that the comic, when it ended, felt like a quite a different beast to those first dozen or so issues, which in retrospect feel very much like a work in progress and a story and cast of characters still finding their feet.

[radiator]

I feel pretty confident they'll get at least a second series. I mean, AMC keep trying to make Halt and Catch Fire happen and have renewed it for a third season, and literally no one watches or talks about that show.

[DrRocka]

I'm still not sold, but I thought the second episode was a HUGE improvement on the first, especially with Youknowwho at the beginning. All that's really putting me off now is Tulip - the actress playing her is great (& wow, she's a cutie), but by God I find the character SO irritating that it puts me off everything else. Guess I prefer her comic book iteration - raised by her Dad to be great with guns but hates them because of what happened to him. This one's too trigger happy (and faux sassy) for my liking.
Good to see Jesse beginning to get his arrogance though, found him to be too much of a dweeb in the first one. Gonna keep watching in the hopes that Tulip will turn into something at least resembling the character that I love.

[radiator]

The thing with Tulip in the comics is that you don't really get to find out anything about her (except that she's a badass) until the series is almost over. Like Jesse, she's a little bland overall as a character. I'm not blown away (ha) by the TV version of her so far (though I also like the actress a lot), but I welcome something different, and am keen to see what they do with her from here. Admittedly the 'wet' line did make me chuckle.

I'm impressed with how the TV show is handling the violence. It's splattery and they don't shy away from it, but at the same time it feels very heightened and stylised (kind of Evil Dead-like) which really takes the edge off it. Absolutely the right call as far as I'm concerned - realistic, gritty violence and gore would totally change the tone of the show.

Good to see Jesse beginning to get his arrogance though, found him to be too much of a dweeb in the first one

What's funny is that I don't think we're actually meant to find comics Jesse arrogant. I honestly think Ennis intended him to be a straight-talking personification of old-school masculinity. A little pigheaded maybe, but other than that, pretty much without flaws. That he often comes across as a judgemental, arrogant douchebag is, I think, unintentional.

[radiator]

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.

He was also IIRC alluded to on the label of a bottle of 'Ratwater' whiskey is Jesse's bedroom. Nice touch, I thought.

[DrRocka]

Totally agree with you, Radiator - in the comics it was the fact that they took some characters and then got to work developing them throughout the arc, especially in the later ones, that made me love the comics so much. Hell, I still think that, despite all the madness of the plot, it's essentially the story of three good mates finding their friendship and place in the world. I mean, the real tragedy - and genius - of Cassidy's arc in the comics is that he's under a voodoo spell that makes him behave like a prick, and yet they never find this information out!!
Far from wanting a slavish adaptation, I'm eager to a kind of "unseen further adventures" of the characters I love on tv - it's ADDING to, rather than taking away from, my love of them. I'm just not getting Tulip yet. Hopefully up the road though, like in the comics, I will. I think it's certainly worth sticking with.
Being raised in westerns myself, I really identified with comics Jesse & all his John Wayne machismo. Can't see The Duke putting an appearance in in the tv show, but hell, a man can hope...

[radiator]

I mean, the real tragedy - and genius - of Cassidy's arc in the comics is that he's under a voodoo spell that makes him behave like a prick

Eeeerrrm, I never read it that way at all. In fact, I think that's a misreading of the material...

Hell, I still think that, despite all the madness of the plot, it's essentially the story of three good mates finding their friendship and place in the world.

Broadly agree, but as I said above, all that stuff comes really around the half way mark of the story. The characters really change drastically as they go. To my mind they're introduced as the kind of outlandish, colourful lowlife miscreants you might find in a Tarantino movie, and develop and mutate over time as Ennis strives to flesh them out and give them more dimension.

Jesse is introduced as a really smug, sleazy antihero for those first few arcs, then suddenly matures and becomes this amazing, ultimate good guy (who can beat anyone in a fight) when he is retroactively given an insanely over the top tragic upbringing backstory.

And I still think Cassidy's declaration of love for Tulip comes out of absolutely nowhere, and doesn't really ring true for the character as established up to that point. Yeah, you could say that it's an act or whatever, but the Cassidy we initially meet couldn't give a toss about all that sappy bollicks.

[DrRocka]

Nah, Cassidy's love for Tulip comes around the same time as its revealed that one of his exgirlfriends has been throwing darts at a picture of him, which is a spell she's got from the voodoo guy who helps Jesse and co in the graveyard issue (can't tell you which right now, I'm on my phone). After all the actions occurred and the wannabe vampire cult have been vaquished, the voodoo Guy's still throwing darts at Cassidy's picture. Apparently the outcome of this spell would be to fuck the victims life up, and its around the time he confesses his love for Tulip.
Remember how he keeps regretting it? It's like he's not in control of hisself. That's why, at the end, he needs Jesse's forgiveness - he's been trying to do the right thing since he met them, leaving the heroin behind etc, but he always ends up fucking things up. Only this time, he genuinely wants repentance, and he gets it at the very end.

[DrRocka]

*as shown in all the flashbacks etc though, Cassidy was of course a right prick before he hooks up with Jesse and Tulip

[DrRocka]

*and by "prick" I mean of course, "cool as shit immortal who does exactly what we'd love to do if we were him"

[radiator]

Nah, the curse specifically says 'I hope you die', and as you mention, it's established that Cassidy has left a trail of wreckage (and has a history of abusive behaviour) throughout his life, far predating his time in New Orleans.

I don't think the voodoo curse should be taken as a literal explanation/excuse for Cass - my take is that its just there to show that people hate him for what he has done.

[Theblazeuk]

Yeah, Cassidy keeps fucking things up because he's weak. Not because of a voodoo curse. Never heard that one before

[Theblazeuk]

Which now I read it sounds super patronising, the smile is meant to be "Look at what different interpretations we can have, ain't it grand".