Series review: Preacher

With Dominic Cooper still taking much of the main focus, the second season of Preacher has attained positive critical acclamations and managed to meet the expectations of the fans. Based on the 90s’ action/horror comic by Garth Ennis and the late Steve Dillon, Preacher was created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and co-executive producer of Breaking Bad, Sam Catlin. Crook-turned-minister Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), his hitwoman girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga), and their vampire pal Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) goes on a road trip across the American Southwest. As they chase after God, they’re being pursued by all kinds of angels and monsters, some brewed in the deepest pits of Hell, others made right here on planet Earth. The first season though, stayed frustratingly in one place, expanding a brief passage from the start of the comic where the three leads come together in the dusty Texas town of Annville. But in the ongoing season, the leads set out on the road trip, figuratively and literally in search of God, as they have some questions to ask Him. Seven episodes of season two have been aired so far. There are traces of Quentin Tarantino vibes in the violence and action sequences of the show. Plenty of black humour is there, probably because one of the directors is Seth Rogen, the famous comedy icon. And probably that is one of the reasons as well why season one was not appealing enough as the episodes lacked proper intensity. The show has its moments to hook you up—with a catchy background score and solid camera work. The role of Preacher should have been quite a fit for Dominic Cooper as he has previously worked in such roles. But things somehow didn’t sync accurately in the first season. Cooper failed to fulfill the expectations of the fans or the creators were not able to properly use the charisma of this actor for such a role. On the other hand, Negga’s vigorous performance was the only reason to stick around the show. But this season things have changed a bit as Jesse is now more energetic rather than being a sad sack. Negga continues to be a highlight of the show with her terrific acting skills. Whenever the show slightly moves away from Jesse’s quest, any added layers to Tulip’s character are a welcome chance for Negga to show why she’s one of TV’s most versatile actresses since her debut last year. Now that Jesse has a mission, the three of them are working together and keeping slightly fewer secrets between them. Episodes feel more evenly distributed and the characters are syncing better than before.