Preacher Pilot Review: One Of The Good Ones

The world has clearly changed. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Vertigo Comics series Preacher was once thought of as one of those stories that was irreverent and too vulgar to work anywhere but in comics. Yet here we are, with a full series order for a Preacher TV series on AMC. This version of Preacher will be a different journey than the one fans experienced in the comics, but – if the Sam Catlin written, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg directed pilot is anything to go by - not necessarily a less enjoyable one.

Where the Preacher comic book series hit the ground running, with the trio of leads already on the road, AMC's TV series seems much more interested in solidifying these characters and their relationship before sending them out into the world. The pilot introduce protagonist Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), the preacher in the small Texas town of Annville. Jesse has taken the job over from his father, but is clearly feeling down on his luck and about out of faith as he struggles to reach his congregation.

While Cooper's performance as Custer is stellar, the series lead isn't fully realized in the pilot. This is likely because he has the longest road to travel, and will develop more thoroughly over the course of the season, especially considering the "gift" he receives by the end of the episode. There's a flash of life during a night at the bar that goes south, but, while I look forward to seeing more of his story, there's not much for Jesse to do in this episode besides drink and look defeated after one failed attempt to reach out after another.

On the other hand, supporting cast members Tulip O'Hare (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) come out of the gate swinging, each being introduced with an action set piece. Tulip is a departure from her comic book counterpart, but that may be an improvement. Where comic book Tulip was introduced as being gun shy, in over her head, and largely defined by her pre-existing relationship with Jesse, Negga's Tulip is a rowdy rogue whose history with Jesse is clearly more than just a love affair. Negga plays the character with swagger and a bit of mystery. There's seems to be a lot to unpack in the shared history of Jesse and Tulip, which is implied to date all the way back to childhood, and seeing it unfold should be a treat.

Cassidy is less radically changed than Tulip, and that's just fine, as Gilgun seems born to play the role. Rogen and Goldberg direct Cassidy's introduction like a Quentin Tarantino action scene, and that energy informs Gilgun's performance as he lashes out as his opponents, and the world in general, with casual anarchism that practically steals the show.

The cast is rounded out with W. Earl Brown as Sheriff Root and Ian Colletti as Eugene "Arseface" Root, both of whom have been toned down a bit for television. Root keeps the conspiracy theorist angle of the source material, but loses the racial slurs and pure hatefulness of his comic book counterpart. He's also much more sympathetic to his son, with Eugene's mother being the one who shuts down after his incident, and his primary sin is one of cronyism rather than wrath. Eugene has been toned down visually, but gains a bit a depth as we learn more about his own struggle with faith mirrors Jesse's.

Lastly is Lucy Griffiths as Emily, a brand new character who is a single mother doing what she can to help Jesse with the church, even when Jesse is mentally checked out. Griffiths brings some humanity and level-headedness to Catlin's script, which revels in its more over-the-top moments.

The pilot's plot has the three leads all finding themselves in Annville, as Tulip returns seeking aid from Jesse and Cassidy just kind of lands there. The series seems to be setting itself up as a kind preamble to the core plot of the source material, having the characters establish themselves in Annville as Jesse uses his newfound power to try to turn his congregation around.

For all of Preacher's reputation for the comical extremes it can go to, there's one quote that cuts the core of the series: "You gotta be one of the good guys, son, 'cause there's way too many of the bad." This request, made by Jesse's father to Jesse as a child, is pivotal to Jesse's character. The fact that this quote made it into the pilot, that it will inform the series' understanding of Jesse Custer as a character from the very beginning, tells me that the show's creators have a vital and important understanding of what Preacher is all about. Jesse has a lot of growing to do, and a long road to walk, but I'll be happy to see him take those steps, and happy to see what kind of chaos he and his friends throw Annville into along the way.