Preacher the comic book series is so over-the-top and insane that many of its most iconic moments and characters could never make it on the air intact, and even though I love it very much it has more than a few flaws. Thankfully, this show serves to remedy both of those concerns while not straying from the path of Crazy Awesome.
Rather than kicking off the series with Jesse receiving Genesis and everyone else at the church dying before he meets Cassidy and reunites with Tulip, the show opts to spend its entire first season in the town Jesse serves as preacher for, and thus we get far more time devoted to exploring the protagonist trio and the other factions.
Regarding said trio, I must applaud the actors for Jesse and Tulip; despite both being English/Irish, they convincingly pull off their Midwestern accents to the point that I had no idea they weren't born there until I watched behind-the-scenes footage. Additionally, Joe Gilgun is a perfect fit for Cassidy and I cannot wait to see more of him.
As for the changes they made to the show, I enjoyed and appreciated them for the most part; in particular, introducing Odin Quincannon earlier on and actually making him a bit sympathetic, making Jesse feel more human and vulnerable than his invincible comic book counterpart ever did, and the Bloody Hilarious fight scenes with the angels that we never got in the original story.
There are two changes, however, that rubbed me the wrong way, those being Arseface's backstory and Tulip's character. I won't spoil how Arseface originally ended up disfigured if you haven't read the comics, but the show has him attempting murder-suicide out of jealousy and spite rather than the depressing and relatable series of events of the comics, which makes him less of a Woobie and more of a Jerkass Woobie trying to reform. As for Tulip, in the comics she's still a badass, but she's also empathetic and treats Jesse well after learning why he left her; here, she's a jerk to him and a fair few other characters right from episode one almost to the point of unlikability, and even though her backstory serves to explain why she might be a bit cynical and callous, it doesn't excuse her behavior.
However, I'm more than willing to excuse both of those because the show absolutely NAILED the Saint of Killers's appearance and portrayal. He didn't play a major role in this first season, but I'm gleefully anticipating future episodes of him kicking ass.
As a final note, I'm very glad Garth Ennis was on board for this show, because it could have gone so very wrong otherwise. Whether or not you've read the comics, watch this show if you want something that revels in its own weirdness and badassery with every passing second.
Season 1: A Differing, but Faithful Adaptation
Preacher the comic book series is so over-the-top and insane that many of its most iconic moments and characters could never make it on the air intact, and even though I love it very much it has more than a few flaws. Thankfully, this show serves to remedy both of those concerns while not straying from the path of Crazy Awesome.
Rather than kicking off the series with Jesse receiving Genesis and everyone else at the church dying before he meets Cassidy and reunites with Tulip, the show opts to spend its entire first season in the town Jesse serves as preacher for, and thus we get far more time devoted to exploring the protagonist trio and the other factions.
Regarding said trio, I must applaud the actors for Jesse and Tulip; despite both being English/Irish, they convincingly pull off their Midwestern accents to the point that I had no idea they weren't born there until I watched behind-the-scenes footage. Additionally, Joe Gilgun is a perfect fit for Cassidy and I cannot wait to see more of him.
As for the changes they made to the show, I enjoyed and appreciated them for the most part; in particular, introducing Odin Quincannon earlier on and actually making him a bit sympathetic, making Jesse feel more human and vulnerable than his invincible comic book counterpart ever did, and the Bloody Hilarious fight scenes with the angels that we never got in the original story.
There are two changes, however, that rubbed me the wrong way, those being Arseface's backstory and Tulip's character. I won't spoil how Arseface originally ended up disfigured if you haven't read the comics, but the show has him attempting murder-suicide out of jealousy and spite rather than the depressing and relatable series of events of the comics, which makes him less of a Woobie and more of a Jerkass Woobie trying to reform. As for Tulip, in the comics she's still a badass, but she's also empathetic and treats Jesse well after learning why he left her; here, she's a jerk to him and a fair few other characters right from episode one almost to the point of unlikability, and even though her backstory serves to explain why she might be a bit cynical and callous, it doesn't excuse her behavior.
However, I'm more than willing to excuse both of those because the show absolutely NAILED the Saint of Killers's appearance and portrayal. He didn't play a major role in this first season, but I'm gleefully anticipating future episodes of him kicking ass.
As a final note, I'm very glad Garth Ennis was on board for this show, because it could have gone so very wrong otherwise. Whether or not you've read the comics, watch this show if you want something that revels in its own weirdness and badassery with every passing second.