A druggie vampire, a freelance mobster, and a preacher with magic powers go on a trip to find God. It sounds like the beginning to a pub joke, but it’s actually the premise of Season 2 of Preacher, a show I fell in love with last year due to its pitch black sense of humour and its vibrant town of bizarre characters. Having now watched Season 2 through to the end, right off the bat I can say it is a let-down in many ways.
It starts off exciting enough, with the first episode crammed full of car chases, explosions and ludicrous gore. Unfortunately this is probably where most of the budget ended up, because around episode two the trio move into a flat in New Orleans and decide to spend the rest of the season in it. Three fifths of this show takes place in the same grotty kitchen, with the characters sitting around, trying not to fall out with one another through sheer boredom. I can’t blame them – it does get very tedious seeing so much of this story take place in one location, and you get the impression the writers had nowhere enough material to fill each episode. It’s a shame because whenever they do go somewhere, it immediately becomes all kinds of intriguing and exciting and hilarious.
It doesn’t help that this has a much smaller cast than the previous season. There are at least some good newbies – a special mention must go to the season’s highly unconventional, anti-villain. He’s this German mega pervert who aces his way to the top of a clandestine organisation, merely through the power of kink. The show depends on him to move the plot along, with everyone else floundering to find things to do. With so few characters, it isn`t long though before we have to return to that same kitchen to wait for the story to happen. In regards to solving the central story of finding God, I won’t spoil it, but I will say it isn’t a particularly satisfying conclusion. In fact it doesn’t conclude at all, the show simply assuring you that you will need to carry on treading water for the next season.
If you are a fan of the series so far, I still recommend getting on and watching it because when it is good, it is very good. But lower your expectation considerably, because in many respects, this show isn’t what it once was.
Treading Water
A druggie vampire, a freelance mobster, and a preacher with magic powers go on a trip to find God. It sounds like the beginning to a pub joke, but it’s actually the premise of Season 2 of Preacher, a show I fell in love with last year due to its pitch black sense of humour and its vibrant town of bizarre characters. Having now watched Season 2 through to the end, right off the bat I can say it is a let-down in many ways.
It starts off exciting enough, with the first episode crammed full of car chases, explosions and ludicrous gore. Unfortunately this is probably where most of the budget ended up, because around episode two the trio move into a flat in New Orleans and decide to spend the rest of the season in it. Three fifths of this show takes place in the same grotty kitchen, with the characters sitting around, trying not to fall out with one another through sheer boredom. I can’t blame them – it does get very tedious seeing so much of this story take place in one location, and you get the impression the writers had nowhere enough material to fill each episode. It’s a shame because whenever they do go somewhere, it immediately becomes all kinds of intriguing and exciting and hilarious.
It doesn’t help that this has a much smaller cast than the previous season. There are at least some good newbies – a special mention must go to the season’s highly unconventional, anti-villain. He’s this German mega pervert who aces his way to the top of a clandestine organisation, merely through the power of kink. The show depends on him to move the plot along, with everyone else floundering to find things to do. With so few characters, it isn`t long though before we have to return to that same kitchen to wait for the story to happen. In regards to solving the central story of finding God, I won’t spoil it, but I will say it isn’t a particularly satisfying conclusion. In fact it doesn’t conclude at all, the show simply assuring you that you will need to carry on treading water for the next season.
If you are a fan of the series so far, I still recommend getting on and watching it because when it is good, it is very good. But lower your expectation considerably, because in many respects, this show isn’t what it once was.