"Preacher" Premiere Episode Review

As a fan of the graphic novels, I was disappointed when I heard that Seth Rogen was penning Preacher for TV. He's a comedic man and, while there is humor in Preacher, it's extremely dark and gritty. I have never been so happy to be proven wrong.

The premiere episode did not disappoint me as I was expecting. It was well-written, thoroughly researched, and perfectly paced. It's obvious that Rogen cares about this show and has poured many hours into the writing.

The first novel started in a diner and showed us flashbacks as the characters were telling the story up to that point. Rogen masterfully pieced the story together to avoid any confusion the casual viewer may have had. We start with Jesse's story, giving us a good background for Preacher before we move on to Cassidy and so on.

The acting was spot-on. Dominic Cooper was the perfect casting decision for Preacher Jesse Custer. His looks, his attitude, and his inner struggle are all perfectly conveyed by Cooper. Joseph Gilgun also stood out to me. Gilgun plays Cassidy, a Southern Irish vampire with a knack for recklessness and drinking (possibly) way too much. Cassidy was always my favorite in the novels so to see him so marvelously brought to life on screen was such a joy.

One other thing I absolutely have to mention is the make-up and effects. Cassidy's fight on the airplane was without a doubt one of the best scenes as well as the aftermath of said flight. But what really impressed me was the facial work done for Ian Colletti's character Arseface. You may be wondering why his name is Arseface? Well, that's because he tried to kill himself and the attempt went horribly wrong. He didn't succeed and because of this, his face is permanently disfigured. (See picture below). Apparently, they used a prosthetic which took two hours to apply, not counting the make-up they had to add to make it look like it was actually Colletti's face. It was impressive work, for sure.

In conclusion, I look forward to seeing how the rest of the season, and hopefully more seasons, will go. If Rogen will treat every episode with the care that he gave this one, then Preacher will become the next AMC hit.