AMC’s Preacher closed out its first season with both critical and commercial success. The TV adaptation of Garth Ennis’s classic comic series managed to capture the look and feel of the original content while also creating a version that fit well with a modern audience. Like AMC’s other successful adaptation, The Walking Dead, Preacher was able to engage the average viewer with a satirical and witty story while also holding the attention of die-hard fans with subtle nods to the comic and what’s to come in later seasons. There are a variety of reasons why Preacher worked as well as it did, and to fully understand what went into making this show resonate so well, one will need to break down the many positive aspects of the show. Luckily, we here at Goomba Stomp have got you covered.
A Cast Made in Heaven
A production is only as good as its actors, and luckily for Preacher, its talent is top notch. Notable faces such as Dominic Cooper, Graham McTavish, and Jackie Earle Haley all play important roles throughout the first season, while more unknown talent like Ruth Negga and Joe Gilgun get the chance to showcase their superb acting abilities. Standout performances come in the interactions between Cooper’s Jesse Custer, the series protagonist, and Negga’s Tulip, Jessie’s lover. The two actors play off each other so well that whenever they’re onscreen together anyone else accompanying them seems to fade away. The same could be said for Gilgun’s portrayal of the alcoholic vampire Cassidy, as his performance elevates him to the same status as his co-stars.
Created by Fans, for Fans
It came as no surprise to hear that a show like Preacher would be headed up by long-time friends Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, both of whom are massive fans of the original comic series. After seeing Rogen’s body of work including Pineapple Express and This is the End, it makes sense that he would be willing to work on a TV adaptation of such a beloved and taboo series. What’s more, both Rogen and Goldberg’s writing are the driving force behind the success of the series. The dialogue exchanged between characters is engaging and biting without over-complicating the shows dark themes and sacrilegious subject matter.
A Show Like No Other
Preacher offers a story unlike any other, and touches on topics that can easily make many in the audience uncomfortable. However, it’s how the show goes about handling such subject matter that makes it so special. Trying to sell an audience on a show about an outlaw preacher, his vampire best friend, and acts of terrible divine intervention is hard enough without having to deal with the more abstract aspects of the story such as the Saint of Killers and The Grail. Still, the show managed to rein in these diverging story elements and tell a branching narrative that held the audience’s attention and helped explain Preacher’s heady satire.
These are just a few of the many reason’s why the Preacher TV adaptation is worth checking out. What’s most important about this series is how it proves that darker, more abstract comics can be brought into the mainstream if recreated correctly. Preacher stands as the new standard for its genre, and one can only hope that we will see more comic book adaptations follow suit in the coming years.
