Blu-ray Review – Preacher: Season One (2016)
Based originally on a series of graphic novels from Gareth Ennis and Steve Dillon, in 2016 AMC commissioned a ten episode run adapted for television helmed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. How did it work out? We’ve gotten a hold of the Blu-ray, sit tight things are about to get biblical!
Preacher revolves around the story of Jesse Custer, a small town preacher from Annville, Texas. His world is rocked when he is struck by a cosmic wave of energy which leaves him with a very special ability, the ability to control people by his command. Jesse suddenly finds himself juggling several plates when Tulip, mystery woman from his past appears looking for him to do ‘one more job’, Cassidy, a vampire on the run who hangs around the church attempting to loose track of the determined vampire hunters tracking him and Odin Quincannon – Owner and President of Quincannon Meat & Power, and if you control the meat and the power, you pretty much run the town and hell Preachers church is probably the only piece of land he doesn’t own yet.
This show is a blast! It’s like watching Breaking Bad, but instead of drugs – vampires and religion! That’s underselling it, because it’s a surprisingly funny show with such excellent well written characters, yeah that’s about a dozen important characters and we regularly jump between three different decades, but it never becomes too much.
The casting of this show is perfect, everyone really makes the most of their characters, we’ve got such a diverse selection of such rich characters – no one is under written – even the dude that gets his dick shot off, aye even him. Dominic’s portrayal of Jesse is reserved and it works – the whole boiling kettle, he can be a real evil cunt if he’s pushed there. Joseph Gilgun is just playing himself turned up to 11, Gilgun has always played mental in films and Cassidy should have been a very fun and comfortable role for him. Even the antagonists are so perfect in their roles; Jackie Earle Haley is perfectly cast as this bitter man of power, with a horrid past – but hell of an actor.
Whilst there is buckets of comedic relief, Derek Wilson and the boys from ‘The Government’ are funny as hell. Wilson plays Donnie Schenck, the right hand man to Odin and the first man to feel the wrath of Preachers powers, as the season goes on you actually start to feel for Donnie he’s put up with a lot of shit from Jesse and even Tulip has left her scars on him. The Government Agents; Fiore (Tom Brooke) and Anatol Yusef (DeBlanc) have an excellent dry humour – the scenes where they are pacing around detailing the perfect tone of voice and opening line when answering a very important phone call is pretty funny.
Overall the story runs quite well. The story is split across three different time periods – other than our main setting with Jesse Custer and his motley crew, we also follow a story set in the old west, a cowboy travelling to town to collect medicine for his ailing daughter. We’re also shown Jesses flashbacks of his father and their relationship with the church and more importantly with Odin Quincannon.
I cannot go and say the story was flawless, there were some instances when Tulip makes some bizarre decisions which I felt dented my enjoyment of the story – but I could have missed a reference or a sign, or hell maybe it is something they’re sitting on for Season 2. Speaking of Season 2, I felt the first season wrapped up very nicely at the end; all the loose ends were tied up, we’re getting to see our characters going in a new, fresh direction and we hopefully get to see a great looming threat. I was left excited itching to know more.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment handled the UK release of Preacher: Season One on DVD and Blu-ray – and they did not disappoint with the Blu-ray special features. We’re given six segments and over a dozen deleted scenes. The Behind-the-scene segments such as; “The Unfilmable Pilot”, “Behind the Killing Machine: Saint of Killers” & “Chainsaw Fight Breakdown” – the segments are all roughly between 5-7 minutes and feature interviews with the directors (Rogen, Goldberg etc.) and primary cast. It’s an interesting show and getting over half a dozen special features compliment it nicely. The Extended and Deleted scenes are also nice little bonuses for those craving every morsel of footage – I recommend deleted scenes; Black Pudding and Three Possible Explanations.
Overall, it’s a excellent wee show and I’m excited to see more! Highly recommended.
Preacher: Season One: 4/5
Special Features: 5/5
Overall: 9/10
On DVD & Blu-Ray from Monday 17th Oct. 2016 and for download from Monday 17th Oct. 2016.