S01.E02: See

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

 

Jesse tries to be a "good preacher," unaware that a mysterious duo is after him. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Cowboy is introduced.

 

 

[Primetimer]

And more smoking-hot questions as Preacher starts to get going.

View the full article

[Lantern7]

I think getting the first trade paperback from the library might have been a mistake. I reckon the concept works better with Jesse not being a preacher. In terms of Garth Ennis, it's like how Tommy Monaghan wasn't called "Hitman" after he got his own series. I don't think I want to see Jesse try to save Annville. I wanna see him, Tulip and Cassidy have adventures . . . blasphemous, blasphemous adventures. At least this isn't the misery porn that The Walking Dead turned into.

I'm hoping "Cowboy" is who I think he is. As much as I'm okay with the show going in its own direction, I'd like to see canon sprinkled in.

I know that . . . . Eugene has subtitles in the comic, but do we need those here? Like Tai on Survivor, I can understand him for the most part. Of course, his face is a lot more fucked up in the comic.

[peridot]

I liked it!  I'm a stranger to the comics, but I'm very interested in the apparently indestructible cowboys.

I can tell Cassidy is going to be a favorite, but Tulip is annoying me so far.  I was hoping that Jesse would put the pedophile in a coma.  He only told him to   forget the one girl, but what about the other children on his bus?

When the guy's face was smashed in the wheel, I was afraid his eye was gouged out.

Hate that it ended there!

[Cobalt Stargazer]

3 hours ago, peridot said:

I  I was hoping that Jesse would put the pedophile in a coma.  He only told him to   forget the one girl, but what about the other children on his bus?

Well, Jesse seemed to have done a total mindwipe on the guy, since after the "baptism" he couldn't even remember why he was there, much less what girl they'd been talking about. Depending on how long the effects of Jesse's possession or whatever lasts, the effect he has on the people he focuses his new abilities on could be permanent.

I was very surprised to find that the two guys Cassidy "killed" in the church are immortal or something, since they had to reassemble themselves before going to see the sheriff.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Cobalt Stargazer
for clarity, because clarity our friend

[thuganomics85]

Still interested, but this episode has left me with a ton of questions and confusion that I hope gets cleared up eventually?  Or those two cowboys that Cassidy thought he killed immortal, clones, or something else?  What triggers Jesse's new powers, exactly?  What is this new character played by Jackie Earle Haley doing?  And what was the deal with 1881 and the Cowboy (who I'm pretty sure was Graham McTavish)?  A lot to take in, but hopefully it will all come together soon.

I wonder how many episodes will have a variation of a "Jesse needs to use his powers to stop someone bad or help someone in need" kind of thing? I'm guessing the ending is going to see if he is powerful enough to bring someone out of a coma.

Tulip is a nutter and a half.  And I guess whorehouses might have card games in them, but an old-school arcade machine was certainly news to me!

Cassidy and the cowboys fight in the church was a blast.  Especially with the chainsaw coming into play!

[Shriekingeel]

Really hamfisted, undisciplined writing/direction in this one. It felt like they couldn't bear not to include every one of their ideas, so they jammed them all in whether it made any sense or not. The cast is wonderful but the material is all over the place. 

[Rai]

I envy all those who haven't read the book, actually. Because it's one of my favorite comics of all time, and as such, I'm having a lot of trouble putting that aside to enjoy this on its own merits. But to be honest, I don't know if I would be all that invested as a non-reader either. Cassidy's a highlight, but Tulip's one of my all-time favorite characters, and she's being done a disservice here.

[MrWhyt]

10 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Still interested, but this episode has left me with a ton of questions and confusion that I hope gets cleared up eventually?

it is only the second episode, if they answered every question in the pilot then there'd be no need for the whole season.

[meep.meep]

I liked the pilot but this was just stupid.  Guess my watching comic book adaptations ends with Walking Dead.

[zxy556575]

I was half watching through my fingers to see what the rusty crank-up machine and coffee can would do to Jesse, but nothing. Was a little disappointing after such a long prelude and multiple close-up shots of cranks, gears, and a round of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

[nachomama]

I loved "jesus took your wheel?" I adore Tulip, I'm sticking around.

Jesse hasn't caught on that there's a vampire in his church?

[Lee4U]

Loved the pilot; couldn't even sit through this whole episode so, for me, that does not bode well.  It was like two different shows - I was riveted during the pilot and this episode could not keep my attention.  One more try for me - see if this was a fluke.

[edhopper]

Things introduced that have to be explained sooner rather than later.

 

I don't like Ruth Negga as Tulip. Maybe it's a hangover from how evil she was on Agents of Shield. But mainly she is just too different for me from the Tulip of the comics. (And I am not talking about race) she just doesn't feel right to me, her personality seems different than I expect it would be., and Cassidy and Jesse are so spot on.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

5 hours ago, nachomama said:

Jesse hasn't caught on that there's a vampire in his church?

Cassidy actually told Jesse that he was a vamp, I thought, before Jesse drank the special moonshine that made him pass out.

[solea]

Cassidy slurping the blood off the floor of the church had me howling! The chainsaw/arm thing too was awesome.

This episode had a less cohesive pacing than the pilot, but still lots of fun. I love how they threw a crap ton of WTF at us in the pilot and they're continuing to pile it on here. Really liking the show, especially since I have no comic book baggage to hinder my enjoyment. 

Edited June 7, 2016 by solea
Spelling

[Sandman87]

Tulip sucks. Make her go away.

The bit with the chainsaw inching across the floor looked like something from Army of Darkness.

I get the impression that using the Command Voice to fix the problems of the congregation isn't ever going to end well.

Quote

Cassidy actually told Jesse that he was a vamp, I thought, before Jesse drank the special moonshine that made him pass out.

Yeah, but Jesse was feeling no pain at the time, so he might not remember. Or might not have believed him.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Sandman87

[Snookums]

Quote

 The cast is wonderful but the material is all over the place. 

I think this is the main problem. It's one thing to have multiple plot points/stories but this feels more like three different flip books mashed together into one big one--here's 1881! Here's Tulip! Here's a whorehouse! Here's two weirdo immortal cowboy dudes! Here's a pedophile! Here's a casserole! You don't have to show every single thing all the time, show. Let some things back burner.

Tulip is not gelling for me, and I think it's because the actress is being asked to play schtick instead of an actual character. She's so busy being cute and rowdy and dangerous and crazy that they didn't leave any room for her to be a person. Instead of finding her and Jesse hot or interesting, I'm more on the "don't blame him one iota" for wanting her to take her psycho ass as far away from him as she can. She's exhausting to be around, like that one crazy girlfriend you had in college or whatever. At the time it felt like the whole world was spinning around you but now it's just "please go away, I am so tired of this."  I don't know why they can write Cassidy, who should be every bit the bundle of tics and annoyance that Tulip is, so well and her so badly. I don't think it's talent per se--Ruth Negga has the chops. It's just not coming together.

Now, here's the bit I'm having a lot of trouble with--the whole "pedophile" thing. The bare facts of the matter are this guy, if he is to be believed, has not yet committed a crime, and I'm going to go with that until the show says something different. That doesn't mean he hasn't sinned (in thought), or that he's not a craven little rat of a man nosing around trying to find an in, an alley, a sewer to sidle into because he's being driven by his very very bad desires. And I am glad Jesse didn't tell him to drive his bus into a wall or something because you know he would have done it with all the kids on board. 

But pedophilia has become such lazy shorthand on TV for "irredeemable scum"; there's no stakes here. We don't get impatient with Jesse for not wanting to help this man--hell, we're only impatient for him to commit some righteous violence toot sweet! Step to it, preacher man! When Jesse commands him to forget her (after some breaking and entering, yay) we're laughing and thinking how easy this monster got off, considering.

But this could have been a real game changer. A man who is on the verge of committing one of the worst crimes there is comes to you for help. He didn't have to. He could have kept it to himself--in fact, he'd be a lot better off if he had. And you, for better or worse, have committed to helping every single member of your flock no matter what. You don't get to pick which sins are "okay" and which are gross. Yes, this man is craven, and shallow, and kind of wants to not have these feelings but kinda doesn't think there's anything that can be done about it and kinda wants to do what he doesn't want to do but he also really does want to be forgiven? Kinda? And he's just dumped this entire watery, uncoagulated mess of semi melted Pudding Pops into your lap and said "fix it." But he's also a soul that you pledged to shepherd.

That's the kind of mess sin is. Goopy and gross and runny and sticky. If Jesse had been shown to be truly struggling with how to help this man, to save him, then The Voice might have had a huge impact--world-shaking, terrifying, man was not meant to have this power impact. Instead it simply played as a freaky and scary thing, that terrified the guy and weirded Jesse out, but that was kind of all. No glimpse of what this could mean in terms of good and evil, of being Christ's representative, and good God, are actual miracles always going to be this horrifying, this soul-shaking, to witness? Because if you're going to go big with your theme, with God and evil and cosmic powers and all the rest of it, don't keep everything small.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Snookums

[RustbeltWriter]

5 hours ago, Snookums said:

I think this is the main problem. It's one thing to have multiple plot points/stories but this feels more like three different flip books mashed together into one big one--here's 1881! Here's Tulip! Here's a whorehouse! Here's two weirdo immortal cowboy dudes! Here's a pedophile! Here's a casserole! You don't have to show every single thing all the time, show. Let some things back burner.

Tulip is not gelling for me, and I think it's because the actress is being asked to play schtick instead of an actual character. She's so busy being cute and rowdy and dangerous and crazy that they didn't leave any room for her to be a person. Instead of finding her and Jesse hot or interesting, I'm more on the "don't blame him one iota" for wanting her to take her psycho ass as far away from him as she can. She's exhausting to be around, like that one crazy girlfriend you had in college or whatever. At the time it felt like the whole world was spinning around you but now it's just "please go away, I am so tired of this."  I don't know why they can write Cassidy, who should be every bit the bundle of tics and annoyance that Tulip is, so well and her so badly. I don't think it's talent per se--Ruth Negga has the chops. It's just not coming together.

Now, here's the bit I'm having a lot of trouble with--the whole "pedophile" thing. The bare facts of the matter are this guy, if he is to be believed, has not yet committed a crime, and I'm going to go with that until the show says something different. That doesn't mean he hasn't sinned (in thought), or that he's not a craven little rat of a man nosing around trying to find an in, an alley, a sewer to sidle into because he's being driven by his very very bad desires. And I am glad Jesse didn't tell him to drive his bus into a wall or something because you know he would have done it with all the kids on board. 

But pedophilia has become such lazy shorthand on TV for "irredeemable scum"; there's no stakes here. We don't get impatient with Jesse for not wanting to help this man--hell, we're only impatient for him to commit some righteous violence toot sweet! Step to it, preacher man! When Jesse commands him to forget her (after some breaking and entering, yay) we're laughing and thinking how easy this monster got off, considering.

But this could have been a real game changer. A man who is on the verge of committing one of the worst crimes there is comes to you for help. He didn't have to. He could have kept it to himself--in fact, he'd be a lot better off if he had. And you, for better or worse, have committed to helping every single member of your flock no matter what. You don't get to pick which sins are "okay" and which are gross. Yes, this man is craven, and shallow, and kind of wants to not have these feelings but kinda doesn't think there's anything that can be done about it and kinda wants to do what he doesn't want to do but he also really does want to be forgiven? Kinda? And he's just dumped this entire watery, uncoagulated mess of semi melted Pudding Pops into your lap and said "fix it." But he's also a soul that you pledged to shepherd.

That's the kind of mess sin is. Goopy and gross and runny and sticky. If Jesse had been shown to be truly struggling with how to help this man, to save him, then The Voice might have had a huge impact--world-shaking, terrifying, man was not meant to have this power impact. Instead it simply played as a freaky and scary thing, that terrified the guy and weirded Jesse out, but that was kind of all. No glimpse of what this could mean in terms of good and evil, of being Christ's representative, and good God, are actual miracles always going to be this horrifying, this soul-shaking, to witness? Because if you're going to go big with your theme, with God and evil and cosmic powers and all the rest of it, don't keep everything small.

You pretty much nailed every criticism I have with this show. I like the cast and it looks great but the producers are just cramming all sorts of things in early with little explanation. The cowboy scenes sort of sucked because we aren't sure of everyone's relationship. Was the woman his wife and the little girl his daughter? Why was he poking along slowly looking for the medicine? What was the significance of the lynched Indians outside of Ratwater? Some of that needs to be clearly shown.

The guys that Cassidy killed; did they come back to life in that trunk, dig themselves free and then reassemble or were the guys at the end clones or something? What was the significance of the music they played over Jesse before starting the chainsaw?

Why did that guy buy the house and wreck it? Is it because he's building a slaughterhouse or farm? If so, why did he go on and on about how many people would be employed? Oh, and even with the cast on his arm I totally missed that was the dad whose arm was broken by Jesse in the pilot.

I like mysteries but it feels like this episode was one big launch pad for about half a dozen storylines.

Edited June 7, 2016 by RustbeltWriter

[ghoulina]

I actually liked this episode better than the pilot. There is definitely still quite a bit left in the air, but it's not to the point yet where it's driving me crazy. 

I think the two cowboys are hunting this demon (or whatever) that has possessed Jesse. Didn't we also see them show up at the church in Africa. I'm wondering if the song was supposed to exorcise the demon, or perhaps completely awaken it? I have no idea. 

This show isn't really like anything I've watched before, but it's funny and dark at the same time. Chainsaw arm was awesome!  

Most importantly, it's a very pretty show with a killer soundtrack. 

[Bruinsfan]

I think whatever they showed squirming in the CSI shot down Jesse's throat was supposed to be coaxed out of him and into the coffee can by whatever they were doing with the box and the nursery rhyme. Didn't work out too well for them, though.

I'm not a fan of going to the well of child endangerment twice in two episodes to show how awful the people in Jesse's congregation are. Is this a prison colony? There ought to be more good people around than just the one church secretary.

Also really, really tired of everyone calling the lead character "Preacher." We get it, that's the show's title, but the vast majority of Protestants refer to clergy by their title AND name, especially if they're actually in the congregation. It'd be "Reverend Custer." I get the feeling this dialog is being written by Catholic writers with no idea of how fundamentalist religion in Texas would differ from theirs. (The pedophile-in-training treating his talk with Jesse like the Confessional reinforces this impression.)

Edited June 7, 2016 by Bruinsfan

[MrWhyt]

10 hours ago, Snookums said:

But this could have been a real game changer. A man who is on the verge of committing one of the worst crimes there is comes to you for help.

I didn't get the impression that he was coming to Jesse for help. His whole demeanor screamed to me "I should be guilty about these urges but I'm not". To me it seemed like he wanted to talk to somebody about his urges (and not in a I know this is wrong way) and knew that Jesse wouldn't be able to tell anyone.

Edited June 7, 2016 by MrWhyt

[Starving Writer]

Watched this episode last night.  It's an interesting experience, having read the comics (and absolutely loved them) and watching this show.  

On one hand, the plot is so completely different from the comics that I genuinely have no idea where this show is heading.  But on the other hand, there are things this show has set up and is hinting at that I already know the answers to, so I know why certain characters are doing certain things, but it's clear that non-readers would have no idea what's going on.  (The cowboy in the 1881 cold open sequence, for example.) 

Like a few people have mentioned above, I am a bit annoyed by the constant use of "Preacher" to reference Jesse Custer.  It's like it's his "superhero name" or something.  I mean, it's ok if it's used as a descriptor, but it's not his name.  No one calls people solely by their name.  Sheriff Root is not called only "Sheriff" for example.  He should be called Reverend Custer, not Preacher.  

My wife, a non-reader, was completely unimpressed with the show.  I think there's simply too many things going on, and the pace is too slow to retain her interest.  Too many questions are being set up. (What's up with that 1881 cowboy, and what is his connection to the present-day story? How the heck did those two cowboys get dismembered and come back -- or did they?  What is Tulip's ultimate plan, and why does she need Jesse Custer to be a part of it?  What's up with that Quinncannon dude and the purchase / destruction of the house?  What's the deal with Eugene "Arseface" Root? And I'm probably missing a couple of unanswered questions.) Some things were confusing, visually. (For example, what was Jesse looking at when he got tasered?  We had to rewind to figure out he was looking at a baby carrier.) There's not enough answers --- yet.  

I wish there had been a scene where Cassidy went to finish burying the boxes only to find them opened and empty.  At least that would've somewhat clarified that the two cowboys came back to life, and that the scene of them at the sheriff wasn't a flashback.  

I'll give it this season.  I'm hoping the overall plot arc comes together in a satisfying conclusion that sets up Season 2, and that the show delivers on the promise that the comics had. 

[zxy556575]

3 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I think whatever they showed squirming in the CSI shot down Jesse's throat was supposed to be coaxed out of him and into the coffee can by whatever they were doing with the box and the nursery rhyme. Didn't work out too well for them, though.

Ach. I've been watching so many scenes with my eyes half averted due to the gore and grossness that I didn't even see that.

I dunno. The show requires a viewer's full attention but it's too stomach-churning for me to do so; I literally started gagging when Cassidy was lapping blood off the floor.

[PatternRec]

I loved "jesus took your wheel?" I adore Tulip, I'm sticking around.

Jesse hasn't caught on that there's a vampire in his church?

> Jesse hasn't caught on that there's a vampire in his church?

Well we're to assume this is a world where supernatural stuff isn't generally known about, and despite Twilight's mythos, traditionally one wouldn't think of a church as a place to find a vampire.

[PatternRec]

I think getting the first trade paperback from the library might have been a mistake. I reckon the concept works better with Jesse not being a preacher. In terms of Garth Ennis, it's like how Tommy Monaghan wasn't called "Hitman" after he got his own series. I don't think I want to see Jesse try to save Annville. I wanna see him, Tulip and Cassidy have adventures . . . blasphemous, blasphemous adventures. At least this isn't the misery porn that The Walking Dead turned into.

I'm hoping "Cowboy" is who I think he is. As much as I'm okay with the show going in its own direction, I'd like to see canon sprinkled in.

I know that . . . . Eugene has subtitles in the comic, but do we need those here? Like Tai on Survivor, I can understand him for the most part. Of course, his face is a lot more fucked up in the comic.

I've read the entire series and I get the impression they are consolidating several stories into one locale rather than many for the sake of shooting/budget. My hope is that at some point it moves out of Annville after establishing itself.

[tennisgurl]

I have never read the comics, but they have been on my To Read list for several years. So far? Its interesting, and I want to watch more, but I wish it was not so...everywhere. There are so many seemingly random plot threads jumping around, it can be really damn confusing. Like, the cowboy flashback. What does that have to do with anything? Or the weird song the immortal guy sings. I really hope they plan on giving us a little bit more. 

[PatternRec]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I have never read the comics, but they have been on my To Read list for several years. So far? Its interesting, and I want to watch more, but I wish it was not so...everywhere. There are so many seemingly random plot threads jumping around, it can be really damn confusing. Like, the cowboy flashback. What does that have to do with anything? Or the weird song the immortal guy sings. I really hope they plan on giving us a little bit more. 

 

They've introduced a *ton* of storylines from the book all at once. Having read the books a few times I can't imagine what it's like watching without having read them. The comic started slow as well. The first story arc introducing Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy was a lot of shots of them sitting around in a diner talking to each other and was either five or maybe six issues long (with a month between issues rather than a week like TV). 

[Canada]

This is the second episode I've tried to watch but I still have no idea what's going on.  I don't know what story they're trying to tell but they're doing a shitty job.  I'm out.

[NurseGiGi]

I like the show because it is very different from anything else I've seen on TV but this second episode has left me quite confused and I feel like there was just too much thrown in the pot at once.  I need a little time to absorb one thing before jumping right into another, I guess. And I don't know why Tulip is going to such extremes to get Jesse to "do a job" with her.  I mean, kidnapping him and chaining him up by the ankle?  I liked her in the first episode but in this one she seemed to show up for the sole purpose of being annoying as hell.

I, too, missed the scene with a squirming something in Jesse's throat.  I loved the scene with the two guys trying to "exorcise", or whatever they were doing, by singing that song and placing a tin can on his belly.  I was not expecting that.

So many things to wonder about but I'm still looking forward to the next episode.  Cassidy is my favorite character so far.

[Sandman87]

9 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Also really, really tired of everyone calling the lead character "Preacher." We get it, that's the show's title, but the vast majority of Protestants refer to clergy by their title AND name, especially if they're actually in the congregation. It'd be "Reverend Custer." I get the feeling this dialog is being written by Catholic writers with no idea of how fundamentalist religion in Texas would differ from theirs. (The pedophile-in-training treating his talk with Jesse like the Confessional reinforces this impression.)

Seems like it's a standard in cowboy movies to use "Preacher", so maybe that's where they're getting it.

7 hours ago, MrWhyt said:

I didn't get the impression that he was coming to Jesse for help. His whole demeanor screamed to me "I should be guilty about these urges but I'm not". To me it seemed like he wanted to talk to somebody about his urges (and not in a I know this is wrong way) and knew that Jesse wouldn't be able to tell anyone.

Yeah, he looked like he was looking for what I once heard described as McForgiveness - The reward, forgiveness, in exchange for just saying the right words. He didn't even make an attempt to sound like he was sincere.

[placate]

Is it just me? I love Joseph Gilgun but he made Misfits unwatchable because I had to turn on closed captioning. I can't understand him when he's using an English accent but I cannot understand him when he's faking an Irish accent. Then I'm reminded that Ramsay Bolton was poor Simon.

[ghoulina]

11 hours ago, Sandman87 said:

Seems like it's a standard in cowboy movies to use "Preacher", so maybe that's where they're getting it

That was kind of the vibe I got as well, and I actually like it. 

 

11 hours ago, Sandman87 said:

Yeah, he looked like he was looking for what I once heard described as McForgiveness - The reward, forgiveness, in exchange for just saying the right words. He didn't even make an attempt to sound like he was sincere.

Exactly. He's the Sunday Catholic. He goes to church, goes through the motions, confesses what he knows he SHOULD confess, but there's no genuineness there. 

[ElleMo]

I have not read the comics and have been pressuring myself not to read any synopsis on Wikipedia because I would like to be surprised by what is going. There are a few things that are easy to predict (I called the guy taking out his heart in the first ep. & Cassidy taking out the hunters) but overall it is a huge mystery to me (Who killed Preacher's dad? And why wasn't Jesse killed at the same time? Looks like he was a witness, unless he is misremembering it and his dad actually committed suicide. And what's up with the 1881 stuff? ) and full of surprises (I did not expect to see those dudes again) Being a huge fan of Buffy & Supernatural, I expected the exorcist dudes to start spouting some Latin so I burst out laughing when he starting singing about Winkin, blinkin & nod. Can't wait for the next episode.

[Sandman87]

Speaking of which, did anyone else think the musical sting when "1881" flashed on the screen was a bit much? It was so ominous that I half expected a nuclear explosion destroying a major city, or a bunch of attacking zombies, or something.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 6/7/2016 at 1:58 AM, Snookums said:

But pedophilia has become such lazy shorthand on TV for "irredeemable scum"; there's no stakes here. We don't get impatient with Jesse for not wanting to help this man--hell, we're only impatient for him to commit some righteous violence toot sweet! Step to it, preacher man! When Jesse commands him to forget her (after some breaking and entering, yay) we're laughing and thinking how easy this monster got off, considering.

But this could have been a real game changer. A man who is on the verge of committing one of the worst crimes there is comes to you for help. He didn't have to. He could have kept it to himself--in fact, he'd be a lot better off if he had. And you, for better or worse, have committed to helping every single member of your flock no matter what. You don't get to pick which sins are "okay" and which are gross. Yes, this man is craven, and shallow, and kind of wants to not have these feelings but kinda doesn't think there's anything that can be done about it and kinda wants to do what he doesn't want to do but he also really does want to be forgiven? Kinda? And he's just dumped this entire watery, uncoagulated mess of semi melted Pudding Pops into your lap and said "fix it." But he's also a soul that you pledged to shepherd.

That's the kind of mess sin is. Goopy and gross and runny and sticky. If Jesse had been shown to be truly struggling with how to help this man, to save him, then The Voice might have had a huge impact--world-shaking, terrifying, man was not meant to have this power impact. Instead it simply played as a freaky and scary thing, that terrified the guy and weirded Jesse out, but that was kind of all. No glimpse of what this could mean in terms of good and evil, of being Christ's representative, and good God, are actual miracles always going to be this horrifying, this soul-shaking, to witness? Because if you're going to go big with your theme, with God and evil and cosmic powers and all the rest of it, don't keep everything small.

Thing is, they already did that. When the kid in the pilot told Jesse that his dad was hurting his mom on a regular basis, Jesse first approached the sheriff and got no results as far as doing anything about it. Then he went to the woman herself, and she told him that she liked being hurt, even going so far as to list a few of the things her husband would do to her. Jesse's face when she told him that he scalded her with a tea kettle or something was all, "Holy shit. What am I supposed to do now?!" And he ended up.....doing nothing, because he told that other guy to open his heart to his mother, which resulted in the dude committing hari-kari in the rest home's day room.

As a character, I think Jesse is pretty much lost, both to his doubts before the possession and to his purpose now. Because he doesn't know what to do, its possible that The Voice within him is confused, since he's the arms and the legs of this force that's borrowed him for however long. And it doesn't always manifest, just sometimes. It doesn't help that Jesse is prone to random acts of violence even without] The Voice, since didn't he beat all those guys up in the bar before the possession?

[Starving Writer]

14 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Thing is, they already did that. When the kid in the pilot told Jesse that his dad was hurting his mom on a regular basis, Jesse first approached the sheriff and got no results as far as doing anything about it. Then he went to the woman herself, and she told him that she liked being hurt, even going so far as to list a few of the things her husband would do to her. Jesse's face when she told him that he scalded her with a tea kettle or something was all, "Holy shit. What am I supposed to do now?!" And he ended up.....doing nothing, because he told that other guy to open his heart to his mother, which resulted in the dude committing hari-kari in the rest home's day room.

I think you're confusing two characters.

The man who was constantly criticized and told by Jesse to "open his heart" was Ted.  The abusive dickhead that was beating on his wife was Donnie.

Jesse didn't "do nothing" about Donnie.  In the pilot, Donnie confronted Jesse at a bar, and although Jesse tried to stay out of it, Donnie started talking about how he'd beat up his son.  That made Jesse Hulk out, and Jesse made Donnie "make a funny sound."  Donnie was present in this episode as well, with Quinacannon's group (he's the one who smashed that guy's face into the steering wheel).  

Ted, on the other hand, got on a flight, went to Florida, then literally opened his heart to his mother.  

[Captanne]

I have to say I was bored silly by the pilot episode -- too much going on and no plot.  (In my opinion.)

However, I loved this episode.  I thought it was great.  Threads are tightening up and now I'm familiar with the characters, I have some continuity. 

It still reminds me of Banshee with the cartoonish violence (and, I'm sure, sex eventually) but Banshee set a more realistic tone.  "Preacher" is clearly a comic book come to life.  The one that seems to ride in the middle is Jessica Jones which isn't quite realistic but is less comic-book than Preacher.  I think, of the hyper-violence/sex series that are coming out now, these three run the gamut pretty well as representatives.

[atomationage]

4 hours ago, Captanne said:

too much going on and no plot.

I may have read all the comics in graphic novel form by now.  One very noticeable thing is that the comics have A LOT of talking between the characters, and then a little bit of action in each one.  They seem to be doing the opposite in the show. 

[SnarkyTart]

I didn't hate this episode, but I didn't like it nearly as much as I enjoyed the pilot.  There were simply too many spinning plates in the air to amount to anything cohesive, or at least not totally confusing.  With only 8 episodes left, we have more than enough characters and seemingly important plot points (like whatever 1881 may be) to have any hope of bringing much of it to a satisfying season 1 finale. 

I've never read the comics, and I absolutely hate the Tulip character now.  She was pretty cool in the pilot, sufficiently bad ass with a softer, though still edgy, side with the children of the corn field.  Now she just seems as insane as Glenn Close's character in Fatal Attraction.  The scene where she chained Jesse's ankle in the hotel room, appeared through the door slot with an alien head mask (why, exactly?), sat on his lap and tried (FAILED!) to seem seductive, was one of the most banal scenes I've watched on my TV recently.  And following him around just to remove his truck's steering wheel and put it in a tree was ridiculous.  Heck, maybe she'll find a bunny to leave boiling on Jesse's stove next. 

Other than her initial appearance in the pilot episode, which was sans Jesse, it's now become impossible for me to envision that Jesse was ever attracted to her. 

Edited June 10, 2016 by SnarkyTart

[clack]

Wasn't bothered by that 1881 bit -- I just figured it will have an eventual payoff if I wait.

Tulip, on the other hand, is a total miscalculation on the part of the showrunners. Pilot : cliched female badass, but entertaining enough. This episode : completely unhinged and unlikable. She should as a character have some charm, at least, but instead she's just smug and obnoxious.

[Captanne]

I think, because I read a lot of cyberpunk and graphic novels in my mid-years, I recognize the style in this show and don't find it off-putting.  For example, the mask that Tulip wore when she "chained" Preacher up.  That is stylistically right out of a Mobius cartoon strip.  In fact, it made me think of Mobius the way Alien makes me think of Geiger.  

I hadn't considered that the comic book references to style might be a turn off if the viewer doesn't have that reference point.  I think that is a totally legitimate (and negative) reaction.  I would be turned off, too.  If the show-runners aren't careful, that could be fatal for the series because those of us who are comfortable in that world (of Mobius and Geiger) are few and far between (relatively speaking.)

Edited June 10, 2016 by Captanne

[ganesh]

I certainly like the look and shot of the show. Why not try something stylistically different on tv? My issue is that the show is more of a collection of scenes than a directed narrative. There was a semblence of one at the end, but I'm wondering how many people are going to stick around or be more like, "this is cool, but I have no idea what's going on," and bail. It's also hard to discuss the show here because it seems like mostly everyone read the comic and that background info seems more necessary to what's going on than not. I'm not against comics, but I am against having to do homework for a show. 

I think it was smart to get the preacher realizing his voice has powers sooner than later though. 

[Captanne]

9 minutes ago, ganesh said:

'm not against comics, but I am against having to do homework for a show. 

Here, here!  I'm also against having to watch outtakes or conversations with show staff in order to understand what the hell is going on in the show.

Although I do/did read graphic novels and enjoy them tremendously, I didn't read Preacher so this one is all new to me.  I guess, in a way, I'm a hybrid of "never read a graphic novel" and "read all the Preacher series and know it backwards and forwards."

[Sandman87]

2 hours ago, Captanne said:

I think, because I read a lot of cyberpunk and graphic novels in my mid-years, I recognize the style in this show and don't find it off-putting.  For example, the mask that Tulip wore when she "chained" Preacher up.  That is stylistically right out of a Mobius cartoon strip.  In fact, it made me think of Mobius the way Alien makes me think of Geiger. 

That didn't say "Mobius" to me at all. Maybe the fact that I watched The Fifth Element again recently desensitized my Mobius detector.

[Captanne]

LOL  It screamed Mobius to me.  But you get my point.

[rozen]

I howled when 1881 popped up on the screen with such ominous music. It felt wry and kind of Tarantino-esque.

I never read the comics, but I love Tulip's character. It's fun to see someone so gleefully bad in this age of Strum und Drang characters. Besides, I think she's right. Jesse Custer is wearing "nice preacher man" like a shitty $10 suit, it's not him.

Edited June 11, 2016 by rozen

[Bruinsfan]

The show makes me physically uncomfortable thinking of Dominic Cooper filming in Albuquerque while buttoned up to his chin in all black. At least Ruth is dressed appropriately for the climate!

[Jordan27]

That was really violent, especially the church scenes.  I was surprised they got away with that much violence even on AMC.  It almost turned my sister off for good, but the end redeemed it for her. 

I laughed a lot and while the gore was over the top, I still want to see where this goes.

A lot doesn't make sense, but I'll wait for the payoff.

I did think it was funny they gave subtitles to Eugene, but not to Cassidy, who is even harder to understand.

[Silly Angel]

There's  an actor in this episode  (I've only gotten as far as 2) named  Ptolemy Slocum. That is the greatest name ever.