When it comes to genre television, there haven't been many TV shows over the past decade that have kept me hooked. I watch TV for a living, so color me jaded.
When I think of big creative swings in the television realm, shows like Twin Peaks, Severance and The Boys immediately come to mind. That third title I just mentioned is the only one in that trio that is an adaptation -- taking inspiration from the ultraviolent superhero comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.
Before The Boys, two titles inspired by Ennis's comic book work hit the small screen: the short-lived Constantine and the gloriously bonkers Preacher, which is now streaming on Netflix (until Aug. 18) and AMC Plus.
AMC took a crazy big swing with Preacher, tapping series creator Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad) to showrun the project with the help of producing duo Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. In May of 2016, the first of the show's four seasons premiered on the small screen and proceeded to kick the TV world right upside the face -- but, like, in the best way.
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Ruth Negga, Dominic Cooper and Joseph Gilgun star in Preacher. AMC Network
Preacher follows Jesse Custer (played by Dominic Cooper), a down-on-his-luck Texas priest with a sinister past. He is given a new purpose when a supernatural force known as Genesis inhabits his body, granting him the Word of God -- a superpower that, when summoned, makes anyone follow his command.
Fueled by an enduring crisis of faith and his newfound gift, Jesse finds himself on a mission to find God, who just up and left heaven, and bring him to justice. He can't do it alone, though. Joining him on this bizarre road trip adventure is Tulip O'Hare (Ruth Negga), his formidable ex-girlfriend, and a wise-cracking, chain-smoking, hard-drinking vampire named Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun).
Add in a collection of untrustworthy angels, pesky demons, that aforementioned deadbeat God and a group of murderous zealots, and you've got yourself one delightfully unhinged TV show.
Like The Boys, Preacher isn't directly categorized as a horror series. But it has earned its gruesome flowers. It pivots from one genre to another regularly -- swiftly moving from bloody vampire kill sequence to comedic road trip banter to some heavy apocalyptic, theological drama.
Above all else, it's the wonderful dynamic between the core trio that keeps things interesting. Sure, you can revel in the cool action sequences and the southern noir flavor of the story world and its characters, but if the emotional connection between the leads is lacking, the show will fail. Thankfully, that's not the case here.
Joseph Gilgun as the vampire Cassidy in Preacher. AMC Network
The chemistry between Cooper and Negga is white hot and pretty much jumps off the screen. Gilgun's punk rock take on Cassidy is my favorite thing about the show -- even if the TV version of him was watered down from his brash and brutal (too-violent-for-basic-cable) comic book roots.
In a content landscape full of recycled tropes and shows that were canceled too soon, Preacher is a beautiful and unique snowflake. The more I think about it, the more I am baffled that the show was even greenlit in the first place -- and I don't mean that in a bad way.
If you've read Ennis's comic book and enjoyed Steve Dillon's visual stylings, you probably had the same thought I had when this show was announced: How? The narrative structure of the books, along with the twisted story arcs -- there's a face-removing serial killer, an immortal bounty hunter who kills angels and so much more -- really made me feel like this was something no one could adapt.
Graham McTavish in Preacher, now streaming on Netflix and AMC Plus. AMC Network
The same was said at one point or another about Game of Thrones and Watchmen. So, egg on my face, I guess.
Things move quickly when it comes to TV shows. They get greenlit only to be canceled in the blink of an eye. The revolving door of what's new, what's popular and what just left the party can be a bit discombobulating. It's this fast-paced entertainment realm that makes me think gems like Preacher can be easily overlooked or forgotten.
Preacher exists in a weird pocket of time for television -- The Walking Dead franchise had exploded when it premiered, and the streaming wars had yet to fully kick in. It was before the MCU made its way to Disney Plus, with shows like FX's Legion experimenting with unique visuals and story sequences unlike anything found on basic cable. It was a show that tinkered with what was possible, storytelling-wise, while also giving us some kick-ass insanity to tune into each week.
It never really took off; at least not the way The Boys did.
And that's a shame because this show was a game-changer. With each season, the story world became larger and more fantastical. Every character chewed the scenery down to the bone, and that was just a part of its bonkers charm. Probably the best thing about the show is that Preacher was allowed to end on its own terms. Yes, that's right, every storyline finds its conclusion, which tends to be a rare thing with TV shows these days.
I could keep raving about the series, but I think I've already said too much. Even if I kept writing, I'm not sure if I would be able to substantially encapsulate the brilliant madness of the show. In fact, if I could channel Jesse's Word of God power, I'd probably just wipe this all from your memory. I'd command you to forget everything I just wrote, except the part where I call Preacher, "gloriously bonkers," and tell you to go watch it all right now.