Preacher: “See” Review

‘Preacher’ continues to build its intriguing and deep world, albeit slowly.

Image via AMC TV

“Is This Who God Wants Me To Be?”

After a two-week break, Preacher returned with its second episode, titled “See.” While second episodes are typically marked by a drop in writing and production—lacking the pilot’s higher budget and shifting to playing the long game—Preacher shows no such drop, continuing to build upon the world glimpsed in the pilot while gradually revealing the mysteries set up by it. While “See” is still concerned with playing the long game and offering more questions than answers, like the pilot, “See” provides just enough to satisfy.

Image via AMC TV

Image via AMC TV

“See” continues the pilot’s thread of Jesse trying to make it work as a normal preacher. While he attempted to bring the community together with such things as baptisms (or rather, re-baptisms) and after-mass luncheons, remnants of his past life, and current future, kept popping up. Irish vampire Cassidy still ironically lives in the church’s attic, despite not helping much, and former flame Tulip O’Hare has brought her swindling nature to the area. What really shines in the episode, though, is the character work for Jesse, who continues to be played with haunted conviction by Dominic Cooper. Though Jesse is trying to play it straight, he is confronted with the age-old question of whether he can actually put his violent past behind him or whether that’s just who he is.

The episode gets a large amount of mileage out of this, confronting Jesse constantly with situations that put him in the position of either following his oath to be a normal man of God, or to embrace his past and take matters into his own hands. While Cassidy and Tulip are little more than foils to show the contrast between them and Jesse, the acting from both Joseph Gilgun and Ruth Negga continues to be on point (and Cassidy is still one of the most supremely entertaining characters out there.) However, it is worth noting that “See” also makes it clear the AMC show is playing the long game, opting to stay confined to Texas for at least the foreseeable future before setting Jesse, Cassidy and Tulip loose on the world like in the comics. While it’s not a problem that Preacher is taking its time to build its world (and mythos, thanks to a prologue set in the 1880s), it appears it’ll be a long ride.

THE BREAKDOWN

Regardless of all that, “See” builds upon the pilot’s excellent foundation, and returning directors Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg show here that they are not only brilliant comic minds, but also excellent at weaving the dramatic, the comedic and the supernatural together to make something as engaging and enjoyable as Preacher. If “See” is any indication, Preacher will be a long ride, but a very rewarding one.

Are you fine with the show’s slow burn? Tweet me @MaxMielecki. And be sure to follow us @YouNerded.