Preacher: “Monster Swamp” Review

Season 1 Episode 4

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Max Mielecki in Drama, Horror, Reviews, Slider // 0 Comments

‘Preacher’ begins to play with the pieces it has set up thus far.

Image via AMC

“SERVE. GOD.”

Image via AMC

Preacher kicked things into high gear this week as the various threads it’s been planting over the past three weeks begin to come together. While the show’s slow burn is both its greatest strength and flaw, “Monster Swamp” showed how the show can continue to set up future storylines while paying off existing ones.

The episode picks up with last week’s revelation that Jesse is being hunted by Angels, and filled in more of who they are and what they’re looking for. Meanwhile, Jesse is trying to up church attendance via a raffle as a scandal at Quincannon Power leads to a death. It was great to finally see some forward movement with the Quincannon plotline, and Jackie Earle Haley continued to bring it as the company’s quirky jerk of a CEO. With Jesse using his power on him by the episode’s end, it’ll be interesting to see where this storyline goes in the future. The show continues to expand the offbeat, almost Fargo-esque world of Preacher, and while this can sometimes slow the show down quite a bit, once the pieces are set up, it’s a joy to watch them played with.

The acting continues to be superb this week, with the aforementioned Jackie Earle Haley proving why he’s still one of the best character actors out there, as well as the usual nod to Joseph Gilgun for owning every scene as Cassidy. Dominic Cooper continues to be a fine Jesse, especially as he continues down a more grey path in pursuit of his goals.

THE BREAKDOWN

“Monster Swamp” was a fine demonstration of what Preacher can do with the world it has built, and it was great to see several of the plot threads coming together in a meaningful way. While Preacher always has, and perhaps always will be a slower, more methodical show, episodes like “Monster Swamp” show how rewarding patience can be, and does nothing but create excitement for the future.