Martin Carr reviews the third episode of Preacher season 2…
Back stories for pivotal characters are not known for containing the following elements. Teen suicide, chocolate box teen suicides or shotgun blasts to the head repeated on loop. Then we hit the implied underage sodomy issue which is likely to put one or two noses out of joint. Honestly there is no way this makes it to primetime before nine o’clock, not for any terrestrially financed television network I know of. Which is probably for the best since Amazon Prime kicked down the door, left it hanging off those hinges and flapping in a wind of change. Preacher it seems is not above lowering the tone.
There is a distinct film noir tinge this week and New Orleans really needs no window dressing, as dive bar jazz clubs ooze charisma and Jesse drifts between them in search of inspiration. Aside from Dalmatian shaped gimp suits restrained by innocent women dwelling in basements, there is a lack of kink which leaves things feeling strangely pedestrian. However ambience is in effect, acting moments, character beats and invention are still present, yet it just feels low-key and introspective.
Veronica Lake femme fatales add a nuanced yet seedy edge to situations, but things still feel oddly truncated. Cassidy and Tulip come across as ill at ease in this town in ways which are never fully explored. Cooper’s Custer meanwhile meanders between bars in search of God almighty but never feels fully engaged in that hunt. Nice touches include the sassy saxophone soundtrack and gumshoe overtones which infiltrate matters, but narrative seems less progressed.
Even the ramped up fisticuffs action that would normally bring some light relief somehow falls short, feeling as it does prematurely severed and worse still surplus to requirements. In a world that you would conventionally call frenetic verging on frenzied it feels like someone cut off the blood supply. Things have slowed down, urgency seems somehow less urgent and with it any gusto has gone. Stylishly placid, thought provokingly pale in comparison to previous outings, yet containing enough moments where these actors are allowed to act. ‘Damsels’ proves a difficult beast to pin down. Dare I say this might require more than one viewing?
Preacher remains a rare animal amongst conventional company. Unafraid to rock the boat, challenge accepted thought processes, or push back boundaries. It sets out the stall fresh every week and asks us to invest time, effort and disregard common decency regarding subject matter. In return we get something original, topical, newsworthy and balls to the wall entertaining. It requires we think, form opinion and use our intellect throughout, which is more than can be said for some.
Martin Carr – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published July 4, 2017. Updated November 29, 2022.
