Martin Carr reviews the seventh episode of Preacher season 2…
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is given a gracious tip of the hat this week in the most esoteric episode Preacher has yet produced. Body piercing, sledgehammer sarcasm and brutal one-upmanship reign supreme, as tone is manipulated like a con artist with no regard for their own safety. Tossing around ideas of ancient Christian organisations, messianic delusions and politically blunt barbs Preacher marks its territory and delivers yet another sharp kick to the theological nut sack. There is emotional fallout, darkly veined comedy and floating pigs aplenty as Jesse, Cassidy and Tulip continue their exploration of religiously influenced jazz ensembles.
Portrayed by Pip Torrens, Herr Starr is the personification of biblical retribution bedecked in crisp white linen, topped with a trilby and blessed with granite like features. Single minded in his desire to eradicate any competitors to Christ our Lord, this obsessional group go to extremes which are never watered down. Comical yet sordid it has Nazi overtones, crossed with Fifties secret service training moments which defy description. Torrens shows true commitment to the role never flinching regardless of any requests this role demands. As far as introductions go it represents the single most interesting aspect of ‘Pig’ as Tulip’s PTSD, Cassidy’s moment of realisation with son Dennis and Jesse’s conversation with a street corner evangelist pale in comparison.
Those sequences with Ruth Negga which feel more like a slow burn horror flick switched into television format go on too long. They are effective but the relationship between Jesse and Cassidy and her gets too much grey area and not near enough clarification. For a small portion of ‘Pig’ satire, topical comment and celebrity homage draw our attention away from the main story. Guilt over having escaped judgement feels a little over-egged and somehow the strands concerning those feelings, Cassidy’s moment of pathos and Jesse’s move away from God make things a touch disjointed.
That may be because our protagonists and their progression detracted from the much more interesting proposition of that cunning bad guy. Torrens has managed to leave as indelible a mark as McTavish did with his Saint of Killers and in as short a time. Unfazed by opposition, carrying a stretched and angular muscular disposition to extremes from the outset, Torrens has thrown down the gauntlet to our dynamic trio. Subtly pressed, zoot suited and looking for all the world like an angel with designs on the throne, ‘Pig’ brings us a formidable foe but narrative transgression. Never less than exceptional Preacher has been relegated to the realms of very good for one week only, with a report card which reads ‘has done better’.
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Originally published August 4, 2017. Updated November 29, 2022.
