You caught it, right? The pilot episode of AMC‘s Preacher? If not, go watch it now before someone on the internet spoils it for you. We’ll wait…
We’re not really waiting. If you’ve seen the premiere episode, you know that Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad), Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg are sticking to what made the Garth Ennis comic book so damn enthralling, and that’s a winning formula of depravity, intelligent storytelling, and fantastic characterizations.
There’s no doubt that Ennis’ voice maintains a presence in the pilot episode, even though some of the graphic nature of the book has been toned down. (I mean, it had to be — Ennis’ Preacher is highly graphic and this is still TV.) Still, there’s plenty for the blood-and-guts crowd to love, and if you want drugs, murder, and questionable language, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here’s a look at the five most depraved scenes from the series premiere of Preacher.
Cassidy’s Airplane Demolition Derby
We’re not sure the context for the attack on Cassidy inside the airplane cabin just yet, but it’s obvious that the Irish vampire is familiar with the band of men who tried killing him. When he read the Bible with all the crazy etchings, Cassidy immediately knew he was dealing with what seems to be an anti-vampire conglomerate.
Besides imbibing a ton of drugs and booze, perhaps the most disturbing event in the sequence is when Cassidy impales a man with a broken bottle. Using the bottle as a faucet, he tips the man forward and pours his blood into a bottle. Then, with a face full of blood, he jumps out of the airplane.
Making the incident even more graphic is the aftermath, which sees Cassidy’s guts splayed all over a field, and the gregarious creature sucking a cow dry in order to heal himself.
Tulip Plays House
With some fantastic cinematography from Bill Pope (The Matrix trilogy), we meet Tulip O’Hare when she’s knee-deep in some murderous sh*t. Like Cassidy’s airplane incident, we’re not entirely sure of the context surrounding her mission to kill the two men in the car with her, except for the fact that she says they’re “bad guys.”
And, after biting one of the gentlemen’s ears off, more “bad guys” are on the way. So, what’s a girl to do? Dress up like a mom and coach two children through a lesson in crafting a homemade bazooka, of course. When she disposes of the helicopter, Tulip says her goodbyes to the two youths and takes off like a badass cowgirl into the night sky.
Religious Experiences…uh…Explosions
There’s some sort of energy or entity coursing through Earth, infecting a variety of holy men — including Tom Cruise. One issue, though: Nobody can seem to stand the power and they end up exploding. Like, literally blowing up into tiny bits and pieces.
We first see this happen to a preacher in Africa, who momentarily thinks he’s been “chosen.” Then, boom! His guts end up scattered all over the inside of a small church. It’s pretty gross and hilarious at the same time.
The same thing happens in Russia, and although we don’t see it, a witness tells of the man’s brains dispersing all over the congregation. Also, R.I.P. to Tom Cruise.
Barroom Badass
From some of the earlier conversations in the episode, we’re told that Jesse used to be — and perhaps still is — some kind of badass. This foreshadowing comes to fruition during the barroom brawl scene, where Jesse demolishes a group of Civil War re-enactors. Custer, using a variety of punches, strikes, and judo-like counters, absolutely mangles his opponents.
But the coup de grâce is the best part: He snaps Donnie’s arm in half, pushing the bone through the skin. For his actions, Jesse and Cassidy spend the night in jail. It’s well worth it, though, because Donnie beats his son.
“Looks like I got another whooping to attend to,” Donnie says.
Nope. Preacher just beat you to that ass-whooping, sir.
Open Your Heart
While it’s still early in the game, we get the notion — on two occasions — as to what kind of power Jesse Custer has. The first time we see it happens in Africa, when a preacher tells the congregation to be quiet — and they listen.
The second time happens when Jesse tells Ted toward the end of the episode — after listening to him complain for much of the hour — to “be brave,” and to “open his heart.” So, Ted does as he’s told. He flies down to visit his mother in an old-folks home, tells her his true feelings, and then carves his own heart out with a knife. Yes, things got pretty dark and crazy.
But that seems to be par for the course. Dark. Crazy. Disturbed. All-around one of the best TV pilots of the year.
Catch as much depravity as you can handle on the next episode of ‘Preacher,’ Sunday, June 5 on AMC at 9 p.m. ET.
