Preacher Episodes 1-3 Reviews: Is "Preacher" Must See TV? (Series Premiere)

The 10 episode series "Preacher" airs on AMC on Sundays at 9 ET. It's based on the graphic novels by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.

The premiere opens with a comet barreling towards Earth (well Africa to be exact). I thought for a minute we were watching an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". The cosmic debris heads straight for a preacher n mid-sermon. Initially everyone thinks it's a miracle (until the guy explodes and the congregation is covered in blood). I would run screaming away from that as quickly as possible too.

We meet another preacher. This one is in the small, dust West Texas town of Annville. Jesse Custer has a shady past but is trying to make up for his misdeeds.

A guy is on a plane. Everything goes well until he visits the lavatory. He finds a Bible that is heavy marked (which means the other passengers are trying to kill him). There's a cool fight. Cassidy dispatches all on board and then jumps out of the plane (while holding an umbrella). Cassidy survives the fall but his innards are hanging out. A cow wanders by. This will be her last day on Earth. It turns out Cassidy is a 119 year old vampire from Dublin. He doesnt know why the vampire hunters are after him but they keep finding him wherever he goes.

Next Tulip (real name Priscilla Jean O'Hare) is introduced. She fights off several men as their car careens through a corn field. Another great fight scene. She also makes a bazooka out of some soup cans and toy soldiers (with help of two local children). Tulip is Jesse's ex. She's also a criminal with some mad skillz.

Jesse preaches to his congregation but no one pays much attention. Eugene (ie Arseface) is the one exception. He is actually trying to get on the straight and narrow. Eugene's face is badly mutilated because he shot himself but obviously didnt succeed. Are we supposed to feel sorry for the guy? Cause I'm starting to.

Cassidy ends up at the church. He bums around all day and drinks and carouses all night. He is a vampire after all. The vampire hunters find him again. In the best fight scene thus far, he severely beats the two men (sawing one's arm off). Unfortunately it still has a running chainsaw attached. It makes it's way across the floor to an unconscious Jesse. Cassidy stops it in the nick of time. That was close.

The mysterious space dust makes its way to Custer. It apparently has a thing for the clergy. The Preacher now has the power to controls others actions. He tells one man to "open your heart" (which he literally does and promptly drops dead). He tells another man with molester tendencies to forget about a girl he's obsessed with. The man later has no memory of who the girl is. Jesse tells a comatose girl to open her eyes (which she does but she's still in a coma). Interestingly, not even Cassidy is immune to the rev's control.

Somehow the vampire hunters (Deblanc and Fiore) are still alive after Cassidy's beatdown. And now they're gunning for the Preacher (well, actually what's inside him). Those guys just dont give up. What are they up to?

Grade: 3 3/4 Monsters (out of 5) Yes. "Preacher" has an intriguing premise. Yes, it has some great fight scenes. Yes, the music is smokin'. I do like me some Johnny Cash. Yes, it's also surprisingly funny at times. Someone keeps changing the sign outside the church with humorous effect. Is "Preacher" "must see TV" though? I'm afraid the jury is still out for me. The story is at times slow. None of the characters are overly compelling at this point. I'm keeping an open mind though. With only 10 episodes total it's not a big investment of time. Hopefully "Preacher" is a slow burn that will get better over time.