Amen, PREACHER!

Article originally published as PREACHER Review on Seat42F.

AMC’s newest drama is PREACHER. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, the series follows a Texas minister in a small town where danger and the supernatural seem to exist in abundance. It is shocking and action-packed, while also being a compelling character study of a man who is trying to do good and frequently failing. In short, it is worthy of being on this top-quality network, and makes a good addition to AMC’s morality-questioning slate.

The protagonist and titular man of the cloth is Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper, Agent Carter, Fleming). Ingrained in him by his ill-fated father is a drive to do good in the world. But in a position he doesn’t want in a place that, for the most part, doesn’t want him, and with a past he isn’t proud of, Jesse is struggling to feel like he’s living up to his potential. As the story begins, he’s about at a breaking point and must decide what his path forward would be.

There is no shortage of others who either want to help him or hurt him on his path. Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun, Misfits) is a vampire lying low who is drawn to Jesse’s violence. Tulip (Ruth Negga, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) is his ex who seeks to involve him in her latest scheme. Emily (Lucy Griffiths, True Blood) is the busy mother who is devoted to the church. Sheriff Root (W. Earl Brown) is the lawman who doesn’t put up with Jesse straying, while Hugo’s son, Eugene (Ian Colletti, Rake), is devoted to a God he thinks may have abandoned him. And there’s also Donnie (Derek Wilson, In the Now), the abusive husband that Jesse confronts.

Each of these play a role, most of them quite loud and large. Cassidy and Tulip, in particular, are introduced in extreme scenarios that reinforce the graphic novel roots of the source material and certainly keep things exciting. This is a show that will not shirk from its action sequences, and has no qualms about showing death and destruction.

Yet, for the run of the pilot, Jesse himself is the calm center of the storm. He doesn’t react largely. He doesn’t do anything too crazy. He exists in the midst of everyone else’s drama, which is not what one typically expects from the main character of a series such as this. It’s unlikely he will stay that way for long, probably taking lead in the bigger sequences going forward, especially given what happens at the end of the episode. But it’s a very interesting choice to make to introduce him in the way that he is.

There’s also a phenomenon not yet explained that will play a very large role in PREACHER. Seen at the beginning and during a few interstitials, a being of energy has arrived on Earth looking for a host. After some false starts, it chooses Jesse as its vessel. Neither obviously good or bad, it’s the nth embodiment of Jesse’s own internal conflict, and promises more than just a slow-burn character-driven drama that would likely be good, but what we get is even better. With two mysterious men (Boardwalk Empire’s Anatol Yusef and Pirate Radio’s Tom Brooke) on the hunt for it, Jesse won’t just be able to live the life he’s been living.

I found the first episode of PREACHER to be terrific. It draws you in appropriately, feels fresh and original, despite a few familiar elements, is amusing in a sly way, and lacks the types of plot holes or gratuitous things that bog down most new series. Each moment seems carefully calculated to build towards something, and with fascinating characters populating the world, I look forward to seeing where it goes.

PREACHER airs Sundays at 9pm EST on AMC.

CONSTANTINE Yet Another Hero

Article first published as CONSTANTINE Review on Seat42F.

FOX has Gotham, ABC has Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, the CW has Arrow and The Flash, and now NBC has CONSTANTINE. It’s getting very crowded for superheroes on the television airwaves. And those are just the ones directly based on the comic books, as Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, and others could be considered in this genre, too. How does the latest, inspired by a DC character spun off of Swamp Thing twenty-some years ago under the comic title Hellblazer, stack up with its competition?

Well, for starters, CONSTANTINE has a different tone than most of its peers. While other DC series have gone to dark places after the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, CONSTANTINE is a horror title, so it necessarily doesn’t have a lot of fun in its DNA. The world is shadowy and washed out, and the titular character and his friends, what few of them he has, all struggle with their inner demons as much as the literal ones invading the world.

John Constantine (Matt Ryan, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Layer Cake) begins the series in an institution. Once mired in the supernatural world, he has distanced himself from all that junk and tried to clean up his life. We soon learn this is because he feels responsible for something that happened to a little girl awhile back, but whatever his reasons are, he’s out of the business and working on bettering himself.

However, just because Constantine is done with demons and such doesn’t mean they are done with him. After all, the show isn’t called Demon Hunter Rehab. So Constantine is forced out of hiding when a threat comes to town that requires his unique skill set. Will he continue to resist, or step up and be the hero that the world needs him to be? Take a wild guess.

Constantine isn’t alone, of course. An angel named Manny (Harold Perrineau, Lost, Sons of Anarchy) is assigned to watch over him, much as Constantine is given the task of protecting Liv (Lucy Griffiths, True Blood), a young woman whose father he knew. Constantine’s best bud, Chas (Charles Halford, True Detective), lends a hand and a taxi, and while not a main character, a reluctant Ritchie Simpson (Jeremy Davies, Lost, Justified) is roped into joining the gang, at least temporarily.

What unfolds is not a standard procedural tale, but rather, an involved narrative that is both scary and dire. I could compare CONSTANTINE to shows like Grimm, Hannibal, Dominion, Arrow, Gotham, and more because it borrows from all of those in tone and style, though isn’t a carbon copy of any of them, either. CONSTANTINE stakes out its own piece of the landscape, and it does manage to feel somewhat unique.

I can’t say it’s among my favorite programs, though, at least not from the pilot alone. It’s not that the pacing is slow, because a lot happens, but I still felt my attention wandering. It’s a bit boring, perhaps because it puts bringing the fright ahead of making one care about the characters, even as it doesn’t commit fully to an action piece. It’s pretty consistent and decently enough made, but just doesn’t grab me the way others have. And it won’t help DC unseat Marvel as Comic-to-Screen King anytime soon.

I will say, CONSTANTINE isn’t really predictable. One of the characters mentioned in this review (not Simpson) isn’t sticking around, at least not full-time. They are neatly written out of the story, kind of making them feel like they’re in a case-of-the-week guest star situation, but with a role that is developed more than most, as if intended to be a main character, then dropped. There is a replacement coming to the story soon, which may change my overall opinion of the show, depending on how the dynamic could shift. So the jury remains out, for now.

CONSTANTINE premieres Friday, October 24^th on NBC.

"Who Are You, Really" TRUE BLOOD?

Article first published as TRUE BLOOD Season 6 Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 93%

HBO’s TRUE BLOOD season six premiere, “Who Are You, Really?” takes place on the night that season five ends. It would be extremely difficult to do a time jump, as the series has before, given the dire circumstances major characters are left in, so it’s gratifying to continue the story right where it leaves off.

I like TRUE BLOOD a lot, but I tend to think of it as a soapy, fun guilty pleasure, rather than high quality entertainment. I wouldn’t say “Who Are You, Really?” changes that stance completely, but it is certainly a very good hour of television. Either the series has improved in its return, or my opinion of it went down during its absence without my realizing it. But the point is, this is a fantastic installment.

The reasons I can point to for this praise are both smart writing for well-defined characters, which leads to oh-so-many quotable lines tonight, and a deepening of the mythology. Yes, this series has always been serial, with long-reaching arcs. However, often seasons are mostly self-contained, with one or two or three bigger stories starting and ending within the year. As season six begins, we’re continuing the tale of the Vampire Authority, the shortage of a blood supply, fairy babies, a werewolf leadership change, shifter secrets being spilled, and the mystery of Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) parents’ murder, so there’s definitely more of a feeling of cohesiveness now.

Because of this, certain spoilers must be revealed in the review. However, I do pledge to make them as slight as possible, and to speak in vague terms when I can, saving the surprises for the viewing of the event.

The big shocker last year is Bill’s (Stephen Moyer) death and rebirth. This new Bill, “Billith,” as Pam (Krisitin Bauer van Straten) so cleverly dubs him, is a complete unknown, presumably devoted to a religion and planning on carrying out goals related to such beliefs. The problem is, it’s a very old system, and no one is quite sure exactly what that means.

It’s a positive sign that Bill doesn’t slaughter Sookie, Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), Nora (Lucy Griffiths), Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), Pam, Tara (Rutina Wesley), and Jason (Ryan Kwanten) as they flee the scene. However, he then reveals some darker nature, intentionally or not, as he calls his progeny to his side. And he certainly no longer aches for Sookie. So his continued benevolence is not guaranteed.

Unfortunately, Jessica is not in a good place to stand up to Bill, so if he is up to no good, she is susceptible to landing on the wrong side of the battle. She feels a very close bond with Bill, he being her maker, and after being rejected last season by Jason, she realizes she doesn’t have anyone. Enter Bill, who could (we don’t know yet if he will or not) take advantage of the vulnerable vampire.

There is also movement on Jason’s front, with his visions continuing. I don’t really want to go into that further, but there are definitely threats on multiple fronts in this season of TRUE BLOOD.

As well as familiar players, the new, annual Big Bad is likely to be Creighton Burrell (Arliss Howard). I say this not because of anything he does in “Who Are You, Really?” but rather because the character explicitly states “I am not the Big Bad.” That’s a sure sign that he actually is, no? It’s this wonderful, tongue-in-cheek, self-referential humor that gives TRUE BLOOD such a watchable quality.

On another front, “Who Are You, Really?” sees the death of a main character early in the episode. It’s someone whose fate is kind of revealed in the season five finale, but given the series’ penchant for keeping characters around, one is never really sure a person is dead in the moment of their passing. Now, in this new hour, it looks like we have a killing that will stick.

I applaud TRUE BLOOD for resolving the cliffhanger this way. Too often, the person has ended up safe, with no permanent repercussions. I’m not exactly thrilled by how this death affects a second character, who I predict will have the “lame” story this year, sadly, but at least there’s movement and development.

We get a bit of Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and his new pack, too. Alcide is originally caught up in very Sookie-centric stories, but after last year and this premiere, it appears he is definitely worthy of his own arcs, independent of the rest of the cast. This decision is a good one because Alcide is such a vibrant, rich character to work with, bringing elements to the show that no one else does, and providing complementary story. Cool.

Lastly, we get to see a very raw Andy (Chris Bauer) dealing with four babies, and the tough but sweet Arlene (Carrie Preston) assist, with a dab of help from Terry (Todd Lowe). There are times these people have been pushed into the background, but recent developments mean they stay relevant for now. The path Andy in particular is going down is ripe with some light-hearted disaster, which should keep TRUE BLOOD true to itself, even if the vampire side of things goes really dark.

“Who Are You, Really?” has a few surprises, excellent set up, memorable dialogue, and contributing mythology that combine to make it a top notch return. We’ll miss creator Alan Ball, to be sure, but the premiere proves that the series has not suffered in quality without him, and may even find new life in the realm of the undead.

TRUE BLOOD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

"Save Yourself" some True Blood

HBO's True Blood wrapped up their fifth season this week with "Save Yourself." Showdowns and stakings dominated the episode, with many of the season's arcs wrapping up, while others are just getting started, or taken to a whole new level. Characters we thought we knew turned out to be something else. And enough hints at season four stories are dropped to keep fans pleasantly in anticipation through next summer.

This season's most prominent plot featured the Vampire Authority. As "Save Yourself" draws to a close, representative after representative of this government body bite the dust. As enjoyable as this mix of new characters have been, they have run their course, and it makes sense to kill them off now. It's expected, even. In the end, only one true believer of Lilith (Jessica Clark) is left standing, and that's Bill (Stephen Moyer).

Yes, Bill. Former lover of Sookie (Anna Paquin), and the one we all thought of as the "good" vamp when the show began. Yet, Bill's conversion did not come out of nowhere. He has been a bit meandering in the past, switching his loyalties when it suited him, or to save his neck. The real surprise comes when he manages to turn his back on Sookie, whom he loved. In Lilith, he has found someone with a stronger draw. Bill is so totally consumed with his new love of the goddess that he allows himself to be destroyed and reborn, literally and figuratively, by her blood. The Bill we knew is gone, and this Bill will be unpredictable, fresh, and exciting. As well as probably evil.

Bill's rebirth is a powerful image. True Blood has danced around religion in the past, but never quite like this. This is a total commitment to belief, which makes for a very dangerous game. Most of the bad guys on True Blood are driven by personal motivations. After "Save Yourself," Bill is set up to be the greatest villain the series has ever seen, and one with far more chance of killing off beloved characters before he can be stopped.

Speaking of characters who are killed off, it's a little disappointing that Russell (Denis O'Hare) meets his maker so easily. After an entire season of build up, following a long absence after a spectacular original run, this character deserves a huge battle and some showmanship. Instead, he is blasted with fairy light, and then Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) slits his throat. I'm not sure what I was expecting for Russell, exactly, but this was a let down.

Russell's death is enough to distract many viewers, though, from the real fairy plot. By the end of "Save Yourself," Sookie still doesn't know who killed her parents, or how her fate is intertwined with the now-dead leader of the fairies, or what has happened to Jason (Ryan Kwanten). Some True Blood loyalists don't care for the fairy bits. But after a couple of seasons of set up, it looks like the show might really go for it soon, bringing them front and center, especially as they relate to Sookie. Hopefully those fans will be won over when they do.

Sookie isn't the only one dealing with fairy matters. Andy (Chris Bauer) has sired four babies, and is left to raise them as a single father. There's no telling what challenges fairy children might represent, how quickly they will grow, or how that might tie Andy closer to Sookie's plot. But it's a great start.

The trysts Andy had with the fairy Maurella (Kristina Anapau) can be sort of forgiven because he hadn't gotten fully with Holly (Lauren Bowles) yet, and how can any man resist the allure of these magical creatures? The question is, does this mean the end of things for Holly and Andy? I hope not, because I really like the two of them together. She makes Andy a better man. Holly has to understand the reality of the situation, and see that Andy is a good guy who will treat her right at the end of the day. But it would be hard to blame her for not wanting anything more to do with him, especially if staying together means that she has four more babies to take care of. Her kids are older. She seems like that type that is ready to be done with being a full-time mother.

Tara's (Rutina Wesley) transformation by "Save Yourself" is seemingly complete. Although initially thinking her survival as a vampire cheapened an iconic moment in True Blood's mythology, and didn't make sense, I am pleased with how she has evolved this season. Tara is another character who, like Bill, has trouble finding her place. Unlike Bill, though, she isn't easily moved, her adjustments coming mostly through circumstance, rather than gullibility or political machinations. With the vampires, though, or at least the particular group she fallen in with, Tara has finally found acceptance and a place to belong.

Some might say Tara getting with Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) is going too far. While turning Tara into a vampire is one thing, making her a lesbian is a very different game. To those, I say look at what the poor girl has been through! That's enough to make anyone move from their fundamental stances. Not to mention, Pam provides Tara with a needed affection Tara has been lacking from many of her past relationships, and Pam has been missing romance, too. That they've found each other actually seems quite natural and nice to me. Not to mention, sexual attraction on True Blood has always been a fluid thing, so this is keeping with the series' themes.

The vampire I feel sorry for is Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). She has been abandoned by her maker, not wanting to follow Bill down his crazy path, and rejected by Jason, the man she loves. She can continue to hang with Eric, Pam, Tara, and Nora (Lucy Griffiths), and they will probably treat her pretty well, being the noble clan that they are. But she isn't part of their bloodline; their family. This makes her an outsider among them. I hope, in time, this shifts a bit. But for now, Jessica is alone.

Of course, True Blood is a series with many characters and many stories, and this review does not touch on everything that happens in "Save Yourself." But I think we've covered most of the highlights, and the others can wait 'til next year.

True Blood will return to HBO in 2013 for a sixth season.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

TRUE BLOOD Season 5 Episode 1 Turn! Turn! Turn! Review

HBO's TRUE BLOOD begins its fifth season last night. The episode, entitled "Turn! Turn! Turn!," brings many changes to Bon Temps, even though it picks up the very same evening that last season left off. This is a true serial, one that unfolds episode by episode, and no plot is ever truly resolved.

Perhaps the most shocking thing to occur in last year's finale is the death of Tara (Rutina Wesley). Best friend of Sookie (Anna Paquin), and central character from the beginning, no one really expects Tara to be dead. Which may be why the writers let Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) show up immediately after Tara is shot. Sookie and Tara's cousin, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), beg Pam to turn Tara into a vampire, thereby keeping her around. Pam grudgingly agrees to try, for a price. Which gives fans a great scene of Pam in a cheap sweat suit, a very funny sight!

What are the rules of turning someone into a vampire, as they apply to TRUE BLOOD? Can it really be done after half of a person's head is blown off? Tara is in bad shape, definitely already dead, before Pam comes into the room. Yet, the vampire acknowledges that, while difficult, there is a chance turning her will still work. It seems like quite a stretch, done just because no one wants to part with a popular character. Story and drama are being sacrificed for job retention, and while no one wants Tara gone, it's a shame that it's being done this way.

Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) just can't resist their hero complex where Sookie is concerned. Even though she rejects them both, they start when they hear she is in trouble. Perhaps their reactions are a bit delayed because of recent events, but they still will go to her aide. It's a little pathetic, as Pam is quick to point out, two powerful creatures hung up on a girl that won't be with either of them. Yet, it is still romantic and world-affirming that they react when Sookie is in trouble. The show would not be the same without this element.

Too bad neither vamp gets the change to follow through on this instinct, quickly being captured by the Vampire Authority. Much has been hinted at or alluded to about the organization over the years, but only a couple of representatives have been shown in TRUE BLOOD. It looks like season five will change all that. Bill and Eric are about to be drawn into some type of civil war, which has the good fortune to not only provide an interesting, high stakes story, but keep them from pining away over a certain waitress too much.

Eric's "sister," Nora (Lucy Griffiths, Robin Hood), is introduced as a member of the authority who is loyal to Eric, probably because of all the great sex that they have. Setting aside how creepy it is that they refer to each other as siblings during intercourse (although they do not share parents, only a maker), Nora is viewers' window into this new plot. In that, she works very well, and giving her back story with a lead quickly endears her.

However, it is a little strange that the authorities that show up at the end of "Turn! Turn! Turn!" quickly slaughter every other vampire except her. Leaving Bill and Eric alive makes sense, as they have always been power players, and likely have some skin in the game. But what is Nora's significance? Why is she not given the true death along with her compatriots? This episode only makes us want to learn more about her.

We get no glimpses of the new big bad, Roman (Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: SVU), or returning villain Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare) this week, unfortunately, although it is confirmed that the latter has escaped his concrete prison. How will Russell figure into this vampire struggle? Is he on the side of the authority, like Roman, or might Eric and Bill have to team up with their former foe? O'Hare plays a gripping, delicious character, and anticipation is high for his return.

Speaking of vampire returns, Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian) isn't exactly what one might expect. He makes his way to Bon Temps because he is in love with Jason (Ryan Kwanten)! Interestingly, Steve only glams Jason to get into the house and talk to him, not to use sexually. Might this have changed if Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) hadn't shown up to protect her sex toy? This is the beginnings of what could be the funniest love triangle on television! But one that could also turn very dark and dangerous very fast.

Meanwhile, Sam (Sam Trammell) is just as heroic as the vamps ever are, willing to sacrifice himself to the werewolves to protect Luna (Janina Gavankar) and her daughter. It's noble that Sam won't betray Alcide (Joe Manganiello), who has been a friend. But this means that Sam gets badly beaten. Thankfully, Luna does the right thing and informs Alcide of the situation, allowing him to step up and take the blame. This clears Sam from further injury, but what will it mean for Alcide?

It seems that Arlene (Carrie Preston) doesn't have a demon baby after all! This is little relief, though, since that means there is something else afoot. Terry (Todd Lowe), who has always been a bit of an enigma, his past told only in broad strokes, has a very dark secret. He reacts much more angrily towards Patrick (Scott Foley) than we have ever seen him. Which could mean a couple of wonderful supporting characters might finally get a big story this year on TRUE BLOOD, definitely something to look forward to!

"Turn! Turn! Turn!" has plenty to show fans what they have been missing for nearly a year. TRUE BLOOD remains a terrific series, far better than the pulp fiction it is based on, with a wealth of complex characters and plots. With things kicking off in high gear, and an oddly chosen final song, timed perfectly for comedic effect, this not-quite-campy action show is back to doing what it does best! Tune in Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.