Today's Entertainment

2 • August 26 - September 1, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kenneth Andeel TV Media J esse Custer is not a prototypical man of God. He drinks. He smokes. Of course he swears. He breaks limbs in bar brawls and he'll shoot important bits of anatomy off of anyone who'd dare try to take his dead dad's church by force. He pals around with a drug-gorg- ing vampire and he's in love with his childhood friend, a hardened criminal. But, craziest of all, Jesse dares to confront God mano a prime mover, and insists he be giv- en answers to all those mysteries of creation that it's generally as- sumed we puny humans aren't meant to know. You might imagine that an al- mighty God who didn't want to be bothered by an audacious mortal could just hit the "smite" button and have done, but Jesse is special. For unknown reasons, he's been chosen as the host for a celestial being of unprecedented might that rivals God's own — and there you have the wicked conceit of "Preacher," set to conclude its third season on AMC. Watch on Sunday, Aug. 26, as Preacher Jesse (Dominic Cooper, "Mama Mia!" 2008), on-again, off-again assas- sin/lover Tulip (Ruth Negga, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") and Irish bloodsucker Cassidy (Joseph Gil- gun, "Misfits") try to find God and hold Him to account without any of them dying (or worse). "Preacher" arrived at AMC after spending nearly two decades in de- velopment hell. The story was origi- nally told in comic book format by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon. Their 66-issue run spanned from 1995 to 2000 and was part of an era of explicit comics targeted at mature readers. Ennis, realizing the story's screen potential, started shopping it as a script in 1998, be- fore he'd even concluded the nar- rative in its original medium. Obstacles abounded, and the screen adaptation passed through multiple hands until it finally made it into the clutches of an unlikely pair, who just happened to have obsessively coveted it for years. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, collaborators on "This Is the End" (2013) and other projects, grew up together and bonded over a love of Ennis' comic. The duo had been dil- igently dropping their names into the hat every time another round of interest in a "Preacher" adapta- tion sparked up, and at last, in 2013, the stars aligned: the two were commissioned to write a pilot for their dream project, eventually enlisting Sam Catlin ("Breaking Bad") as showrunner after AMC took the bait. Casting announcements fol- lowed, with hawk-eyed fans of the source material scrutinizing every decision. Three seasons in, it's be- come evident that the producers nailed it, and Negga, Gilgun and Cooper have capably represented the fringe comic's beloved trio. Cooper carries the show — it is called "Preacher," after all, and not "Vampire" or "Trigger-Happy Ban- dit" — but Negga and Gilgun give him consistent support. Season 1 began with Jesse dragging his heels as the uninspired (and unin- spiring) preacher of his tiny Texas hometown of Anneville. On the verge of renouncing his duties after a crisis of faith, Jesse was forcibly inhabited by "Genesis," the off- spring of a forbidden tryst between an angel and a devil. Genesis gave Jesse a pseudo-superpower known as the "Word of God" that allowed him to compel people to do any- thing he commanded. Jesse's ex, the viciously capable criminal Tulip O'Hare, returned to Anneville, and a centenarian Irish vampire named Cassidy fell out of the sky and be- gan squatting at Jesse's church. Forces arrayed to contest Jesse's newfound power, including a pair of awkward angels who eventually hired a condemned Old West gun- man-turned-Angel of Death to shoot Genesis out of Jesse, if nec- essary. The first season ended with Jesse calling up heaven via angel- phone and demanding to speak to God, then discovering that God had abandoned heaven for reasons unknown and was currently hang- ing out somewhere on Earth. In season 2, Jesse, Cassidy and Tulip struck out on the great Ameri- can roadtrip to find God. Their pur- suit took them to New Orleans, where they were tangled with groups that included basic violent criminals, vampire covens, a Chris- tian paramilitary called The Grail, and the voodoo-wielding Louisiana branch of Jesse's family. Jesse's creepy extended family continues to play the villain in sea- son 3. After Tulip's demise, Jesse was forced to look for a means of resurrection. As it turns out, voo- doo is a very useful skill for bring- ing back the dead. The only trouble is that you might end up owing your evil Gran'ma L'Angelle (Betty Buckley, "Oz") an unspecified fa- vor in exchange. Meanwhile, The Grail's fixer, Herr Starr (Pip Torrens, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," 2015), is de- manding Jesse take over Messiah duties for The Grail, replacing their current inbred figurehead, and the aforementioned Angel of Death, called the Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish, "Outlander"), is still out there with the power to kill abso- lutely anyone, human or otherwise. Oh, and Jesse has also given up a small slice of his own soul, and the Word of God no longer reliably works for him. All of these conflicts (and plenty more) are set to combust in the third season finale of "Preacher," and it would be a sin for any fan of smart, subversive, horror-inspired supernatural adventure to miss out. Where angels fear to tread 'Preacher's' cast of unforgettable characters wraps up third season Cover Story this week Ruth Negga in "Preacher" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Facebook is working on a "talent show" feature that would let users record themselves singing and then upload their videos for comments. Facebook even has a catchy name for it: "YouTube." Alex Trebek is hinting that he might retire from "Jeopardy!" in 2020. When asked what he'll do in retirement, Trebek said, "What is start drinking at noon?" The Late Late Show With James Corden In anticipation of a two-week highway shutdown, the Oregon Department of Transportation released a traffic jam playlist. Or, what we call here in Los Angeles, a playlist. Today, Europe's highest court ruled that Nestlé cannot patent the break-apart shape of its Kit Kat chocolate bar. Kit Kat responded to the verdict saying, "Give me a break." Late Night With Seth Meyers Alaska Airlines apologized today to a gay couple after asking one of them to move so that a straight couple could sit together. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines apologized for, quote, "All of it." Fifty years ago today, Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip "Peanuts," introduced the comic's first black character, named Franklin. Which Marcie immediately reported to the police. Late Laughs 001744149r1 Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm 13540 Ironwood Drive . Brainerd, MN 56401 218-829-6764 . www.shannonsautobody.com We make it our top priority to provide quality and timely service. I-CAR, Sikkens Waterborne, and ASE Certified and we work with you and your insurance company! We are also a dealer and servicer of Western Snow Plows and also Snow Ex Plows. For more information about our collision repair services or for estimates, please contact us today! Collision Repair & Auto Repair Services 501 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN 218-828-1823 www.heartlandtireservice.com ANNUAL CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT! THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 •11:00 - 2:00 Serving Brats, Hot Dogs, Beans, Cold Beverages! REGISTER TO WIN PRIZES! ALL GOODYEAR TIRES $5 OVER COST AUGUST 23-31 PLUS ALL MAIL IN REBATES STILL APPLY! 001758633r1

• Cover