Today's Entertainment

2 • June 25 - July 1, 2017 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media T here is no such thing as typical television anymore. While tradi- tional dramas and sitcoms are still key landmarks on the prime-time landscape, the rise of cable giants has produced TV series that push boundaries in ways network shows cannot. One of those boundary-pushing series is AMC's "Preacher," and it returns with a two-night event be- ginning Sunday, June 25, and con- tinuing Monday, June 26, on AMC. Dominic Cooper ("Captain Ameri- ca: The First Avenger," 2011) stars as West Texas preacher Jesse Custer, who's on a mission to find God — literally — in the drama, which has garnered a reputation for its stunning visuals, offbeat comedy and thrilling horror. Based on the '90s DC Vergito comicbook series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, "Preacher" was created by Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up," 2007), Sam Catlin ("Breaking Bad") and Evan Goldberg ("Super- bad," 2007), and picked up by AMC in September 2015. Its 10-episode first season premiered in May 2016 and proved so popular that an expanded 13-episode second season was announced before the end of June that year. AMC executive Charlie Collier had high praise for the series when the renewal was an- nounced: "What Sam, Seth, Evan and the entire creative team have achieved in bring- ing Garth Ennis' graphic nov- el to the screen is extraordi- nary," Collier said. "We look forward to more time with these unforgettable characters, be it in heaven, hell, Texas or beyond." In the series, a disillusioned Custer has been possessed by a mysterious entity known as Gene- sis, which gives him the power to compel others to do exactly what he wants. Known as "the Word of God," the power forces listeners to obey Custer's commands, so long as they can hear and understand them. Armed with the Word and deadly hand-to-hand combat skills thanks to his sordid and violent past, the preacher sets out to find God and make him answer for his actions. The entity Genesis is appar- ently the product of a union be- tween an angel and a demon, giv- ing it elements of both good and evil. This season, "Preacher" follows Custer as he embarks on an epic road trip with his allies, who in- clude Tulip O'Hare, played by Acad- emy Award nominee Ruth Negga ("Loving," 2016). A fan favorite, Tu- lip is Custer's gun-toting, highly ca- pable ex-girlfriend. Custer's best friend is a charismatic Irish vampire named Cassidy, portrayed by Eng- lish actor Joseph Gilgun ("Mis- fits"). Ian Colletti ("Jimmy," 2013) also returns as Eugene Root, a young man with a disfigured face. Throughout season 1, and presum- ably season 2, Custer and his friends must elude a bounty hunter with god-like powers known as The Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish, "Outlander"). Trailers for season 2 have fans excited about catching a glimpse of Herr Starr, a villainous character from the comics who works for The Grail, a sinister organization out to get Custer. However, produc- ers have been keeping mum about who will play this season's big bad. With a large portion of the reg- ular cast wiped out by the end of last season thanks to a mas- sive explosion that destroyed Annville, Texas, there are sev- eral new cast mem- bers hop- ping on board for season 2. The general consensus among fans and critics is that actor Pip Tor- rens ("Star Wars: The Force Awak- ens," 2015) will play Herr Starr, but nothing official has been released to confirm the casting. Other new regular cast members include "Game of Thrones" alum Noah Tay- lor and Julie Ann Emery ("Fargo"). Also, Malcolm Barrett ("Timeless"), Ronald Guttman ("The Hunt for Red October," 1990) and Justin Prentice ("13 Reasons Why") have landed recurring roles in season 2. As with other comicbook adap- tations, "Preacher" has fans won- dering whether the TV show will follow the source material or devi- ate from it as other series such as "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones" have done. As the group ventures further afield this season, it seems as if the show is about to take a cue from the comics, which were known for hopping around from place to place as Custer searched for God. This season whisks viewers to New Orleans and even Sin City as Custer continues his quest. He and his friends end up entangled in a battle spanning heaven, hell and many points in between. New locations have the poten- tial to add even more thrills to a program that's already doing well. More than two million viewers tuned in to the pilot, and the drama held fairly steady throughout its first season. AMC's latest comic- book adaptation was among the top cable dramas of 2016 — part of a list that included ratings jug- gernauts "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead" and "Fear the Walking Dead." Season 1 proved popular enough to spawn "Talking Preacher," a live after-show hosted by Chris Hard- wick, in which guests discuss the night's episode. Viewers can tune into "Talking Preacher" immediate- ly following each new episode. Highly praised for its visuals, "Preacher" has earned a number of industry accolades, including nomi- nations for the American Society of Cinematographers Awards and the Art Directors Guild Awards. The show is also up for a coveted Sat- urn Award for Best Fantasy Televi- sion Series, but fans will have to wait until the awards ceremony June 28 to find out if the quirky hor- ror comedy-drama is a winner. In the meantime, don't miss the season premiere of "Preacher," air- ing Sunday and Monday, June 25 and 26, on AMC. Gritty comicbook series 'Preacher' returns to AMC Cover Story this week Ruth Negga as seen in "Preacher" Conan In New York, a cocaine-trafficking ring was busted after they were caught pretending to be Uber drivers. Police called Uber the perfect cover for cokeheads, because most Uber drivers also never stop talking. Yesterday in Florida, a drunk and naked man wielding a machete went on a rampage attacking mailboxes. Local police put out an APB for "literally any guy in Florida." The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Jay Leno is here tonight! We love Jay. He's the only guy at Universal who gets excited when the Transformers turn back into cars. Sears announced they are closing 42 stores. You know what that means? Lost jobs for 42 sales clerks. The Late Late Show With James Corden The shoe store Payless is filing for bankruptcy and closing nearly 400 stores in the United States. Yes, 400 shoe stores closed, and thousands of "soles" were lost. The problem was their work ethic. Most of Payless was just a bunch of "loafers." Jimmy Kimmel Live Memorial Day's become the unofficial start to summer. Summer doesn't technically start until next month, but that didn't stop me from wearing a bikini all weekend. There's a new report that says more than half of American workers didn't use all their vacation days last year. They had them, they just didn't take them. So the people who did the study asked why. Some said they did it to impress their boss with their work ethic. The rest said, I hate my family. Late Laughs S E A M L E S S "EXPERIENCE THE ADVANTAGE" "EXPERIENCE THE ADVANTAGE" Advantage Seamless, Inc. 218-270-2663 or 888-570-5778 WWW.ADVANTAGESEAMLESSGUTTERS.COM THE BEST DEFENSE IN GUTTER PROTECTION AMERICA'S FIRST HIGH FLOW SYSTEM™ COUPON % OFF *** Must do entire home. Must book project by 6/30/17 *** Does not apply to contractors. Excludes Copper and 1/2 Round. Call 1-888-570-5778. Must present coupon at the time of consultation. We will match any competitor coupons. Cannot be combined with other offers. Full Seamless Gutters For New Construction Built in 2017 S E A M L E S S 001580031r1 001580070r1 Kinship Partners Inc. Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, please call (218)-829-4606 or visit our website at www.kinship.brainerd.com Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by: Sothers Studio Why not start your own friendship journey? Kinship Partners is pleased to honor Bryella Fluegge, Alexia Cripps and Lenora Faulk as our Match of the Month. About four years ago, Alexia called the Kinship Partners office and asked about mentoring. She wanted a little girl in her life. She and Lenora were matched and their friendship quickly became precious to both of them. Then, Lenora moved out of the area. Alexia's heart was broken, but eventually she decided she would open her heart to another child and became Bryella's Kinship Mentor. They also were immediately bonded and had wonderful times together. Less than a year later, Lenora moved back into the area. Of course, she wanted Alexia back in her life! And as expected, Alexia was more than willing. Lexi is always ready with another story about "her girls" and their visits to her farm, whether it be naming the chickens or running around with the goats. These three are a match made in heaven.

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