Preacher – South Will Rise Again
Welcome back to Annville folks for another Preacher review. Sorry for the delay, I was away most of last week without computer access.
So this episode opens with a mammoth flashback giving us serious insight into the origins of the Saint of Killers, the cowboy character played by Graham McTavish that we were recently introduced to.
Graham McTavish as The Cowboy – Saint of Killers.
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
This basically saw me dancing around the room as I cannot wait for the Saint to arrive in Annville and seriously start screwing things up. We learn through the flashback that he was a Confederate soldier who really had a talent and a passion for killing. Something he seems all to keen to return to once his family die.
This episode also sees Cassidy’s crush on Tulip ramp up to crazy levels and Tulip, scheming as always, takes advantage of it.
Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy, Ruth Negga as Tulip O’Hare.
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
She goes so far as to steal drugs for him and then let him have sex with her in the back of her car, but it seems to be another step in her plan rather than any kind of emotional involvement on her part.
Jesse’s newly impassioned flock is growing and he uses the Flavor Station diner as an extension of his church, meeting with the congregation, answering questions and using The Word willy-nilly.
Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, Ruth Negga as Tulip.
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
This brings him into conflict with Tulip, who lets slip some of the shadier details of Jesse’s past in the hopes of turning the town against him, but it backfires. It also brings him up against DeBlanc and Fiore, our erstwhile angels who spend much of the episode hiding in their motel room planning what they are going to say to their superiors over the now ringing Angel-Phone.
Donnie is having a crisis and refusing to go back to work since his run in with Jesse and learning about Odin Quincannon going to church. He knows that something is going on with Jesse and over lunch at work with his wife he tells her about the fracas at the gas station. His wife tells him that he will get his chance to get back at Jesse, and given Donnie’s penchant for Civil War re-enactments I have a feeling that he may play into things with the Saint as and when he arrives. After all the title of the episode is South Will Rise Again!
There’s also some interesting stuff with Arseface, his father, and Traci the coma girl. Sheriff Root is struggling to deal with his son who only wants to help out, mostly due to the attitudes of the townsfolk. Arseface comes to Jesse to ask for help and Jesse takes him to see Traci.
Ian Colletti as Arseface, Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer.
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
Traci’s mother is furious (one can only assume Arseface has something to do with why Traci is in her coma) and attacks Jesse’s truck with Arseface inside, before Jesse whammies her with The Word and gets her to forgive the poor boy. Jesse feels like this has solved everything and that Root will no longer have to worry about his son and the townsfolk’s reaction to him. I have to say I’m not so sure it’s going to be that easy.
The final and possibly most intriguing sequence this episode involves the odious Odin Quincannon. He has agreed to meet with the Greenacre Group that the Mayor had been dealing with regarding coming to a deal. He brings them in, all smiles and cheer and glasses of brandy…and then proceeds to blow all four of them away with a shotgun.
Jackie Earle Haley as Odin Quincannon.
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
Yep, seems like that convert and be a good Christian thing isn’t quite holding with dear Mr Q!
Now, I don’t know about you guys, but I am starting to feel like this season is going to have a rather explosive climax. The Preacher comics begin with the entity now inside Jesse arriving, taking him over and killing the entire congregation of Annville, and I feel like this could be where we are going albeit in a roundabout manner. I think something is going to happen with the angels trying to take it back that is going to have devastating consequences, especially given that the Annville church is considerably fuller now. That also coincides with the Saint’s arrival in Annville in the comics… see where I’m going with this?!
