He Gone…Arseface that is, and with him a large chunk of my patience for Preacher.
This week’s episode was flinging out major comic references one minute and the next was veering into total virgin territory. The Lord Giveth… We got Tulip telling Cassidy that Jess’s favourite actor is John Wayne,”To The End of the World” and another Angelville brand tattoo. And he taketh away… Tulip and Jesse were apparently friends as children now and Eugene tried to kill Traci for turning him down before he shot himself.
Nathan Darrow as John Custer, Dominic Ruggieri as Young Jesse, Ashley Aufderheide as Young Tulip
Photo Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
The main plot this week revolves once more around Jesse as a child. John took Tulip in when her mother was in prison for a while but eventually called Social Services who took her away, upsetting his young son. That night Jesse prayed for his father to die and go to hell. Not long after that intruders break in, knock out John and then take him and Jesse away. With his father at gunpoint Jesse confesses what he prayed for and then watches as one of the intruders, with a tattoo identical to the one on grown up Jesse’s back, shoots John. This scene is very reminiscent of the same scene in the comics (other than taking place at night), as you can see from the cover below.
Cass confronts Jesse over what happened to Eugene, which Cassidy witnessed, and Jesse refuses to even talk about it. There’s some monumentally awkward scenes between Tulip, Jesse, Cassidy and Emily over dinner at the church. This should come to a head when Cassidy finally reveals his true nature to Jesse in a way he can’t possibly deny – he takes clothes off in the sunshine and burns in front of Jesse.
Credit: brojackson.com
Instead we are left not knowing whether Jesse uses the fire extinguisher Cass gave him as he returns to the meal without saying anything. Given at this point I’m basically watching for the brilliance of Joseph Gilgun he better have put him out or I’m going to be furious!
Jesse is absolutely crazed with the power he now knows he wields, although he manages to refrain from whammying the entire church as he looked to be planning. Despite sending poor Eugene to hell last week, having recalled what happened with his father, Jesse starts tearing up the church floor. As he does, a column of men approaches the church led by Odin Quincannon riding a bulldozer like a General on a tank.
Jackie Earle Haley as Odin Quincannon
Photo Credit: Lewis Jacobs/Sony Pictures Television/AMC
Guess he’s coming for Jesse’s church, given that Jesse’s power didn’t stick.
Final thoughts
This again felt like a pause button on the progress that has been building up. While we do get those references I mentioned before, it stalls on giving us anything particularly dynamic apart from Cassidy’s self-immolation. With 3 episodes left in the season I really hope we don’t get any more of these pause-button episodes. While the references we got were great, I’m taking off points for the young Jesse and Tulip stuff and the distinct lack of the Saint of Killers!
Sorry for the delay – the remaining episode reviews will hopefully be up in the next couple of days.
