Preacher this week has another prologue sequence that reveals more backstory to “The Cowboy” aka Saint of Killers. In “The South will Rise Again” much more is revealed. That voice/power Preacher assumed was God inside of him is not. The “angels” are down collecting Genesis without permission and Tulip recruits Cassidy to help on her revenge mission.
More importantly, there is another example of what Jesse’s power does to the people he influences. The bus driver took do driving his bus up and down the streets at odd hours and now Odin Quincannon has blasted the Green Acres crew into oblivion. Donnie Schenck has also lost the plot since his dealings with Custer and “That” voice.
It appears that Jesse’s use of “the voice” may sway his flock to do his will, but it keeps the individual’s personality unchanged. Either that or it strips away the “sanity” of the recipient allowing the facade of civilized behavior to fall away.
Regardless of what the end result is, apparently despite the preacher’s intent to do good, the opposite actually occurs…eventually. One wonders what will happen to Tracy. Or more importantly, the hate-filled mother of Tracy who was trying her damnedest to hurt Arseface till Jesse stepped in.
As Fiore and DeBlanc point out to Custer, he has been using the power a lot. In his impromptu church session in Flavor Station the preacher slips that “voice” into a number of conversational counseling interactions.
It seems pretty well signposted that all hell is about to break loose in Annville. Arseface’s father flipped out at breakfast after the writing on the wall was discovered the night before. Root shouts at his son to finish what he began, the same thing written on the bedroom wall.
Interestingly, Tulip recruits Cassidy, who seems more interested than one would have thought, and seals the deal with her new assistant with sex in the back of the car. Jesse’s former lover and cohort in crime is completely dispassionate about the act, which is in character for this fascinating woman.
The Cowboy prologue was brilliant and so absorbing that it ended far too soon. This flashback to the “legend” is gritty and disturbing, almost as much as Ratwater itself. Buying and selling of scalps, rape (in front of the woman’s son) and viciousness personified makes these snippets of “the old west” upsetting and oddly compelling to watch.
(Has anyone else noticed that the western town set looks amazingly like the one used in Django: Unchained? Specifically that saloon front. It would not be surprising at all to see Amber Tamlyn looking down from an upper story window.)
As brilliant as Preacher is so far it has failed to live up to that adrenaline fueled rollercoaster ride of a pilot. While there is a pervading sense of dread to the series, like Fiore and DeBlanc’s reaction to “that” phone ringing, things have slowed down a bit.
There was that surprise ending to “The South will Rise Again episode on Sunday.” After watching Odin come across so “God-like” with a humility and that eager to please look on his face , the quick and shocking death of five Green Acre members in his office was jaw-dropping.
Prior to that was the preacher learning that it is not God’s power that resides in him. Jesse also learns about Cassidy’s interaction with Fiore and DeBlanc and that they are from heaven.
Cue Quincannon’s small bloodbath.
The series looks to crank up a notch or two. Perhaps not quite to the frantically entertaining level of the plot but things are about to get interesting. Jesse also seems about to undergo another change.
Preacher airs Sundays on AMC.
MAIN CAST:
- Dominic Cooper – Jesse Custer
- Ruth Negga – Tulip
- Joseph Gilgun – Cassidy
- Jackie Earle Haley – Quincannon
- Lucy Griffiths – Emily
Rating is for mature audiences only due to content.
Mikes Film Talk 