Loose ends tantalize on Preacher

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Let’s just put it out there in the event you can’t quite come to grips with saying it: Preacher is one weird-ass television show.

Granted, there are other shows with twisted plots, freaky characters, mind-boggling situations and more. (American Gods and Twin Peaks come to mind right off the bat.) But Preacher is up there (or out there, depending on your point of view) when it comes to a “What The Hell Are They Thinking?” list. If you watch it, you know what I mean and you’ve come to expect nothing less.

And we were treated to same in episode 3 (“Damsels”) which jumped from history on Eugene just prior to his disfigurement (and the events of Tracy Loach and her suicide attempt) to our trio of heading to and delving into their hunt for God in The Big Easy, and onward to the introduction of The Grail, the “super secret crypto-religious fascist organization with designs on total world domination” according to Lara, who just so happens to be employed by said organization. (The Herr Starr reveal was a bit eerie, too.)

And while the plot thickened around not only searching out God but some of the efforts of The Grail, the thing I was really looking forward to in the episode was more on Eugene and his exploits in Hell, where he was banished by Jesse Custer last season. As it turned out, there wasn’t too much meat to sink your teeth into on that front.

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We know he’s there and we know he is confronted by none other than Hitler as he calls out during one scene … but that’s it. Nothing more.

All we gleaned from the two short segments in the underworld is that it’s a dank, dark place with the sound of tortured souls in the air. And while Hitler’s introduction was intriguing, there wasn’t any more to it than that. Horrifying as it was to Eugene, that’s all we were left with. While I enjoyed the offering (if such a thing can truly be “enjoyed”), I was left disappointed with the lack of any further story line. It did leave an impression, though … shudderingly so. I’m hopeful there’s more come next week’s episode.

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Still, there were other loose ends left hanging in the chapter that have great potential. The “fun” will definitely begin now that The Grail has been put into play. And all that uneasiness Tulip has been worrying herself over has manifested itself into something cohesive – her past (the mysterious Viktor) has finally caught up with her. And, by all outward appearances, she appears cool as a cucumber now that she’s facing it head on.

NOTES

• Why did that Hell’s warden squawk into her radio referring to Eugene as number “3767211” when it was clearly plastered on his overall “3767211725” … ???
• At the Sugarfoot Club, Jesse is told to drink up as the joint is closed. One would assume closing time for bars serving alcohol would be 2 in the morning, right? Yet at the club where Lara is singing he goes to directly afterward, that one patron hitting her up offers to buy her dinner. Did I miss something?
• Now, while I know a little bit about jazz and enjoy a small amount of it, I wouldn’t consider “A Walk To The Peak” one of the “14 Best Songs No One’s Ever Heard Of” as denoted on the couple instances of the album by the same name. But then, I’m no jazz expert.
• Were you as gobsmacked by Terry Loach’s assurance of reaching Heaven (admission of specific sexual escapades notwithstanding) as I was? Wow …
• We also got a reference to Angelville, a creepy locale in Jesse Custer’s past certain to raise its head soon in the series.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Start a conversation in the comments section below!