Preacher :: God’s plan

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As AMC’s Preacher has continued its run, the series has gone for more over-the-top set pieces, each one bigger than the last, and that’s certainly been true for the first three of the last ten episodes of the fourth and final season … often to the detriment of the story. Yes, they can stage some massive fight scenes with dozens of stunt people and extras, but how exactly does that move the story along now that we know it has an expiration date coming up and we need four seasons of resolution before it’s all over.

I miss the days of Season 1 where our three main characters were always together. Since Season 2 they’ve always been split up either separately or in various combinations of two and one. Season 3 did slow things down a little as Jesse was trapped by a spell at Angelville — and boy, is Betty Buckley missed this season — but even then our ‘heroes’ were separated. That has carried over to Season 4 now with Jesse ditching Tulip without so much as a goodbye, and Cassidy still held captive at Masada by The Grail. At least this week we finally got a little more with Eugene and The Saint, and Hitler even made an appearance. But with characters as all over the place as the story, we have to start to worry that the finale may leave some threads dangling. But perhaps it’s all God’s plan.

Speaking of God, it’s obvious now that everything Jesse does and has done has been all part of His plan considering the little play set he’s using to move Jesse around like his own little plaything. But what is His plan? No one knows, but they assume that Divine Intervention is at play (at least Jesse, Eugene, The Saint and perhaps the Archangel hanging above Cassidy’s cell do). For Jesse, the episode was mostly a huge brawl at DeSade’s House of Entertainment where he was trying to rescue the kid who stole his boots. The kid didn’t need saving as he was happy to be earning $35 an hour posing for photographs in old timey outfits, but Jesse insisted on ‘saving’ him and the kid ended up with a bullet between his eyes. Making his way out of the establishment — unknowingly under God’s watchful eye (from an upper window) — Jesse headed back to the airport with his lighter and Genesis-controlled pilot where Hitler popped up.

Hitler, now in control of Hell after Satan’s demise last season, is very anxious to get Jesse to Hell. He’s quite taken aback that Jesse believes, after all he’s done, that he’s going to Heaven … or that God would even allow Jesse to find him. Jesse is pretty sure that Genesis will help get him what he wants and demonstrates just how powerful he is by forcing Hitler on his knees and putting his hands around his throat, nearly choking himself to death. Jesse leave him to ponder what just happened, but on his flight to Australia he’s haunted by Tulip right before the plane begins a downward dive. God may not be the co-pilot but he sure seems to be enjoying the ride from the seat across the aisle.

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Tulip finds herself in the Grail infirmary with no outward signs of injury from the crazy car chase in the last episode. She’s still decked out in her Grail costume so no one is the wiser. But there’s one problem — they won’t release her until she takes a psyche evaluation, which reveals a gun fetish and all kinds of other mental trauma. But who isn’t emotionally damaged? She’s free to go. Unfortunately when she gets to Cassidy’s cell … he’s gone, to Bensonhurst according to the Archangel (and a flash forward earlier showed us that his constantly regenerating foreskin was being used in cosmetics). Tulip is also unaware that Featherstone is on to her, having discovered the wig head in Tulip’s hotel room and alerting Herr Starr that she is in Masada.

Cassidy has basically given up, ready to accept his fate as punishment for his life. We did get some backstory on him that took us back to Ireland in 1916 when they were fighting to become an independent Republic. Cassidy and his mate were off to fight but an ambush left his friend dead and, turning coward, Cassidy decided to make his way home. But having to hide in a bog as enemy troops passed by, he was attacked by a vampire within the waters, now unable and unwilling to return home to his family, feeling it was better that they thought he was dead. So whatever happens to Cassidy now, he feels he brought it on himself. But is this still part of God’s plan?

Herr Starr has a new Hoover, and unconcerned about knowing the name of his new minion, he simply dubbed him Hoover 2.

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We finally got a bit more with Eugene and The Saint as they walked through Texas, Eugene like a broken record asking The Saint if his feet hurt. Because Eugene’s feet hurt. Maybe they could drive. Eugene has his learner’s permit. Or hitch a ride with that car approaching … whose passengers yell at Eugene to go back to the freak show. Maybe The Saint is hungry. There’s a diner just a mile ahead. They stop and Eugene orders a chicken fried steak, well done, mashed potatoes and gravy and veggies … blended. The Saint wants whiskey, and sensing his anger Eugene talks him into getting a slice of pie instead. Does The Saint need to use the potty? Eugene does and the innocent boy finds himself in a stall with a man in the next stall tapping his foot and asking him to put his mouth up to a hole in the wall. Eugene thinks he wants toilet paper, but when he’s asked to put his mouth up at the hole again, he complies but the occupant of the stall thinks Eugene put a different hole up to the glory hole. Turns out the guy was a cop and Eugene was entrapped and taken away, trying to get Mr. Saint’s attention but failing to do so. The Saint perhaps senses something has happened to Eugene and as the car he’s in drives down the highway, there is a bang in the distance. Suddenly the driver’s head explodes and we see the bang was The Saint’s gun firing. With Eugene’s get out of jail free card now in the car with him, the pair drive off to … who knows but it’s all part of God’s plan. Right?

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