Con SuiteThe Reactor

Recap: Preacher – The End of the Road

By Miclpea
SPOILER ALERT-Preacher- Season Two-Do not read if you have not seen episode 13 of Preacher.

Quote of the Week- “I didn’t sign up for this sh$t!”

Will Kindrachuk as Young Jesse

The episode opens with a young Jesse sitting by the roadside. He is there to direct people to his grandmother’s house and to collect money for parking. He also explains the psychic prowess of his grandmother when he directs the visitors to parking and the gift shop. At one point, Jesse steals a wallet from a man who had come to see his grandmother. A car arrives with a man who asks to see the forbidden things but Jesse recognizes the man as an undercover policeman and sends him on his way.

Later in the day, a truck arrives with two occupants who have brought Jesse his lunch. They are also there to collect the money for the parking. But after Jesse gives them the parking money, the passenger holds out his hand for more. Jesse swears that he does not have more but the hand remains waiting. Jesse eventually hands over the stolen wallet. The passenger grabs Jesse’s arm and twists until Jesse bangs on the vehicle door to tap out. The vehicle drives off as Jesse goes to where he left his lunch bag on a chair. A rooster that has annoyed Jesse all day is pecking at his lunch bag. Jesse angrily knocks it to the ground before he stomps it to death. A few minutes later, Jesse runs to his grandmother’s house with the body of the rooster in his backpack. He asks his grandmother to resurrect the rooster. She reminds him that there is always a price to pay.

In the present, Herr Starr and Jesse are at a Catholic elementary school. Herr Starr plans to take this opportunity to introduce Jesse to the world. Jesse questions the decision to start there, as well the speech that has been prepared for him by Herr Starr. Herr Starr assures Jesse that the speech has been vetted by multiple focus groups and he personally finished the final version. Herr Starr offers Jesse a historical cape that makes him look like Elvis. Jesse refuses to wear it.

Taylor Murphy as young nun, Armenian Terrorist 

In the classroom, a nun introduces Jesse as someone who is not God but “close.” Jesse starts to read the speech, which he is clearly uncomfortable doing, when a nun bursts into the classroom, yelling that armed Armenians are there. Jesse and the nuns quickly overturn the desks and hide the children behind them. The gunmen enter the classroom. Jesse tries to use the voice of Genesis on them but it does not work. Without the voice of Genesis, Jesse has to use his fighting prowess to defeat the gunmen. He eventually beats all of them unconscious. The classroom yells his name in adoration as the gunmen are taken away.

Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, Pip Torrens as Herr Starr

Outside the classroom, Jesse corners Herr Starr. He correctly guesses that the entire scene was staged because there was no ammunition in the guns. Herr Starr explains to Jesse that there is little time and they must quickly spread the word. Later in the car, Herr Starr asks Jesse why he did not use his power. Jesse explains to Herr Starr that he did not need it. The truth is that his power is weakening.

In New Orleans, Lara and Hoover are packing up their gear while Lara sings the praises of Herr Starr’s plan for Jesse. In Denis’ apartment, Cassidy is folding laundry when he notices blood stains on Denis’ clothes that washing did not remove. Cassidy walks out of Denis’ room before he returns, picks up Denis’ computer, and opens it. The computer opens to a vampire porn site of people being brutalized by vampires. This website shocks and saddens Cassidy. Later, as Cassidy finishes folding the wash, he comes across some of Tulip’s underwear as he remembers the screams of the women from the vampire pornography site.

Meanwhile, Tulip is shopping for supplies for their trip to Bimini, such as sunscreen and hats, at a local store, where she observes a poor woman shoplifting diapers for her baby. On the television screen is Jesse at the Catholic school. The clerk is a jerk and sexist. Unfortunately for him, among his many insulting and condescending comments, he calls Tulip “darling.” This is the last straw for Tulip. She pretends to want to buy lip balm. As the clerk reaches for it, Tulip grabs his tie and slams his face against the glass twice, to render him unconscious. She grabs money from the register and offers it to the poor woman. The poor woman refuses the money and quickly leaves the store.

Ruth Negga as Tulip O’Hare, Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy 

Back at their apartment, Tulip tells Cassidy that Bimini will be great. She also tells Cassidy that they will have sex again. They start to engage in passionate kissing when Cassidy goes crazy and rips out her throat. Cassidy wakes from this daydream when Tulip enters his room.

Hitler and Eugene escape Hell through a hatch. Moments later, someone follows them out of the hatch. Eugene and Hitler run through ruins and a poorly lit landscape to the River Styx, where a figure in dark robes, Charon, stands. Hitler tells Eugene that the ferryman (Charon) will return Eugene to the land of the living. Hitler leaves Eugene to go with the ferryman.

Eugene tells the ferryman his name and eventually the ferryman calls the boat to ferry Eugene to the land of the living. However, before this happens, Mannering appears with a crossbow and demands the return of Eugene. The ferryman refuses and tells Mannering that his word is law where they stand. Mannering tells him that with God gone, she is the law. She shoots the ferryman in the head with the crossbow. She calls for reinforcements but is attacked from behind by Hitler. Eugene tells Hitler that he has saved him twice. He begs Hitler to go with him. Hitler pushes Eugene away but thanks him for the chance to do something good again.

Ian Colletti as Eugene, Noah Taylor as Adolf Hitler 

At the apartment, Tulip is dressed for the trip to Bimini when she drops her lipstick and discovers the spy-cam left by The Grail. She tells Cassidy that they were being watched the entire time by the men in white. Cassidy wants to tell Jesse but Tulip does not believe it will make a difference. During the entire time of their separation, Tulip and Jesse have been watching their phones for contact from each other. Both have been too proud to contact the other. Tulip’s response is understandable but it will have consequences.

Denis walks into Cassidy’s room to retrieve his dog but he sees Tulip’s underwear on Cassidy’s bed. Denis grabs the underwear and asks Cassidy if he can be a good man. Cassidy tells Denis that he can’t be a good man with Denis around. Cassidy pushes Denis out onto the balcony and locks the window. The sun burns Denis to ash.

Meanwhile, Hitler and Eugene are riding the Distant Vistas bus back to the world. Apparently, Eugene went back for Hitler. After the bus lets them off, Hitler runs away and is hit by a car. He hobbles away from the accident down an alley. Eugene begins to realize that he might have made a mistake bringing Hitler back to the world.

Back in New Orleans, Tulip is waiting in the car when Cassidy arrives without Denis. Cassidy tells Tulip that Denis decided to stay. Tulip decides to say goodbye to Jenny (Lara) before they leave.

Ruth Negga as Tulip O’Hare, Julie Ann Emery as Jennie, Malcolm Barrett as Hoover  

Tulip goes to the Jenny’s apartment, where she sees all of the boxes. Jenny is in the other room, so Tulip waits for her to come to the living room. Tulip sees the manual for the soul extractor and finds a screwdriver with the same glue that was used to anchor the spy-cam. Jenny (Lara) enters and begins an intense exchange of conversation with Tulip. Jenny is hiding a gun behind her back while Tulip does the same with the screwdriver. Hoover enters from his shower and poorly plays the part of the abusive boyfriend. Tulip states that she never did mention Dallas to Jenny, before Jenny shoots.

Herr Starr and Jesse board a private jet to go to LA for the Jimmy Kimmel show. Jesse receives a call from Cassidy, which Herr Starr does not want him to take. Despite this, Jesse takes the call and rushes from the plane. As Jesse’s SUV is about to leave, Herr Starr shows Jesse the part of his soul that he had given to The Saint of Killers (TSOK). This is the reason why the voice of Genesis did not work on TSOK; he no longer had a soul. As Jesse pulls away, Herr Starr receives a call from Lara and Hoover. He tells them to cancel the ambulance.

At the apartment, Jesse and Cassidy work feverishly to save Tulip. They decide to take her to the hospital instead of waiting for the ambulance (that they do not know will never arrive). However, Tulip’s condition worsens to the point it is obvious that she will not make it to the hospital. In desperation, Cassidy wants to turn her to save her. Jesse is adamant that this cannot happen. Jesse and Cassidy fight until Jesse has Cassidy in a strangle hold that he maintains until Tulip dies. Jesse tells Cassidy that death is not final.

Later, Jesse and Cassidy are the car with Tulip’s body in the back seat. They are headed toward the home of Jesse’s grandmother. Cassidy tells Jesse that he hates him and Jesse responds that he will hate him even more after he meets his family.

In New Orleans, the man/dog suit hangs on a coatrack. There is the noise of a toilet flushing before the bathroom door opens. A silhouetted figure haloed by a blinding light exits.

This is what has happened by the end of the second season of Preacher.

  • Jesse has agreed to be the Messiah for The Grail
  • The Saint of Killers is back in Hell without the small piece of Jesse’s soul
  • Herr Starr has the small piece of Jesse’s soul that Hoover extracted from The Saint of Killers
  • Tulip has died from a gunshot wound
  • Cassidy killed his son Denis because he could not control his vampiric urges
  • God’s disguise on Earth is unveiled as the man/dog
  • The Messiah as exemplified by Humperdoo is a blithering idiot
  • Jesse is going to his grandmother to have her resurrect Tulip
  • The power of Genesis seems to have left Jesse
  • Eugene and Hitler have escaped Hell

With all of these developments, what can the viewers expect from Season Three?

  • Hitler is loose on the world again
  • There will be a price to pay for Jesse’s grandmother to resurrect Tulip
  • Cassidy hates Jesse
  • Herr Starr has part of Jesse’s soul
  • The power of Genesis appears to have left Jesse
  • God is missing in action

What could possibly go wrong?

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Miclpea

I love going to conventions around the US and Canada. I'm an ardent fan of all things science fiction and especially The Expanse. I'm a senior writer for Friends of CC and I have co-written a science-fiction script called Punctuated Equilibrium.