It’s time to grab your poncho and lock and load your firearms- Preacher is going down! Today we check in with some old friends, meet some new old friends, and spend a lot of time in one gorgeous, tacky set. It’s time for “Mumbai Sky Tower.” Place your bets now, because spoilers abound.
1. Ginger ale is good for blood loss
I hope every episode of Preacher begins with a lunatic action setpiece. The Saint of Killers shooting up the conveniently assembled gun show may have beaten last week’s delightful car chase. It was actually sort of stunning. There were the expected beats, mainly the explosions of body parts and the cartoonish disregard for personal injury. But then there were some genuinely cinematic touches, like the shot from the bullet’s perspective, or the use of reflections in the soda machines.
There was also one of my favorite comic references in the show yet. Did anyone catch the truck that ran over the Saint? Alonso’s Old Time Axle Grease. I’ll let my Marvel zombies explain that one to ya down in the comments. Also, Cassidy’s theories about the Saint seemed utterly reasonable to me. They’re either dealing with Terminator, Terminator 2, or a Nazgul.
2. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO
We check in with our lone surviving angel from last season, a very depressed Fiore. The suicide/respawn montage was a bit of a play on a similar sequence from last season, but it was still very dark and very funny. The twist that he was the magician from last episode was delightful, as I had completely forgotten about him between seasons. This brought the episode to the titular Mumbai Tower, a garishly ugly casino that let the set dressers go crazy with color. I liked it, and having Ganesh’s stage act be Gallagher as a gory magician was 100% Preacher.
3. Two hours, forty-five minutes
When Cassidy claimed he had skills, I was skeptical. He spent the last episode being a very charming load of dead weight. Of course, that ended up being his skill set. He and Fiore embarked on what looked like the best drug binge of all time. Seriously, I’m not a hard drug user, plus Fiore immediately OD’d (and respawned), but I would let Cassidy shoot me up with all sorts of mystery speed. We could throw a frisbee around, get existential, and talk about our feelings. It looked great.
Cassidy’s drug habit was also a great excuse for forgetfulness, which ended up as a handy plot device. I appreciated the recaps, and Cassidy having to ask my stupid questions was eminently helpful. Plus, the plan worked. With three and a half minutes to go, Fiore falls in love with Cassidy and gives him an amazing look that captures so many repressed emotions. Tom Brooke wins MVP of the episode.
4. People like violence, but don’t forget the music
Well, for one thing, Jesse and Tulip finally they know about the explosion of bullshit. The marriage tease was a good one. I didn’t think they would go through with it, but after Tulip’s heartfelt speech about losing her only family, I understand Jesse thinking he wants to lock it down with her. They don’t, and her wedding chapel buzzer ended up being used in some excellent prop comedy as a murder weapon to kill yet another mysterious hit man from her past.
Meanwhile, Jesse has a drink with Frank Patel, the cranky lounge singer, who reminds him that while a stabbing can be fun, it’s all about the music. This leads Jesse to conclude what I’ve been thinking since last episode. If the only clue you have is Jazz, you gotta go to the Jazz capital of the world. Next week, the gang heads to the Big Easy.
5. Abuses of Power: Rest in Peace edition
There were really only two notable uses of the Voice this week. The first is when Jesse tells the disposable gun nuts to “stop him!” They unload at the Saint, and are all brutally killed for their trouble. It’s a definite abuse of Genesis, and Jesse throws their lives away without a blink.
The second, his demand that Fiore “find peace,” was one of the more poinient moments of Preacher. Despite connecting with Cassidy, Fiore lost his one true love last season. The only peace for him is death, and the only way for that to happen is for the Saint to shoot him. He does it onstage. The episode ends with people booing Fiore’s death, which is a fitting image for the show in general, and Fiore’s story as a whole. In death he finds satisfaction, but everyone is gonna give him grief about it. I hope he finally caught a break. Still, Jesse was not trying to murder him, and in his arrogance sentenced the depressed angel to an assisted suicide.
