Preacher returns to form with a strong episode about battling one’s demons.
Preacher Season 2 Episode 12
One ofPreachersmany strengths is its ear for weird, witty dialogue.
And Slovis helmed last seasons excellent Finish the Song, which gave us the Saints hellish origins.
(you’re free to read that review of Finish the Song here.)
Its been a while since weve seen Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy enjoy each others company.
Indeed, theyve been at each others throats for the better part of the season.
This friction hurt the shows momentum almost as much as their stalled quest for God.
This is the Tulip we fell in love with last seasona confident, devil-may-care badass who acts without thinking.
She gets swatted around quite a bit for her troubles, but Id still consider this a victory.
The same cant be said for Jesse, at least not where the Saint is concerned.
Its an interesting fight between these two.
Again, Knees shows its smarts by stripping both men of their would-be powers.
Theres more to the Saint than his guns, as there should be.
But Jesse has definitely relied too much on Genesis to do his dirty work.
This subdued beat is particularly effective for a show that likes to dial things up to 11.
(And, really, what better place to confront ones demons than in Hell?)
Raging against the machine is easier said than done, though.
He bests Tracy Loach, then Troop leader Pedro.
To see someone else in the Arseface makeup is truly disturbingthe stuff of nightmares.
In the end, its Eugenes inherent goodness that frees him from the Hole.
Which leaves us with our titular preacher, our resident man of the cloth and messenger of God.
Now, rather than serve God, he has the unlikely chance tobecomeGod.
Which is probably true.
Heres hopingPreacherhits next weeks episode out of the park.
Some closing thoughts:
Is Genesis on the fritz?
We saw that it took a few tries for the Voice to work on one of Herr Starrs cronies.
Is it otherworldly interference, or did Hoover successfully extract Jesses soul from the Saint?
Plus Graham McTavish sells the Saints torment of being trapped beneath the swamp.
Cassidys assessment of Herr Starr is amusing: the one with a head like an old egg.
And Joseph Gilguns impression of a unicorn drinking from a river is likewise hilarious.
Dan Quayle makes an unexpected appearance by way of his book, the portentousThe Future Will Be Better Tomorrow.
The Distant Vistas shuttle is another great callback to last season.
Even boogeymen need closure.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
