The Preacher season 2 finale ends its tumultuous arc with turmoil and heartbreak.
But when this season was firing on all cylinders,Preacherwas a sight to behold.
Eugene has gained back his freedom but the search for God continuesneither of which is particularly surprising.
What happens to Denis and Tulip, however,isunexpected, but more on them in a bit.
It was pretty much a given that Eugene would get out of Hell.
The show reminded us time and again that he didnt belong with the worst of the worst.
What was less certain was Hitlers ultimate motive for helping Eugene escape.
That Hitler deems himself unworthy of freedom makes sense.
He may be a changed man, but he can never undo the atrocities hes committed.
Sacrificing himself to save Eugene is his one good deed.
And from a viewer standpoint, this is fine.
But Eugene has cornered the market on tragedy and vulnerability.
Why else would he insist that one of historys biggest monsters is worthy of redemption?
But does acknowledging that Eugenes heart is in the right place excuseder Fuhrerbeing unleashed upon the world once again?
Though not as bad as Hitler, Denis is another fiend that good intentions unleashed upon the world.
Of the two, one could argue that perhaps the wrong monster met his demise in this episode.
And Deniss end, while a long time coming, is unexpectedly grisly.
He made Cassidys moral quandary believable and relatable.
Indeed, Cassidy probably had the fullest character arc of anyone this season.
Not only was he grappling with fatherhood, hes struggled mightily with a growing bloodlust.
These two conflicts crystalized themselves in his son, whose own bloodlust grew stronger every day.
Would he have been more in control of his darker urges?
Last weeks underwater model work wasnt the best, but this immolation scene on the balcony is fantastic.
Their camaraderie was not only obvious, but quite winning.
It made me care again about Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy as a team.
So to see Jesse and Cassidy literally at each others throats is a pretty stunning 180.
Cassidys intentions are good, if a bit misplaced.
He and Tulip are friends, yes, but he wants so much more from her than friendship.
Whatever his motives are, every second, every heartbeat is so crucial.
At the end of the day, he and Jesse Custer arent friends, theyre rivals.
Luckily,Preacherstill has one trick up its sleeve.
Some closing thoughts:
Humperdoo is not messiah materialbut neither is Jesse.
Dressing him in an 11th-century fencing cloak is akin to putting lipstick on a pig.
His hearts just not in it, even though hes always up for a brawl.
Jesses brawl with the Armenians is both inventive and satisfying.
Eugene doesnt know about Annvilles fate.
One would think if he could forgive Hitler, Eugene could forgive Jesse, too.
But what would be the fun in that?
Les Enfants Du Sangis a nod to the comics actual New Orleans storyline about a goth vampire cult.
I hope more of the page makes it to the screen in season three.
Rating:
4 out of 5
