All right, Trashtalkers, I can’t keep saying each episode of this show is my favorite, so let’s just say I think it’s good. Really good. Like, my favorite (for now–I’m in a polyamorous relationship with a few different shows). This episode in particular wasn’t chock full of revelation, but the character development was almost as thrilling as discovering the truth about Ratwater. Jesse’s no longer chasing the rusty pipe dream that was “saving” Annville, and actually blossoms into a decent preacher when he’s just being himself. Tulip quits chasing mopey Jesse and gets back on chasing Carlos. And EMILY. I can’t even… But let’s start at the beginning before I get too excited.
I had the esteemed pleasure of attending the “Preacher” panel at SDCC this past weekend, so I got a little sneak-peek of this episode in the form of a LIVE READING PERFORMED BY THE CAST. CAPS MEANS I LIKE SOMETHING. During the Q&A later, someone asked about Seth Rogen’s and Evan Goldberg’s immediate influences and Seth Rogen immediately and without pause answered, “Kill Bill.” After watching the teaser, nothing in my life makes more sense than that.
We open on a shot of the American flag. It’s missing 12 stars, so we’re clearly back in Ratwater, 1881, but we visit the school this time, instead of the general store/saloon/murder hotel. We hear kids practicing their times tables as the camera closes in on one bored lil’ sucker staring out the window. The shadow of a man on a horse darkens the window and the stupid, stupid child does not run.
#byefelicia
At the saloon, the preacher’s telling another off-color joke until a Chinese man stands up and begins to sing a Christian hymn in his native tongue. It’s so beautiful, everyone pauses their debauchery to listen. It’s easy to see why, like every other performance on this show, it’s stellar. That said, I’d really like to know how the hell a Chinese male choir singer has lasted longer than ten minutes in this town.
What?! He’s surrounded by racist murders and his talent is singing!
His song is interrupted by the arrival of The Cowboy at the saloon doors, and everyone else stays quiet. Except for the preacher, that is, who, for some reason thinks the Cowboy has returned for more taunting. The preacher invites The Cowboy to wash away his sins and then make new ones because there are no rules out here and Jesus’ love forgives all. The Cowboy growls that he “loves” his horse, he “loves” his wife and he “loves” his little girl. As for Jesus, “He can join us all in Hell.” Then he tosses a sack of children’s heads on the floor and it’s ON.
#byefelicias
From The Cowboy’s point of view, we see him unload two pistols into the crowd. Prostitutes and Johns and even the pioneer family scatter every which way, but no one is safe, and no one survives. The title of the episode, “Finish the Song,” refers to The Cowboy ordering the Chinese man to keep singing, because damned if a hymn wasn’t the perfect background music. Unfortunately, the singer’s talent doesn’t spare him, but he is beheaded instead of gutted. Perhaps a symbolic gesture, silencing religion once and for all in this place. The job done, he pours himself a drink as a storm rolls in shaking every bottle on the bar.
(And that wasn’t even the best PART, y’all. Just you wait till the end.)
Post-credits find us back in the present, and Sheriff Root is driving Jesse to the station. Root is now convinced that Jesse is behind Eugene’s disappearance, and Jesse is too preoccupied with cleaning up the mess he’s made to dissuade the man. Also, Jesse is 100% behind Eugene’s disappearance. The Sheriff launches into another monster swamp story about what it’s like to be a child killer in prison, but Jesse doesn’t really have time for it, so he picks his cuffs and duckrolls out of the moving vehicle before Root can say, “I shoulda hugged my son more!”
Tall and Small, for their parts, appear to be abandoning Annville entirely. They arrive on a dark and stormy night to Distant Vistas, a travel agency. But it’s not just ANY travel agency, oh no. THIS travel agency operates the Underground Railroad to Hell itself. Cool! I am delighted to find out that there’s some kind of black market, supernatural presence on Earth because Fallen Angels and Risen Demons make for fascinating character studies. See: “Buffy.” With a little haggling and one or two threats, the Angels get tickets from a humorless woman in white that I am oh, so curious about.
Are you an angel? Are you a demon? Are you an incredibly well-connected human?
Back at the motel, the pair pack and set up Sera with some radio to keep her company. You remember Sera, right? She’s the Seraphim that’s after them for being out of Heaven unregistered. Can’t kill her because she’ll reinvigorate, so they’ve chopped off her arms and legs, cauterized the wounds with an iron so she doesn’t bleed out and left her in a tub of ice. Man, these two are TOAST if and when Sera gets out of this.