Preacher - S3E8 - The Tom/Brady

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Previously on Preacher, “Hitler”

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16

Just when one thought things couldn’t get any stranger…

Between Jesse and Klaus’ hilarious and unexpectedly agreeable partnership, Cassidy and Eccarius’ burgeoning relationship, and the three-horned beast of Tulip, Featherstone and Jody tearing Osaka a new one, the latest installment of Preacher has continued to successfully ride the crest of this wave of bonkers creative effluence. “The Tom/Brady” once more took immense liberties with the source material yet with a clear logic applicable to these highly illogical characters. While each faction is wrapped up in a manifold of double and triple-crosses in order to get the better over one another, viewers are given a wider view of what’s to come in the final two episodes. If you believe Preacher is already a perpetual chaos engine fueled by a million dumpster fires, it appears we haven’t seen anything yet.

Kicking off immediately after the final moments of “Hitler”, Custer proved to the All Father (Jonny Coyne) exactly what a thrice blessed East Texan with a checkered past can accomplish in an elevator full of Grail henchmen. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jesse whup any kind of ass (thanks to Jody effectively staking his claim as the big dog in the yard earlier in the season), and Custer reminded viewers that he’s still a cut above the rest when it comes to finishing what someone else started. Regrettably our preacher’s shot selection was flawed and The Grail’s chief architect will live for at least another episode. Seriously though, everyone who’s everyone knows if you double tap to make sure they aren’t coming back up. The All Father is layered with fat thicker than the rings of the largest sequoia, and Jesse decided to aim center mass… the goofus!

In spite of Custer’s occasional boneheaded decisions, Genesis has stuck with its host through thick and thin. Jesse’s possession appears to be the biggest open secret in the series now that All Father and Marie L’Angell are aware of its presence inside him. What was an already tenuous alliance began to fracture before Jody, Featherstone and Tulip left the plantation. While they’re away to retrieve payment for the accord, The Grail gained the upper hand and were compelled to reveal part of their sinister plot of world domination, as only an evil conglomerate with a porcine megalomaniac could.

Custer knew about Humperdoo and The Grail’s “mission” to keep the bloodline of Christ pure to the point of severe inbreeding, and eventually insert him as their figurehead once The Grail’s labyrinthine plot to disparage the world was achieved. Naturally. The depths of their faith and resources remained unknown from him until “Tom/Brady”, when it was revealed Humperdoo was cloned many, many times for their . Furthermore, the organization’s chief geneticist Dr. Slotnick (Karen Strassman) was present to ascertain which combination of DNA cocktail was perfect to transfer Genesis to their messiah from Jesse indefinitely.

Uh oh.

While the beats were steady and everyone was given ample moments of jocularity in their respective narratives, Laws and Rosen’s scripting for the the unlikely trio of Tulip, Lara and Jody worked like gangbusters. As viewers know, there is no love lost between O’Hare and Featherstone after the latter deceived and murdered the former last season. Tack on a mountain of a man that automatically hates everyone and we’re gifted with a surprisingly effective team in terms of chemistry and comedic timing. Of course credit is generously given to Ruth Negga, Julie Ann Emery and Jeremy Childs in fleshing out the peculiar dynamic Laws and Rosen whipped together.

Nonetheless, the heavy labor Negga and Emery endured in the last half of season two has resulted in one of the better plotlines in the series. Once Tulip and “Jenny” began their BFF-ness during season two, there was no way any of the Preacher staff couldn’t find a means for both actors to build upon their fractious relationship in the future. Although Jody had little to do but be the straight man/bruiser, the ladies and their complementary skills (and excellently crafted banter) insured they were thoroughly successful in both the pilfering of souls, and putting on the best sexual harassment workshop this side of the Kansai region.

Back at the plantation, time and the thousands of souls Marie consumed over the decades aren’t on her side. Whilst she awaits the return of the trio from Osaka, the absolute realization of her inevitable demise and permanent residence in Hell urged Gran’ma to call the hotline and strike a new deal with Satan. Now it’s been super apparent that Sam Catlin and the writing staff have twisted the narrative of Preacher into their own surrealistic quasi-meta universe but they’ve continued to impress throughout season three on how ‘out there’ they can go with this show. Never would we have expected the Devil himself to walk through the L’Angell residence in broad friggin’ daylight sans shoes and shirt like he just came from a Ted Nugent concert.

The scenario of having the Fallen One trade barbs with Marie while scuffing up the plantation’s hardwood with his cloven hooves was enough to make even T.C. stutter. However, Madame L’Angell’s immeasurable baseness and self-serving needs affirmed viewers’ suspicions that she cares only about herself, and what little power she achieved so long ago. Marie, like many folks who usually engross their entire being with their ardent religious or spiritual beliefs, continued to espouse how great/loving/magnanimous they are when they’re usually the most spiteful, malicious and contrarian people. Not even Satan believed Marie when she claimed her love of Jesse for the umpteenth time. “I love my grandson! He can be a dick to me, but I’ll never not love him! But here’s a scoop: he possesses the most powerful being in the universe and it could be all yours if you give me a reprieve. Oh, and snatch that wise-ass Tulip for me. Deal?”

For the love of Tyler Perry’s The Haves and The Have Nots…

Believe you me, if Satan got his claws on Jesse and managed to extract Genesis, the last thing he’d ever do is return Custer to Marie, let alone honor his original pact with her. The ego of this woman. How can she presume to be on the same level of a former celestial being who defied God and has ruled a third of existence since well, forever? If anything, L’Angell is a glorified wholesaler, providing Lucifer a few lost souls here and there after they’ve been through the wringer in the Tombs, among the L’Angell’s other devious practices. In dropping this massive chunk of intel, Marie played her last good hand and both she and Satan know it.

Still and all, she piqued the Dark Lord’s interest and he tasked his reaper Sidney (Erinn Ruth) to hold O’Hare for ransom. Thankfully for Tulip, Sid isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack and abducted the other surly brunette wearing a standard issue Grail uniform. In another weird yet pleasant touch, she and The Saint of Killers convened at the express stop to Hell with their bounty in tow. The craziest thing about it all this motley band of players who’ve come together under the most insane of circumstances are treating it like just another manic Monday.

Of course, Hitler, ever the calm and collector despot he was, had a plan at the ready in case of his capture. Clearly his number one fan Rick from Circuit Works is willing and able to spring “David” from The Cowboy, and no doubt it’s going to turn into a bloody debacle.

Speaking of bloody… poor, dear, constantly disappointed Cassidy. He learned much sooner than expected that Lisa won’t be returning his calls on account of Eccarius tearing her throat out. This season has been one betrayal after another for Proinsias but his time with Les Enfants du Sang may be his most painful. And to think it all was due to the bumbling Hoover in his attempt to take out both Cass and Eccarius solo. As fun and goofy F.J. has been, he always felt out of place in Preacher, despite the series leaning heavily on its eccentricities. In a way, Hoover was too much like his comic book counterpart, as the rest of his Grail compatriots - and the whole of the cast at that matter - were intensively revised for television.

In the lead-in to Cassidy becoming aware of Eccarius’ betrayal, after Herr Starr texted his permission to kill F.J., Cassidy gave Hoover the choice he was never given: live and die as a Grail company man, or be reborn as a child of the night. It didn’t take long for Hoover to choose option B and as soon as he was turned, Eccarius fast-tracked the baby vamp as Enfants ambassador for whichever European city he’ll come up with in the Volvo. Obviously we knew what fate was in store for Hoover, yet our resident Irishman was ready to call his lover out on his nasty secret.

Unfortunately for Cassidy, his timing remains extremely terrible and was unprepared for Eccarius’s sudden assault. In less than a second, Proinsias’s fears were confirmed, his partnership with Eccarius was undone, and their friends are left vulnerable to their master’s rapacious bloodlust. Hoover may have bolted into the sunlight (with Cass’ mini umbrella in tow) to save his own throat but there’s a chance he may return with help. Perhaps. I mean, it IS still Hoover after all. He may bungle it up all over again.

Then again, like with every episode, you never quite know with this show.