Our three main characters do very little this episode, except show their respective damages and grief
Which means Jesse is still pursuing leads looking for god (this time fruitlessly following up leads on the DVD audition and completely missing the “property of the Grail foundation” stamped on it), he gets angry and I get increasingly bored. Find god or at least start killing things again.
While Tulip is still clearly deeply shaken after her experience with the Saint of Killers. And this is another storyline I could be done with - Tulip has gone from kick-arse awesome to being constantly vulnerable for a long time. It’s poignant and well acted as she tries to cover that hole left by the Saint’s bullet (a clear attempt to erase what happened)
Even when Cassidy asks about vampirism it’s clear she’s thinking about her own mortality and vulnerability. It’s well acted and I like the symbolism of her wanting to cover the bullet hole
It’s also a convenient way to introduce their neighbours who are working for the Grail and spying on Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy. Tulip meets one of them, posing as a woman fleeing an abusive ex.
Then to Cassidy, desperately trying to care for his dying son Dennis while avoiding making him into a vampire. It’s poignant, painful, deeply sad and, frankly, almost a bad idea because he’s eclipsing Tulip and Jesse. And reminds us Joseph Gilgun is capable of some damn fine serious acting in between the gross out manchild he seems to be so known for.
So on to the main plot this episode: Hell
Eugene is still in hell, still walking the tight-rope of not being nice for fear of facing more punishment because this is Hell and nice guys don’t belong there (the killer words being “that was nice of you” which is a bad bad bad thing in hell). Hitler is serving as his guide to the intricacies of Hell
And we find the very predictable reason why Hell is malfunctioning - they have more people there than they should have. Someone there doesn’t belong.
Eugene is sensible enough to realise it’s a trick and not to put his hand up to being the guy who isn’t deserving of hell (unlike his fellow inmates, rapists and murderers who try to claim it). Hitler confirms it (he never claimed to be innocent because, well, Hitler). Eugene still doubts Hitler - so Hitler tricks him into helping a nun
That was nice of you.
He gets pushed into a deeper hell which means rather than reliving the moment of him shooting himself after being rejected by his crush who then shot herself - he now relieves Tracy making out with… Jesse. Until Eugene shoots himself.
Ok…. no? I mean it’s bizarre and weird and classic Preacher but is it really that more hellish than his normal hellishness.
Either way Eugene accepts that hell can be way worse and agrees to work with Hitler on a new plan - to escape
Ok nothing starts well with “he agrees to work with Hitler”.
