As we said last week, Jesse’s starting to get quite an ego based on his powers of persuasion on Preacher. Based on his performance last week “converting” Odin Quincannon, he’s starting to get a big head, and we aren’t the only ones who are taking notice. The women in his life are disappointed, and he’s attracting, even more, attention from the angels. Even though his ego is getting in the way, he’s still doing a lot of good things with his powers, but how long will it last.
Let’s take a look at the second episode “The South Shall Rise Again”
The episode begins with more flashbacks to our mystery cowboy. After talking with a few people who have ready the comic, they said this person is “The Saint of Killers.” He’ll probably pay a role on the show in the present day. However today, he was on the receiving end of both a beat down at a whorehouse. This tells us that he has a soft side for children, and really doesn’t like scalpings. Upon entering town he has a special cocktail made for him. While in town he hangs at a local bar where he waits to have a drink. In the bar, there’s a foul-mouthed preacher who mixes in the whorehouse just fine. He seems to recognize the Saint as well. While waiting in the saloon he notices a child being forced to watch cowboys rape his mother after his father was killed, which touches a nerve. At first, he tries to shake it and leave but eventually returns to deliver some justice. Unfortunately, the preacher and his goons were ready for him and promptly beat him down. The preacher then tells him where he remembers the Saint from, probably the Civil War. It’s also known that the Saint is good at killing and really enjoyed delivering it. The preacher then shoots the Saint’s horse forcing him to walk home. As a result, the Saints wife and child have died in his absence. While this backstory is intriguing, it needs to move a little bit forward to start connecting the dots to present day. He probably is some sort of soldier for either Heaven or Hell and will meet/tangle with Jesse, but we need to get out of the Old West soon in order to see it.
In the present, Jesse is discovering his newfound celebrity status at a local diner where a bunch of kids is asking him all sorts of questions related to faith. Emily sees a change and is not happy with it. She even explains to him that he’s not acting like himself. Jesse then said it’s not him, but God. Talk about thinking very highly of oneself!
Over at Tulip’s house, she’s quizzing Cassidy on just what on earth he is. Last week at the hospital she saw him downing blood, so she correctly guestimates that he is, in fact, a vampire, and now she has all sorts of questions for him. Everything from where is his fangs, coffins, and aversions to crosses. Cassidy in true Cassidy fashion says of the cross: “It’s a 2,000-year-old symbol of hypocrisy, slavery, and oppression. But it won’t burn me face off.” Cassidy tells Tulip that he has a liking for her, but she tells him that she has a boyfriend. Although we have seen her Jesse, and Cassidy at the church at the same time, she and Jesse’s past is still a mystery to Cassidy. Tulip doesn’t tell Cassidy who her supposed boyfriend is, just that he’s in town and she needs him so they can enact their revenge on Carlos. Cassidy helps Tulip question whether she should remain committed to the idea of Jessie without knowing it’s Jesse. Now this is turning into an interesting love triangle.
Tulip tries to track Jesse down and instead runs into Emily, who’s taking a pee with the door open (gross). While catching her in the act, Emily tells Tulip that Jesse is still at the diner with his flock. Tulip goes to the diner where we see Jesse listening to everyone’s problems, and then commanding them with his powers on ways to solve them as they then do as he commands. Tulip cuts to the front of the line and starts telling a thinly veiled story about the “bad boy” she wants and tells a story of their past involving shooting a Komodo dragon.
Meanwhile Eugene, AKA “Arseface” is having problems of his own. Someone had broken into their house and vandalized his room telling him to “finish the job” in relation to his suicide attempt that led to his disfigurement. It’s clear that his suicide attempt has also taken a toll on his father as well who is so fed up and angry that he even thinks that Eugene should do the same. Eugene heads to the diner to ask Jesse for help because he doesn’t want his father to suffer for his mistakes. Jesse with his arrogance decided to solve the problem. Jesse and Eugene drive to Tracey’s (the girl who also was injured during his suicide attempt) house where they are quickly met by Tracey’s mother who let’s just say isn’t too fond of him. It’s only Jesse using his powers that keep her at bay, and Jesse has to use it several times, getting more and more specific each time he uses it. He finally tells the mother to forgive Eugene and she offers her arms and hugs him. Jesse thinks that he’s done his job and now Eugene’s father will not be angry with him. Of course, it’s probably not going to be that easy.
The two angels spend most of the episode trying to duck calls from Heaven on their Bat-Phone. They spend much of their time rehearsing how to answer the call since they don’t even have permission from Heaven to be on Earth to retrieve what Jesse has. Of course, they spend so much time rehearsing answering the call that Heaven finally decided to stop trying to call. That means that Heaven will probably be sending someone to investigate what’s going on soon enough, probably The Saint. The two finally meet up with Jesse. Of course, they are still dim-witted and thought that everything they said and gave to Cassidy was relayed to Jesse. They want Jesse to give them it, but this is technically the first time Jesse has met either of them so he has no idea what’s going on. They then tell him they are from Heaven, and he has to give them it. They do drop a bombshell on Jesse, what he has is not from Heaven. So where is it from?
Odin Quincannon spent most of this episode a changed man. Jesse telling him to “Serve God” mad made him do a complete 180 and now not only is he much nicer, but he’s also ready to do business on behalf of the mayor. The only person who thinks something is amiss is Donnie because he knows firsthand what Jesse is capable of doing. Donnie’s wife even tells him to pull himself together, “The South Shall Rise,” and he will get his revenge on Jesse.
But not everything is as it seems. Quincannon and the mayor meet with executives from Green Acres, the company whose proposal he peed on last week. As the meeting seems to be going well, Quincannon pulls out a shotgun and proceeds to murder each of the executives and closes the episode by saying “We grow or we die.”
So the big question is, is Quincannon immune to Jesse’s powers and this was a long con? Or was this yet another example of Jesse’s powers having a terrible fine print attached to it and although Quincannon served God, this meeting really had nothing to do with God. Or is Quincannon’s real God money? If he’s immune, great! This would make him a true adversary for Jesse and can even out the playing field.
Cassidy and Tulip hooking up in the car also came out of left field. This does solidify that Jesse does have some competition. It’s going to be super awkward when the three all reveal to each other who likes who.
Next week we find out where “it” comes from. We know it’s not from Heaven, but it doesn’t seem like it could be from Hell and come into the body of a preacher. Could it possibly be from somewhere else? Are there more realms than Heaven and Hell in the world of Preacher? Looks like we may find out next week.
