‘Preacher’ Recap: ‘Overture’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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​The final season of a television show is a bittersweet experience to say the least. Because while we get to enjoy wonderful moments with our favorite characters one last time, every single episode we take part in, brings us all that much closer to the outright end. But there is also an unexpected benefit that comes with getting closer to the series finale, in that, the show will go for broke and take more chances with its story, the kind that drop our jaws for certain. And it just so happens that Preacher is following that particular edict to an absolute tee. For last night’s penultimate episode was a tour de force story, one that upped the ante like never before, and one that quite frankly left me stunned with the various revelations and twists and turns that were presented to us over the course of the hour. 
 
But before we dive too deeply into the stunning stuff that ‘Overture’ had to offer, let’s take a moment and highlight all the wild moments present in this episode, another trademark of this magnificent series. Because seeing Jesus try desperately to impress his father with his breakdancing was downright hilarious. As was seeing Flufferman and Starr apparently give into the long-term sexual tension that none of us knew was building between them, and there was definitely some morbid hilarity to be found within God’s decision to smash anyone who remotely harmed Humperdoo into a wall, because it was just so supremely out there. Yet while those moments made for some fine laughs, once our heroes arrived back at Grail HQ, the story took quite the turn.
 
For the countdown to the Apocalypse was underway, and God wasn’t good with the Custer Gang being present to potentially put a stop to it and well, that prompted the Lord to take some drastic measures. In fact, he pulled out a page from the playbook of the fallen angel he once cast out from Heaven and used temptation to handle his foes, and he struck at the most vulnerable parts of Cass and Tulip’s souls in doing so. Because what he had to offer, broke Cass emotionally, and drew out the darkest parts of Tulip’s deep-rooted fury, and all of this was incredibly tough to watch since these characters have come so far this season. But despite God’s best efforts, it seemed as though he was unsuccessful in temping this duo, meaning that it was time for the Lord and Jesse to square off once again. And oddly enough, it seemed as though this time around Jesse would have the advantage in this showdown, since his voyage through Heaven and Hell has transformed his mind and his soul for the better.
 
But rather than provide us with a traditional standoff, how these two found themselves face to face once again came about in heartbreaking fashion. For it was revealed that Cass did indeed give into what God was selling, and he delayed Jesse long enough for the Lord to drag our favorite Padre into the temple at Masada, wherein the Almighty revealed why He has let Jesse come this far in the first place; Genesis. For it became clear that the Lord wanted it, at any cost, but He simply could not take it, despite His power. Which gave Jesse hope, because he was in possession of the one thing that the most powerful being in the universe feared. But alas, in the closing seconds of this story, when the Saint of Killers arrived to ‘settle the score’, we came to learn that God planned for everything and made a deal with the Saint a long time ago. And the deal was for the Saint to reclaim Genesis, in exchange for peace at last and now, the situation is more dire than ever; for Tulip is face to face with her nemesis, Cass has turned his back on his friends and Jesse has no way out.
 
If anything, that’s one hell of a way to set the stage for the series finale, and when you throw in the fact that Starr’s orders to soften the forthcoming nuclear exchange died with Hoover Two, the stakes have never been higher and well, I loved this episode. Because it was intense, with a no-holds barred approach to the story and it was just frightening to see God go full Old Testament at every turn and where we go from here, I haven’t a clue. Because everything is falling apart minute by minute, and Jesse refuses to use Genesis against God so that he can maintain his moral code, meaning that it is going to take an outright miracle to end to the Apocalypse before it starts. And despite the bittersweet nature of this tale, since only one episode remains after this one, I am still hungry for more and I will definitely be counting down the minutes until next week’s epic final episode. Until then.  

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