‘Preacher’ Discussion: Questions About The Promising ‘South Will Rise Again’

This week’s episode of Preacher, “South Will Rise Again,” not only began to show some signs of forward momentum, but it offered several reasons for disillusioned fans of the comic series to get excited. The slow-moving and often confusing storylines are starting to snap into focus. We don’t yet know what the endgame for season one is yet, but the road ahead is becoming more clear.

To help clear up any confusion about this week’s episode, here are the answers to six of the most pressing questions.

What is the relationship between Arseface and Tracy Loach?

We finally got some answers where it concerns Eugene. We know why some of the townspeople believe he is a murderer, and we know why he tried to kill himself. He was clearly involved in whatever put Tracy Loach in a coma, and the guilt drove him to attempt suicide. What we don’t understand yet is how he put Tracy in a coma. I have a hunch that Eugene’s affection for Tracy predated her accident, and that it played a role in it.

What we also don’t know is what the fallout will be after Jesse commanded Tracy’s mother to forgive Eugene. Forgiving a man who put your daughter in a coma is not natural — there will have to be blowback. Let’s hope it doesn’t blow back on Eugene, who is maybe the only truly kind person in the series.

What will Donnie and Betsy’s role in the future of Annville be?

I love that subversion of expectations where it concerns Donnie and Betsy. In the pilot, we thought Donnie was a bad man because he beat his wife. What we’re finding out, however, is that Betsy holds all the power in that relationship, and Donnie is the subordinate. She’s a real piece of work, too, threatening to sleep with other men because her own husband is weak.

What’s most interesting, however, is that Donnie and Betsy are the first people in town who understand the full implications of Jesse’s power: He makes puppets of people. They’re not wrong to be concerned. They’re probably the two people most likely to turn the town of Annville against Jesse. Betsy already has designs on bringing down Preacher, and whatever plan she puts into action will likely lead to the destruction of the town, either literally or metaphorically.

Why did Tulip sleep with Cassidy?

The big question here is why would Tulip exploit Cassidy’s affection for her? What is she trying to accomplish? It could be that she’s merely using Cassidy to make Jesse jealous — sleeping with Cassidy is a form of revenge. More likely, however, is that Tulip thinks she can use Cassidy to help her take on Carlos. What’s more useful in executing a powerful man than having a vampire at one’s disposal? Either way, Tulip’s relationship with Cassidy feels wrong. In addition to feeling squicky, introducing an affair between the two is also upending several future storylines from the comics.

Why did Odin Quincannon kill the Green Acre members?

Why would Odin Quincannon — who promised Jesse that he would serve God — gun down four members of the Green Acre group after inviting them into his office to form a partnership? It’s possible that Odin was only pretending to “serve God,” but that his psychopathic tendencies were stronger than Jesse’s command. What’s more likely, however, is that Odin Quincannon is serving God, at least in his own twisted way.

What we’re going learn about Jesse Custer’s powers is that they are extremely specific and literal. Ted Ryerson in the pilot episode, after all, pulled out his heart and showed it to his mother. Cassidy, on Jesse’s command, attempted to fly, but only crashed against a wall. What this illustrates is that Jesse can command others to do whatever he wants, but those commands do not come with the information or power often necessary to execute the commands. In other words, he can command Odin to “serve God,” but Jesse didn’t relay to Odin how to serve God. For all we know, Odin sees the Green Acre group as a threat to his ability to serve God, so he had to kill them.

“We grow or we die,” he told the Mayor after shooting the four people from Green Acre. Clearly, Odin believed the Green Acre group was an impediment to growth.

What kind of power has Jesse been given?

There is almost certainly a connection between Odin’s decision to kill the Green Acre members and the power inside of Jesse. “What’s inside of you, it isn’t God,” Fiore and DeBlanc tell Jesse, after telling him that they are indeed from Heaven. The source material tells us that what’s inside of Jesse is the product of an angel and a demon. It’s likely that the forces of that power are both good and evil, and in the real world, we see the power of good and evil in religion. People serve God in their own way. Some perform good deeds. Others commit acts of terrorism. Jesse’s power is transforming his good deeds into the violent acts of others. Fiore and DeBlanc want to retrieve whatever is inside of Jesse because they don’t know exactly what it’s capable of. All they know is that they cannot control it.

Jesse also spent much of this week’s episode giving commands to others. “Forgive Eugene,” “use your own judgement,” etc. We may find out in subsequent episodes the consequences of those commands. Depending on the recipients, “use your own judgement,” can be a dangerous command, indeed.

What is the Cowboy’s relationship to Jesse Custer?

Those who haven’t read the comics are probably completely mystified by the character of The Cowboy. He’s a character who lives in 1881, he shows up briefly in two episodes, and he fails to bring medicine back in time to save his wife and daughter, who are found being picked at by crows. After being held up by an outlaw preacher who brutally shot his horse, The Cowboy collects his arsenal and heads back to Ratwater to exact his revenge. So what, right? What does a guy back in 1881 have to do with the modern-day Annville, and why is it taking so long to connect this 19th century character to the present day?

The confusion is understandable, but if there is one character the television series is getting completely right, it’s The Cowboy, a.k.a., The Saint of Killers. Unfortunately, his role in the series — and his appearance in the present day — is not likely to arrive until the end of the season. The character, however, should be worth the wait. He’s a villain that will recur throughout the series, and he is a badass.

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