Preacher, Episode 9: Finish the Song Review

1

There’s a storm coming by the time The Saint of Killers re-enters Preacher for yet another powerful and obscenely violent sequence. Any hope that ’Finish the Song’ is referring to Fiore (Tom Brooke) and DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef) is promptly shot in the head along the occupants of the Ratwater tavern, including an Asian forced to sing on. The shots fire loudly and seemingly never-ending as the score reinforces the sense of dread. When he’s done the storm seems to rattle the tavern, as though the world around him is about to fall apart.

Back in Annville Jesse (Dominic Cooper) isn’t staying put in the back of Sheriff Root’s cop car. If he wants his final sermon on Sunday he’s going to have to go on the run. It’s a bit of a stretch to believe Jesse could escape without using Genesis but we know that Root is probably that bad of a Sheriff. Besides, it is good to see Jesse in a real position of desperation, beaten but not yet broken and crucially recognising the severity of his actions.

If Jesse hopes to find shelter with Tulip though he’s out of luck. She’s done waiting for him and is off to take out Carlos. There’s just the issue of Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), feeding of the stray dogs and pets she’s been bringing him. Emily (Lucy Griffiths) is called in to babysit and what follows is the most interesting thing to happen to her character all season. Dumped with the revelation that there’s a badly-burnt vampire locked in the next room and worse, he needs blood to heal. There’s a wide-eyed look of fear and confusion on Griffiths face as she assesses the situation.

Fiore and DeBlanc are also on the move, speaking to a travel agent for a trip down to Hell. They’re understandably nervous about the whole thing, but they know that it’s their only real option. Either that or contact Heaven for help but they soon discover that Jesse has swiped their phone. So it’s off to Hell, whether they like it or not though they may not be going alone. When Root discovers the dismembered body of the angel sent after them. He puts her out of her misery, allowing her to finally revive and return to her pursuit.

Emily meanwhile is agonising over Cassidy. Her character has always been too innocent for her own good and here is where the show puts that to good use. She just can’t bring herself to throw animals at the starved vampire but her on-again-off-again boyfriend Mayor Miles is another matter. It’s a big leap for her character, but in keeping with the bonkers nature of the show. Emily was never too fond of Miles and seeing the ease at which he let Quinncannon storm the church has turned her against him. It’s actually quite chilling how little changes about her demeanour, even as she traps him in Cassidy’s room and waits.

Jesse returns so that he and a mostly-healed Cassidy can reconcile. He couldn’t let the vampire burn, though it seems he took his time reaching that conclusion. Cassidy isn’t exactly pleased but he’s willing to let things slide while they figure out what to do about the mayor. Which ties in neatly with Jesse’s problem with the phone. If he wants to call Heaven he needs angel hands to use it and Cassidy knows where to find some.

Finally, we return to The Saint, still blasting away in Ratwater. Everything speeds up here, intercut with scenes from the rest of his journey until it becomes clear this isn’t just a flashback. When he’s done in the tavern Fiore and DeBlanc enter from above, revealing this to be Hell, or rather his small corner of it. They need him to kill Jesse and The Saint has no great love for preachers. DeBlanc takes a bullet for the trouble and it’s unlikely he can survive that, but The Saint will do it.

‘Finish the Song’ feels like the show has found a solid pace for its final episodes. There’s no more killing time, no more characters sitting around idly. It isn’t the comics but it has always had the same violent edge and Ennis’ jibes against Catholicism and rural America. Now it has the same plotting and direction which it has badly needed.

New episodes every Monday on Amazon Prime.