Catch up on episode one with our review here.
We’re only two episodes into the third season, and I’m already wondering if Preacher has run out of steam. The biggest issue, which has been this way for a while, is Jesse. Last season he was a bit of a jerk who didn’t care about Cassidy or Tulip, and this season he’s an idiot.
After Tulip was shot, Jesse’s big plan was to bring her to his grandmother who would revive her. But Jesse knew Granma wouldn’t let him escape (her motives are still unclear, but she’s very insistent Jesse stays) so he makes another big plan: get back Genesis. I had actually forgotten he gave up Genesis to Herr Starr and the Grail last season. So Jesse’s big plan to get Genesis back: call Herr Starr and ask for it.
Jesse’s plans on top of schemes all seem poorly thought out, and downright dumb. Herr Starr sees through Jesse because of course he does. Why would he hand Genesis over to Jesse, just to have Jesse use it on him? The man may be desperate for a messiah, but he’s not stupid. Jesse’s second plan to get Genesis back all goes wrong thanks to Tulip, who just might be the saving force this season in more way than one.
After coming back to life, Tulip has seemingly shaken off all her trauma from season two and is back to her gun-toting ways, shooting at cans and going toe to toe with Jody. She doesn’t really remember what happened to her in Purgatory but gets occasional flashes: like God telling her to go mess things up. She grabs her gun and chases down the Grail, sending Herr Starr and his crew running before Jesse can get Genesis back. Tulip feels like a failure for messing this up for Jesse and echoes her dad in Purgatory: “just can’t do anything right.”
But it seems to me, this might be exactly what God wants from her. He said “go get those sons of bitches,” which must mean the Grail, and knows Tulip will raise all kinds of hell. Screwing up Jesse’s plans may be her destiny.
One storyline that is still sticking around in the love triangle: Cassidy is still in love with Tulip, Jesse still claims to love her but is really just exerting ownership at this point, and Tulip is too busy being resurrected from the dead to realize how dire things have really gotten. Cassidy and Jesse aren’t just fighting, their friendship is practically over. Jesse is trying to get Cassidy to leave, and Cassidy doesn’t trust a thing Jesse says or does anymore.
In the comics, Cassidy’s betrayal and his and Jesse’s stained friendship comes closer to the end: Cassidy declares his love for Tulip and manipulates her into an affair, before becoming ultimately redeemed at the end. This likely won’t play out exactly the same in the show, but are they setting this up already? Maybe they aren’t planning on having many more seasons after this one, which, might not be a terrible idea. A show with this rich a source material, this talented a cast and this crazy a world where anything can happen shouldn’t feel stale, but it’s starting to get there.
Preacher Season 3 airs on Amazon Prime every Monday. Let us know what you think of the season!