Preacher: “Finish the Song” Review

Jesse is on the run as the Angels go to the hell and Cassidy begins to recover.

Image via AMC

“Keep. Singing.”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

Throughout the first season of Preacher, episodes have opened with a mysterious cowboy in the old west. Until now, these segments, though intriguing, were the final piece of Preacher that had yet to impact the main plot. “Finish the Song” finally reveals the meaning of the cowboy (referred to in the comics as “The Saint of Killers”), along with setting up the series’ other players what looks to be an explosive season finale.

Image via AMC

“Finish the Song” begins with Jesse escaping police custody only to find his prize, the angel’s phone, needs angels to operate. Meanwhile, the Angels are going to hell to hold up their end of their bargain with Jesse, and Emily is charged with nursing Cassidy back to health. This yielded some fun moments, especially as the agent’s booked their travel-agent-acquired trip to Hell and wrestled with the idea of going there. And while “El Valero” was fairly secretive on Cassidy’s fate, he finally got a much bigger spotlight here as he got back to full strength after a massive helping of blood. It was actually Jesse who got the least screen time here, lurking in the shadows as he prepares to call God using his newly acquired direct line to heaven.

The episode does have a weak point, however, in the form of Emily. While it was fun to see the usually meek Emily have to take care of a vampire, the episode takes an odd turn as she sacrifices Annville mayor and sort-of boyfriend Miles to help Cassidy regain his strength. While the idea of Emily wanting to do something daring and break out of her suburban shackles is believable, it seems a little out of character that she’d go immediately from feeling unsatisfied with her life to killing a man so quickly.

THE BREAKDOWN

“Finish the Song” set up its players for the coming showdown, with Cassidy back in fighting form and Jesse finally having all he needs to phone heaven. Not to the mention the fact that the show now has another intriguing threat in the form of the Saint of Killers. While the episode stumbled in its handling of Emily, its careful storytelling in the freewheeling Preacher style ensured that the coming battle between Jesse, Quincannon and the Saint of Killers will be one to watch.

Did you like the cowboy’s reveal? What do you think of Emily’s actions? Tweet me @MaxMielecki. And be sure to follow us @YouNerded.

*We do not comment on anything relating to previews for the next episode and beyond.