‘Preacher’ Recap: S1E3 ‘The Possibilities’

With each passing episode, AMC’s Preacher takes it down a few octaves. That’s not a bad thing; unless you absolutely, positively need a sugar rush, that is. The Sam Catlin, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-developed series is smartly taking its sweet time, letting you know what it’s packing upfront but proving itself more reserved than it initially seemed, and that might understandably frustrate some viewers. Those expecting every episode to pack the same whiz-bang-buck found by the handfuls in its rambunctious pilot will likely find themselves bored or frustrated by this week’s “The Possibilities,” but that’s okay. Preacher isn’t playing it safe, but it’s not playing it careless either. It’ll keep giving the goods in due time, one should believe, but in order to appreciate them, Catlin and his team know they have to have a little build-up, warm people up. Tonight’s episode is build-up, and that’s perfectly fine.

“The Possibilites” focuses mainly on our titular main-of-the-cloth, Jesse Cutter (Dominic Cooper), coming to terms with his newfound powers. He doesn’t understand them. He certainly doesn’t quite know how to use them. But he knows something’s up, and that he has a gift well beyond his comprehension. Is it from the Lord? Is it from someone below? He doesn’t know, even if we (kinda) do. Meanwhile, Tulip (Ruth Negga) is still trying to get the Preacher back on her team, and we discover a little more about their troubled past. Although we only get a couple brief glimpses, we know that something went down, a man was killed and that somebody on their team decides to hightail it out before things got messy. Of course, we’ll probably know more in the episodes, or maybe even seasons, to come. But for now, teasing is the name of the game.

We also get to spend a little more time with Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), but primarily in the company of others. We get to see him spend some time with Jesse, we see him moping around the church avoiding the daylight with Jesse’s sister, Emily (Lucy Griffiths) and we see him wadding off two mysterious men-in-suits, Fiore (Tom Brooke) and DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef), who have a knack for staying undead. You know, just like himself, but in a different way. As we learn this week, they report to the man upstairs, and they’ve come for Jesse to prevent him from doing harm. But they’ll need to get through Cassidy for that to work, and he isn’t known to relent. Of course, once they find themselves buddying up with the often-personable vampire, he agrees to talk with his newfound BFF to work out some sort of agreement. Whether or not that worked out won’t be determined until later, though. Again, build-up.

We also get to see a little bit more with Donnie (Derek Wilson), who is none too pleased with Jesse after their bar brawl ended up making him the laughing stock of the town, and our presumed villain Odin Quincannon (Jackie Earle Haley), who apparently has a thing for watching hardcore snuff films at any hours of the day, with this staff forcing themselves not to address his viewing habits. It’s not a lot to talk about — or, more appropriately, write about – but it’s enough to savor our interest. Preacher might have 10 episodes, but it’s keeping itself at a respectfully lucid pace. It ramps up the tension, or decidedly dials things back, as it damn well pleases. There’s no need for arm-twisting altercations or bloody church fights every week. But when they come, man, do they deliver the good stuff. Like an experienced-beyond-her-years lover, Preacher likes to keep things simple and flexible. There’s no need to have things get heated every week, and that only makes it more desirable as a result. It’s smart television, especially by AMC’s comic book adaptation-standards. And it’s very, very respectable too.

This third episode, the first to not directed by Rogen and Goldberg or written by Catlin, is not going to be remembered as the best episode of the season or series. And it shouldn’t be. It’s not a filler episode; it’s a progression episode. It’s that extra couple miles you have to hit to make it to your destination. It might not provide a lot of excitement, but it does give you some stuff to admire. It’s not sexy or stylish as the last two, but it’s commendable all the way. It’s hard not to want something a little more, but you can’t complain with what you got here. It’s keeping things direct and tactile, and it clearly has a bigger plan in mind — much like Tulip herself. It’s not the best lecture this Preacher has ever given, but it resonates all the same. It’s a comfortably numb episode, but it’s good for what it needs to be. And that’s all it wants to be, and all it really needs to be, this week.

Additionally, after witnessing Negga and Cooper struggle their way through Warcraft, it’s nice to see them in something, you know, good again (sorry not sorry, Warcraft fans).

Alright then, let’s explore this week’s top five!

Cassidy and Preacher Mess Around

The relationship shared between Cassidy and Jesse is one of the show’s most endearing qualities, especially as we get to spend more time with them. They’re relationship is odd in just the right ways; it’s the exact kind of bromance that has no right to exist, but it’s does and they’re both better because of it. So when we see them growing stronger together, it’s not only progressive to the narrative but fun, especially in the way it’s handled here. Witnessing Jesse wield his holy/unholy powers through the submissive use of his newfound 900-year-old BFF, we get to see Cassidy in a self-imposed moment of vulnerability, having to throw a couple punches, admit some deep-seated confessions (he likes Justin Bieber, bashfully) and he gets thrown into the wall for good measure. He enjoys it, of course. If you’ve lived and died several times over, getting a knick to the head is child’s play. It’s not a big moment, but it’s not only one of this week’s most enjoyable moments, it’s also one of its most quietly illuminating.

Tulip Avoids a Ticket

I’ve already gone on and on about Tulip’s awesomeness, and why wouldn’t I? She’s easily the best character, and that’s saying something in a show filled with wonderfully unusual characters. But the biggest appeal with Negga’s character is watching her work her magic with the gentle grace of a butterfly. Charming as hell and quick to evoke a few waterworks if need be, this little moment demonstrate Tulip doing what she does best: avoiding trouble in a smart, sexy way. She’s been through the ringer before; she knows how to get out of a sticky situation because she gets in them every day. It’s practically a game to her at this point, and it’s always fun to watch her do her thing. Again, this isn’t going to rack up as one of the all-time great moments, but it’s certainly enjoyable and, for people like me, it’s gives us another great opportunity to sing her praise over and over and over again. So I guess I should say, until next time!

A Bathroom Incident

Donnie doesn’t know when to let something go, does he? With his pride bruised and his son forced to defend himself for his father on the playground, Donnie can’t let his name be known as the guy who got his ass whipped by the local Preacher, all while regrettably making a whimpering bunny-like noise in the process. Rumors like that go around fast in small towns. So like a fox on the prowl, he tracks down the man of the Lord, puts a gun up to him while he’s in the john and threatens to send him up to his boss sooner. But little does he know about Jesse’s power of manipulation, literally, and that’s where the fun (and horror) begins. Cooper does an exceptional job of showing us the darkness and empathy of our main character, a man who clearly has a sinful past but is trying to fly straight-and-narrow. And the best thing about Preacher taking it slow so far is that we get to appreciate little moments like this for their full worth. We know he’ll use his powers for some less-than-holy reasons in the future, but it’s creatively interesting to see him struggle with that resolve in the moment.

Jackie Earle Haley

Like many great character actors, Jackie Earle Haley knows how to make a lot out of a little. We don’t get to see a lot of him in this episode, but he sure does make himself known. His viewing habits help with that, but no on-screen villain is memorable without a great actor behind them. And Haley has certainly proven himself a terrific actor in the past. It’s hard to say too much about him so far, since we’ve only seen, what, 10 minutes of him in this universe, max. But he is devouring this role so far, and I can wait for him to get a taste of the main course. Feel free to dig in! We know you have the appetite…. for destruction. You get it? Because he destroyed those houses last time, and he’s a… forget it. You get it. You totally get it.

Two Men of God (But Not Quite Angels, Exactly) 

For those of us who haven’t kept up with the comics before watching this new AMC show, it was hard to make head-or-tails out of Fiore and DeBlanc. We didn’t know who they were. We didn’t know why they were so interested with our lead. And we definitely didn’t know why they came back to life. But this episode, if nothing else, cleared up some of those questions, and it gave us some time to appreciate these guys for what they’re worth. We now know that they’re men of god but, of course, they’re no angels. They’re mercenaries, and they need to kill Jesse before it’s too late. But they’ll need to fall at the hand of Cassidy before that can happen, and that’s where it gets fun again.

Will Ashton

Will Ashton

Will is a writer for Heroic Hollywood, and a lot of other places too. One day he'll become Jack Burton. Just you wait and see.