Preacher season 4, episode 5 recap: Bleak City

Tulip wants to go to Vegas. Cassidy wants to help Jesse. And Jesse just wants to find god. It’s “Bleak City” on Preacher. We’ve got the recap!

This week’s episode of Preacher was written by Susan Hurwitz Arneson (The Tick) and directed by Jonathan Watson (Future Man). It serves as the halfway checkpoint for the final season. Cassidy (Joe Gilgun) is finally out of Masada’s dungeon. Tulip (Ruth Negga) is conflicted about helping Jesse (Dominic Cooper) out after he ghosted her in “Masada“. The Grail’s plan for Apocalypse 2020 is closer to being revealed and derailed at the same time. It’s a good set up for the last run of episodes for one of the most warped shows on television.

It’s So Meh to See You

When Tulip gets back to The Holy Bar and Grail, she finds Cassidy at the bar with Archangel (David Field). They catch up. Cassidy has a blonde frosted haircut that would fit in East Germany circa 1987. Tulip has Jesus (Tyson Ritter) with her. Tulip plans to hit the road to Vegas with Jesus. As Cassidy explains to Kamal (Miritana Hughes), he should do the Han Solo thing and go help his buddy, Jesse.

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Tulip waits for Cassidy but sets out with Jesus towards Vegas. He’s sheepishly excited. Without Cassidy, Tulip is a bit down on the trip. When she tells Jesus what they might have to do in order to exist on the road, He ponders the situation. Could Jesus hold up a bank? What if he accidentally shot a man in the leg? Would being a lookout still be too much? It’s Jesus. Well, it’s a TV portrayal of Jesus. He’s the ultimate good guy. So, he has Tulip drop him off at the desert turn of the road that’s closest to Masada. He’ll wander the desert back to Masada because the Apocalypse 2020 conference is the last thing He’s been asked to do in a long time.

Cassidy hangs out with Archangel at the bar. In a dashing gray tuxedo, Archangel is waiting for his beloved (Sue-Ellen Shook) to show up. He’s excited but oddly withdrawn. When his beloved does show up, her dark, pointed tail reveals that she’s a demon. That’s where Archangel’s melancholy comes from. Archangel is in love with his arch-enemy. After some foundation-shaking sexcapades, the two enter a pretty awesome looking fight. They both die repeatedly, only to come back and start the fight anew. Cassidy walks through the battle and joins the waiting Tulip in the Chevelle. It’s off to Australia to help Jesse.

Abandonment Issues

In Australia, Jesse is trying to use Genesis less. After the Job-like suffering of Steve the Pilot (Ditch Davey) in “Search and Rescue“, Jesse feels that every time he uses it, people die. Now that The Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish) is in the country and can hear Jesse when he uses Genesis, Jesse couldn’t be more right.

At his first stop, Jesse does use Genesis to try and get the location of the phallic mountain. At his second stop, Jesse explains to poor car rental guy Jaxon (Shaun Goss) that he has a great power that he can use to bend Jaxon’s will. But, Jesse would prefer if Jaxson just gave him the keys to a rental. Jaxson is afraid of Jesse since his picture is posted all over media after his slaughter of the sex tourists in “Deviant“. So, he just gives Jesse keys. On his way out, Jesse expresses his thanks to Jaxson by using Genesis to correct Jaxson’s stuttering. That’s a sweet gesture, but costly. The Saint of Killers kills everyone at the travel agency and car rental shop. RIP Jaxson. I loved typing your name, bro.

Jesse locks eyes with Arseface (Ian Colletti). Eugene tells him to run. The Saint of Killers takes a couple of shots at Jesse, but he gets away. He does not kill Eugene because he knows that Preacher’s conscious will make him return for Eugene. And, he’s right. With the help of Genesis, a construction crew, and a wrecking ball, Jesse rescues Eugene. He apologizes to Eugene for abandoning him and sending him to Hell. At first, Eugene accepts this. But, after thinking about it, Eugene decides this is not enough. He shoots Jesse in the back from the backseat of a freshly stolen getaway car. Jesse is badly wounded and crawling away from the car. The Saint of Killers isn’t far. And Eugene may finish the job before he gets there.

Looking Ahead

Back at Masada, Featherstone (Julie Ann Emery) is ready to be killed by Herr Starr (Pip Torrens) for allowing Cassidy and Tulip to escape. As Starr gets ready to shoot her, he gets a phone call. When he hands the gun to a lackey, Featherstone insists that she’s earned the right to be killed by Herr Starr. When he refuses to be the one to pull the trigger, she jumps out of a window and once again utilizes the flying-squirrel features of her Grail suit.

So, Tulip and Cassidy are on the way to Jesse. Jesse is crawling on the ground with a gunshot to his back. Apocalypse 2020 seems to be back on track. And, Featherstone is now a free radical. The stage is set for an epic back half of the final season of Preacher.

Did you enjoy “Bleak City?” Do you think it set Preacher up for its finale run of episodes? Let’s discuss in the comments!