Season two of Preacher ended with so many loose ends and AMC has yet to say if the series will be getting a third season. Let’s take a look at the finale, “The End of the Road”, and what could happen next.
I had the awesome opportunity this year to attend the Preacher press conference at SDCC. To say it was a dream come true is putting it mildly. Y’all I asked Ruth Negga a question and she answered it! She was so lovely and thoughtful and… I’ll stop now.
That’s not the main point of this post, though. With season three of Preacher up in the air and so many storylines left open, some things said during this press conference have been lingering in my mind.
First, let’s focus on the fact that Tulip is dead. Jesse couldn’t get Genesis to work on her and he wouldn’t let Cassidy change her, but he did load her up in the car and is now driving her down to his family’s place out in the swamp.
“The End of the Road” started with Jesse killing a chicken then taking it to his grandmother, hoping she could bring it back to life. So, I assume, that’s what he’ll be doing with Tulip. All that being said, magic always comes with a price, right?
If Tulip comes back, how will she be changed? Will Jesse “owe” his family something or will he use Genesis to control them. Can he even use Genesis right now? It keeps misfiring and holds no power at the present moment.
There’s also the fact that Jesse has been propped up as the Messiah by Herr Starr. Could this be Jesse’s Lazarath moment? It sure would bring people around to him being the Messiah.
Unfortunately, if the show follows the graphic novels, we’re in for a hellified version of events featuring Jesse’s grandmother, Marie L’Angelle. (We’ll save that for/if Preacher gets picked back up.)
The most divisive point of this entire season was the humanization of Adolf Hitler. While Eugene was stuck in Hell, Hitler spent much of his interactions with Eugene seeming like a pretty innocuous guy. He was subdued, didn’t like confrontation, and wanted to help Eugene out of Hell.
They do succeed in this plan, but Hitler proves that he wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Once they finally reach the surface and are back on Earth, Hitler ditches Eugene as fast as he can and runs off.
At SDCC, Seth Rogan (writer and executive producer) fielded a question about how the show was causing some people to sympathize with the man who is responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Why in the world would they do something like that?
It became pretty obvious to me early on that Hitler had no regrets about the lives he took. His worst memory is at a cafe in 1919 when the woman he has feelings for tells him she’s in love with someone else and the Jewish man that came in after him snagged the last pastiery.
I don’t think Hell rehabilitated Hitler. I don’t think it’s made for rehabilitation at all. In fact, it’s about continued punishment and unjust punishment for being nice. Hell is there to make those jailed there live in their worst memory to foster that hateful nature inside them.
Rogan said they wanted to treat Hitler as any other character and explore him in a different way, but is that possible? With the history and devastation surrounding Adolf Hitler, is it even responsible to try and humanize someone so utterly evil?
Our current social and political climate are not the place to start providing a way to empathize with him, in my opinion. I do understand that Preacher likes to push limits, but some limits don’t need to be pushed.
If a third season gets a green light from AMC, and it’s looking likely, then we’ll be seeing some intense fighting between Cassidy and Jesse. On the way to Angelville, Cassidy finally lets his true feelings show:
“There’s something I want to say. Something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time. I hate you.”
Enough of that passive aggressive nonsense where Cassidy pushes his feelings down. He’s going to step up to Jesse, and I can’t wait to see them go toe-to-toe over some of the crazy stuff Jesse has pulled this season.
Then there is Jesse and Tulip’s relationship. If she comes back to life, will they continue on together or will they finally part ways for good. Their relationship hasn’t been rainbows and puppies this last season…or ever, really…but they’re connected.
One of the most incredible answers given during the SDCC press conference was from Ms. Negga as she explained Jesse and Tulip’s relationship crumbling, specifically to the episode, “Dallas”.
She was even slightly emotional as she answered, saying that the deterioration of their relationship was something that was natural and painful, but very, very real.
I’m anxious for the next season of Preacher, and I certainly hope that AMC gives it another go. It hit its stride a little late this year, but the characters are intriguing and the moral ambiguity has crossed very divisive lines, but we need answers to the questions this season has left open.
What do you think about Season Two? How will these storylines come together in Season Three? Will this be the last we see of the Saint of Killers or will he find another way out of Hell?
You can check out the full audio for the press conference below and images:
