Some storylines are getting close to converging on Preacher! Nearly every character is at a crossroads, too. Here’s our recap of “Bleak City”.
“Bleak City” opens with Eugene praying over the murder victims of the Saint of Killers. They’ve arrived in Australia to the last point where Jesse used Genesis, and when they couldn’t give him the information he needed, the Saint killed them.
They stay there until Jesse uses Genesis again, at which point they start heading towards him.
Jesse was at a rental car business when he ran into a roadblock. The employee behind the desk, Jaxon, runs his ID and finds out that he’s a wanted man. Instead of using Genesis, Jesse tells Jaxon that none of what is said on that page is true, and he wants him to rent him a car of his own free will.
In this moment, Jesse is trying very hard not to use Genesis and create a trail. However, Jaxon has a bit of a stutter, and when Jesse gets the keys and starts to leave, he uses Genesis to take away Jaxon’s stutter.
This allows the Saint to follow him.
When Jesse gets to the exit to the parking garage, he’s almost hit by a garbage truck. This causes him to pause, and when he looks to his right, he sees Eugene. We also hear Jaxon scream from inside the rental car shop.
Eugene yells for Jesse to go right before the Saint comes outside. The Saint can’t shoot Jesse because he turns the corner.
While Jesse is driving, he’s battling with himself over whether he should go back and save Eugene or not. He tells himself:
“Eugene can take care of himself. If the Saint wanted him dead, he’d be dead.”
Eventually, Jesse gets to a four-way stop, almost gets hit again and turns around to go help Eugene. He’s already done so many bad things to Eugene. Jesse has to make amends.
Back in the city, Jesse uses his power to lure the Saint out. Eugene and the Saint arrive at the construction site where Jesse is waiting. Out of nowhere, the Saint is nailed with a wrecking ball, Jesse escapes with Eugene.
Once they get into a car, Jesse apologizes for leaving Eugene where he did.
“You’re a good kid, Eugene. A good Christian. I don’t really know what that means anymore, but you are. You put your faith in your preacher and your preacher let you down. Your own preacher sent you to hell. Eugene, I don’t know if you could ever forgive me. I just want you to know that I feel so bad about what I did. Eugene? I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
Eugene doesn’t forgive Jesse, and Jesse recognizes that immediately.
Once night falls, Jesse steals a cop car and Eugene gets in with him, and they’re off again. The Saint comes through and kills a cop and listens to the police radio to try and find Jesse. The Saint gets a break when Jesse answer a police scanner. He knows he’s in a cop car, but not where.
In the cop car, Jesse tells Eugene when they get out of the city, they’ll get a new car. One that’s not as conspicuous. Eugene’s very quiet, and he seems burdened like never before.
“You apologized. You came back and you apologized. That’s all I wanted.”
“Well, I owed you that much, buddy.”
“It still wasn’t enough.”
We see the gun in Eugene’s hand before he pulls the trigger and shoots Jesse in the back. Jesse crashes the car and drags himself out. Eugene says that a bullet to the brain beats an apology, and then Jesse’s nudged over. When he looks up, Eugene and the Saint of Killers are standing over him.
Since Jesus decided to leave with Tulip to find Cassidy, we’ve been wondering how things will turn out on that end. Luckily, we get resolution in “Bleak City”.
The unlikely duo make it to the bar and find Cassidy. He dyed his hair and is in the company of the same Archangel that helped him escape. While Jesus is playing “Asteroid” in a corner, he sees the Archangel, and they exchange a look before the angle goes away.
At the bar, Tulip asks Cass if he told Jesse if they slept together and when he says yes, she punches him. Whatever was in that letter that Jesse left Tulip must have been scathing. When they talk about Jesse, Cassidy tells Tulip that their differences don’t matter now. They need to make things up to Jesse and try to rescue him from all the trouble he’s in. A way to make amends. Cass says he’s going to get Jesse and Tulip says she’s not going.
Tulip and Jesus decide that they’re going to Vegas because Jesus has always wanted to see the city. Tulip’s not sure what’s going on with Jesus, though. Why he’s running away from responsibilities like he’s doing. She tells Cass he can come with them, but Cassidy tells her no. He’s going to find Jesse.
While Tulip and Jesus are out of the bar, the Archangel and Cass talk. The Archangel tells him to go after Tulip.
“Love isn’t easy. Forbidden love really isn’t easy.”
The Archangel says that love never worked out for him. In fact, it got him kicked out of heaven. Then a woman appears. The lights dim, and they dance. We see at the end that she has a demon tail and the angel has wings…so, are they Genesis parents? Or where these relationships a lot more common than we’ve been lead to believe?
Outside, Jesus & Tulip are sharing a joint. They’re talking about God, and we find out that Humperdoo is the Father’s favorite, and Jesus isn’t anymore. He’s not innocent. Tulip says that God’s an asshole, but Jesus tells her to never say that.
They end up leaving without Cassidy. Tulip begins talking about all the things they’re going to do, and she eventually says they’ll rob a bank.
This starts a really insane daydream scene where Jesus is helping Tulip rob a bank, and it’s so on brand with Preacher. They get to an intersection, and she tells Jesus that she’s not going back to Masada. In the end, she turns around and Jesus decides he’s going back to Masada to face his responsibilities.
When they get back to Masada, Tulip tries to play him with guilt, but Jesus tells her that what he’s doing is better than “toking dope and shooting people”. Tulip presses him about God again, and says:
“I don’t need you to say it. I just need you to know it. He’s an asshole.”
Tulip tells him that just because he’s doing the responsible thing, doesn’t mean she has to, and Jesus responds:
“That’s right. That’s right. You can do whatever you want. Just like you said. It’s true for all of us, isn’t it? That’s what makes it so hard.”
Jesus waves goodbye, and when he’s gone, she looks at Jesse’s letter then drives away again.
The Archangel and the demon are getting reacquainted rather loudly in another room, and the bar owner is talking to Cassidy. And Cassidy agrees with him. He can decide what his future is, and he’s going to help Jesse.
The Archangel and demon come back out, and he throws a sword and hits her in the head. She comes back and they start regenerating like they used to do back in S1 & S2 as they fight to the death over and over.
Cassidy leaves the bar, looking cool as hell, and all covered up so he won’t burn in the sun. The fight scene continues on with a killer soundtrack. When he’s outside, he sees Tulip outside and they get into the car.
“You ready?”
“Ready.”
“Bleak City” ends with Tulip and Cassidy making plans to go to Australia.
MASADA
In “Bleak City”, things are pretty bleak for Featherstone. She tells Starr that she’s ready to die because of all her failures, but before he can kill her, his phone rings. He passes off the task to Hoover 2. This really upsets Featherstone because she feels like she should be killed by the Allfather.
Starr gets a call to say that Jesus is gone, and he’s noticeably upset. Featherstone tells him that she thinks he should kill her, and he still gives the task to Hoover 2. When she realizes all her sacrifices and work have been dismissed by Starr, she jumps out a window to avoid getting killed by Hoover 2 and glides away.
Afterward, Starr goes and beats up Hitler, and then asks him what he thought of Humperdoo. Hitler lies, and gets really mad about being hit.
Later, Hitler and Starr are reading about the apocalypse when Jesus arrives. He says he won’t shake Hitler’s hand because he knows what he’s done, but “as the Redeemer” he will give him a hug.
They sit down and begin to go through the plan for the apocalypse.
What did you think of “Bleak City”? Let us know in the comments!