It all ends here on the series finale of Preacher! Can Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy stop the apocalypse and have a future? Here’s our recap of “TBD”!
North Dakota
“TBD” begins with The Grail’s plan being put into place because Starr can’t send a fax. There’s an army base with nuclear weapons, and it looks like things are about to get bad because two Grail officers have infiltrated the bunker and are watching the The Grail’s Apocalypse countdown.
Meanwhile, Jesse is about to fight the Saint.
“Go ahead, but I’m telling you, the parent’s won’t be happy.”
That’s when the Angel and the Demon show up to protect Genesis. They fight with the Saint, and the Angel draws blood when she makes a direct hit to his face.
The Demon tells Jesse that the sword can kill anything, and to do the right thing with Genesis as he dies. The Saint has killed both the Demon and the Angel, and it’s just Jesse left.
“Well, you win.”
“Goodbye, preacher.”
“You hear that. Peace and quiet. Family picnics. Gardens. That’s what you want. So go on, one last kill. If that’s really what you want.”
When we see them again, the Saint it down on his knees, and Jesse uses the sword to slice his throat.
We pick up with Featherstone and Tulip in “TBD” as they’re having an impromptu therapy session. She says she was nothing until she met Starr. Then she was lost all over again after she got caught up with him.
She tries to kill herself, but the gun jammed. Tulip fixes it for her, and says:
“Doing what’s right for you, for you, not for some religion or man. Just you. Is righteous.”
Tulip keeps the gun, but Featherstone tells her that she has more.
She goes to Starr and confronts him for being a liar. He hasn’t been able to get the fax to go through, so he’s made other arrangements to survive the apocalypse. She wants him to get on the tarp so she can kill him, but he won’t move from behind the desk. Starr promises that they can run away together, but she doesn’t want that.
He also tells her that life isn’t something you go through, it’s the whole thing. He’s not concerned with after or paradise.
In a final moment, he calls her the wrong name, and when she corrects him, Starr shoots her in the head.
In “TBD”, Eugene recovers in the hospital after being ran over. People treat him badly because of his face. One doctor even offers a way to kill himself by taking the safety off the morphine drip.
That’s when Eugene finally comes to terms with himself.
“You know, life has been hard. Eighteen years. Laughed at, and teased, and puked on. The worst part is…the worst part is assholes like you feeling sorry for me. Because I’m fine! I’m better than fine. Okay, I’m Eugene Edward Root, so screw you, and screw your angels, and get the hell out.”
He goes back to singing on the corner, but no one stops for his “Closing Time” so he sings a metal song and seems really happy.
At Masada, God, Cassidy, and Humperdoo are all in the dressing room. Cassidy asks why God doesn’t just do this himself, and God says that they all have their parts to play, and free will is tricky.
After he leaves, Cass mentions that God likes to watch. This is a theme that’s been around since S2. God has always been a voyeur.
It’s time for Humperdoo to go on, but he doesn’t want to. Cassidy tries to force him out.
“We’re all going to die anyway, c’mon.”
Tulip opens the door and asks him what he’s doing. Tulip locks Cassidy in the dressing room with Humperdoo, refusing to let them out.
She understands that he’s upset that Jesse’s back, but he can’t want the world to end just because she’s not with him. She hits him after he tells Humperdoo to hide behind the clothes.
“What do you want me to say, huh? You’re my best friend. No one, and I mean no one, makes me laugh like you do, and you know I love you, but I…”
“And when I’m sad, and I need a little shag. You’ve hit me a lot, and honestly I let it go because I love you, so I just let you hurt me, but I’m so done, and if you hit me like that again, honestly, I’m gonna fucking kill ya.”
Tulip throws a punch and they’re off fighting. Humperdoo watches from behind the clothes. Since Humperdoo hasn’t come out, the apocalypse can’t start, and God’s getting his ear talked off by a Grail member. He sends them to find Humperdoo.
In the dressing room. Tulip and Cassidy really are killing each other. The Grail members try and get in, and if they do, that means they’ll take Humperdoo.
“Cass.”
“I know. So much for second chances.”
Then he turns the gun on Humperdoo and shoots him.
Jesse busts in the door, having killed one of the Grail members who was trying to get inside. Those three mourn over Humperdoo, especially Cassidy.
During all this, Jesus and Hitler’s fight is still going on.
In the end, Jesus kills Hitler. Right after, God comes in, knowing that Humperdoo is dead, and tells Jesus it’s time for him to the be the Messiah.
Jesus tells God no. When God tells him he could blow it all up on his own, Jesus tells him he could be merciful, patient, tolerant, and loving instead. Then he hits him with some Bible verses:
“And these things remain: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these…”
God storms out of the room. As he’s waiting for the elevator, he sees Starr, and he tells him to run. Outside, he gets back on his motorcycle, and God runs away again.
After they’ve pulled themselves together, Jesse goes out to address the crowd of Grail members and uses Genesis to get them to listen up. He explains that God is gone…again. He also tells everyone to turn off their televisions and stop watching. This causes the Grail members in North Dakota to not launch the nukes.
“I’ve been searching for him for so long now, I can’t remember not. What do I have to show for it? What good has it done me? Other than make me see the worst in myself and miss the best in others I care about. So I’m gonna stop looking, and that’s where you fascist assholes come in because I’m not done with God. Make no mistake. No matter where he runs, no matter how long it takes, I want him found! So, go find him!”
Tulip, Cassidy, and Jesse all stand around after the place has emptied out, and then Tulip asks:
“What’s next?”
TWO YEARS LATER: TEXAS
Jesse and Tulip are on the run from the Rodrigo brothers. They’ve stolen a rare car part that they need to fix this car. After they manage to get away, they go back to O’Hare’s Auto Shop, and the man who owned the bar outside of Masada is now working there.
He tells them that there’s been a bit of trouble, but she’s asleep now.
Jesse and Tulip go into a back room, and look at their daughter who’s sleeping in a crib. Jesse mentions that Cassidy called, but he hasn’t been back to see them in some time. There’s sadness there, but Jesse looks back at the baby and says:
“She looks just like you. I know I keep saying that.”
“I don’t mind.”
Jesse gets a phone call, and when he comes back, he tells Tulip:
“They found him. I have to go. I want to go.”
“Where is he?”
“San Antonio.”
The next thing we see, Jesse’s outside the Alamo, and so is God.
He’s got his RV parked, and is in a lawn chair in front of the old mission. Jesse tells the Grail members to go back to their lives, but some of them start dropping dead.
“Go ahead.”
“Make it day. Make it night.”
So, Jesse can control God with Genesis.
They sit down and have a long talk, and Jesse finds out what God’s grand design is. He asks about children with cancer, and God explains how it teaches strength. Jesse asks about the other religions being wrong, and God tells him that they’re not necessarily going to Hell. He asks about life on other planets and God tells him there’s none.
Finally, Jesse asks the question he’s been wanting to know the answer to for years:
“Is my dad in Heaven?”
“Your original sin. Your father was a man that dedicated his life to helping others. He never drank, cursed, or even cracked a Playboy, and you prayed to me so hard that he might burn in the fires of Hell. I denied your prayer. He’s in Heaven. Of course. Here’s what I want you to know, it might be difficult to understand, the moment that I let your father die, and each and every moment of your life that followed was an expression of my love. I love you, Jesse Custer. Do you believe me? Good. Now, it’s your turn. To say it back. Say you love me.”
“Your great design is being loved, right? That’s it. That’s the why?”
“I gave you pain. I gave you joy. Your family, that happiness that you feel, that was my idea.”
“You know, every time I imagined this moment, it was just like this. We’d talk, you’d answer my questions. I’d hear about my dad, and I’d understand.”
“What will be is what will always have been. I will go back to Heaven, and all you need to do is say it.”
“I understand…I understand that we’d all be better off without a needy little bitch like you in charge.”
Jesse slings God all over the grass in front of The Alamo. He tells God to stay out of Heaven and leave everyone alone. God tells him he only feels strong because of Genesis, so Jesse lets it go.
“Be free.”
“Why?”
“I don’t fucking need it.”
“I will let you apart. I will gorge on your innards and pick my teeth with your bones.”
“Still won’t make me love you.”
“I am a loving God, Jesse, but my patience with you, with all of humanity is nearing its end. You will return my affection or your replacement awaits.”
Jesse says that humanity for the most part is good, but if he’s got something better, go for it. Jesse leaves, and God goes back into the RV. Inside are all these creations, calling out their love for him. He can’t stand it, and as he’s killing one, they’re all still crying out their love.
Meanwhile, Jesus is working at a Home Depot type store, and one customer isn’t happy with his paint color, saying it doesn’t match. The woman he’s with is wearing a shirt that has Eugene’s face on it. Apparently rock music took off for him.
Herr Starr is playing golf when he’s found by Pennescola PD. Remember, Hoover 2 worked for them. They attempt to arrest them, but he shoots them both and kills them.
Back in Heaven, God goes to the throne room to see all the Heavenly hosts killed. The Saint comes out from behind the throne, and we find out that the Saint confessed all his sins to Jesse, was forgiven, and after his death was sent to Heaven.
“Figured you and I had some unfinished business. He figured right.”
“You dare. It is given unto known to judge me. Stand aside.”
The Saint isn’t moved by the command. God tries to reason with him about all he’s gone through. How he created love, and if the Saint allows him to take his throne back, he’ll give the Saint back his family.
“I know what was taken shall now be returned. Stand aside and let me give you an eternity of love.”
“What if I choose hate?”
The Saint raises his gun as God tries to use his powers, but he’s beat. The Saint shoots God in the head and then takes the throne.
The Saint of Killers is now ruling Heaven.
At the drive-in, Jesse, Tulip, and their daughter are watching an old John Wayne film, and they’re happy. Genesis is still bouncing around the sky, looking for a host.
40 YEARS LATER
The shot opens with Jesse and Tulip’s tombstones. They died within a year of each other. The camera pulls back and we see their daughter standing with Cassidy.
She tells him how her dad said he was the toughest guy he’d ever met, and that her mom always talked about him.
“She talked about you a lot. All the time, actually. She always wondered by you never came back to see them.
“I always meant to, I always run out of time, you know.”
“I get it. She loved you very much.”
“I’ve had over a hundred and fifty years, and I’ve been cut up, blown up, dropped out of airplanes. I just kept going because that’s what you gotta do. Gotta pick yourself up, you know? Try and carry on. It’s your bloody mom. You know she shot me in the chest. Right in the heart. Two times. That was years ago and it still hurts.”
Tulip yells at her kids to stop running around, and Cassidy says that he thinks it’s time for him to go. He tells their daughter that he’s going to try someplace new.
“Mr. Cassidy, we ever see you again?”
“Jaysus, I hope so.”
She turns to her parents graves, and Cassidy walks away. He places his umbrella on another headstone and walks into the sun, bursting into flames.
Let’s all give Preacher a slow clap because its final season was satisfying as hell. They wrapped up loose ends. They gave an emotional ending to our three main characters, and they saved the damn world.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to follow this show for four seasons, and I’ll miss it.
