Other than its bonkers, WTF first minutes and a requisite crazy scene with vampire Cassidy, episode four of “Preacher” is its quietest yet. No one turns a single household item into a weapon in this hour. “Monster Swamp” is largely set-up, both for the conversion of Odin Quincannon (Jackie Earle Haley) in its final moments and plotlines for future episodes. Even at its most calm, “Preacher” is still one of the delightfully odder shows on TV, but this hour feels mostly like setting the table with only a small taste of the meal to come.
READ MORE: Recap: ‘Preacher’ Season 1, Episode 3 Shows Us ‘The Possibilities’
“Monster Swamp” doesn’t disappoint those wanting chaos in its opening moments. It slowly reveals piece after piece as a frightened young woman runs through Annville, Texas, in her underwear, pursued by men carrying rifles. “Preacher” again deserves credit for not feeling like it has to immediately explain everything to its viewers, which leaves us in a pleasant state of confusion. Though it’s all shown to be a recurring game where the rifles are loaded with paintballs rather than bullets, the danger to the prey feels real. Once tagged, she unexpectedly falls into a sinkhole to her death, which isn’t part of the fun. We don’t know exactly what caused the sinkholes, other than that they can be traced to Quincannon Meat & Power, thanks to a victim-blaming speech given by Odin.
What’s most interesting here is Annville itself, a small town where the “Power” in Quincannon Meat & Power isn’t just electricity. Odin literally pisses over the suggestion of Mayor Miles Person (Ricky Mabe) of working with out-of-town company Green Acre on a partnership, and it’s clear who actually runs things in Annville, elected official or not. The Garth Ennis comics had Jesse Custer traveling all over the country on a mission, but AMC’s “Preacher” is smart to keep him in his hometown here, at least for the moment. There are layers to uncover, whether it’s the town’s peculiarities or the relationship of QM&P to how things are run, from government to the Toadvine Whorehouse. When Tulip (Ruth Negga) can’t believe the reaction – or lack thereof – to the death of the woman in the sinkhole, she speaks for all of us. “What the hell was that?” she asks. “What’d you expect? It’s Chinatown,” says Mosie (Frances Lee McCain), who runs the brothel where it’s revealed the dead woman worked. Whether it’s simply a fun reference or if it hints at a larger conspiracy to come, future episodes may tell.
READ MORE: Recap: ‘Preacher’ Season 1, Episode 2 ‘See’ Builds On A Bloody First Hour
We learn that Tulip’s mother worked at the Toadvine Whorehouse, and she’s incensed by the cruelty from its patrons, particularly Clive (Alex Knight). When she goes to attack him mid-coitus, she learns that she didn’t interrupt Clive, who was insulting the memory of the dearly departed. Instead, it’s our dear Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), spending the advance he has received from Deblanc (Anatole Yusef) and Fiore (Tom Brooke) for helping them to remove the force from Jesse (Dominic Cooper). Because Tulip can’t do things halfway, she throws the john out the window, and is surprised to see that it isn’t Clive. Instead, she’s given Cassidy what would be a fatal injury if he were human, and we get to see a new side of Tulip – and that side is terrified that she has accidentally killed an innocent man and promises God she’ll be good. But once Cassidy gets into the hospital’s blood supply, he’s back to his quipping self, leaving a curious Tulip and finally connecting all three of the characters at the heart of the show. The series may be called “Preacher,” but it’s the scenes with Tulip and Cassidy that are the most interesting, and bringing them together is a key step.
We also learn more about Emily (Lucy Griffiths). She’ll do anything for the oblivious and selfish Jesse, including hiring a babysitter while she runs an errand he could have done himself. That babysitter turns out to be the mayor, and he’s just as much in Emily’s thrall as she is in Jesse’s. Romance is not what drives the show forward, but it’s interesting to see how much misplaced desire moves individual characters to act.
Meanwhile, Jesse sees Odin’s reign over Annville, and he chooses him to be the next recipient of his supernaturally successful commands. A flashback reveals that Jesse’s father held him to a higher standard than the children around him because people look to him as an example, and Jesse sees that same power in Odin. On Sunday, he has packed the church with people hoping to win a free TV in a raffle, but Jesse has brought them there to see him convert Odin. “Serve God,” he tells the company boss, and Odin meekly agrees to the surprise of the congregants. But as with his other proclamations, time will tell what “Serve God” actually means and if it is the result that Jesse intends.
This fourth episode is evidence that “Preacher” doesn’t always need to be spurting blood and making a million pop culture references to keep the audience enthralled. These quieter moments will likely make explosive ones in the weeks to come that much more effective. Calling an episode “Monster Swamp” and then keeping proceedings as quiet as possible is a bold move, which is exactly what we’d expect from the showrunners here.
