Preacher: Finish the Song Show Only
July 26, 2016 11:47 PM - Season 1, Episode 9 - Subscribe
Jesse's in the wind while those close to him face life-changing decisions; the Cowboy comes back to Ratwater seeking his revenge. (from IMDb) (Warning: Gore seems worse this episode)
Tulip stops waiting around for Jesse and decides to take care of business herself. Jesse escapes the sheriff's custody and has big plans for Sunday. Emily ends things with Miles. Cassidy gives Jesse a hand. The cutest angel couple I know go to Hell to meet a cowboy.
Tulip stops waiting around for Jesse and decides to take care of business herself. Jesse escapes the sheriff's custody and has big plans for Sunday. Emily ends things with Miles. Cassidy gives Jesse a hand. The cutest angel couple I know go to Hell to meet a cowboy.
Ahhh, so that's why Father Jack was exiled to Craggy Island.
posted by fullerine at 1:28 AM on July 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by fullerine at 1:28 AM on July 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
Emily ends things with Miles.
Yep, she sure did. Didn't see that coming.
posted by Pendragon at 2:15 AM on July 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yep, she sure did. Didn't see that coming.
posted by Pendragon at 2:15 AM on July 27, 2016 [5 favorites]
For some reason I had assumed this was a season finale and couldn't fathom why they were spending so much time going over and over and over again and again the Cowboy's sufferings. When it dawned on me that I was only watching episode nine, it made a lot more sense.
Speaking of which, Cowboy vs Preacher? Hot dang.
Emily, just revealed to be as wicked as everyone else is in the town. Rather than tell Miles to shove off, she murders him by way of ravenous vampire. Not cool, Emily. Miles was a jerk, true, but you didn't have to compromise your morals to be free of him.
I'm glad Preacher and Cassidy are friends again.
Anyone else convinced the angels were going to fetch Eugene? Was I the only one?
Sheriff strangling the de-limbed angel....awkward.
posted by Atreides at 7:18 AM on July 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
Speaking of which, Cowboy vs Preacher? Hot dang.
Emily, just revealed to be as wicked as everyone else is in the town. Rather than tell Miles to shove off, she murders him by way of ravenous vampire. Not cool, Emily. Miles was a jerk, true, but you didn't have to compromise your morals to be free of him.
I'm glad Preacher and Cassidy are friends again.
Anyone else convinced the angels were going to fetch Eugene? Was I the only one?
Sheriff strangling the de-limbed angel....awkward.
posted by Atreides at 7:18 AM on July 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Emily straight up feeding Miles to a vampire works out for her.
On the other hand, I'm getting pretty confident that Jesse and company are going to be on the road next season. Seems like there's not going to be much left for them in Annville: Quincannon has the church, Jesse's a fugitive, Cassidy killed the mayor and Jesse helped bury the body, Tulip's already out of town ready to torture a guy.
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 7:26 AM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
On the other hand, I'm getting pretty confident that Jesse and company are going to be on the road next season. Seems like there's not going to be much left for them in Annville: Quincannon has the church, Jesse's a fugitive, Cassidy killed the mayor and Jesse helped bury the body, Tulip's already out of town ready to torture a guy.
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 7:26 AM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Anyone else convinced the angels were going to fetch Eugene? Was I the only one?
Yep, that's what I was thinking too.
posted by Maecenas at 7:59 AM on July 27, 2016
Yep, that's what I was thinking too.
posted by Maecenas at 7:59 AM on July 27, 2016
Miles may have been a jerk and too willing to go along with Quincannon (partially out of fear) but Emily wasn't a saint when it came to him.
She used Miles. She made use of his infatuation with her to get what she wanted from him. She even used him for sex. Sure he didn't mind too much. Although when he had enough of sneaking around it was too late. She had already decided to murder him to speed up the recovery of a person she didn't even like.
posted by 2manyusernames at 10:04 AM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
She used Miles. She made use of his infatuation with her to get what she wanted from him. She even used him for sex. Sure he didn't mind too much. Although when he had enough of sneaking around it was too late. She had already decided to murder him to speed up the recovery of a person she didn't even like.
posted by 2manyusernames at 10:04 AM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best episode in a couple, I think. A whole lot of sequences which were really striking. I was definitely momentarily confused with the whole "Cowboy sequence repeats" part until it was clear that it was speeding up, then it was really cool as a way to depict his time in Hell.
(Would noting the Cowboy's name be a spoiler by this point?)
posted by CrystalDave at 10:26 AM on July 27, 2016
(Would noting the Cowboy's name be a spoiler by this point?)
posted by CrystalDave at 10:26 AM on July 27, 2016
Although when he had enough of sneaking around it was too late. She had already decided to murder him to speed up the recovery of a person she didn't even like.
That's awful. What's worse is that I think she chose the opportunity entirely so she could save the animals, like the guinea pigs, from certain doom. She valued their lives over his, neatly establishing where he stood with her.
posted by Atreides at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
That's awful. What's worse is that I think she chose the opportunity entirely so she could save the animals, like the guinea pigs, from certain doom. She valued their lives over his, neatly establishing where he stood with her.
posted by Atreides at 10:51 AM on July 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
CrystalDave : (Would noting the Cowboy's name be a spoiler by this point?)
Very much yes.
posted by coriolisdave at 8:54 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Very much yes.
posted by coriolisdave at 8:54 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I was definitely momentarily confused with the whole "Cowboy sequence repeats" part until it was clear that it was speeding up, then it was really cool as a way to depict his time in Hell.
I've got to appreciate the fact that on television they actually did something that might alienate or confuse the viewer. Typically TV directors don't take that chance. I think it worked out perfectly.
posted by codacorolla at 9:12 PM on July 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
I've got to appreciate the fact that on television they actually did something that might alienate or confuse the viewer. Typically TV directors don't take that chance. I think it worked out perfectly.
posted by codacorolla at 9:12 PM on July 27, 2016 [4 favorites]
I've got to appreciate the fact that on television they actually did something that might alienate or confuse the viewer. Typically TV directors don't take that chance.
They'll take the chance when it involves reusing 8 minutes of footage.
I hated it, I wasn't alienated or confused. I was bored.
posted by FallowKing at 10:17 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
They'll take the chance when it involves reusing 8 minutes of footage.
I hated it, I wasn't alienated or confused. I was bored.
posted by FallowKing at 10:17 PM on July 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
She had already decided to murder him to speed up the recovery of a person she didn't even like.
This seemed out of the blue to me. Yeah, I get how nihilistic the show is. But it seems like you should have to lay some groundwork before someone who until now has been depicted as a good if long-suffering woman flat-out decides to murder a dude.
posted by Justinian at 3:29 AM on July 28, 2016
This seemed out of the blue to me. Yeah, I get how nihilistic the show is. But it seems like you should have to lay some groundwork before someone who until now has been depicted as a good if long-suffering woman flat-out decides to murder a dude.
posted by Justinian at 3:29 AM on July 28, 2016
This seemed out of the blue to me. Yeah, I get how nihilistic the show is. But it seems like you should have to lay some groundwork before someone who until now has been depicted as a good if long-suffering woman flat-out decides to murder a dude.
They did, though, by showing her repeatedly taking him for granted and happily using him to make her life better. Virtually every towns person has been revealed to have a negative side to their personality, some more than others, and with her, it's always been how she treated Miles. She used him, and finally, when it came between saving the lives of small furry animals and getting rid of a nuisance of a man, she used him one last time with Cassidy.
posted by Atreides at 8:55 AM on July 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
They did, though, by showing her repeatedly taking him for granted and happily using him to make her life better. Virtually every towns person has been revealed to have a negative side to their personality, some more than others, and with her, it's always been how she treated Miles. She used him, and finally, when it came between saving the lives of small furry animals and getting rid of a nuisance of a man, she used him one last time with Cassidy.
posted by Atreides at 8:55 AM on July 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
She tried to not let a relationship start, then not let it continue, or progress, but she couldn't. He was always there, always free to take the kids when she had to deal with some shit at the church again. And dating? Who has time for that? Miles would just have kept oozing into her life, unrelenting, unwanted, but ultimately unrebuffed.
She couldn't trust herself to say no to him. That was too hard. But she could make a phone call, lock a door, walk away. And then she wouldn't have to tell him no ever again.
posted by ODiV at 9:26 AM on July 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
She couldn't trust herself to say no to him. That was too hard. But she could make a phone call, lock a door, walk away. And then she wouldn't have to tell him no ever again.
posted by ODiV at 9:26 AM on July 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
Virtually every towns person has been revealed to have a negative side to their personality, some more than others,
It's more than that. The major theme of the show is the duality of good and evil. That's what genesis is, the demon angel baby.
Jesse is a priest who's conflicted between helping and hurting.
Cassidy is a lovable vampire.
Eugene is an innocent murderer.
Sheriff strangled a 'woman' for a good cause.
Emily is a seemingly good person who murdered someone to save the lives of animals.
Quincannon is doing what he genuinely thinks is the best thing to do, he's good in his own mind.
The angels want to kill Jesse and tried to cut him open with a chainsaw.
posted by FallowKing at 9:27 AM on July 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
It's more than that. The major theme of the show is the duality of good and evil. That's what genesis is, the demon angel baby.
Jesse is a priest who's conflicted between helping and hurting.
Cassidy is a lovable vampire.
Eugene is an innocent murderer.
Sheriff strangled a 'woman' for a good cause.
Emily is a seemingly good person who murdered someone to save the lives of animals.
Quincannon is doing what he genuinely thinks is the best thing to do, he's good in his own mind.
The angels want to kill Jesse and tried to cut him open with a chainsaw.
posted by FallowKing at 9:27 AM on July 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
The Emily killing Miles thing made no damn sense and came from nowhere. Even Odiv's explanation doesn't work, though I don't understand it. Going to straight up murder was a huge leap.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:59 PM on July 28, 2016
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:59 PM on July 28, 2016
It didn't come from nowhere - right before she called Miles she was watching Psycho on TV and Norman Bates was talking abut how we all have our cages - sometimes we even grow to like them. Miles was her cage. I guess. Hence trying to free the Guinea pigs which, really. Dude.
I love that Jesse did not seem to care why Emily was at Tulips house with a yard full of animals, a vampire, and a dead mayor.
posted by bq at 10:50 PM on July 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
I love that Jesse did not seem to care why Emily was at Tulips house with a yard full of animals, a vampire, and a dead mayor.
posted by bq at 10:50 PM on July 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
Emily killing Miles makes perfect sense, and I'd go so far as to say it isn't even an evil act. It's self defense. The guy had been slimily insinuating himself into her life for apparently a very long time, the way "Nice Guys" who think they're owed do. Their relationship and dialogue makes it perfectly clear that he has been relentless, and that even though Emily does NOT like him (see Miles interrupting her and Jesse at the diner in the first episode for just one obvious example) he's constantly THERE and constantly PUSHING. Emily has been slowly relenting for some time, and as long as he was being so obsequious about it maybe it didn't even seem that bad. She even tried it on in her head in that conversation with Tulip after she felt that things were beyond recovery with Jesse and we can see even in that moment that it leaves an unpleasant taste in her mouth. Then comes that phone call, which as bq notes just immediately follows the cage conversation from Psycho, in which he decides he's now going to tell her how it is, emboldened by what he sees as his victories as Odin Quincannon's lackey (the successful disposal of Quincannon's victims' bodies and the claiming of the church). He's flat-out telling her that her time in control of their relationship is over.
Frankly, if you've ever seen the slow erosion of a woman's defenses turn into a life of quiet desperation, in a situation where she's not happy at all but she's not quite unhappy enough to escape, that alone might seem good enough reason for someone to snap. And that's assuming that the relationship doesn't turn flat-out physically abusive, which I wouldn't give strong odds on. But there are two more things that are not discussed in this episode but that would definitely be bouncing around in Emily's head here. Number one is, of course, whatever the situation with the father of her children is. We don't know anything about their relationship (correct me if I'm wrong), so we can't say for sure what she learned from whatever happened, but it's not difficult to imagine a situation that would make her very afraid of what her relationship with Miles will turn into. The second thing, though, requires no imagination: what happened to Tracy Loach. It's no secret, after all. The last time that a woman in Annville flatly rebuffed a "nice" guy's declared advances, her reward was a shotgun blast to the head. Emily is too smart not to be able to draw that connection. But can she just say yes? Can she just live under an increasingly bold Miles the rest of her days? Can she let this unctuous asshole have the influence over her children that he'd have in that position?
I'm not going to say that feeding him to a vampire isn't a tiny bit extreme, but it's definitely not an action that doesn't make sense from her perspective. And it's a little nicer than just turning a shotgun on him herself--nicer for the vampire, but still that's something.
posted by IAmUnaware at 11:47 PM on July 29, 2016 [10 favorites]
Frankly, if you've ever seen the slow erosion of a woman's defenses turn into a life of quiet desperation, in a situation where she's not happy at all but she's not quite unhappy enough to escape, that alone might seem good enough reason for someone to snap. And that's assuming that the relationship doesn't turn flat-out physically abusive, which I wouldn't give strong odds on. But there are two more things that are not discussed in this episode but that would definitely be bouncing around in Emily's head here. Number one is, of course, whatever the situation with the father of her children is. We don't know anything about their relationship (correct me if I'm wrong), so we can't say for sure what she learned from whatever happened, but it's not difficult to imagine a situation that would make her very afraid of what her relationship with Miles will turn into. The second thing, though, requires no imagination: what happened to Tracy Loach. It's no secret, after all. The last time that a woman in Annville flatly rebuffed a "nice" guy's declared advances, her reward was a shotgun blast to the head. Emily is too smart not to be able to draw that connection. But can she just say yes? Can she just live under an increasingly bold Miles the rest of her days? Can she let this unctuous asshole have the influence over her children that he'd have in that position?
I'm not going to say that feeding him to a vampire isn't a tiny bit extreme, but it's definitely not an action that doesn't make sense from her perspective. And it's a little nicer than just turning a shotgun on him herself--nicer for the vampire, but still that's something.
posted by IAmUnaware at 11:47 PM on July 29, 2016 [10 favorites]
To add one more thing: Remember that Emily knows that Miles is growing increasingly close with Odin Quincannon (because he won't shut up about it), and factor that into her estimation of Miles's changing character. She certainly seems to have a distaste for Quincannon and his godlessness, although obviously she doesn't know that he's a multiple murderer or anything.
posted by IAmUnaware at 11:52 PM on July 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by IAmUnaware at 11:52 PM on July 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that's about what I was going for with my explanation.
The other thing is that it's only really murder if vampires exist. And obviously they don't exist, so...
posted by ODiV at 11:54 PM on July 29, 2016
The other thing is that it's only really murder if vampires exist. And obviously they don't exist, so...
posted by ODiV at 11:54 PM on July 29, 2016
Plus-one-ing IAmUnaware's observations. While watching, I felt she was justified (keying off the cage line from Psycho in particular), though I couldn't put my finger on exactly why it made sense in context. But that explanation nails it.
Sheriff strangled a 'woman' for a good cause.
I see the Sheriff more as the proverbial good man who does nothing. When we first meet him, he's standing idly by while Donny and his buds beat the shit out of the town's new mascot. And then he spends the rest of the series in a kind of daze where he shows up to passively observe the horrible things around him, deliver an anecdote about some horrible thing that happened elsewhere in the world, then exit the scene without doing anything.
In that sense, I see his mercy-killing of the Seraphim as a major shift in his character. He's ready to do more than just observe now.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:52 PM on August 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sheriff strangled a 'woman' for a good cause.
I see the Sheriff more as the proverbial good man who does nothing. When we first meet him, he's standing idly by while Donny and his buds beat the shit out of the town's new mascot. And then he spends the rest of the series in a kind of daze where he shows up to passively observe the horrible things around him, deliver an anecdote about some horrible thing that happened elsewhere in the world, then exit the scene without doing anything.
In that sense, I see his mercy-killing of the Seraphim as a major shift in his character. He's ready to do more than just observe now.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:52 PM on August 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
> whatever the situation with the father of her children is. We don't know anything about their relationship (correct me if I'm wrong)
It seems Emily's been widowed. In the first episode, Jesse says to Emily (at the diner, after she's told Miles to bug off): "Why are you like that to him? Three years since Kevin passed. No shame making yourself available."
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:03 PM on August 10, 2016
It seems Emily's been widowed. In the first episode, Jesse says to Emily (at the diner, after she's told Miles to bug off): "Why are you like that to him? Three years since Kevin passed. No shame making yourself available."
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:03 PM on August 10, 2016
Yeah, it sounded like he was saying, "I'm going to sleep over." Like that was not negotiable.
Honestly I cheered a little when she fed Miles to Cassidy.
posted by corb at 1:07 AM on September 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Honestly I cheered a little when she fed Miles to Cassidy.
posted by corb at 1:07 AM on September 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by ODiV at 11:55 PM on July 26, 2016 [3 favorites]