‘Preacher’ Ep. 102 Recap & Theories: Possession, Promises, and Payback

Jesse Custer has a lot on his plate— possession, promises, payback. What’s a preacher to do? In the face of the new mystical phenomenon, Jesse seeks council with Cass who urges him to imagine the possibilities of his power. But will Jesse unlock positive or negative potential as he blindly experiments with his new abilities?

Jesse’s mind-bending powers lean towards punctilious. The old cliché be careful what you wish for comes to mind as a comatose Tracy Loach remains unchanged with the exception of her now open eyes after Jesse’s entity commands her to open them.

The implicit meaning of the command is for Tracy to wake up and join the land of the living, but the entity seems to wield only explicit effects. This seems especially cruel when you consider the likely unwarranted hope it offers Tracy’s mother.

The explicit nature of his suggestion is apparent, too, with the pedophile bus driver. Though Jesse wiped the predator’s mind of his prey, once Jenny boards his bus, the hunt reboots. Jesse told the man to forget the girl, but he could not change the man’s nature—he could not heal him.

This inability to heal those on which he uses his power exudes a subtle irony as Jesse is determined to “save” his small town, Annville.

The limitations of his suggestions were foreshadowed in the Preacher pilot when Jesse told a parishioner to open his heart to his mother. The man took Jesse’s advice to heart… split his chest and delivered the organ to his mother.

Will Jesse’s good intentions pave his way to Hell as he grapples with the entity, Genesis, he now hosts? And can intentions rooted in guilt and obligation be truly good? After all, Jesse has a dark past.Viewers get a glimmer of it when he hits the road with old flame Tulip.

After Tulip exchanges intelligence with Danni, a woman that represents a life Jesse struggles to shed, viewers are teleported to the couple’s former life of crime.

Jesse and Tulip were betrayed by a man named Carlos who abandoned the duo during a robbery. Jesse is seen unflinchingly shooting a guard in the head as Carols squeals down an ally and Tulip screams for him to wait. The event is the beginning of Julip’s end.

Through Tulip’s flashback, Jesse’s quest for redemption outside of his promise to his father to be “one of the good guys” is made more meaningful. But Tulip and Donnie Schneck consistently thwart Jesse’s efforts.

In “Possibilities,” Jesse, once again, takes a sinister deal of pleasure in putting Donnie Schneck in his place. Donnie, shamed by Jesse’s previous smack-down, seeks vengeance in a men’s bathroom of all places.

Kudos to Donnie for knowing that Jesse would end up there. Not even Jesse knew he’d end up on the road with Tulip, but there Donnie stood- poised for vengeance. Too bad his efforts wrought more trouble.

Donnie’s thwarted thirst for vengeance caused Jesse to change his course, leaving Tulip alone in her quest to kill Carlos. Something tells me Tulip won’t let Jesse off the hook that easily. Something tells me Donnie won’t give up on getting even with Jesse.


Five Thoughts as We Ponder Jesse’s Fate:

On Talking Preacher, showrunner Sam Catlin stated that the nameJesse Custer is an anagram for Jesus Christ. This tidbit makes the church sign “Jesus is coming—run” all the more meaningful. Will Jesse destroy the town he longs to save?

Cass is in cahoots with Fiore and Deblanc, promising to assist the duo’s efforts to procure what lurks in Jesse. Will Cass bring Jesse into the fold, or will he exploit the opportunity to take Genesis for himself?

Danni passes Tulip’s intelligence to a man in a white suit. The peculiar environment, a theater showing snuff films, in which the exchange occurred is more relevant than the exchange itself. So too is the camera angle, a bird’s-eye Dutch tilt, that follows him out of the theater. He will bring chaos and agony. But to whom? And when?

Odin Quincannon sits in his office listening to the sounds of animals being butchered. A perfectly placid expression fixed on his face. This guy is a grade-A creep! But more importantly, this is the second instance of off-screen torture in “The Possibilities.” The repetition is likely to justify whatever justice Jesse or someone else deals him.

Torture surfaces again as Sheriff Root shares a perturbing anecdote of child murder and sexual assault with Deblanc and Fiore. The predator, a man no one would suspect, emphasizing we can never be certain what lurks within even familiar folks.

Will Jesse stay the course of the righteous path, or is his fall from his remaining grace imminent? You can leave your insights, predictions, and questions in the comment section. Consumer Press would love to hear from you!


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Author Profile: Consumer Expert Melissa O'Donnell

Teacher by day, pop culture consumer by night- Melissa lives for good stories and loves to share them with fellow TV, movie, graphic novel, and book enthusiasts. She also blogs about pop culture's influence on everything from her worldview to her relationships at undertheinfluence76.blogspot.com-- she'd love for you to join in on her journey.

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