Preacher:Season 2, Episode 8: Holes – Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy – Photo Credit: Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
Preacher (AMC, Mondays, 9/8C) goes into Cassidy’s backstory; Tulip takes steps to get over her night terrors and Jesse seeks digital forensics help to decipher possible clues on the God audition on this week’s episode, Holes.
Although Preacher kind of follows the bones of the graphic novels on which it’s based, it rarely follows the same path, story-wise. This week is no different.
While Jesse (Dominic Cooper) finally decides to take Cassidy’s (Joseph Gilgun) advice and see if DorkDocs can help find a clue on the DVD of the God audition, Tulip (Ruth Negga) buys a new fridge and is removing evidence of the Saint of Killers’ presence by going through the neighboring apartments and fixing the holes in their walls.
In Hell, Eugene (Ian Colletti) learns there’s a price to pay for being nice and it’s much, much worse than he could ever have imagined. Worse, the warden knows that someone in her cell block doesn’t belong there – and Hitler (Noah Taylor) warns him about what happens to people who don’t belong.
The main arc, though, is Cassidy’s dealing with his son’s impending death and remembering what it was like to be a new father – before leaving Denis (Ronald Guttman) and his mom. It’s another instance of his having good intentions and screwing up royally – and he ponders whether he should turn his son, after all.
Preacher : Season 2, Episode 9: Holes; Julie Ann Emery as Lara Featherstone, Malcolm Barrett as F.J. Hoover – Photo Credit: Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
Written by Stegeman and Maja Vrvilo, Holes deals with consequences – intended or otherwise: Cassidy intended to be a good dad and the consequences of his not following through place him in yet another ethical/moral rock/hard place situation; unknown to Jesse, the consequences of his sending Eugene to Hell continue to worsen, and the consequences of Jesse’s actions leave Tulip dealing with PTSD through hole fixing therapy.
As side arc, Holes brings two key characters – Lara Featherston (Julie Ann Emery) and F.J. Hoover (Malcom Barrett) from the Grail into the main storyline very different and fun way – via Tulip’s arc.
Despite Stegeman’s script being packed with plot points, character and emotional beats, Vrvilo manages to fit everything into the show’s deliberately paced format very economically.
Jesse’s slow burn as waits for the DorkDocs to provide him clues; Tulip’s not quite manic home repairs; Eugene’s revelations and Cassidy’s situation combine to form one of the show’s best hours yet.
As Der Fuhrer tells Eugene, there are worse places than Hell. The consequences of the characters’ actions show yet another layer to the depth of what is most definitely not just another comic book show.
Final Grade: A