AMC’s third season of the twisted dramatic series Preacher begins with an introduction to Angelville. Season three episode one kicks off with a flashback showing Madame Marie L’Angell (Betty Buckley) using a spell to heal an alcoholic. There’s a waiting room full of people anxious to be cured, however her daughter (and assistant), Christine, is distracted by a man demanding the return of some unnamed thing. Another new season three character, TC (Colin Cunningham), saves her and apologizes for letting the man escape in the first place.
Christine’s harboring a secret and attempts to flee Angelville. Unfortunately, she’s caught by Jody (Jeremy Childs) and dragged off a bus. She claims to have only been heading off to see a movie but as Madame Marie tells Jody to search her, Christine swallows a paper she’s been concealing. Madame Marie has Christine held down and cuts her open, retrieving a photo of a baby while Christine begs her to leave Jesse alone.
Madame Marie sentences Christine to life strapped in the machine that fuels Angelville.
Flash-forward to current events and Jesse’s only option to save Tulip (Ruth Negga) is to bring her to his grandmother at Angelville. Jesse (Dominic Cooper) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) arrive and it appears the place is vacant. Cassidy’s still angry Jesse chose letting Tulip die over allowing her to be turned into a vampire. Cassidy strikes a nerve when he reveals he and Tulip slept together. That infuriates Jesse and as they get into a knock-down drag-out fight, Gran’ma (aka Madame Marie) watches unseen from another room.
TC breaks up the fight and then his mood changes when he realizes Jesse has returned home. Gran’ma finally makes her presence known, and Jesse explains Tulip died and he didn’t know what to do. He begs for her help, but Gran’ma decides taking a lunch break is more important.
Gran’ma finally speaks, calling Jesse a betrayer who abandoned his family to be destroyed. Gran’ma refuses to help until Jesse promises he’ll do anything. “Anything? That’s a big word,” says Gran’ma. “You know what I want.”
Jesse slices his hand and drips blood onto a handkerchief. That appears to satisfy Gran’ma.
Meanwhile in Purgatory, Tulip’s seated on a couch in a sparsely decorated living room next to her younger self. The scene looks like a set from a sitcom and as her father arrives dressed in a prison uniform, the studio audience reacts with applause. Young Tulip gives her dad a hug and then her dad hears a noise from the bedroom. It’s Tulip’s mom “working.”
The set switches to show Tulip’s dad in a job interview. He gets the job and then back on the home set, he promises Tulip he’s heading to the store to get her candy. Mom leaves the bedroom long enough to tell young Tulip her dad is a worthless O’Hare – just like every other O’Hare.
Dad arrives back home and takes out his guns. He’s been fired from his job and police sirens can be heard approaching the house. Adult Tulip tells her father it’s okay as he prepares for the shoot-out. Young and adult versions of Tulip join in the gunfight.
In Angelville, Gran’ma assesses Tulip and confirms she’s still fighting to live. She explains Tulip’s in Purgatory but it won’t be long until she’s too far gone to be brought back. Jesse has a list of supplies Gran’ma needs to do the job and heads out with Cassidy to retrieve the items.
As they leave, Jesse hands Cassidy a list of Tulip’s favorite things. The items will be used to invite her spirit back to the land of the living. They argue over whether Tulip really preferred a British heavy metal band over Joni Mitchell before Jesse leaves to meet up with Jody, Gran’ma’s muscle and the man who killed his father.
Jesse and Jody’s reunion goes smoother than anticipated, with Jody offering Jesse a hug and a ride into town.
Madame Boyd is Gran’ma’s biggest rival, but they need a specific item only available at her place of business. Jesse stays in the truck while Jody takes on Madame Boyd’s minions. He’s ruthless and incredibly strong, and easily obtains what they need without Jesse even needing to get out of the truck.
Gran’ma begins her spell, collecting toenail clippings and snips of Tulip’s hair and mixing it into a potion. TC sews up Tulip’s wounds just as Cassidy returns with Tulip’s favorite things. Gran’ma eats a scorpion pepper, explaining that if a spirit senses pain it will come back to ease it. She offers Cassidy a pepper and then tells the story of a man she tried to woo as a young woman. Cassidy’s choking on the scorpion pepper, barely able to keep it in his mouth. She continues her story saying her love spell worked and the man wanted her every single day…until she killed him.
Gran’ma thanks Cassidy for bringing Jesse back to her. She assures him all he has to do is ask if he ever wants anything.
Jody and Jesse make it back, but Jody won’t turn over the oil from Madame Boyd until they fight. He taunts Jesse, wondering if Jesse will finally be able to beat him.
Jody doesn’t break a sweat to get the best of Jesse, even though Jesse manages to deliver a few good licks. Jody lifts the truck and is about to set it down on Jesse when Gran’ma stops the fight.
Once more to Purgatory we go, and the young and adult versions of Tulip are seated on the couch once again. Tulip’s dad is dead on the floor and outside a woman from the Department of Family and Protective Services gets on a bullhorn to tell Tulip to come out. Tulip glances at the Kit-Cat clock hanging on the wall and then warns her younger self that it can’t be any worse than what she’s currently going through. Tulip says it’s time to go but then she notices her favorite things are all laid out on the living room table.
Gran’ma mixes up a potion that contains magnesium, mercury, and zinc. She pours it into Tulip’s mouth along with drops of the oil Jody obtained from Madame Boyd.
In Purgatory, Tulip stops eating a bowl of Boo-Berry cereal and takes a battery out of her mouth. She barely has time to register what’s happening as officers begin to break down the front door.
Gran’ma explains Tulip might be taking time to figure out how to get back. She also needs to remember why she wants to return to the living. Jesse gently talks to Tulip’s still-lifeless body, telling her how much he needs her and that he wants her in every part of his life. As he talks, Cassidy begins playing a Joni Mitchell tape.
Tulip paces and is confused about her next step. The police have almost broken through the door and she asks her younger self what to do. The young Tulip tells her to go but adult Tulip’s worried about what would happen if she leaves her. “I’m a reenactor. I work here,” explains the young Tulip.
Just then the phone rings and Tulip answers. Tulip can hear Jesse telling her how much he needs her, but Jesse can’t hear her. As he begs her to come back, Tulip yells, “I need more time!”
She then looks at the clock on the wall again and it’s stopped ticking. She picks up the gun and begins firing before placing the battery into the clock to start it up again.
All of a sudden Tulip finds herself on a dirt road and she smiles as she picks up her pace. She senses someone’s behind her and stops. It’s God (in the Dalmatian costume) telling her he wasn’t the one responsible for bringing her back, but he needs her to do something very important. She’s been chosen to help him fulfill his great design.
God begins to tell her what he wants and suddenly her body lets out a deep breath. Jesse’s overcome with emotion and Cassidy can’t stop smiling. Tulip spots Gran’ma and her first words after being brought back from the dead are, “Who the hell are you?”
Later, Jesse watches over Tulip as she sleeps. He then pours himself a drink and thanks Gran’ma. She reminds him they have a deal. He agrees but adds that he might just kill her – like he should have done years ago. She warns him, “Push me…see what happens.”
More on Preacher:
- Recap of Preacher Season 3 Episode 2 “Sonsabitches”
- Recap of Preacher Season 3 Episode 3 “Gonna Hurt”
- Recap of Preacher Season 3 Episode 4 “The Tombs”
- Interview with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on Preacher Season 3
- A Look Back at Preacher Season 2: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga and Joseph Gilgun Interview
