When AMC’s Preacher season two episode three ended, Tulip had walked herself right into big trouble. Episode four picks up with Tulip (Ruth Negga), on her own and without any backup from either Jesse or Cassidy, turning over her gun to Viktor’s men and then going with them peacefully to their car.
The following morning, Jesse (Dominic Cooper) finally arrives at Dennis’ house and tells Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) his first night searching for God was interesting. He talks about the singer he helped and Cassidy reveals Tulip isn’t home. She left last night and hasn’t returned, yet the guys blow it off as Tulip being Tulip. They think it’s just like her not to say where she’s off to.
Catching up with Tulip, she’s arrived at Viktor’s mansion. She hears screaming from an adjacent room after being plopped down in Viktor’s office in front of his desk. Viktor eventually takes a seat opposite Tulip and appears unsure what to do with her.
Meanwhile down in Hell, Eugene (Ian Colletti) is talking to Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor). Other Hell dwellers wander out of their cells and Eugene stands up for an elderly woman being bullied. He’s threatened with oral and anal sex by Tyler (Justin Prentice) until Adolf shuts down the “fun.” Hitler and Tyler engage in a stare down and then the alarm sounds, sending everyone scurrying back to their cells except Eugene who’s locked out. Hitler offers him a spot in his cell and compliments Eugene on being brave and sticking up for the old woman. Eugene, who seems astounded he’s talking to Hitler, is forced to endure Hitler’s worst memory.
Munich 1919: Hitler’s eating in a fancy restaurant with a beautiful woman when a Jewish man accidentally runs into his chair. Hitler accepts his apology and then his date points out the owner of an art gallery seated nearby. She thinks Hitler should show him his drawings just as gunfire erupts outside. The topic briefly switches to Hitler’s date’s belief all communists should be exterminated. Before Hitler can meet the art gallery owner, the playback comes to an abrupt end.
Hitler tells Eugene to head back to his cell while he can, welcoming him to Hell before he sends him on his way.
A man’s being tortured in the next room as Tulip sniffles and apologizes. Viktor reminds her he trusted her and she made a fool out of him. Viktor sends Tulip out of the room to clear her head, heading back in to see the tortured man. Tulip says hi to the torturer and doesn’t answer the phone when Cassidy calls.
Later that day, Jesse thanks Dennis for letting them stay. Dennis still doesn’t speak to them in English, and Jesse’s not sure what’s going on. Instead of looking for Tulip, Jesse’s ready to head out to search for God once again. Cassidy’s concerned and thinks they should look for Tulip, but Jesse believes she’s just gone somewhere to be mad at him – maybe shopping, shoplifting, etc.
Cassidy’s not convinced and says they need to look for Tulip, however, Jesse’s more interested in finding out about the secret organization bent on world domination. Cassidy thinks Jesse’s talking about a secret society of alien lizards who impersonate celebrities. Jesse tells him the organization he’s talking about is a religious organization that drives white vans and wears white suits.
Speaking of non-lizard alien white van people, a member arrives outside Dennis’ place and gets busy twirling a sign as cover.
Cassidy’s hanging out watching a fundraising commercial for people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina when he spots the “God” from Jesse’s church. “God” is living on the streets and admits he’s mentally ill. Cassidy screams for Jesse to come take a look, and Jesse agrees that’s “God.” The video continues and it turns out all the homeless people are just actors helping Frankie Muniz get viewers to give. “Fake God is a local actor,” declares Cassidy.
Down in Hell, a maintenance worker tries to figure out why Eugene’s cellblock is on the fritz. The warden tells Eugene to follow her as the maintenance worker admits it will take a while to repair.
Tulip strolls through Viktor’s place and comes across Victor’s men playing cards. She knows them all, but they hardly acknowledge her presence when she tries to engage them in conversation. Next, Tulip wanders into the kitchen where more of Viktor’s men refuse to speak to her even though she admits she messed up.
Cassidy and Jesse are now on a mission to find Fake God (real name Mark Harelik). They track down his manager, Teddy, and he tries to pitch them someone else. Teddy’s unwilling to give them info on where to locate Mark and finally asks what project they need him for. Cassidy says Game of Thrones and Jesse doesn’t react. Cassidy embellishes, saying it’s a recurring role with a shot at becoming a series regular. The manager springs into deal-making mode and Cassidy responds like he hires actors every day for huge projects. They shake on the deal and Cassidy wants to immediately meet with Mark for a costume fitting. Unfortunately, Teddy has no idea where Mark is and once again pitches someone else. Cassidy says it’s Mark Harelik or no deal, and finally the manager admits he got Mark a gig out of town to play a larger-than-life character. Jesse suggests God, and the manager says that’s it. Mark never returned and the manager doesn’t know who hired him. They did, however, send him Harelik’s audition tape.
Once more to Hell we go as the warden gets a call that someone’s escaped from Hell. Eugene waits in a chair opposite her desk as she explains they never anticipated so many people would wind up in Hell. It’s overcrowded and sometimes “the machine” breaks down. It’s off to holding for Eugene until the repairs are finished, but first she warns him not to act up or he’ll be placed in the hole. She warns him it’s worse than his worst memory, and then tells him that being a sweet, loyal young man will not be tolerated in Hell.
Tulip wanders into a dining room where a young girl is making bracelets. Tulip tries to be friendly but the girl spits on her and says, “I hope my father kills you.”
Over at Dennis’ place, Jesse and Cassidy watch Mark Harelik’s audition tape for the role of God. Cassidy thinks Mark’s pretty good and Jesse seems fascinated. Mark’s told it’s an open-ended role with no end date and he’s fine with that, calling it the role of a lifetime. The tape shows Mark celebrating landing the role and then someone shooting him with a gun. He falls over backward out of frame and Cassidy’s shocked but Jesse’s not. “They had to, “ says Jesse. “It’s the only way to get him to Heaven.”
Jesse thinks this whole thing’s weird. They’re in New Orleans, Fake God is from New Orleans, and there are other people here looking for God. Cassidy once again suggests they need to find Tulip, but Jesse’s obsessing over Fake God/God/New Orleans.
Tulip tries to open a gun safe and can’t, with one of Viktor’s guys telling her they changed the combo. She overpowers him, knocks him out, and steals his gun. Tulip heads back upstairs and creeps up behind Viktor who’s changing his clothes in his bedroom. She puts the gun to his head and demands to be let go. She threatens to blow his brains out but she’s attacked by his men before she can go through with the threat.
Eugene’s delivered to the holding cell with the rest of the people from his cellblock. He sits down with Hitler who’s frustrated all the answers are filled in on a crossword puzzle. Eugene tells Hitler he doesn’t seem that bad anymore, but then he asks if Hitler still is bad. Their chat’s interrupted by Tyler who wants him to say Mississippi. Hitler steps in to stop Tyler from picking on Eugene, but Tyler’s not afraid of Hitler. He thinks Hitler’s gone soft and punches him in the face. He continues to hit him when he’s down, and the other inmates cheer him on. They all join in and kick Hitler, except for Eugene. They stop when Eugene speaks up, but then Eugene remembers the warning not to be sweet and innocent. He screams, “Sieg! Heil!” and kicks Hitler. Everyone joins in again.
Jesse is so fixated on watching the audition tape that he won’t listen to Cassidy. Jesse thinks you can see a hand at the edge of the screen, but finally, Cassidy breaks through to Jesse when he says he believes Tulip’s in trouble. Cassidy claims he’s been hinting all day and then reveals Tulip told him not to tell Jesse where she went. Jesse grabs Cassidy and screams, “Where is she?!”
Jesse arrives at Viktor’s place and uses Genesis to make the thugs open the gate. He uses the voice again to tell the other thugs to stay where they are as he explores the house. He opens the room where the man was being tortured and doesn’t see the torturer until he hits him in the head.
Jesse comes to and he’s still in the room with the torturer. The man cranks “Uptown Girl” and starts swinging a sledgehammer. Jesse tries the voice but it doesn’t work because the guy’s wearing headphones. The guy follows him around swinging but missing, and Jesse picks up a firehose and fights back. The guy trades in his sledgehammer for a machete and Jesse uses the dead body as a shield. Jesse then gets a hold of a tazer but it only briefly stops the attack. Fists are flying and Jesse’s on the losing end briefly. They’re both struggling to catch their breath as Jesse rams a sword through the dead guy, into the torturer’s stomach and out his back. Jesse rips out one of the headphones and asks where Tulip is. The dying man replies, “Bedroom.”
Jesse kicks down the door and sees Viktor and Tulip sitting on the bed (fully clothed). He doesn’t give Tulip time to explain what’s happening and instead immediately attacks Viktor. He’s got him in a chokehold when Tulip says, “Jesse, you can’t kill him. He’s my husband.”
Jesse keeps strangling Viktor while staring at Tulip in shock.
The final scene shows The Cowboy (Graham McTavish) heading into New Orleans.
More on Preacher:
– Preacher Season 2 Episode 1 ‘On the Road’ Recap
– Preacher Season 2 Episode 2 ‘Mumbai Sky Tower’ Recap
– Preacher Season 2 Episode 3 ‘Damsels’ Recap
– Preacher Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Dallas’ Recap
– Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Dominic Cooper and Graham McTavish Interview
