Preacher Season 4 Premiere Review: Masada/Last Supper (Season 4 Episodes 1 and 2)

With a few bangs and fight sequences, Preacher is back for its fourth and final season. On Preacher Season 4 Episode 1, “Masada” and Preacher Season 4 Episode 2, “Last Supper,” fans learn the fates of our beloved characters after that cliffhanger at the end of Season 3.

One of the things Preacher is really good at is choreographing and shooting fight sequences. There is a subtle art to the dance of it all. There is never a doubt in our minds that the characters fighting are actually landing the punches and the kicks.

The way they move the cameras gives the fight sequences that much more oomph and movement. One of the best ones of the premiere came between Jesse, Cassidy, and members of The Grail as they try to escape during “Masada.”

Not only does the camera work and choreography show the urgency between Jesse and Cassidy to get out, but it also manages to touch on the subtle nuances of Cass still being angry at Jesse.

As fans will recall, at the end of Season 3, Cass and Jesse ended things on a strained note because Jesse cut up Cass in order to save him. Cass didn’t think too kindly of that and so he got upset, which was only compounded by their fight over Tulip.

I love Tulip and I find her to be a total badass who doesn’t take any shit as she’s getting things done. However, it still baffles me that there is something so mesmerizing about her that two best friends would end their friendship because of their love for her. 

I am sure if Tulip knew about their fighting she would punch both of them and tell them they’re both idiots. To be honest, I am waiting for her to do that because it would be so satisfying to watch. Tulip isn’t the type of girl who gets all giddy over some boys fighting for her love.

Julie Ann Emery as Featherstone; group – Preacher _ Season 4 – Photo Credit: Lachlan Moore/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

That leads me to my second favorite fight of the evening. This one came at the tail end of “Masada” and reconvened at a different time during “Last Supper.”

I am talking about the fight between Featherstone and Tulip. These two strong, independent women have been at each other’s throats since Featherstone was first introduced in Season 2.

If these women weren’t on opposite sides of this battle for the end of the world, they just might have been an unpenetrable force. After all, separate they are equally matched and neither can ever seem to get the upper hand when dealing with each other. 

It’s a female dynamic that really works for this show. They don’t portray either woman as being a lovesick school girl or even weak in any manner. Neither of these ladies needs a man to come along and save them. 

That is a testament to not only the writing but the acting as well. Julie Ann Emery’s Featherstone and Ruth Negga’s Tulip are what they are because of their acting choices.

There are nuances that both Emery and Negga emit that could easily go unnoticed if they didn’t pair very well with the larger actions of their characters, such as little face twitches or movements when they are interacting with one another that really drives home their hatred for each other. 

If I am being quite frank, I don’t think these ladies hate each other as much as they want us to believe. I think there is a level of mutual admiration between them that really showcased in the Preacher premiere. 

The strongest example of this admiration comes toward the end of “Last Supper” when Tulip has stolen a car and The Grail members are pursuing her in their own cars. 

During this battle of wits, we get to see Featherstone listen in on the coms to her fellow Grail members as they come face to face with Tulip’s wrath. Each time another member can’t handle Tulip’s actions, we see Featherstone with determination in her eyes. 

However, that determination falters ever so slightly at the moment Tulip takes down another member. We see a momentary lapse in her armor and the truth comes out — Featherstone is in awe of Tulip’s abilities.

The dynamic between these two women — much like the dynamic between Jesse and Herr Starr — really drives home Preacher‘s ability to make us believe these characters would have been friends in another time or setting.

There is a frenemy vibe between the foe pairings that really brings a lightness to a dark and heavy show. These characters may be fighting but their words tend to suggest a mutual understanding and camaraderie. 

It is honestly the reason I keep coming back to this show. It’s not the fighting or the end of the world vibe. It’s the relationships between the characters. 

“Masada” and “Last Supper” are both very quick to point out that these characters best lines come when they are saddled up against their biggest personal foe. That goes for Cassidy and his mob boss-esque torturer as well.

Cassidy is always at his finest when he is allowed to be snarky and sharp. What better time to do that than when he is tied up to a torture wheel and having his dick circumcised again and again?

Jesse is at his strongest and most sharp-tongued when he is going up against Herr Starr. There is just something about that man that doesn’t allow Jesse to prevent himself from sticking his foot in it.

No situation between them is helped by Jesse’s snide comments towards either Herr Starr’s appearance or his choices. That being said, the fans love that Jesse is this way around Herr Starr. 

“Masada” is filled to the brim with great Jesse comments. He doesn’t take anything Herr Starr says seriously which makes for an enjoyable time, which is one of the few things that I missed on “Last Supper.”

The other dynamic of note is between Jesse and his voice of God. This ability has been with Jesse since the beginning of the series. It has been a blessing and a curse. 

Preacher took that to a whole new level in the premiere episodes by changing up that dynamic just a little bit. First, they showed that the voice doesn’t just control others it can control Jesse as well. 

This was surprising and actually makes everything that much more intriguing. If the show had continued down the path of Jesse using this voice to control others it wouldn’t have made for a multi-faceted final season. However, this new development changes things up a bit.

Secondly, Preacher showed us that the voice doesn’t work on people who don’t speak English. Jesse tried to stop two men from fighting, but only one was able to be commanded because he was the only one of the two who spoke English. 

Until now, Jesse hasn’t had any issues with getting people to follow his command, but now he has to contend with commanding people who don’t speak his language. It is nice to see this power has its limitations. 

After all, Jesse isn’t God himself so why should he be allowed to have all the power of God?

Which brings me to my final commentary on the premiere.  It is now abundantly clear that God has a plan for the end of the world.

That plan involves Jesse to some degree. What exactly does he plan to do with all these people who do his direct bidding or anyone for that matter?

Preacher reminds us — with this premiere — that it isn’t here to play. The show has a plan for the end of the story and it won’t come in a pretty little bow. But, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Further Preachings:

• It’s disappointing to barely see any Eugene and The Saint of Killers.
• I had forgotten we now have multiple Holy Childs to contend with — I’m curious how that will play out.
• There are many phallic symbols in the season opener — the penis explosion cloud, Cassidy’s penis being used as a torture device, and the penis-shaped rock. 
• God finds Diet Dr. Pepper to be his greatest creation. That made me laugh so hard.

What did you think of this episode of Preacher? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Preacher airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

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