Preacher Series Finale Review: End of the World (Season 4 Episode 10)

With Preacher Season 4 Episode 10, “End of the World,” the action-packed series comes to an end. Considering how much of a roller coaster the whole series has been the finale leans more towards anti-climactic.

While the many fight sequences — and trust me there are many — make the episode fun to follow, it isn’t enough to save the story from falling through the cracks. Fans have been waiting all season for an apocalypse, only to not get one. 

If Preacher really wanted to go out on a high note it could have gone through with an apocalypse of some kind — maybe not full world destruction but at least something that causes high levels of catastrophe. 

Instead, we get Humperdoo killed by Cassidy and Starr running off with God. There are many disappointing moments to unpack — so let’s sit down and unpack them. 

First, I want to talk about my girl Featherstone. This episode is actually a great growth moment for her. She shows levels of vulnerability as we have never seen before. 

The only issue to have from her story arc on “End of the World” is that she never actually got to rule the world. She confronts Starr — finally — about his treatment of her and in the moment we think she is going to kill him she gets killed instead.

That is not Preacher‘s best move. Featherstone is such a strong female character that she deserves a better ending than that. It would’ve been okay to see her die if it is for a more noble reason. 

Having Starr shoot her in the face as she is confronting him is a huge disservice to all that her character stood for over the last three seasons. It sends the message that no matter what men always win — women never get to come out on top especially if they fight back against the status quo.

Then there is the issue of Eugene. This character is the one true believer on the whole show. He deserves to be recognized more fully for that. 

Instead, time and time again he is relegated to the background or used as a comedic moment. The dude is a rock star and should be treated as such.

It would have been so much more satisfying to see him take a stand against his preacher and his God. That is a nice alternative to full-on apocalypse mode. 

He started this season on a journey to find Jesse with The Saint of Killers only to end up miles away from the final showdown. That is just sad and a waste of Eugene’s character potential. It would have been a stronger message about faith and love of God if he had been the one to help Jesse finally take down their benevolent ruler. 

At least we get to see Eugene live out his dream of being a rock star. That is the one true solace I take from his whole failed potential. 

Another severe miss for this finale is the Cassidy storyline. He finally stands up for himself against Tulip, they throw a few punches, and then that’s it. 

Sure, he spends the next forty years avoiding Jesse and Tulip entirely, but again what a waste of character growth. I would have rather seen Cassidy sacrifice himself for something than to wander the Earth avoiding everything. 

It would’ve been so much more poetic if he’d allowed himself to be killed by Tulip or even God for that matter. At least then he would be showing everyone that he is through just following orders and playing their games.

Cassidy is such a complex character and Joseph Gilgun has played him so masterfully these past four years. Gilgun really knows how to tap into Cassidy’s raw emotional side which is what makes Cassidy’s final scene so poignant. 

Here, he is talking about missed opportunities for forgiveness from his friends with their grown daughter. It’s obvious from his body language, his spoken language, and his eyes that he is just done with life. He’s been around 150 years, it’s time he moves on.

Watching him allow the sun to burn him — as Jesse and Tulip’s daughter is none the wiser — is quite the ending for this man. Despite not really ever learning to walk away while Jesse and Tulip were alive, he manages to finally do it after they’ve died. 

Since we’ve discussed the misses on the series finale, let’s also discuss the wins — of which there are several.

The strongest moment of this finale is hands down the final showdown between Tulip and Featherstone. It’s Featherstone at her most vulnerable and Tulip at her gentlest. 

These two women have spent years fighting so it’s beautiful and meaningful when they get the chance to set everything aside and just support each other. This is the best ending for this relationship that anyone could’ve asked for.

Tulip: Sometimes doing what’s right for you is righteous. 

I’m all for females empowering each other to take a stand. Tulip’s words are all the motivation Featherstone needs to march in and confront Starr, too bad that didn’t go so well for her.

The next two major wins for this finale both involve God and his relationship with others. Each of these moments evokes strong feelings in both the characters as well as the viewers. 

Since he is the son of God, let’s dive right into the pivotal moment between Jesus and his father. Ever since we first meet Jesus, we sense that there is some underlying resentment in him with regards to his father. 

He is constantly seeking the love and acceptance of his father. We see him doing this and despite knowing he deserves better, we can’t help but hope he gets what he desperately wants from God. 

Seeing him finally get that validation from God only to turn it down has fans cheering so loud. It’s a full-circle moment for Jesus and the right move for him.

By refusing to be the Messiah he is showing his father that he doesn’t need the man’s love and validation anymore. And he is allowing humanity a second chance at life by refusing to step in and end the world — which he’s wanted all along. 

The final image we see of Jesus, where he is working a menial job, pays homage to who Jesus is to so many. He is a man of the people. He lives and breathes and loves right alongside God’s creation.

Speaking of God and his creation, we finally get answers as to why God is doing all of this. His simple answer is because he needs love and affection given back to him. 

He is ready to damn all of humanity because they don’t love him enough and so he deems them a mistake. Jesse stepping in and putting him in his place at that moment is perfectly perfect. 

In fact, their entire conversation is perfectly orchestrated and it brings the whole story back around to how Jesse got on this path of being the preacher.

As Jesse asks God if his father is in heaven his voice breaks and thus breaks the viewers’ collective hearts. Jesse finally gets to have his moment of closure with regards to his faith or his lack thereof. 

God’s words reassure him that his father — a good, righteous man — never suffered for Jesse’s sins. That’s truly all Jesse wants. 

He now gets to be completely happy with Tulip and their young daughter. His conversation with God and subsequent releasing of Genesis puts to rest any of his remaining doubts about his identity and purpose. 

It’s a conversation that is a metaphor for believers’ relationship with God and getting a chance to hear God’s answers to the most important questions of all. 

A final win for the finale is the moment between The Saint of Killers and God. Because The Saint is able to do a deathbed confession he is able to waltz right into heaven and put God in his place.

If the show had ended with The Saint of Killers passing judgment on God and then taking the throne it would have been beautiful and done the show justice. However, the moment is still pivotal even if it’s not the final scene of them all. 

If anyone was to take the throne from God I would have chosen Eugene — maybe then we would have actually gotten a loving God. However, The Saint is an interesting backup option, mostly because he actively told God he is choosing hate. 

All in all, Preacher could have made some more ballsy moves with its characters and the storylines. However, for a show as ballsy as it was for four seasons this ending is a nice little whisper rather than a shout. 

The action was all still there and personal preferences aside — the show ends on a thoroughly complete note that is ultimately still satisfying.

What did you think of the series finale of Preacher? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Catch up with our review of Preacher Season 4 Episode 9, “Overture” here.

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