Preacher 304 – The Tombs
A familiar face casts a long shadow in the fiery opening moments of The Tombs. The Cowboy comes face to face with the lord of the Underworld, Satan himself who has a pitchfork to pick with him over his unsanctioned escape from the realm. Word of God’s absence has spread and the devil has designs on taking advantage of the power vacuum.
Meanwhile back up top, Tulip does her talking at the end of a gun during her meeting with Madame Boyd. Looking for a way to break Gran’ma L’Angelle’s spell has brought Tulip to Boyd’s doorstep and when her request goes unanswered she takes matters into her own hands as only she can.
The Tombs is a gruesome house of horrors that served as a lucrative source of income for the L’Angelle’s. Long dormant, it’s now the scene of Jesse’s attempt to keep Cassidy from being killed by his relatives. Reaching back into his dark past, Jesse skirts a fine moral line in a bid to save his friend’s life. Just when things look the darkest, a comic turn at a copy center reveals that there’s some good within the preacher.
Speaking of Jesse’s past there’s a connection between him and Madame Boyd. They were an item as teens but family loyalty quickly turned their feelings of love to hate. A late night car ride opens the vault to Madame Boyd’s heart and she details the reason for her hatred to Tulip. The tale is even too much for Tulip to bear and she’s forced to reassess her view of the man she loves. The Tombs represents the very depths of Jesse’s soul. The things he’s done down there and the effect its had on his character come to the surface once more with devastating results.
The Tombs mixes some classic dark humor and good character development into a solid and entertaining episode. Jesse’s journey is an interesting one filled with twists and turns. His character’s ebbs and flows have immediate and weighty effect on his closest allies and how their friendship will evolve, particularly where Cassidy is concerned, will be fun to follow. Madame Boyd is a welcome addition to the mix and with the Cowboy’s mysterious new assignment hanging over the end of the episode, Preacher appears to be hitting its stride.
