My Top Ten Episodes of "Preacher"

Now that "Preacher" has wrapped up after 43 episodes, I'm writing up my list of the top ten episodes, unranked. Individual entries are ordered below by airdate, and there will be spoilers below for the entire series. Enjoy.

"Pilot" - I thought that the show got off to a great start, exploding Tom Cruise and giving all the major characters their introductions. The reveal about Cassidy is especially fun, and sets the bar for the show's use of over-the-top violence and mayhem. I got over my qualms about the show sticking to one location, the town of Annville, when it became clear that there was plenty of trouble coming their way.

"Sundowner" - This is the episode with the fight in the hotel with the seraphim, the signature action sequence of the first season that leaves heaps of corpses and plenty of gore, despite there really only being four combatants involved. This is also the episode where Jesse sends Eugene to Hell, revealing a little more about the extent of Genesis's power, and the troubling nature of Jesse Custer in the process.

"Finish the Song" - The backstory of the Saint of Killers is shown multiple times throughout the first season of "Preacher," culminating in this episode where the full sequence plays over and over in a loop. We finally learn what's going on, and what part the character plays in the story. It's easily the most narratively interesting thing that the series does, and I wish the creators had taken similar risks in the later seasons.

"Call and Response" - The first season finale reveals Heaven to be perpetrating a major hoax, after a wonderfully weird appearance by "God" in the Annville church. The ending is a little convenient, but I like that it nicely sets up the next phase of the series, where the main trio decide to embark on their road trip to find God, and set off in style. The first season committed its share of blunders, but it did right by the main characters.


"On the Road" - Alas, Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy don't really spend all that much time on the road, forever getting sidetracked, stymied, and separated. The second season premiere is one of the few episodes that really sees them covering much ground together, messing with the police, being chased by the Saint of Killers, and learning the limits of Genesis while enjoying the open road. It's just too bad that it couldn't last.

"Mumbai Sky Tower" - The gang discover that Fiore the angel has turned himself into a gory roadside attraction, using his regeneration abilities to repeatedly murder himself for other people's enjoyment. This is a fun callback to "Sundowner," taking full advantage of Fiore's powers to totally drench the set in blood and guts. Notably this is also the last of the episodes directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for the series.

"Pig" - Villainous Herr Starr is one of the show's best creations, and I love everything about Pip Torrens' masochistic weirdo performance. "Pig" delves into Herr Starr's history and his rise to power within the Grail organization. The training and testing scenes are an absolute riot, the show's absurdist black comedy at its best. Sadly, the rest of the episode following Tulip's existential crisis isn't very interesting - and too obvious filler.

"The End of the Road" - The bulk of the second season sees the gang stuck in New Orleans, so it's very gratifying to see them finally unstick themselves. Jesse parts ways with the Grail, Tulip finally has it out with Featherstone, Cassidy faces the truth about Denis, and Eugene and his new pal escape from Hell. We also get some nice setup for Angelville - which is much better than any of the storylines that actually take place in Angelville.

"The Tom/Brady" - The third season of "Preacher" was pretty solid, but didn't have as many obvious highs. However, there was the episode where the Allfather attempts to transfer Genesis into the Humperdoo clones, with very messy results. This episode is also the lynchpin of Cassidy's storyline with Eccarius, and features the best parts of Tulip's brief team-up with Featherstone and the Grail on the Osaka job.

"End of the World" - Finally, I have to admit that Cassidy was my favorite character, and I wish he could have gotten more time and attention. So much was trimmed from his storylines in the comics that little of his backstory or redemption arc remained. Still, I'm glad that the creators gave him the final scene, a fun little finishing touch that felt very fitting for such an outrageous, boundary-pushing series.
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