Preacher: Mumbai Sky Tower

"People like violence."

Despite all the hilarious insanity and outrageous characters, Preacher is a story with a message.

That message is about America, and human nature in general. How both have become decayed and corrupted. It's little bit about the things which make America and humanity great, but it's mostly about what makes us crazy. As Jesse Custer and his friends search for God, we see that the rest of the world is just as crazy as they are.

Jesse is nearly killed when the Word of God fails to stop the Saint of Killers, leading to a massive shootout at a motel full of stereotypical gun nuts. They are all easily gunned down by the Saint, who Cassidy accurately describes as a cowboy Terminator.

Cassidy knows who might be able to help, leading the trio to the Mumbai Sky Tower in Las Vegas.

This is where they find the Great Ganesh, or rather Fiore the Angel. After the Saint permanently killed DeBlanc last season, Fiore became severely depressed. He ventured to Las Vegas, becoming a suicidal gambler (though unable to stay dead due to his involuntary resurrections). He ends up becoming the main act of a magic show, exploiting his "cloning" ability to the delight of the Mumbai Sky Tower audience. Thus, he is the Great Ganesh, the man who never dies. This makes him even more unhappy than he was at the start, disgusted with Earth and humanity's obsession with violence, destruction and death.

Although he reveals that the Saint is drawn to Jesse by his use of Genesis, Fiore is totally unwilling to help our heroes stop the Saint or look for God. That is, until Cassidy takes Fiore on a hilarious two hour and forty-five minute journey to rediscover joy and friendship by way of a cornucopia of hard drugs.

Meanwhile, Jesse and Tulip have just discovered that Annville was destroyed. They have more passionate sex to cope with the loss. On a whim, Jesse asks her to marry him and she reluctantly agrees to a spur of the moment Las Vegas style wedding. That is, until she sees a man from her past and has to leave Jesse hanging at the alter.

Tulip ends up fighting and killing this man, Gary. He worked for Viktor, who Tulip seems to have been working for prior to reuniting with Jesse. Cassidy walks in, and helps her get rid of the body after. She tells him not to tell Jesse, another secret between them. Jesse seems to suspect something is going on later, though.

Jesse and Tulip don't end up going through with the wedding, deciding that their love is enough.

We do learn a few things in this episode. Fiore reveals that the Saint is tracking Jesse through his use of Genesis. Jesse acknowledges that Genesis is not a toy, thankfully, and that he will try to limit his use of it, unless he feels using it will get him closer to finding God. Most importantly, Jesse has a revelation about God's love for jazz. He decides to head to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. Tulip is not liking this, since New Orleans is where Viktor is.

Jesse uses the Word of God on Fiore, telling him to "find peace" and drawing out the Saint to be called off. However, Fiore tells the Saint where Jesse's going, still believing Genesis must be destroyed. The Saint helps Fiore find his peace, killing him for good and ending the Great Ganesh show. I'm sensing a theme here: the further Jesse proceeds down this road, -- under the arrogant yet understandable belief that he was meant to have Genesis -- the more friends and hapless bystanders will die along the way.

On to New Orleans.

Bits and Pieces:

* The fight in the hotel room between Tulip and Gary reminded me of True Romance. Luckily, Tulip avoided getting horribly beaten like Patricia Arquette.

* Likewise, Cassidy and Fiore's goofy drug binge reminded me of Trainspotting a little. A lot of movie references beginning with the letter T.

* The look and sound of the show continue to be marvelous.

* I'd completely forgotten Tulip had any connection to Annville. Her drunk uncle was such a non-character that it was hard to remember, or to really care when she told a wistful story about him from her childhood.

* The crowd booing at the lack of entertainment when Fiore died for real was really on the nose, but served the episode's point. Pretty ignoble end for a heavenly angel, but that lost shot of his face might have been peace. Sad to lose Fiore, I'd grown to like him. Tom Brooke did an excellent job with this bizarre character; this was definitely his episode.

Quotes:

Cassidy: There's nothin' like a bit of speedball to turn your whole day around.

Fiore: (high as a kite) DeBlanc and I had a legendary friendship. Legendary! He'd scream at me sometimes, sure, but I'd scream right back. It was just that kind of friend, you know? He'd do something, and then I'd do something, in response and so on! A friendship like that, I don't how to describe it!
Cassidy: Was it legendary?
Fiore: Yes! Exactly! Legendary!
Cassidy: And how was the sex?
Fiore: What do you mean?
Cassidy: You shared a room, right?
Fiore: We shared everything.
Cassidy: So you slept together?
Fiore: Of course, we were best friends.
Cassidy: ... More speedball?

Fiore: Good luck with your search. I've never met God myself, but I hear good things. Mostly.

Three out of four pillow forts.

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