Preacher: “On Your Knees” Review

By: Jaclyn Cascio (@jaclynator)

This week’s episode of Preacher explored an attempted escape from hell, a gunslingers quest for revenge, and a potential elevation of status for the show’s white-collared star. How did the episode stack up? Check out our review of “On Your Knees” right here!

“On Your Knees” opened in hell, with Eugene (Ian Colletti) and Hitler (Noah Taylor) making their great escape through a backdoor that seemed to come into being only when Eugene relieved himself of his self-imposed guilt. It served as a beautiful redemption for Eugene and reminded us that he has a kind and forgiving heart…but will it ever tie into the story with Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper)?

Speaking of connections, this episode did manage some connections that brought extremely individual characters together. The Warden and minions of hell made their way topside to take the Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish) back to hell, in the nick of time! A tenuous link between Eugene’s environment and Jesse’s was formed, but more would be better! Herr Starr (Pip Torrens) finally came into contact with Tulip (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), connecting him with all members of the trio. But Jesse was absent from the meeting, taking away from a full crossing of paths.

“On Your Knees” was another example of episodes in which the God-seeking trio were split apart a majority of the time. While this episode felt like it was really supposed to be the ultimate break between Jesse and his counterparts, it didn’t feel all that impactful since they’ve been apart most of the season anyway. A stumble in handling the characters’ interactions early on led to a lack of emotional depth with the season nearly at an end.

That being said, there was a certain satisfying symmetry to the apparent end of the trio. Near the end of the first season of Preacher, they came together on their mission to find God in a diner. Back in a diner near the end of this season, the trio seems to be ending their mission and going their own ways. Coming full circle, with some frank but charming talk from Cas in the mix, wasn’t a bad way to go!

This week’s episode of Preacher also showed us a bit more about the Saint of Killers’ life before his eternal damnation, as well as his more current dealings with The Grail. By telling his story, Preacher gave me what I needed before I even knew I wanted it! We saw a bit more of Hoover (Malcolm Barrett) as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Exploring more of the Saint of Killers’ story also brought more action as he confronted Denis (Ronald Guttman) and the trio in the apartment in a search for revenge. The writers smartly wrote the return of the piece of soul the Saint of Killers possessed, allowing him to get back to 75% badassery. (He just needs his guns to get to 100%.) His altercation with the team also provided Tulip with an opportunity to get back to badassery herself, reminding us of the strong woman she really is! It was just a small tiff, but the action was a pleasant change of pace from the primarily emotionally driven episodes of the past few weeks of Preacher. I still wonder where the blood and gore are, but we can only hope they saved buckets of blood for the season finale next week!

Preacher also reminded us this week that Jesse’s ego has been getting bigger and bigger over the course of the season. From wielding a strong power with Genesis to now potentially becoming the Messiah, he’s managed to get far too big for his extremely tight black britches! Jesse becoming the Messiah wasn’t where I thought the season would go when it opened, but as Jesse’s “humble bragging” has continued, it feels like a natural progression. The unexpected but surprisingly natural storyline is a hallmark of Preacher and should be celebrated when it’s carried out so well, such as this case!

Overall, this episode really felt like it was bringing things to a head, even if it’s an unexpected end from where we began earlier this season. “On Your Knees” had the same downfalls as many of Preacher’s previous episodes (hey, at least it’s consistent!), but it started to get back on the right track from some of the incredible first episodes of the season!

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