Ratwater. We start back with the Cowboy, back in the day, slowly riding into the town of Ratwater to get medicine for his sick daughter. The music is clanging and intense. The town is horrible. The apothecary will have the medicine for him in the morning so the Cowboy bides his time in the saloon where there are whores, bar fights, disreputable men turning in scalps for money, women getting raped in backrooms. The Cowboy sits by himself, watching the people around him. In the morning, he gets the medicine and starts back towards his home. He passes the folks in the wagon who fed him dinner a couple episodes ago and the little boy waves at him. Some time later, he stops and rides back to Ratwater, concerned about the fate of that settler family. He gets the shit kicked out of him for really no reason, and his horse killed, and when he finally gets back home, his wife and daughter are dead and being picked over by crows. Yikes.
Annville. Sheriff Root hears some noise out in the backyard. It doesn't appear to be anything but when he goes back inside, Eugene shows him that someone has snuck into his bedroom and spray-painted "FINISH THE JOB" with an arrow pointing towards a shotgun leaning against the wall. The sheriff is all, "You went to Tracy's, didn't you?" and his son apologizes. We still don't know why Eugene tried to kill himself but it apparently has something to do with Tracy (the comatose girl) and folks in town are not happy about it.
In the morning, Jesse and Emily are at the diner, figuring out church finances. A lot of townsfolk are impressed with Jesse and want to talk to him, asking him about scripture, asking for advice. Emily is all, Jesse, this isn't you. He's smug about it, saying that no, it isn't him - it's God. And he leaps into it, using the Voice indiscriminately and without really thinking about the consequences, just telling people what he thinks they should do. I'm sure this will go well for him.
Also in the morning, over at her drunk uncle's house, Tulip peppers Cassidy with questions about his being a vampire which helps us establish the vampire rules for this universe: no fangs, doesn't turn into a bat, won't sleep in a coffin if he can help it, doesn't crave human blood but it helps him heal - although he'd really prefer single malt scotch, sunlight is bad but he can go out if he's covered up, silver bullets are for werewolves and crosses are a 2,000 year old symbol of hypocrisy. She tries to kick him out and he says that he's fallen for her, after that kiss. Tulip retorts that she's got a boyfriend and she's just waiting for him to get his act together so they can get out of Annville and take care of Carlos. Cassidy is sympathetic and says that after all the work she did to track this Carlos down, and the boyfriend still isn't on board - maybe he isn't the man she thought he was. Also, could she get him some drugs - opiates are his favorite.
As the heaven phone rings and rings, the two angels hide in the bathroom, practicing what they're going to say when they answer. They have to get it right or the folks upstairs will come down hard on them. They practice again and the phone rings on and on.
Eugene makes an omelette for his dad but the sheriff is upset, throwing the plate against the wall and shouting that maybe his son should just finish the goddamn job. Poor Eugene looks sadly at his distraught dad and then starts to clean up the mess.
Tulip interrupts Jesse as he's holding forth in front of his parishioners in the diner and tells a story about how the old Jesse once shot a komodo dragon in the head because some scumbag was checking out her ass. Jesse is insufferable as he says that he's changed and she can too. Eugene comes to the diner - the waitress won't let him come inside - and asks Jesse if he can help his dad who is so upset because everyone in town hates him [Eugene]: "My dad shouldn't be the one suffering for my sins." He asks if Jesse could maybe pray with his dad or something and Jesse, still reveling in the power of the Voice, says they'll think of something. What he thinks of: bringing Eugene to Tracy's house. Tracy's mom FREAKS OUT, attacking Jesse's truck with a baseball bat and screaming that Eugene is a murderer. Jesse Voices her to drop the bat and step away from the truck. He has Eugene get out of the truck and then Voices Tracy's mom to "forgive him." Looking a little dazed, she holds out her arms and gives an astonished Eugene a hug. Jesse looks terribly pleased with himself.
There are a couple of domestic scenes with Donny and his wife, Betsy, first at home and then at lunch at work. It's clear that they care about each other and the violent sex stuff is consensual. Donny goes to work and is amazed to learn that Odin Quincannon (1) went to church and (2) is now acting strangely, agreeing to meet with the Green Acres people and generally being cheerful. Donny freaks out and asks his boss what the preacher said to him. Quincannon: "To serve God. Which I'm going to do, unless you have some other questions you want to shout at me." So at lunch with Betsy, Donny is completely freaking out and is all, the preacher has powers. He explains what Jesse did to him in the gas station bathroom. Betsy comforts him, saying that sooner or later Donny's moment will come and the preacher will get what he deserves.
The angels have practiced their story and gotten up their nerve to answer the Heaven phone. But just as they reach for it, it stops ringing. Oops.
That night, Tulip robs a pharmacy to get Cassidy his drugs and then finds him exiting a strip club with the excellent sign: "1000s of beautiful girls and three fat ones." She gives him the drugs and he's all, "Lassie, that's so sweet. Are we goin' steady now?" Tulip says, "Even better - we're in love" and then fucks him in the back of the car. That doesn't seem quite in character but maybe sometimes a girl just has an itch she needs to scratch.
Sheriff Root brings the angels to the diner where Jesse is yet again Voice-ing the townsfolks. The angels are all, you are in possession of an enormous power, you've been using it a lot and it's not to be used. Jesse's all but God gave me this and the angels shake their heads, saying "No, no, no - what's inside of you, it isn't God."
Quincannon and Miles the mayor meet with four Green Acres executives. Quincannon is charming and upbeat, right up until the point where he picks up a shotgun and shoots each one of them point-blank in the chest. Miles stands there, gawking, unable to believe what he just saw. Quincannon: "Yup, we grow or we die, Miles. We grow or we die." Miles: *...*
Previously on Preacher / next time on Preacher
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