Violet recaps Season 1 Episode 7 of Preacher, titled He Gone, where we see what happens in the aftermath of Eugene’s disappearance, and learn more about Jesse’s past. Check out both Violet’s and Josh’s thoughts on the episode after our recap below!
- His thoughts on He Gone, Episode 107 of Preacher
- Her thoughts on Preacher, Season 1 Episode 7: He Gone
Present Day
We pick up where we left off at the end of last episode, right after Jesse told Eugene to go to Hell, and Eugene disappeared. Jesse turns around and finds only the church bulletin on the floor, but no Eugene in sight. Unbeknownst to Jesse, Cassidy had been standing in the balcony and has seen all of this happen. Jesse opens the church doors and lets everyone in, while the overflow crowd sits outside in the chairs that have been set up, listening through the PA system. Jesse delivers his sermon and ends it by telling them to “Serve God” – but doesn’t use his powers when he does so.
Meanwhile, Odin Quincannon sits in his office listening to the sounds of cows being slaughtered.
Later, we see Tulip running down the street, heels in hand. She then grabs a boy off his bike and gets him to give her a pair of pants that he took. She drives to her uncle’s house, where he is passed out on the front steps, pantless. People pass by and shake their heads disapprovingly.
Cassidy asks Jesse how he is, and reveals that he saw what happened with Eugene. Emily comes in and gets Jesse before they can talk about it though. Tulip arrives and tells Cassidy that she’s cooking dinner. Cassidy tells Tulip that he didn’t tell Jesse about them. Cassidy claims that he and Jesse talk a lot, but Tulip figures out that Cassidy hasn’t told Jesse what he is. However, Cassidy tells Tulip he knows something about Jesse that she doesn’t – that he can make you do something just by telling you to. But Tulip disagrees when it comes to her.
Jesse joins Emily to watch a rehearsal of a church play, which Jesse critiques. Odin Quincannon stops by to speak with Jesse and reports that he has finished his model. He gives Jesse a deed of transfer to sign for the church and land. Jesse says that he didn’t agree to this, and that Quincannon came to church and left a Christian. However, Quincannon says he’s no Christian. Jesse accuses Quincannon of lying, though Quincannon denies it. Jesse points out that Quincannon agreed to serve God, and that everyone in church saw it. But Quincannon tells Jesse that he saw wrong, and tells Jesse to sign. Jesse says he’s not signing anything. Quincannon leaves, but warns Jesse that he’ll be back.
Emily goes outside the front doors of the church, where Cassidy is sitting on the steps, smoking. Emily is worried that there are things she doesn’t know about Jesse, but Cassidy assures her that Jesse is a good “bloke.” She tells him that dinner is ready.
Cassidy, Emily, Jesse, and Tulip eat at the dinner table. Jesse doesn’t seem to be up for conversation. Tulip asks Jesse what his problem is, but he tells her to leave it alone. Tulip demands to know what’s going on. But just then, the Sheriff comes in looking for Eugene. He asks Jesse if he’s seen him, but just then, the food in the oven catches on fire. Sheriff asks Jesse if he saw Eugene before church, but he says no. However, Emily reminds Jesse that he did see him. However, she covers for Jesse, saying that she saw Eugene after he talked to Jesse.
Jesse walks the Sheriff out and watches as he drives away. Cassidy comes outside and hits Jesse in the nose with a fire extinguisher. Jesse explains that he didn’t mean to do what he did to Eugene, that he said the words and he was gone. Cassidy asks how he can help Jesse in regards to Eugene, and says that Jesse might want to act like he gives a damn after what he did to an innocent kid. However, Jesse tells Cassidy that Eugene was not that innocent. He reveals that Eugene was in love with Tracy Loach, but she rejected him, so he shot her in the head, then shot himself. Jesse tells Cassidy that better men than Eugene have been cast down. Cassidy tries to tell Jesse that Genesis is messing with his head and that he needs to give it back. Jesse disagrees. Cassidy asks about himself, saying that he’s a sinner as well. He tosses the fire extinguisher to Jesse, then strips his clothes off, asking Jesse if he’ll let him burn too. Then Cassidy steps into the sunlight, and begins to burst into flames.
Jesse comes back to the dinner table and sets the fire extinguisher on the table where Cassidy was sitting. He doesn’t respond at first when Tulip and Emily ask where Cassidy is. Jesse realizes that Tulip knows what Cassidy is. He asks Emily if she knows, but she says she doesn’t know anything. Tulip accuses Jesse of casting someone out that doesn’t live up to his standards. He then puts Tulip down for being an O’Hare, and asks her what she’s doing there. She gets offended and leaves. Emily tells Jesse that she’s believed in him ever since he came back. He tells her that was stupid, and to go home. She leaves as well.
That night, Jesse pulls up the floorboards in the church, in the spot where he sent Eugene to Hell, then repeatedly shouts with his power “Come back!” Meanwhile, Odin Quincannon and several QM&P workers march toward the church with a bulldozer.
Flashbacks
Young Jesse and young Tulip sit outside the principal’s office while Jesse’s father talks to the principal. The adults come out to talk to the kids, and Jesse defends Tulip for fighting back against the boys who called her trash. Jesse’s father grudgingly agrees to let Tulip come home with them for the night, since her uncle is drunk.
Another day, Tulip and Jesse are wrestling on the floor, until Jesse’s father comes inside and asks them to do the dishes. It seems like she has been staying with them for a little while. They run out of dish soap, so Jesse sends Tulip to get some from the closet. While she does so, she spies on Jesse’s father, who is talking on the phone. That night, Tulip climbs into bed next to Jesse, and tells him “Till the end of the world” and gets him to say it back to her.
Sometime later, the Department of Human Services comes and takes Tulip away. Jesse protests and even chases after the car as it drives away. Jesse gets angry at his father and asks him why he did that. His father says it was because she’s an O’Hare, and there’s always going to be trouble. That night, Jesse prays to God and asks him to kill his father and send him to Hell.
In the middle of the night, Jesse’s father wakes him up and tells him to hide under the bed. From there, Jesse sees some men beat up his father. Then they come and drag him out from under the bed, and bring him and his father outside. One of the men holds a gun to Jesse’s father’s head, as he has Jesse promise to be one of the good guys. Jesse begins to cry, and his father tells him to stop. Jesse begins to confess that he prayed for this, that it’s his fault – then the man shoots his father in the head.
Her Thoughts on Preacher, Season 1 Episode 7: He Gone
This felt like more of a revelational and informational episode, but it was much needed. We finally found out what exactly happened to Tracy Loach, and why everyone hates Eugene – because he tried to kill her, and then kill himself. Oddly, he somehow failed at both. But now that we know what he did, how is he not in jail for attempted murder? Did his dad somehow get him off because he’s Sheriff? Did he get off for “mental issues”? Being a minor (though usually for something as serious as this, a teenager would be tried as an adult)? Is he merely out on bail right now? It just seems weird that he’s allowed to wander freely about town.
Well, not anymore I guess, since he’s in Hell. Will Jesse be able to get Eugene back? Even though he’s using his powers to command Eugene to come back, can Eugene even hear him?
In any case, it does seem that Genesis is having a negative effect on Jesse. At first, Jesse seemed so optimistic and accepting of people, wanting to use this power for good, so that he could keep the promise he made to his father. But this episode, Jesse seemed much darker, and not like the kind Jesse we’ve seen recently. I think Cassidy was right, that Genesis is messing with Jesse’s head.
But what has become of Cassidy? Did Jesse save him, or did he let him burn? I hope he saved him, as I’ve become very fond of Cassidy.
So what is up with Odin Quincannon? Why is he claiming that Jesse owes him the church and land? I have a couple of theories, one which I’ve mentioned before, which is that he thinks of himself (or someone else) as God, so he’s merely serving himself (or this other entity). My other theory is that Jesse’s power might be a one-time use thing, and that when Quincannon killed the Green Acres people, he thought that this was serving God, and upon doing so, he fulfilled what Jesse told him to do. But I’m thinking it’s the first theory, because we know that so far, everyone has complied with what Jesse has told them to do, but it has been a matter of interpretation, so with Quincannon denying that he’s a Christian, he could be serving some other god, and still be complying with Jesse’s command. Maybe Quincannon’s god isn’t himself, but his business.
Anyway, as usual, Preacher has continued to keep me intrigued, and I find myself absorbed in the storyline, wanting to know what happens next!
His Thoughts on Preacher, Season 1 Episode 7: He Gone
It is a bit strange to me when a vampire is telling a Preacher that he might be heading down the dark path. It just seems a little role-reversal, doesn’t it? It is pretty funny though. Although Cassidy has possibly been sunburned to death? Jesse is losing friends fast it seems.
This episode of the show explained a lot about Jesse and Tulip’s past though. It looks like Tulip had a pretty tough life in particular, but we also see how Jesse lost his father.
As for other things going on this episode, Quincannon is baffling me. I am curious to know what effect the power is having over him, or if it has faded. Perhaps he feels the way he serves God is by not following Jesse?
Scenes from Preacher, Season 1 Episode 8: El Valero
Preview of Season 1 Episode 8 of Preacher
I tried so very hard to like this show.
Just jumps the gun nonstop. I hope this is all fixed next season!
There are few things better than the exchange between Cassidy and Jesse where he calls out his BFF for his hypocrisy. Loved this episode.