After multiple seasons’ worth of irreverence and violence, AMC’s televised adaptation of Preacher will finally end this year. The upcoming season will finally see how Jesse Custer’s (Dominic Cooper) mission to find and dethrone God concludes. With the help of his lover Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) and The Word, Jesse goes off to rescue his best friend and vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) from the clutches of The Grail.
The fate of the world and all of Creation rests in the final battle between Jesse and the Christian God, as their coming duel will most probably be apocalyptic on a very literal and Biblical scale. Here are 10 things to expect in Preacher’s fourth and final season.
Jesus de Sade
Since it’s a pragmatic adaptation instead of a slavish retelling, Preacher takes some liberties with its source material. Readers noticed that Jesus de Sade was absent in the earlier episodes despite being one of the comics’ first stops, but this has been rectified in the final season.
For those who don’t know, Jesus de Sade is the owner of a hedonistic mansion where rich patrons indulge in their most depraved sexual fantasies. Jesse seems to know him in the trailer, possibly hinting at a less vile interpretation of the character. Expect lots of genitals, kinks, and bodily fluids to appear.
God’s Test & Motives
In his few but poignant appearances, God revealed that he has something in mind for humanity. As he told Tulip, he is preparing a “test” for humanity but the details and methodology have yet to be specified.
The series has also been coy about God’s true endgame (outside of ending the world) and why He abandoned Heaven in the first place, but these may finally be revealed in the last 10 episodes. Time will tell if God will be held accountable for using human suffering as a plaything or if he’ll get away scot-free.
Hitler vs. Starr
Preacher’s penultimate season ends with its two major human antagonists – Herr Starr and Adolf Hitler – ascending from their comic relief status to leading their respective evil armies. If Starr commands The Grail, Hitler rules Hell.
The trailer shows the two joining forces against Jesse, but their alliance may be shaky at best as the brutal Starr treats the former dictator (depicted here as a bumbling idiot) like crap. Their differing motives – Starr wants revenge against Jesse while Hitler wants world domination – could also clash, leading to vulgar disagreements and violently murderous reactions.
The Grail’s Apocalypse
While Starr diverts all of his focus and energies to torturing Jesse and everyone he cares about for the rest of time, the same can’t be said for The Grail. The organization is fanatically dedicated to instigating the Biblical apocalypse and even with a change of leadership, their (currently incomplete) mission remains the same.
In the comics, Starr’s narrow-minded pursuit of vengeance brings about The Grail’s fall, as his poor management and dwindling resources destroy the global conspiracy from the inside out. The Grail may face a similar fate in the series, provided Starr remains in control.
The Saint of Killers & Eugene Strike Back
A major change from the comics is the unlikely friendship between The Saint of Killers and Eugene (aka Arseface). They notably only met once in the source material but now, they’re roaming the Earth to hunt Jesse down.
The two have a score to settle with the preacher and they both found unexpected camaraderie during the time The Saint had Eugene in his custody. As the series comes to a close, so will their journey. How Jesse will stop them is currently unknown, but their allegiance may prove vital in the coming war with God.
Cassidy In Captivity
By the end of the third season, The Grail successfully captures Cassidy. This marks the first step in Starr’s personal vendetta against Jesse, as he plans to make the preacher and everyone he knows suffer.
Cassidy’s imprisonment also looks a lot worse than what happened in the comics. Previously, the vampire was repeatedly shot at by a pissed off eunuch Mafiosi while the series hints at a torture chamber where worse methods of suffering await him. Whatever the case, it’s up to Jesse to free his bloodsucking friend from a terrible fate.
Jesse vs. God
With The Word, Jesse is determined to find God and make Him answer for his crimes against humanity. For most of the series, God eluded Jesse and friends by acting from the shadows. But as the apocalypse draws near, God may be ready to personally face Jess and use his wrath on the non-believer.
The fact that the trailer shows Jesse in a turbulent plane could hint at his confrontation with God, since surviving a fall from a plane was how he met the Creator in the comics. Either that or the series has something else in mind.
Jesse vs. Cassidy
Even if it’s known for F-Bombs and insulting the Christian God, the Preacher comics have their share of heartbreaking moments. One of the most notable instances is the fight between Jesse and Cassidy, as the former friends end their bond through fisticuffs.
Though Cassidy isn’t as reprehensible as he is in the comics, he still has bad blood with Jesse. The preacher, conversely, is more self-righteous and aggressive than before, getting on everyone’s nerves. Unfortunately, Cassidy is one of the people Jesse has angered; therefore, while their backstories may be new, their friendship could still end in blows.
Jesse & Tulip
Beneath the violence and religious mockery of Preacher rests the love story between Jesse and Tulip, with their relationship serving as the comics’ emotional backbone. The same goes for the series, though things aren’t as certain as they were in the printed pages.
Jesse and Tulip may be the show’s central couple, but their relationship is a lot more turbulent than in the comic. As mentioned earlier, Jesse habitually gets on peoples’ wrong sides while Tulip doesn’t back down from butting heads with him. They may be together until their mission’s end, but after that is a mystery.
Getting The Band Back Together
Preacher is nothing without its core trio and even if they’re currently split – Cassidy is stuck with The Grail while Jesse and Tulip are on their way to rescue him – they’ll most probably reunite and face God as a team.
In the comics, the trio ends on a bittersweet note as they go their separate ways after confronting each others’ worst sides. The series presents them in a more positive but still gritty light so while their eventual split may be a bit softer, it’s still going to break a bunch of hearts when everything gets wrapped up.
