'Preacher' season 4 episode 8 ‘Fear of the Lord’ sees Jesse finally meet God as the apocalypse looms ahead
This article contains spoilers for 'Preacher' Season 4 Episode 8 'Fear of the Lord'
In the darkest cold open of the series, Herr Starr (Pip Torrens) finds his absent genitals replaced by a faucet - an engineering miracle pulled off by three inbred brothers living in the middle of the Australian Outback. As he sobs, thanking them for their kindness for rescuing him and chomps down on the first bit of chow he has had in some time, he looks down only to find the dish he has been served is made from his leg, amputated by his supposed saviors.
Dark comedy thy name is 'Preacher'. It is a little late in the game but the sequence hits a serious Garth Ennis level of macabre humor. Thankfully, just before the brothers are about to amputate his other leg, Featherstone (Julie Ann Emery) shows up with the Grail's rescue-op team and shoots the brothers in the head.
We also get a flashback scene of how Starr lost his eye in a bullying incident and what can we say? Herr Starr in a blond bowl-cut wig does look adorable and yes, also a prime target for bullies. After his return to the Masada, you can see there isn't fight left in Starr.
He is disheveled and dead-eyed as Hitler (Noah Taylor) tries to sell him on the idea of Jesus Christ (Tyson Ritter) as the Messiah since Humperdoo (also Tyson Ritter) has gone missing. But after the dingo attack and forced amputation, Herr Starr seems to have learned his lesson and is quick to shut down the duo. This is despite the "ghetto gyrations" Jesus Christ executes to win him over with Hitler cheering him on.
We catch up with Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), Tulip O'Hare (Ruth Negga) and Humperdoo traveling through a storm Cassidy thinks has reached "Old testament" levels. Tulip, eager to give God a taste of his own medicine parks the car, drags Humperdoo out, as she waits for God to show his face, so he can watch her shoot Humperdoo.
Her logic is she wants to see him watch Humperdoo die. Turns out God is not in an obliging mood. The rain stops, signaling the wait for God could be a long one. Cut to three months later. Cassidy and Tulip are playing papa and mama to Humperdoo in the most dysfunctional family unit ever (Which other parents would strap explosives to their mentally-challenged kid waiting for the right moment to blow him up?).
Meanwhile, Herr Starr, having lost all hope, tries to hang himself, fails, and rips off his nipples in the process. As he lies in a puddle of his own urine thanks to his leaky genital-faucet, God shows up. He reiterates his promise of restoring his beauty once he gets Humperdoo back. When Starr in choking sobs tells him he can't find him, God tells him, he only had to ask.
Soon after, the Grail operatives descend on our dysfunctional family of three and in between a lot of vomit and blood (don't ask, just watch), they retrieve Humperdoo. Both Cassidy and Tulip at the crucial moment hesitate to pull the switch on the detonator and by the time Tulip steels herself and pushes the button, Humperdoo is already gone.
So, there is nothing else the duo can do but go back to the Masada again. New and improved Herr Starr (with a shining crown of blond hair, eye and presumably his penis restored) takes to the Masada stage to announce the return of the Messiah and the start of the Apocalypse.
But even as Herr Starr finds his redemption, Jesse is not so lucky. After undergoing the tortures of Hell, which involves everything from fire ants being pumped up his bum to being set on fire, he passes the test by resisting fake Fiore's offer. God wills him to live again.
As he climbs out of his grave, he finally meets God face-to-face. Jesse collapses to his knees, overjoyed at having passed the test and saving humankind from being destroyed by God's wrath. But God informs him that while he came close, he did have that tiny moment of being "tempted" by the offer and thus had "sinned in his heart".
As Jesse explodes in rage, hollering it was because of how God had made man, God is incensed at how Jesse could look him in the eye and argue. He proceeds to bite and spit out Jesse's eye. Not quite the eye for an eye but rather a punishment that exceeds the crime.
Then, his beard stained with blood, he tells Jesse the Apocalypse is still on and tells him to show up for the end of this round of creation with his friends in tow. He proceeds to transport Jesse to the Holy Grail and Bar near Masada, where Tulip and Cassidy have just had sex.
As Jesse walks back into their lives, Tulip hugs him while Cassidy smiles his wry grin. He's been here before. With that, 'Preacher' is set for the final two episodes that will hopefully have our beleaguered heroes give God the comeuppance he deserves. In the meantime, fear the lord indeed.
'Preacher' airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.