This week’s episode of Preacher had characters coming together in very interesting ways (particularly if you’re a fan of the comic books, ‘cuz things are progressing a little differently on the AMC show).

Episode 4: “Monster Swamp”

A girl runs down a lonely road, panicked, desperately looking for escape. She’s being chased by some rifle-toting good ol’ boys in a truck, and even when she runs off the road and through a field, they chase after her. Two other girls are seen cowering in a culvert, and they shoo her away. Another girl has her legs shot out from underneath her. The girl finally stops, thinking she is safe, and she is shot–with a paintball gun. It’s all fun and games at the local brothel–until the girl falls into a very very deep sinkhole.

I have to say, I love this whole sequence. What starts out as a very tense chase ends up with a grinning punchline, and then a little button of a shocker on top of that as the hole opens up under the poor unfortunate young lady.

We see Jesse as a kid helping his dad out with setting up the church (and getting whipped by his dad in front of his friends for smoking), and then we see Jesse now, still smoking, and trying to get to his truck while Cassidy confusedly tries to explain how he inexplicably chainsawed Fiore and DeBlanc, only to have them show up again later. Jesse isn’t believing or understanding things much.

Back at the sinkhole, the gang from Q M & P are watching the dead girl being dragged up from the hole. After a very very brief statement from Odin Quincannon that basically consists of the statements, “Watch your roughhousing” and “Watch where you’re walking,” the guys smirk and Tulip is pissed at them all.  Wait–why is Tulip there? Well, we find out her mom used to be an…uh…”employee” of the brothel and was raised there. She wants to try to show the girls a different way.

Emily is worried about Jesse. He says not to. No more. He promises to do “something wonderful.” This is known as “foreshadowing.”

Cassidy has a meeting with Fiore and DeBlanc, obviously using them to get whatever he wants and try to string them along regarding Jesse and his gift. I love the way these two angels are being portrayed: they are like children in grown up bodies, completely ignorant of how humans behave and talk, but very focused on their goal. Cassidy claims Jesse needs drugs to give up his gift. Lots and lots of them. Or cash.

After he leaves with their cash (and gets some service from a nameless lady), the two heavenly beings contemplate using THE PHONE to contact their boss (in heaven) about the situation. But it’s obvious they really do not want to do that, since nobody knows they’re on earth.

In short order: Odin Quincannon literally pisses on the mayor’s proposal for Q M & P to start using some green technologies. Fiore the angel goes out for a burger and comes back with Cheetos. And the mayor has offered to babysit Emily’s kids and, when she comes home, they drink a little and chat a little and get some sexy times together (although she’s adamant that this will not mean they’re “together”).

Meanwhile, the brothel is having a wake for the poor sinkhole girl. Tulip keeps getting more and more upset at the callous and flippant attitude of the men, in particular Clive, the guy who was chasing her. To calm everyone, the madame announces that the girls are on the house for the next hour. And there was much rejoicing..

As everyone goes upstairs, soon there comes the sound of loud thumping rock music and lots of bodies bumping together. Tulip finally has had enough of this nonsense. She runs upstairs, throws open a door, pulls Clive off the girl he’s on, kicks his ass something fierce, and accidentally pushes him out the window.

But it was not Clive. It was Cassidy. Surprise! And he now has a huge piece of glass in his neck, spurting blood all over.

They race to the hospital, Tulip begging him not to die and telling him over and over that he’s going to make it, he’ll be fine. Cassidy asks her for a kiss.

In the ER, the admitting nurse gives Tulip some crap over the paperwork that needs to be completed, and Tulips goes to show the woman that her friend is badly, seriously injured, and–Cassidy’s gone. Tulip follows the bloody footprints around the corner and down the hall to the…bloodbank. Jesse is sitting there with a few empties around him. He looks much better. Almost alive.

“You were right, luv. I think I’m gonna make it.”

Jesse knows he can’t bring the people to God all by himself, he needs help from the community. One community leader in particular. The same man his father tried to convert, and failed. Odin Quincannon, head of Quincannon Meat & Power. They make a bet: if Jesse can’t convince Quincannon to devote his life to God, Jesse will sell off his daddy’s land (that OQ wants oh-so-badly). Quincannon accepts.

That Sunday, Jesse gives a wonderful sermon about living for God, and changing your ways. He approaches Quincannon, and asks him if he will devote his life to the Almighty. Quincannon says a simple no. He asks again, and gets the same answer. Then he leans in, hand on shoulder, and intensely orders him to live for God. Quincannon blinks, and, surprised, says “Of course.” He looks startled to hear those words come out of his own mouth, but he says it again. “Of course.”

And in the angels’ hotel room, THE PHONE is ringing.

I loved loved loved the way Tulip is introduced to Cassidy. A perfect, funny case of mistaken identity, made horrific by the bloody length of glass in his neck. Holy cow, that was good. I think it was my favorite scene in the whole show.  At first I couldn’t figure out why Tulip was always hanging around the brothel, and then was getting pissed off about the guys’ attitudes, but knowing her mom worked there when she was a young girl really filled in a few missing character pieces for me.

This is quickly turning into one of my favorite new shows, and that surprises me a bit. I am a huge fan of the comic series, and I was worried that the different directions the creators were headed (and they were very vocal about that, even before the first episode aired) would get me frustrated and upset, turn me away from it. But, and this was a pleasant surprise, I was able to see the comic and the show as two entirely different things, and appreciate each one on its own.

See you next week, kids. Don’t let the sinkholes swallow you up.