Preacher Ep 205 – Dallas
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true then the sight of Tulip and Viktor’s wedding picture are a thousand words too many for Jesse to handle. Dallas, the latest episode of Preacher, not only delves into Jesse’s rage at the gut wrenching revelation but also provides some of the backstory that made current events possible.
Three months after the botched job in Dallas, Jesse and Tulip try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Moving away from a life of crime they try to go straight. Things however are never as easy as they seem. Jesse and Tulip invite their old pal Danny over for dinner and she promptly tries to get them to go back to their old ways. She dangles some potential jobs in front of them including one with a familiar face in the dossier but they refuse.
Dallas ping pongs back and forth between the past and the present. The scenes with Tulip and Jesse in Dallas fill in the gaps created by what’s going on in the present. While Jesse threatens to take out his frustrations on Viktor, Cassidy struggles to work things out with Tulip now that she’s returned to Denis’ home with her stepdaughter.
Jesse and Tulip’s relationship has been a rocky one filled with love, pain and deceit. The strain of building a legitimate life together, coupled with the desire to take divergent paths towards happiness ultimately spells doom for the couple. Finding solace in the arms of a mobster doesn’t last long though. When Danny contacts Tulip and informs her of Carlos’ whereabouts she packs her bags and leaves Viktor without hesitation.
Dallas is an introspective episode offering glimpses into the darker aspects of the characters on the show. Jesse’s inner turmoil and penchant for violence makes him an ideal host for Genesis. Although he struggles to live a simple life not even a collar and the word of God can truly help him find peace. Tulip’s journey is even darker than his. Fuelled by revenge, she also holds onto a life of crime as a way of making herself feel comfortable. Her penchant for lying to achieve whatever goals she’s striving for at the moment has burnt some bridges along the way – but her motives are always clear to herself at least. Cassidy is the glue that holds the entire friendship together at his point. Feeling the wrath of both of his friends, Cassidy tries to play both sides in an attempt to keep Tulip and Jesse from pulling away from each other once again.
Dallas features some strong character development and even has some ironic moments towards the end. The backstory clarifies a lot of the motives and actions that have brought everyone to the point they’re at right now. One action can have a ripple effect that reverberates throughout many lives and the botched job in Dallas lo those many years ago is a perfect example of that.