TV Review: PREACHER: Season 2, Episode 2: Mumbai Sky Tower [AMC]

Preacher: Mumbai Sky Tower Review

AMC‘s Preacher, Season 2, Episode 2: ‘Mumbai Sky Tower,’ was the next stop, on the God trail; and at least one piece of heavy baggage got checked, before we were directed to the next load. First things first, however, Jesse (Dominic Cooper), Tulip (Ruth Negga), and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) had to survive their first official encounter with The Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish).

Sure enough, TSK brought a gun fight to a motel full of gun aficionados. Sure enough, the gun nuts never had a chance; but we knew it was just going to be a pyrotechnic show. After the 70s styled mayhem of the first episode’s opener, this one had more of an 80s B movie flair to it (consider the quality gap, between the first & second Terminator films, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing). Once you realize the petite female of the collection had the biggest gun, you know to expect more spectacle out of the scene, than high drama (or polished acting).

Plot timing had the fate of Annville finally catching up to the God Squad at this crucial moment; but TSK’s body count show kept them focused on the sizzle moment, saving that news for the meat of the episode. As for what seemed like an uncharacteristic break, from stone cold killer mode, consider that TSK has been in a state of murderous rage for centuries; that he’s been feeding that state non-stop; and when someone, who’s never met anyone he couldn’t kill, can’t kill this one guy, you get gun-toting rage monster.

There was also something about a personal stake in it for him; but that comes later.

I was almost disappointed that Cass was made to hammer home the Terminator homage; but also found it odd that he & Jesse both blanked on their experience with resurrecting Angels.

Re-enter: Fiore (Tom Brooke).

The bad news, since his return from Hell (and unleashing TSK, in the first place), was that Fiore came back short one better half. The not much better news: he still had his resurrection mojo working. After a montage of failed attempts, at finding reasons not to try offing himself, a couldn’t-care-less public showstopper effort brought him to his current role.

The sadly uplifting spectacle, that was the rest of the montage, left me wondering what he – and complicit performer, Frank Patel (Vik Sahay) – did with all the bodies. Was there to be a The Prestige styled reveal, at some point (and maybe some concern about the casino menu)? Of course, the adoration of thrill-seekers in the splatter zone seats wasn’t enough.

Re-introductions to: Jesse & Cass (+one, had Tulip any interest).

Fiore held some residual ill-will, towards the two – lets face it, season one Jesse & Cass were Dicks – so how do we get on the good side of an indestructible, who has lost the will to live? Let Cass have his way with him, for just over two hours.

I gotta tell ya, the time those two had might’ve been the best case made, for immortality as a reason to Just Say Yes. It was a also an encouraging sign that not all of the craziest stuff will be confined to the opening scenes, going forward.

Jess & Tulip had their own catharsis to work through, processing the Annville horror. Somewhere between that loss, and his deer-staring-down-a-barrel moment, Jess went a little far with the sentimentality. For what it’s worth, Tulip did attempt a quick Moonstruck readjustment; but crazy breeds crazy, and the two settled on a particularly crazy social practice, as the right kind of crazy, given events.

Thankfully, plot intervened.

Tulip got a man-mountain coming out of her past, and Jesse was redirected to a huge clue, which had previously flown right over his head, regarding what kind of earthly pursuits God might be after. Tulip’s man-mountain was the bigger obstacle to get over; but get over him she did – along with the whole right kind of crazy idea.

This wasn’t just a near-miss, for the God Squad dynamic, it was a primer for some overdue Tulip centered backstory. As plot would have it, Jesse’s reminder just happened to point in the same direction.

Who says the man-mountain has to come to you?

For all the hedonistic hijinx & highlights, ‘Mumbai Sky Tower’ maintained the bitter, to its sweet, all the way through. Jesse again proved that the road to (and apparently from) Hell is paved with good intentions; as his parting Words to Fiore did not bring about the outcome he likely intended. We did get a real motive behind TSK gunning for Genesis, and some finality to the Fallen Angel thread; but I did find myself hoping for more than just the tying of season one loose ends.

A more pleasant takeaway from the episode: the notion that the God Squad no longer had to wait for trouble to come to them. Staying mobile will mean finding plenty along the way – starting with the lot that Tulip had only recently gotten away from – while not gathering any moss.

‘Mumbai Sky Tower’ suggested that this approach will be costly; but I’d rather miss the notable characters that get shed too soon, than grow sick of the ones that linger too long.

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