Caution: Spoilers ahead for the Preacher series finale
Just like the series as a whole, Preacher's series finale was an unconventional and critically divisive affair, but wasn't that the whole point of Jesse Custer's story? Based on the seminal comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, AMC's Preacher was devised after a lengthy effort to bring Jesse and co. into the world of live-action, whether on the big or small screen. First airing in 2016, Preacher was translated to TV by the team of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin, and from the outset it was clear that Preacher would be forging a path all of its own, predominantly separated from the structure of the comics.
With ratings falling, Preacher's fate was uncertain following the completion of its third season, but a fourth run was eventually confirmed. Shortly after that announcement, however, Seth Rogen revealed that Preacher season 4 would be the show's last stand. The precise reason behind Preacher's cancellation remain unclear, and while dwindling viewing figures are almost certain to be a factor, the report also surfaced shortly after Rogen and Goldberg signed a mammoth production deal with Lionsgate.
As such, it's difficult to gauge how far Preacher's season 4 ending was part of "the plan" and the final episodes have, perhaps predictably, been afforded a very mixed reception. The series finale was no different in this regard, but then isn't that sense of rebelliousness and subversion a key part of Preacher's M.O.?
Reaction To Preacher's Series Finale Has Been Divided
Series finale episodes very rarely gain universal praise, and at least a section of any given audience is usually left feeling disappointed with the closing chapter of their chosen TV show. This appears to be the case with Preacher, with fan reaction ranging from highly positive to roundly damning. Detractors' overriding issue with "End of the World" seems to be that the episode didn't reach enough of a climax - that more time was spent tying off various character arcs than delivering a spectacular conclusion to the stories that had been built up throughout Preacher's 4 seasons. Other problems cited include Cassidy's fate and the decision to play out the Saint of Killers vs. God story from the comics, despite taking a very different route to get there.
An opposing viewpoint, however, argues that Preacher's final episode succeeded in terms of crafting an ending that resolved all of the show's character and story arcs, hit all the right emotional notes and stayed true to the ethos of the entire series. Review scores from critics have echoed this mixed reaction, largely concluding that Preacher's finale was a success in general terms, but was still hampered by some of the show's long-standing flaws.
Why Preacher's Series Finale Defied Convention
Preacher season 4 appeared to be building towards an assortment of huge, climactic confrontations and while viewers certainly got their fair share of blood and guts, it didn't necessarily come from the most obvious places. Jesus finally dropped the shackles of his past and exploded in a fit of rage, battering and killing Adolf Hitler and the final fight between God and the Saint of Killers was suitably biblical. The apocalypse, however, ended not with a bang but with a whimper. Instead of the Jesse vs. Cassidy clash that closes out the comic series, the vampire went toe-to-toe with Tulip, with the two friends in violent disagreement over whether or not to kill Humperdoo and halt God's plan to end the world.
Ultimately, Cassidy is talked around by Tulip's charm and persistence, and he reluctantly puts down the intellectually-challenged Messiah with a single bullet. After several seasons building up the impending apocalypse, the threat was quashed in a brief moment, without much in the way of fanfare.
Many viewers likely also expected Jesse, Preacher's heroic lead protagonist, to indulge in one final, no-holds-barred scrap and "End of the World" appeared to be heading in this direction when Dominic Cooper's character met up with God at the Alamo, quickly realizing his power of Genesis worked like a charm on the Lord Almighty. Instead, Jesse did the Christian thing and turned the other cheek (in a roundabout sense), marking the final stage in his progression as a character.
Preacher's reputation as a shocking and violent TV show created an expectation that the final episode was certain to be a relentless bloodbath, with whoever was left standing at the end declared the winner. What actually transpired in Jesse Custer's final hour was anything but. Instead, Preacher embarked on a tour of its main cast and neatly wrapped up their stories in a way that suited each character, paid homage to the comics and largely left viewers feeling satisfied.
Preacher's Finale Honored The Spirit Of The Show
There's no argument that Preacher's finale eschewed expectations, providing a far more sentimental resolution than many predicted beforehand, and this has attracted criticism from viewers who would've preferred a more straightforward and climactic approach with Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy doggedly fighting their way through their remaining enemies. An ending in this style might've felt more at home within Preacher's blood-stained aesthetic and also might've provided a more effective pay off to season 4's storylines.
But more than wanton violence or the ruffling of religious feathers, Preacher's spirit is one of pure rebellion - of taking standard tropes and subverting them entirely, even if those tropes are of Preacher's own making. In this sense, Preacher's finale was the perfect way to cap off a story that has continuously headed down paths even comic readers wouldn't have anticipated. Preacher's finale may not have been to everyone's taste, but this is a series with a debut season entirely removed from the comic books, that claimed God killed the dinosaurs because they wouldn't stop eating their own excrement, and that showed Jesus Christ smoking weed. Opting for a safe and traditional finale was never on the cards.
By far the biggest surprise Preacher's finale had to offer was its closing scene - a flashforward featuring Jesse and Tulip's grown-up daughter and Cassidy. Preacher never felt like a story that would have a Harry Potter-style closing epilogue, so this scene's inclusion was a shock in itself, but it was the closing shot that proved to be Preacher's final tearing up of the rulebook. In the comics, Cassidy commits suicide by sunlight but has already arranged with God to return to Earth as a human. On TV, however, the vampire takes his own life and...that's the end of the show.
The image of Cassidy burning next to Jesse and Tulip's graves is touching, confusing and darkly comic, and where the remainder of the episode was conclusive, Cassidy's ending is open to interpretation. In many ways, this closing shot represents Preacher's entire ethos - violent, morbidly humorous and an unexpected twist on the source material, but all with an emotional, character-driven core. Not everyone was happy, but Preacher wouldn't have it any other way.