I just watched the last ever episode of Preacher, and boy has it been an exciting ride, but all good things must come to an end, and the team behind the show have done a solid job sending it off in style. This episode maintains the high octane pace and visceral action that have come to define Preacher, with the extra edge of revealing the results of Jesse's battle with God with the threat of the apocalypse on the horizon. I haven't read the comics and I know its enthusiasts can have problems due to the differences between the characters in the show and the book and some concessions the show might have made in translating the source material. Even so, I can safely say that both casual and dedicated viewers will be pleasantly rewarded with this as a finale to both this season and the show in its entirety; every character is addressed and we see what will happen to them in the future, the main characters achieve their goals and, depending on how you see it, live happily ever after. By doing this, and a lot of people might not entirely agree with me, it plays it relatively safe - especially with the literally cataclysmic stakes being promised since the beginning of the season - and to not even have a single dire consequence for the protagonists or, confusingly, to see God Himself stand aside and do nothing while His 'great plan' goes down the toilet, or after Jesse starts beating him up - it is a little too sweet to swallow, personally. I still believe that this was an entertaining, satisfying end to the show, and I don't have any qualms ultimately with how it played out. I am just a sucker for a dark ending.
Now another show has reached its conclusion in the post-Thrones world, and I am forced to consider the quality of its final episode: how well it carries the original message of the show, wraps up each character arc, and leaves a final sense of what Preacher stood for and represented. This sounds like a much more serious statement than might befit a show such as this, and I am not disputing the categorization as a comedy, I only mean that any piece of media with an ongoing story should be expected, at the least, to provide a satisfying finale that makes sense in the context of the story and allows you to look back and view the entire duration of the story as one single entity. If you have heard about the colossal nightmare that was the final season and episode of Game of Thrones, then I'm sure you can understand why I might need to highlight the fundamental qualities of a good conclusion. There is no excuse, especially now, for putting less effort in, or trying to throw a curveball that shocks audiences, when there is plenty of proof now for vastly negative responses for lazy or 'shocking' finales.
I was relieved to hear a few months ago about Seth Rogen's condemnation of the eighth season of Game of Thrones, partly because it meant that he had faith in this final season of Preacher and would recognize the importance of the ending of the show. Going through the fourth season, I felt more and more confident due to the unhindered pace of the story moving on from the third season's finale and the entertaining new character dynamics, plus the burgeoning role of God and Jesus. There was plenty for each of the three protagonists to do and they had their own paths which were suggested to re-align by the end. There wasn't any random new element thrown into the mix or a new character - thankfully as there wouldn't have been a necessary amount of time to justify their addition. The pace is solid throughout and there's plenty of creative new set-pieces and dynamics. With my minor gripes with the finale having been said, overall I would say this was a fantastic season - not quite as good as my favourite, season 2, but definitely not the worst and a worthy wrap up of the series. It has my recommendation.
Now another show has reached its conclusion in the post-Thrones world, and I am forced to consider the quality of its final episode: how well it carries the original message of the show, wraps up each character arc, and leaves a final sense of what Preacher stood for and represented. This sounds like a much more serious statement than might befit a show such as this, and I am not disputing the categorization as a comedy, I only mean that any piece of media with an ongoing story should be expected, at the least, to provide a satisfying finale that makes sense in the context of the story and allows you to look back and view the entire duration of the story as one single entity. If you have heard about the colossal nightmare that was the final season and episode of Game of Thrones, then I'm sure you can understand why I might need to highlight the fundamental qualities of a good conclusion. There is no excuse, especially now, for putting less effort in, or trying to throw a curveball that shocks audiences, when there is plenty of proof now for vastly negative responses for lazy or 'shocking' finales.
I was relieved to hear a few months ago about Seth Rogen's condemnation of the eighth season of Game of Thrones, partly because it meant that he had faith in this final season of Preacher and would recognize the importance of the ending of the show. Going through the fourth season, I felt more and more confident due to the unhindered pace of the story moving on from the third season's finale and the entertaining new character dynamics, plus the burgeoning role of God and Jesus. There was plenty for each of the three protagonists to do and they had their own paths which were suggested to re-align by the end. There wasn't any random new element thrown into the mix or a new character - thankfully as there wouldn't have been a necessary amount of time to justify their addition. The pace is solid throughout and there's plenty of creative new set-pieces and dynamics. With my minor gripes with the finale having been said, overall I would say this was a fantastic season - not quite as good as my favourite, season 2, but definitely not the worst and a worthy wrap up of the series. It has my recommendation.