At the conclusion of this past Sunday’s latest episode of Preacher, Jesse Custer did something that shocked both casual viewers of the AMC show and fans of the comic alike. After being confronted by Eugene “Arseface” Root about his recent actions, Jesse uses “the voice” in a moment of rage and sends his young friend to Hell. Whether’s that’s literal fire and brimstone Hell or not remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure, Eugene has disappeared without a trace.
This never happens in the comic (Arseface never really has any dealings with Jesse and his crew until much later on in the story), so it was a big surprise for fans and was very out of character for the incarnation of Jesse that we know know and love.
In a recent interview with AMC.com, actor Ian Colletti shared his thoughts on why the Revered Custer committed such a heinous act against a young man that he clearly values as a friend.
[Their] back-and-forth relationship has continued to progress, but as Jesse’s ego inflates throughout the season, he becomes less tolerant of seeing his own flaws reflected in Eugene. At this point, when Eugene takes a real moral stance and says, “This isn’t right,” Jesse recognizes that but doesn’t want to see it. It’s easier for Jesse to not deal with it, and, out of frustration, he tells him to go to Hell.
Will Jesse set things right? Well, if the promo for the next installment is any indication, if he does, it won’t be happening right away.
Tune into the “He Gone” episode of Preacher this Sunday to see what happens next.