This week’s episode of Preacher, “Damsels,” revealed the true story of how Eugene Root got the nickname “Arseface.”
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Events in Annville in the first season of Preacher led viewers to believe that Eugene’s failed suicide attempt came after he tried to murder Tracy Lorch, a classmate that Eugene had unrequited feelings for. The flashback in “Damsels” reveals that wasn’t quite the case.
The flashback shows Eugene riding his bike to the Lorch home to visit Tracy. When he arrives, Tracy tells Eugene all about how her boyfriend cheated on her and she’s resolved to kill herself with her father’s shotgun.
Eugene manages to talk Tracy down. As Tracy is literally using Eugene as a shoulder to cry on he decides to make his move and kisses Tracy. Tracy is repulsed enough by this show of affection that she decides to shoot herself after all. She fails to kill herself and is instead left her in the vegetative state that she was in throughout Preacher‘s first season.
After trying to pack Tracy’s brains back into her skull, Eugene realizes that he’s trapped in her room. The door is locked and Tracy’s mother is banging on it furiously. He can’t manage to get the window open and, realizing that he’s going to be blamed for what has happened, he grabs the shotgun and tries to end his life. The gun doesn’t fire immediately and Eugene shifts his head to get a clearer look down the barrel. Because of this, the suicide attempt fails and Eugene is left with the damage that leads to the name “Arseface.”
The flashback takes place during Eugene’s time in Hell, where Eugene is being forced to relive his worst memory on repeat exactly as the Saint of Killers was before Fiore and Deblanc freed him. It ends when the strange device in his cell that projects the memories stops functioning. If Eugene feels any momentary relief it ends pretty quickly when he looks outside his cell and finds that Adolf Hitler has the room across from his.
Eugene’s sentence in hell and Jesse’s search for God will continue as Preacher Season 2 continues to unfold.
Preacher airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.
Developed by Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen for AMC, Preacher stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, Ruth Negga as Tulip O’Hare, Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy, Ian Colletti as Eugene “Arseface” Root, Tom Brooke as Fiore, Graham McTavish as the Saint of Killers.
Preacher was created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.
More Preacher News: Preacher Cast Talks Faith And Religion In Season 2 / Preacher Cast On The Show’s Move To New Orleans In Season 2 / Preacher Cast Remembers Steve Dillon / How Ruth Negga Defies Expectations As Tulip O’Hare In Preacher Season 2
