Twisted Metal Season 2 Episode 4 and 5 Recap: Is The Baby Preacher Dead or Alive?

In episodes 4 and 5 of the second season of Peacock’s ‘Twisted Metal,’ titled ‘LGZTBZY’ and ‘ONURMRK,’ the protagonist John Doe, along with his team of Quiet, Dollface, and Mayhem, take on a new city in their preparation for the racing tournament. The previous episode added two new players to the game: Axle and Mr. Grimm. The latter is responsible for the death of Jeremy and Ashley, members of the Doll Gang, making him a prominent enemy going forward. Additionally, Stu reaches a new stage in his turn to darkness, learning the intricacies of murder with Sweet Tooth. All these character find their common stage in the form of the race, with its creator, Calypso, enjoying the spoils from the shadows. SPOILERS AHEAD.

John and Quiet Sneak Into the Heart of Diesel City

A buildup spanning three episodes finally gets its payoff with John Doe and his allies making their way to Diesel City. Dollface establishes some ground rules: the city has a strict policy of nonviolence with sniper guards stationed at every point to fatally punish any rule-breakers. Furthermore, it is a center of commerce, with the most exclusive treasures and ordnances stored away in the Emperor’s inner chambers. The only way to even come near it is to be one of the highest-paying customers, a tag typically reserved for insider representatives. The group’s goal, then, becomes to break into that space and steal every bit of hi-tech weaponry they can find. The heist starts out well, with John and Quiet donning luxurious clothes to blend in with the insiders and Dollface entering separately.

Once inside, John and Quiet were astounded by the sheer scale of the city and its industrial superstructures, all flowing into the main bazaar where just about every form of ammunition and accessory is being sold en masse. With the help of Mayhem, the duo steals ID badges from two insider representatives and makes their way deeper. It turns out that they are not alone; Stu and Sweet Tooth also had the same idea. However, their dynamic seems to be in trouble, as Sweet Tooth is too distracted to focus on products that would win them the race. While Stu desperately tries to rein him in, John and Quiet enter the sanctum. Here, the elites drink to classical music and compete for the most vicious and sadistic weapons.

Once inside, John learns that San Francisco, much like many other states, stocked up on a weapon called Napalm Cones and used it to wipe out their entire outsider population. Hearing this, he has a change of heart, vowing to bring down the walls and make those responsible pay for their crimes. Outside the sanctum, Stu finds himself in a pickle. Not only is he out of money, thanks to Sweet Tooth overpaying for a fancy cloak, but he is also picked up by the guards and taken out of sight. With Stu gone, Sweet Tooth disappears into the crowd, ready for another rampage. Elsewhere, John and Quiet come face to face with the city’s perverse Emperor, who suspects them before giving in and inviting them to the “main event” of the soiree.

The Emperor Shows His True Colors

Meanwhile, Dollface sneaks into the upper platforms of Diesel City and begins taking out the guards stationed there one by one. She is joined by Sweet Tooth, and together, they make light work of the resistance. The latter is particularly impressed by her performance and their similar aesthetics, but Dollface pays little heed and continues her journey into the mainframe. John and Quiet get a surprise of their own when they are invited to a private pavilion. The guards there ask the two to strip and wear dirty, worn-out gear instead, almost resembling an outsider’s appearance. This is no mere coincidence, as they soon realize that the auction is merely a cover for the elites to gather together and engage in an orgy. This time, the theme is “outsiders,” which allows them to strip away all facades of normalcy and play into the stereotypes of outsiders being filthy or cannibalistic.

The orgy is spearheaded by the Emperor. He pays special attention to our protagonist couple, forcing them to keep up the charade with roleplay. Here, we also learn that Stu has been captured to perform in this orgy, with the elites fetishizing his appearance and desperation as an outsider. This gives John and Quiet the opening they need, and they discreetly make their way to the vault. However, more hurdles stand in their way, ranging from guards to laser beams, and the two take turns in dealing with the challenges while also seducing each other. Elsewhere, Dollface and Sweet Tooth break into the main security station and find out that the city also has an electromagnetic pulse generator capable of shutting down all electrical networks in its vicinity.

Stu Takes the Cake in the Arms Race

With both Sweet Tooth and Dollface understanding the EMP’s game-changing potential in the upcoming Twisted Metal race, a fight ensues. In the process, Dollface manages to briefly gain control and ram Sweet Tooth’s face into the security systems, bringing down the vault’s gates just in time. However, by this point, John and Quiet are completely distracted and begin having sex, accidentally setting the vault on fire. While the couple is busy hooking up, Stu escapes the orgy and, finding the vault open and defenseless, steals every valuable weapon he can lay his hands on. By the time John and Quiet come down from their period of ecstasy, it is already too late; the weapons are gone, and so are their clothes. Finding mere scraps to cover their bodies, the duo flees.

Stu, on the other hand, is armed to the teeth and no longer submits to the Emperor’s fire, killing every single elite in his line of sight. His partner, however, isn’t that lucky, as a surprise assist from Mayhem helps Dollface gain the upper hand on Sweet Tooth, and she zips away with the EMP in her possession. Frustrated, the clown returns to the main bazaar and knocks two people out. The onlookers wait for the guards to gun him down, but when they realize there are none left, pure chaos ensues. Our characters navigate a swarm of hoarders and thieves, ultimately making it out of Diesel City in one piece. Dollface also gets her hands on a quad bike and names it Kit-Kat. Stu and Sweet Tooth reunite, with the latter proud of his protégé’s new, murderous achievements.

The Day of the Tournament

That night, Dollface reveals that she will be participating in the race as well, and for good reason. The plan is for John and Quiet to take the lead, with Dollface staying behind to activate the EMP, neutralizing all vehicles in one fell swoop. The following day marks the grand beginning of the racing tournament, and a number of participants gather at Calypso’s compound, brandishing their unique cars and ammunition. The tournament is full of familiar faces, as it appears that both Axle and Mr. Grimm made it out of their fight alive. John and Quiet make their entrance in their iconic car, Roadkill, now more powerful than ever. They are accompanied by Dollface, who chooses her new quad bike as the ride for the competition. Her car, Shrapnel, on the other hand, is driven by Mayhem.

Despite Mayhem’s eagerness to join the competition, both John and Quiet agree that she is not quite ready yet. Their conversation is cut short when John realizes that two members of the Holy Men cult have decided to participate in the race too. They are out to take revenge, remembering him as the person who killed their leader, Preacher Jebidiah, a year ago. Things take a strange turn when they reveal that Preacher has seemingly reincarnated and now inhabits the body of an infant. The two cult members, Deacon and Brenjamin, have devoted themselves to raising baby Preacher, taking on paternal and maternal roles, respectively. While John and Quiet don’t buy into the narrative initially, a closer look shows that the child has the same characteristics as its predecessor, complicating the scenario further.

Many Familiar Faces Join the Party

The tournament gets a good stirring with the arrival of Stu and Sweet Tooth, and the latter immediately spots John and Quiet, recognizing them as his fans from season 1. While he rushes down to greet them with his characteristic sadism, Stu keeps his distance, still upset that they didn’t help him back at the orgy. Meanwhile, Mayhem stirs up trouble by actively turning players against each other. She does so by spreading lies about what one player has said to another, starting with a participant named Vermin. While she has a unique, insect-themed vehicle called Roach Coach, her intimidation tactics do not work on Mayhem, who instead frames Deacon as Vermin’s enemy. She continues this chain all across the compound before returning to Deacon and spreading lies about Sweet Tooth. In doing so, she sets up multiple rivalries, thinning the negative attention she would otherwise get.

Meanwhile, Dollface chances upon Axle and the two immediately begin to flirt. He thanks her for killing his master, but explains how he still has a long way to go before attaining true freedom. This is exemplified by him still guzzling down gasoline. However, his actions do not deter Dollface from sharing charged looks with him. Axle states that he owes her one, but when that is over, he will take her on as a real enemy and use all his might to flatten her. This threat doesn’t faze Dollface in the slightest, and she doubles down on her confidence in winning the competition. Elsewhere, Stu struts around the compound, asserting his dominance, before he finds a familiar face in the compound. It turns out to be none other than Mike, his best friend from season 1, who got separated after Sweet Tooth’s attack.

Stu and Sweet Tooth Get a Blast From the Past

Mike and Stu express their surprise at the other’s survival, and the former shows off the scar he still bears from that fateful encounter with the murderous clown. He explains that he successfully cauterized the wound by rolling into fire, but was caught by a group of butchers, a cannibalistic sect of outsiders. One of the butchers, Dave, nearly killed him, but Mike’s seemingly inspiring words about a man never eating a man seemed to have done the trick, sparing his life and reforming Dave. The latter is now Mike’s best friend, and together they participate in the race with a car called Hammerhead. Just then, Sweet Tooth enters the fray, and the revelation that Stu is now his ally leaves Mike shaken, prompting a quick end to his friendship with Stu.

Yet another arrival shakes up the scene, and this time it’s Mr. Grimms. John and his group have their personal vendetta against the biker, given that he killed two members of the Doll Gang. Surprisingly enough, it is Sweet Tooth who gets the most riled up, and a furious exchange reveals that it was he who locked Mr. Grimm up in Blackfield Prison. The latter expresses his glee about getting out due to a mysterious invitation, before referring to Sweet Tooth by his real name, Marcus. He then shows off his ability, using three different souls to poke at Sweet Tooth’s insecurities and promise him salvation. This leaves the clown boiling with rage, opening the doors to more information about his past. Stu, on the other hand, is more curious than scared, as this might be the first true sign of weakness his partner has shown.

Calypso Kickstarts the Twisted Metal Race

The final contestant to enter the compound is yet another familiar face. This time, it’s Raven, the Chief Operating Officer of New San Francisco. She reveals that John escaped the city, and she was left with no choice other than taking on the mantel herself, much to his annoyance. With the stage set at last, Calypso, the game master, makes his appearance, complete with a solar eclipse taking place in the background. Without skipping a beat, he starts a grand speech about the rules and nature of the tournament, explaining that there will be two stages: a preliminary round, followed by the primary race. The prelims are a standard milkman assignment, and the rules are simple: the driver must take a package for themselves and deliver it to tournament city in one piece, and, most importantly, survive the process.

Calypso then starts a countdown from ten, and every participant hurries back to their vehicles. Honks blaring and engines ablaze, all participants ready themselves for the race, and the moment the doors open, the race immediately turns into a bloodbath. While John, Quiet, and Dollface take an early lead, chaos ensues behind them, with all participants trying to cull the competition as early as possible. Mayhem, however, is not even in the picture, as her car has already been sabotaged by Quiet. However, she underestimates Mayhem, who quickly takes hold of another car with an already dead driver and reenters the race. A flurry of explosions and flares defines the scene, with all the expert drivers piercing through the air while trying to get past one another.

Baby Preacher Has a Close Encounter With Death

Sweet Tooth gets distracted early, redirecting all his energy towards killing Mr. Grimm. This is not all, as they are also being targeted by the Holy Men, with baby Preacher nestled inside their car. A grenade slips out of Sweet Tooth’s vehicle and lands right under the Holy Men’s car, blowing it up. While it is not made clear whether the baby is dead or alive, its narrative significance points more in the direction of its survival. Preacher has always served as one of John’s antitheses, displaying many similar qualities while having wildly different aspirations and methods. As such, to use a baby as a conduit for such potent themes is a unique creative choice that is likely to have more relevance in the future. Additionally, the car has never been airstruck, which confirms that its package is still functioning.

In the ensuing exchange, Sweet Tooth and Stu’s package get hit and change color, alarming the latter. We learn the consequence of this soon enough, as any package that has been hit twice automatically disqualifies the participant, and their punishment is an air strike. This spells trouble for our protagonist duo, as their package has been hit once already. The same holds true for the Sweet Tooth truck, and Stu is forced to make the difficult decision of betraying his partner and taking control of the wheels. At the same time, the clown tumbles around in his vehicle, Stu looks straight ahead, eyeing a victory. At the same time, Mayhem is attacked by a number of cars, forcing her to use her weapon. However, it turns out to be a flare gun, earning the attention of John and Quiet. In a daring move, they sacrifice the competition and make a U-turn to rescue Mayhem, bringing the episode to a nail-biting end.