by Jake Hjort, Contributing Writer
Praise! Danny McBride’s hit show about the Gemstones, a dysfunctional family of ultra-rich televangelists, is back for its third season, and it is still firing on all cylinders. In this new season, Eli (John Goodman), the family’s patriarch and founder of the church, has retired, and it’s up to his three children, Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam Devine), to step up and take over the family business. As would be expected given their coddled upbringing and history of incompetence, this does not go smoothly, which results in great drama and comedy. Along the way, we reunite with Uncle Baby Billy (Walton Goggins), who returns with his latest grift to sell the kids on, and we’re introduced to Eli’s sister, May-May (Kristen Johnston), and her husband, Peter (Steve Zahn), the leader of a faith-based militia.
From the beginning, the real strength of The Righteous Gemstones has been two things: its excellent writing and its incredible ensemble cast. McBride’s work cannot be overstated, pulling double duty as both the show runner and as one of the stars. Across all three seasons, The Righteous Gemstones has been one of the funniest shows on television, offering biting satire of the industry of evangelical super churches, modern far-right-wing culture, and the lives of nepotism-propelled spoiled rich kids. The show strikes an impressive balance of being off-the-walls crazy, while still bearing a strong resemblance to reality. The characters, and the situations that they find themselves in, are all insane, but at the same time, most of the characters feel like an exaggerated version of someone that I knew growing up in the church. Everyone is fleshed out and three-dimensional, which allows for some really resonating emotional moments when the writers want to squeeze out some feelings.
Of course, a lot of what makes the characters stand out are the performances. McBride, Goodman, Patterson, and Devine continue to be excellent as the four main members of the Gemstone family. Goodman and Patterson get some particularly interesting work to do this season, as Eli contemplates his retirement and legacy, and as Judy faces some of her demons and deeply held insecurities. Goggins’ performance is once again a scene-stealer, and it feels incredible to watch him chew scenery with his smarmy demeanor and delightful southern accent. Additionally, two of my favorites are Tony Cavalero as Keefe, Kelvin’s dimwitted but well-meaning best friend, and Tim Baltz as BJ Barnes, Judy’s sensitive husband who has trouble finding acceptance in the family.
As far as the new characters and plot lines introduced in Season Three are concerned, I largely found them to be effective. This season largely focuses on the expansion of the extended family, with the introduction of the Montgomerys: Aunt May May, Uncle Peter, and cousins Chuck (Lukas Haas) and Karl (Robert Oberst). Raised in poverty, the cousins provide a nice foil to the extravagant lives of the Gemstones kids, and Peter’s militia serves as both a solid parody of fringe extremist groups in our society and as a good antagonist for the family to go up against. For a show that has largely centered around family themes, expanding out the family is a great way to bring in some new ideas and dynamics. Besides the Montgomery family, this season also introduces us to the Simkins siblings (Stephen Dorff, Iliza Schlesinger, and Gogo Lomo-David), a rival group of pastors, and Dusty Daniels (Shea Whigham), a NASCAR driver whose support the Gemstones and Simkins fight for.
In a world that can often feel overbearing and depressing, we need good comedies as much as ever. The Righteous Gemstones takes the megachurches, millionaires, and militias that feel like some of the biggest problems in our society and turns them into something that can be a source of nonstop laughter. The show has been one of the brightest spots in my TV lineup since its first season, and it continues to provide endless smiles throughout Season Three. As a vocal opponent of cliffhangers, McBride ends the season without any big loose ends and with all our characters’ arcs wrapped up in neat little bows, but I still cannot wait for the next season to see what’s in store for the Gemstone family.
Rating: Loved It
The Righteous Gemstones is currently streaming on Max
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