'The Righteous Gemstones' First Impressions: How did I not hear of this sooner?

I don't think I actually finished watching Eastbound and Down. And I don't think I've always been much of a fan of Danny McBride's work, though I think that slowly I'm starting to realise how much of a gem this actor and writer actually is. I don't think there are many like him of that previous era of comedy still running around making the same jokes and silly humour, where the more politically correct style of comedy somewhat took the reigns when it comes to comedy shows. Danny McBride doesn't seem like someone that would settle for less, and would always find humour in the same things he always has. Exaggerating characters to some near cartoonish levels while also giving them a bit more of a realistic vocabulary. To describe The Righteous Gemstones and McBride, it opens up with a pastor family that's clearly bringing in some serious cash with over-the-top church ceremonies in a cultist manner. McBride's character being a father that's fundamentally broken and clearly far from the holy life despite praising it and clearly making big money from telling others how to live. McBride walks into his son's room and kisses him on the forehead to sleep. His son calls him a faggot. If that doesn't sum up the type of show you're getting yourself into, McBride was once aligned with the likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and James Franco. Yep, those types.

At first I didn't think I'd enjoy the show, I had my doubts and even felt them in the first episode which was a pilot that lasted a solid hour. It wasn't an episode that was riddled with comedy and jokes every other line that'll have you in tears, it's more a show that does actually try to tell a story, there's a genuine narrative unfolding here. Though it jumps into things with this protagonist getting caught up in some drama to which he's blackmailed over a video: either one million dollars or the video leaks, which is sure to bring down the entire family with their massive empire that thrives on selling others the idea of following the Bible and being deeply traditional. It's evident that much of this is a front for the family though, just a way to make money. This amplified once you see the family engaged in various forms of crime from drugs, prostitution, to near murder in some cases. It's a totally unhinged family that is attempting to cling to whatever it once had when the family still had their mother around. Her death clearly leading to a massive decline in how everyone behaves, even to each other. There's definitely a light being placed upon the idea of American pastors and the insanity of big ceremonies to which very specific people get rich off of those supposed donations, utilising the idea of religion and a church to milk people of their money. The entire family isn't necessarily this way, with the father having some interest in religion that came with his wife, who also gave him some direction. To add, the father of the family is perfectly cast with John Goodman, the slightly thinner and older actor being a great fit due to his exaggerated southern accent and generally more serious looking notion. He really perfects that older, more traditional and agitated father character. Especially with characters portrayed by McBride and Adam DeVine as his sons. If you've seen Workaholics then you'd know the DeVine is a perfect fit for a younger adult son character that is generally quite harmless but a bit of an idiot at the same time. The conflict between the sons is what makes the show, so far at least. The brotherly conflicts that show an older brother fighting against the younger, their jokes at each other that seem to be endless in offense. The dysfunctional family life is a big part of the show so far, and it really shows. Though there's personal drama and development within the characters that is slowly introduced. I really liked one of the earlier episodes that showed DeVine's character trying to onboard a young teenage girl into the church at the request of her father. DeVine having a student that claims he will quite literally kill himself for him due to his devotion. That student once a techno-goth that finds himself in fear of the life he once had, a fully grown man yet walking around the town like a scared lost child stumbling across various evils trying to tempt him back into his old ways.

The episodes run at around half an hour outside of the pilot, and I think that's a pretty solid runtime that manages to cram in quite a lot of little stories and developments so far. I was actually surprised to see that runtime capable of having so many little events unfolding. Especially when it's juggling the missing son, the blackmails, the drama between churches with the family trying to expand into new territory, as well as the family's own struggles together. Surprisingly all of this is done on quite a decent budget, and it shows based on the set design of grand church stages, interior home designs, and the various locations used in the show. Walton Goggins is probably worth most of that budget though, absolutely stealing the screen with his presence as always, I'm really looking forward to seeing him in the episodes. But the rest still manage to generate some laughs here and there when it's attempted. As I mentioned it's not a show that's always trying to make you laugh, so it's not constantly trying to be silly and funny, and I think that setup actually makes the jokes funnier when they do appear, almost somewhat unexpected as the show tries to tell its many different stories each having their own weight upon the characters and their lives. I'm curious as to where things are headed though. How many little stories they can keep throwing out to keep things interesting. It does feel like it's a story that's somewhat limited in what it tells given the subject. But there are enough characters to explore that could prolong things and keep it going. Whether it's from the drama side or the comedy side. So far it's engaging enough to keep on watching, at least.