4 more reviews

1. ›'The Righteous Gemstones' Season Two Review: So much funnier than the first season@namiks456d

   

   So I managed to binge through much of The Righteous Gemstones' second season within the span of about a week. While it has about nine episodes, these quickly went by as I found this second season to be much more engaging than the first. The first season being enjoyable but not all that humorous given it felt more like an introductory season that focused more in giving its characters a bit of depth and letting the viewer somewhat understand who they are. It was still an entertaining season but I feel it didn't generate as many laughs at it had hoped, with it having a bit more of a serious story to it that oriented itself around the concept of blackmail and how its main character (as well as his family) weren't as good as their general public image had portrayed them to be. The Righteous Gemstones is about an incredibly wealthy Christian family that thrives on creating massive events around church events. Where they'll set up entertainment and speeches around supposedly spreading the word of Christ to an audience in a huge arena. That gospel type of American culture that is almost cult-like while finding ways to be more and more ridiculous in its production value. Where the preachers are considered celebrities and blessed ones rather than the leeches and scammers they actually are. To no surprise, this show takes place in the south, where these sorts of events are more stereotypically known.

   Danny McBride really managed to pull The Righteous Gemstones into new territory with its second season though. And much of that quality increase actually came from the previous season's finale though. With his character coming to terms with his previous actions with his friends, not being as righteous as they assume. The family is utterly broken, with the children of the family being selfish and in many cases pure evil. Though this tends to generate a few laughs despite getting them caught up in various antics. Judy being the most insufferable character of the family, just utterly disgusting while always promoting herself beyond others, taking advantage of BJ, her lover, who isn't even Christian and comes from a regular family that eventually see right through the family's insanity. Advising him against being with her. Jesse narrowly escaping the blackmail given Baby Billy's pregnant girlfriend ends up killing them by accident, leading to them stealing his cash and running off. This is soon discovered by the family to which Baby Billy inevitably manages to weasel himself out of the situation. Something he later does having ran off leaving his pregnant lover not knowing where he is and why he left. We get a bit more backstory on this situation given he's done it before, abandoning his lover and child in the mall. His excuse always ending up being that he's afraid of not being a provider for his family. Though it's always clear that he's just a truly awful person that's driven by exploitation and greed. While the first season focused more on Jesse's chaotic lifestyle that is far from following the words of Christ, this season explores more of the general family in a way that gives far more context into each of them. It was a great season for that, and generated far more laughs as it navigated between characters. I really liked that it showed more on the father's side, Eli. Supposedly the most normal member of the family, the head of the whole operation that seemed to truly believe in spreading the goodness of Christianity to people. More humble than his children and understanding that money and status isn't everything, something that was implied to have been passed to him from meeting his wife and mother of the children, who had passed away, now leaving the family in this state. Though some backstory scenes showed that the children were always just nasty, while the parents had goodness in their hearts. Eli's backstory was interesting, coming from nothing but having grown up alongside a wrestling group, with its owner utilising the group for his own gain, sending them on violent missions. It showed that Eli had a rough upbringing and wasn't as good in the past as he now was. Though the arrival of his past friend brings back some of that violence in him, testing how much he had really changed. It was character exploration that I really liked, and showed that Eli had truly turned a new leaf despite his past.

   I also really liked the silly character development of Kelvin, the youngest child of the family. His 'muscle men' group that he was turning into something of a cult, and his attempts to maintain control of them throughout the season. Leading to Eli having enough of his idiocies and actually breaking both of his thumbs in a fight. This whole story alongside Keefe was great, I really found his story in the season to be the strongest, and the funniest. The whole concept just being so dumb, but that's what this entire season was really about: the characters had been established and now it was time to really exaggerate and show how stupid they really are, all while upping the chaos and having them get caught in more killings, more crime and more corruption. While all of this idiocy is taking place, people are threatening and hunting down members of the family, and they have no idea who is orchestrating it. Meanwhile Jesse is attempting to surprise the family with a new investment into some Christian development of a resort by the beach, trying to find the cash for it. There's really a bit of everything here in this season, and it's so good for it. I do think I found it more enjoyable than the first, though I can see how the first wanted to establish its cast a bit more, while also showing a bit of a story at the same time. So I don't think the first was terrible for this reason.

   I'm really looking forward to jumping into the third season. This was a blast and I have no doubts that the show will continue to increase in its idiocies. Having this family dive more into the violence and silliness as they attempt to maintain their empire in the supposed name of God. McBride is a genius for creating this show, and I really do recommend it. A great comedy that really is stupid, especially with Adam DeVine's character who also is a great strength to the cast. With Goggins as the horrible Baby Billy, and John Goodman as the good father with a troubled past.

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2. ›'The Righteous Gemstones' Season One Review: Surprisingly high budget and pretty funny@namiks482d

   

   Thanks to glancing over the IMdb page of Walton Goggins, I found The Righteous Gemstones and my curiosity had me instantly want to check it out, and that was joined with the cast of Danny McBride and Adam DeVine, two comedy actors with similar styles of humour despite having made rather different productions throughout their careers. I've never been a massive fan of Danny McBride, but I liked the idea behind Eastbound and Down. And I am a big fan of Adam DeVine for his contributions to the show Workaholics that unfortunately came to an end. It was a nice surprise to see DeVine working on a comedy again that wasn't some odd feature length title that misses its mark. I do think that actor is best acting in television series more than anything, and the same applies to McBride. The Righteous Gemstones is a clear example of this, to which their presence within the story certainly adds something to it, and any other actor wouldn't necessarily have the same weight to the show. Mostly due to the fact that The Righteous Gemstones is an odd story to begin with. It's a show that you'd find surprising in this era, where the rest of television is pushing these massive budget, grand narratives with stylish cinematography. And to be honest, I think HBO has been on a steep decline for a while now as its greatest shows either fell flat, got cancelled, or came to a regular end. Oh, how I miss Curb Your Enthusiasm! Though the last few seasons also fell a bit flat.

   For this style of series, even 9 episodes seems like a lot. Again for this era of television. Where comedy shows often run large in their number of episodes, ranging from upwards of 12 - 24 depending whether it's a comedy or a sitcom styled show. I do think for one season the show managed to utilise its 9 episodes quite well, telling a running narrative throughout them while also expanding a bit on various characters as it introduced them and gave us insights into who they are. Within these nine episodes we see what sort of family The Righteous Gemstones are. Where they were once a massive family that thrived on spreading religious narratives into the world, now with the loss of the mother in the family a significantly smaller family that clings to its former glory while having lost its direction in the pursuit of money and materialism. The Gemstones being the family name itself, with each character now an adult with their own problems and struggling lifestyles. I think the size of the family helps keep things fresh as it does jump between characters quite often throughout its episodes. Some episodes having more focus on others, whereas most tend to just juggle a large number of little stories at once: McBride's character and his secrets, the Baby Billy narrative to which the family greed is evident. Also the struggling father played by John Goodman which sees the sad nature of the present and how much better the past was with his lost love. This contrast in the characters keeps the show a bit more grounded given it doesn't just prioritise the humour at all times. There are actual stories unfolding here and they are given some serious weight. Especially when McBride's character is blackmailed, or when the Gemstones are struggling to expand the business into new regions where others are ultimately rejecting them. These bits of drama almost serve like breaks from the comedy, giving the episodes some pacing that is important in keeping us actually engaged in something beyond jokes. And when the characters do feel like real people with their own chaotic lives, it's definitely a bit more immersive even if cartoonish in certain aspects. Like when characters claim they aren't in a car chase but just playing 'car pranks' with some friends, even if that car has rolled over several times and people come running out and into the woods. It's how the characters handle these situations that gives the show most of the comedic elements, most of the time they're so caught up in their lies or are so distanced from the normal lifestyle that they stick out so much with their idiocies. It also removes some of the seriousness of the family and their background, to which they're supposed to be these leaders in a church that guide people to God, where they're supposed to be the last people of sin around.

   I mentioned in my first impressions post on the show that I was surprised to see a show like this, with this style of humour, with a significantly large budget. That production quality was felt throughout the entire season, even more so towards the end where some episodes focus more on events that take place around Easter, where the most people are present and the biggest shows will take place. The general set design and environments were done really well, even down to having really big crowds arrive and in the seats for the events. Usually this is where shows might try to hide some of the lower budget side of things. Where they might try to improvise and give the illusion of a large event hall full of people, though they didn't do that here. Again these bits of attention to detail really do help the show, since it still gives us this feeling of it being a real, breathing world beyond our main characters, and again not all about the comedy. And the size of a crowd does nothing if the environment they're in also doesn't feel like it's authentic. I'm not sure how McBride manages to convince people over at HBO to throw money at his silly ideas like this, but it's great that it works somehow. This isn't a show that I'd say is perfect, it's not one that seems to have everything figured out so far, but it's really not a bad concept within its first season.

   I would recommend this show so far. The performances are great and the cast perfectly suit their characters. But I'm not sure this is a show for everyone. I can see how this might filter out certain people. And perhaps that's why it still, with its fourth season now, somewhat remains under the general radar for most. Not to forget that it's a HBO show and they aren't likely to add the show elsewhere. But hey, maybe it's your sort of thing if you like these main actors in the show.

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3. ›'The Righteous Gemstones' First Impressions: How did I not hear of this sooner?@namiks488d

   

   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.

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4. ›The Righteous Gemstones is the best laugh-out-loud comedy tv show in years@daltono1563d

   

   The story follows a world-famous Christian televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work. ^Source

   

   Holy fuck this is good 🤣⛪️🛐💸

   Go ahead and call it blasphemous, but there is no denying that Righteous Gemstones is one funny ass show. I haven't lol'd so much since I was a teenager. Danny McBride and his crew of comedic geniuses are at their best in this show. There have been two seasons so far and season three has already been confirmed by HBO. Let's talk about why you absolutely must watch this show if you consider yourself a fan of comedy. I want to briefly explain what to expect from the episode of this show and then talk a bit about my favorite characters.

   The Gemstones are a powerful Christian family that rakes in hundreds of millions of un-taxed dollars each year. They may be running a game on all of their church members and followers, but they too also believe in the word of god. It is pretty ironic to watch all of these people do terrible things and then truly believe that their prayers will make it all magically okay. This has got to be the most hypocritical family to ever exist and it is downright hilarious. If you grew up being forced to go to church, then you will surely get a kick out of pretty much everything the Gemstones do.

   Now let's discuss these god-tier characters. I'm telling you, these people are fucking so good at making you laugh. You've got to love their southern accents too since this mostly takes place in South Carolina.

   

   Eli Gemstone

   Played By

   John Goodman

   

   This is the head of the church, the man who built everything from the ground up with his late wife Aimee-Leigh. Now that the mother to his children is gone, it is up to him to hold this outrageous family together and keep his congregation strong. Although John Goodman is 69 years old now, he still does a great job playing the old pastor. He is probably one of the least funny main characters, but without him, the rest would be in shambles.

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   Jesse Gemstone

   Played By

   Danny McBride

   

   I knew I liked Danny McBride, but now I know I love this dude. I first discovered this dude back in 2007 with minor roles in films like Hot Rod and Superbad. Then he kept popping up in several other epic comedies such as Drillbit Taylor, Pineapple Express, and Tropic Thunder. This guy slowly made a name for himself and eventually got his own show with Eastbound & Down, then Vice Principals, and now The Righteous Gemstones. His role as Jesse Gemstone is his best yet.

   The way this man delivers his punchlines is just too damn good. He is always so believable, yet childish if that makes sense. He may be the oldest of the Gemstone children, but he is still just a big baby underneath his overzealous exterior.

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   Judy Gemstone

   Played By

   Edi Patterson

   

   I actually don't remember Edi Patterson from anything in the past, although she has been around for quite a while. I will surely never forget her after seeing her portrayal of Judy Gemstone, who happens to have one of the filthiest mouths around. She is a spoiled brat with borderline Tourettes syndrome and a major anger problem. She is the middle child and the only daughter. She has her mom's looks, but she still can't get anybody's attention ever. Not to mention she is also a horny woman and isn't afraid to show her affection to her man BJ. This girl kills it and made me laugh way more than I expected.

   ---

   Kelvin Gemstone

   Played By

   Adam Devine

   

   The youngest brother and boy is he a confused one. He is a youth pastor and isn't sure whether he is a manly man or a metrosexual. Kelvin has over-the-top outfits, his accent is crazy, and his best friend Keefe is always by his side. I thought Kelvin was going to be annoying, but he turned out to be just as funny as the rest of the family.

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   Baby Billy Freeman

   Played By

   Walton Goggins

   

   Baby Billy is Aimee-Leigh's brother, which makes him the uncle to all of the Gemstone children. He is far from a decent man. This dude is always out for himself and will do literally anything for a slight advantage in life. He is full of character and is a very likable fellow. He lives way out in a rural area called Freeman's Gap. Just because he is not in the backyard of the Gemstones doesn't mean he is afraid to show up to get his piece of the pie.

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   BJ

   Played By

   Tim Baltz

   

   BJ is the cringiest character of them all and I totally love him for it. He is basically Judy's little bitch boy and their relationship is so weird. They will go from having kinky sex on the stairs to Judy raging on poor BJ and making him cry. This guy will do literally anything to make a good impression with the Gemstone family, but he fails over and over to be nothing more than a puny little boy.

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   Keefe

   Played By

   Tony Cavalero

   

   Keefe is such a weirdo, but you can't help but love the dude. He is a former satanist that was converted by Kelvin. Since he found god, he has become Kelvin's most loyal disciple and will do anything for him. They seem like best buds, but many would look at this friendship and assume the two are gay with each other. Hard to tell since Kelvin isn't really sure who he is and Keefe is just so out there. One thing is for sure, you can count on Keefe no matter what.

   ---

   

   My favorite comedy right now 😆

   It is no exaggeration when I say this is the best comedy I have seen in many years. I think part of it is the fact that it makes so many dark jokes about how silly some parts of Christianity are. I also just love how vulgar all of these people are, they have no filter whatsoever. The combination of all of these crazy characters makes for the ideal comedy. This show is not pushing Christianity at all, but it also isn't dumping on it 100%. It shows that there is some power in being together and worshipping with one another, but it also proves that televangelists most certainly are making more money than most could ever imagine.

   Check out the trailers for seasons 1 and 2. I promise that you will not be disappointed. You can find the show on HBO Max now.

   ^{Season 1}

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   ^{Season 2}

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