'The Righteous Gemstones' Season 4, Episode 3 recap: Seann William Scott arrives, Tony Cavalero devil monologue

Yahoo

24-03-2025

One of the biggest questions heading into Season 4, Episode 3 of The Righteous Gemstones is what will happen between Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) and Lori Milsap (Megan Mullally) after the kiss at the end of last week's episode. But before we get into that, Righteous Gemstones shows us what a perfectly placed flashback looks like.
The first episode of Righteous Gemstones Season 4 started with a big flashback to Elijah Gemstone (played by Bradley Cooper) during the American Civil War, but the flashback returned this week, this time just to the 2000s. Previous seasons of Danny McBride's show, in addition to its final season, prove that the talents behind the show know how to give their audience a flashback that's never used as a distraction or a gimmick, but really adds richness, and of course comedy, to the story.
"Initially we only did that in what we called the interlude, and it was usually Episode 5, and we would show some version of the Gemstones when they were younger, ... and to show a dynamic between Eli and Aimee-Leigh, and Aimee-Leigh and the kids, and why she means so much to all of them," Edi Patterson, who's a writer in addition to playing Judy, said about conversations related to the flashback moments throughout the show's run.
"I think [Season 3] was when we started going, maybe we can kind of weave this in. It just felt organic. And I think maybe that's the key, is just when it feels right, and [it's not] a narration in a movie or something, which can start to get like, 'Oh they just didn't know how to show, not tell, this.' We just never wanted it to feel like that. We only wanted to use it when it was necessary and super additive or super funny. And I think maybe that was the rule of thumb. ... Use it as a very special sauce."
SPOILERS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES SEASON 4, EPISODE 3 INCLUDED BEYOND THIS POINT
This week's episode begins on a stormy night 2002, where we see someone has broken into the Gemstones home and is trashing the place, but specifically breaks the glass box surrounding Eli's gold-plated bible. Yes, this is the bible that Elijah took from chaplain Abel Grieves in 1862, after killing him and assuming his identity.
Hiding under the bed, trying not to be seen by the robber, is a young Kelvin, who comes face-to-face with the vandal. That's when we cut to adult Kelvin, played by Adam Devine, who has woken up from the nightmare scene we just saw. This is a regular terror Kelvin has, with Keefe (Tony Cavalero) pointing out that Kelvin's night sweats and nightmares have been getting worse. Kelvin says they're particularly triggered by stormy weather.
"I hate storms. ... It's like the devil peeing on ya," Kelvin says.
That's when Keefe gives a lengthy and truly phenomenal monologue about the rain being attached to satan's urine, ending with him getting an erection.
"At first it's gross, but it's the devil's piss, so it can play tricks on us, make people think that it's actually delicious," Keefe says. "He laughs watching the humans lick up all his evil rain piss. ... Your hot sorcery piss can't hurt us in here. Be gone, devil."
It's truly a moment only Tony Cavalero can pull off.
While Kelvin is battling night terrors, he also stalled the threat of his childhood treehouse being torn down, after it was damaged by the storm. And a particular highlight, he's been nominated for the prestigious Top Christ Following Man of the Year award, which instantly makes Jesse (Danny McBride), who's never been nominated, jealous.
Kelvin is quick to hit back at his brother who questions whether Kelvin is deserving of the nomination, saying that the work he's done with Prism has been far more successful than Jesse's Prayer Pods, which are now all being returned by their buyers.
Jesse maintains that the "death of Prayer Pods" is proof that there's "a war against Christianity" in the U.S., but Judy corrects him.
"The death of Prayer Pods dude is because people were jacking off in them," she says. "They were not praying. Homeboy over here even stocked them full of lotion."
"On gay Reddit they refer to them as Squirt Yurts," Keefe adds.
But the Prayer Pods aren't the only issue for Jesse. Firstly, he's trying to mentor Gideon (Skyler Gisondo), so his son sees him as his mentor figure, not Eli. And then Jesse finds out Vance Simkins (Stephen Dorff), who's also nominated for Top Christ Following Man of the Year, is opening more mini-mall churches, right next to existing Gemstone establishment. And of course, Vance is quick to point out to Jesse, at a meeting of The Cape and Pistol Society, that he has the upper hand over Jesse in this rivalry.
Things are also getting rocky for Judy and BJ (Tim Baltz).
While BJ was thriving in his pole dance competition, with Judy cheering him on from the front row, his last moved ended with a fall that resulted in him needing to be in a wheelchair. And the transition makes things tense between the couple, quickly.
But on to the new love bird, Eli and Lori, who are trying to hook up without the Gemstone kids or Lori's son, Corey (Seann William Scott), who grew up with the Gemstones, and his wife Jana (Arden Myrin), finding out. But at a barbecue with the Gemstones, Corey is already suspicious, with his suspicion getting stronger when they all have lunch at Jason's Steakhouse.
Ultimately, Eli and Lori have to confess that they've been "f**king," and it doesn't go over well.
"This is like horror movie shit," Judy says.
"Daddy you slut," Jesse adds, before all the Gemstone kids hide in the restaurant's walk-in freezer.
"If I could have anything in this world, I'd have you mama back, alive, with me," Eli says, starting to cry. "But I can never have that again. ... I've been so lonely, I wish you could understand."
To end the episode, while the Kelvin, Judy and Jesse have a service at a church across from one operated by the Simkins, in an attempt to ensure the existing congregation stays with Gemstone Ministries, we see Jesse's group of goons throw Molotov cocktails into the new Simkins church.
As the church goes up in flames, we hear Jesse preaching about the Gemstones being "good, honest people" who are "doing the Lord's work."