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Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Righteous Gemstones' Recap: A Dysfunctional and Divine Finale
After four seasons, The Righteous Gemstones has concluded its sermon. The HBO comedy, created by series star Danny McBride (who also wrote and directed a handful of episodes), followed the dysfunctional, profane, sometimes violent and always funny misadventures of the Gemstone family and their thriving megachurch business. As disrespectful as the lead characters were, McBride always strived to portray the religious communities that inspired the show with respect. Instead, it was the Gemstones and those surrounding them that seeped with dysfunction: Themes like grief, workaholism, unprocessed trauma and internalized homophobia are just a handful of the issues that kept the show relatable amid all the chaos. Season 4 delivered nine formidable episodes that successfully tied up every loose end, provided closure to the characters who needed it, threw some unpredictable curveballs along the way and made that epic first episode in the season make much more sense. Spoiler warning: Before I continue, let this be your warning that major story spoilers are below. Proceed with caution. Read more: Max Streaming Service Review: Load of Content, but You Have to Make It Fit You The rivalry between Jesse Gemstone (McBride) and Vance Simkins (Stephen Dorff) finally came to a head in the finale, titled That Man of God May Be Complete, and it did so in the form of a classic two-man duel. Yes, the kind with guns. After Vance lost the Christ-Following Man of the Year award to Kelvin (Adam Devine), who stood in front of the cameras and crowd and pronounced his sexuality to the world, he unraveled. He dropped a yellow handkerchief on his foot in front of the Cape and Pistol Society, which was the provocation that led to the two men pointing weapons at each other. Neither man succeeded in hitting their targets. Instead, Jesse fired his weapon, looked around, and realized that this pomp and circumstance wasn't his bag. And then, he quit. Whether it was pursuing his Christian trivia game show, Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers, or going all in on his cinematic opus, Teenjus, Baby Billy's (Walton Goggins) workaholism has always been front and center. This season, all his focus was on the movie about teenage Jesus, which he ended up starring in, ridiculous wig and all. But remember, Baby Billy is also a husband and father, and throughout his story arc this season, his addiction to work conflicted with his responsibilities to his children and wife. I didn't expect Baby Billy to come to his senses, but surprisingly, he did, and in the end, he chose family over another one of his silly productions. BJ (Tim Baltz) becoming a competitive male stripper definitely wasn't on my bingo card, but it happened in season 4. After an accident on the pole left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, he and Judy (Edi Patterson) welcomed a therapy monkey named Dr. Watson into their home. Lo' and behold, the animal's help improved BJ's spirits and led to his ability to walk again. But the bond between Dr. Watson and BJ sparked jealousy in Judy, which led to the monkey's exit from their home. That break-up didn't last too long because after Judy discovered Dr. Watson had lost his mother, she found common ground with the animal and admitted out loud the reason she put up such a front was to fill the hole inside left by the death of her mother, Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles). I've been trying to make sense of the Bradley Cooper-starring season premiere, Prelude, for some time now. The episode took us back to Civil War times and explored the violent origin story of the Gemstone family. Elijah Gemstone (Cooper), a con man masquerading as a preacher, stole a gold-plated Bible from one of his victims before pretending to be a man of god to the soldiers dying around him. After a life of crime, the final moments of the premiere found Elijah turning toward religion and taking an interest in the book's lessons. Cut to the finale, and that gold Bible resurfaced. Earlier in the season, it was revealed that Cobb (Michael Rooker), the unhinged ex-husband of Lori Milsap (Megan Mullally), broke into the Gemstone compound when the siblings were children, vandalized the property and stole that gold Bible. This is an essential detail because all hell broke loose once present-day Kelvin discovered the book in Corey Milsap's bag. Traumatized by the experience of killing his father to save Eli and Baby Billy in a very horror movie-style plot point in episode 8, Cory cracked. He admitted that he assisted his father in all sorts of crimes, including murder. And then, he proceeded to hunt the Gemstone siblings down with his gun. Each of them suffered gut shots. But thanks to the assistance of one intelligent little therapy monkey, Jesse could retrieve his gun, and this time, his aim was perfect. He took Cory down with a headshot. The impromptu battle ended with the trio praying over their childhood friend in a fashion similar to Elijah praying over the dying Civil War soldier in the premiere. This was when the siblings, without ulterior motives, turned toward religion to deliver peace to a man in need selflessly. They got married. They dressed like Siegfried and Roy. It was glorious. Last but not least, there's Eli Gemstone. The ghost of his deceased wife, Aimee-Leigh, has been with him every step of the way. Season 4 found the family patriarch stepping away from the church to live a Jimmy Buffett lifestyle on a boat. His kids lured him back in, but you could tell his passion for the family business had dwindled. The return of Aimee-Liegh's best friend Lori Milsap, into Eli's life dug up old memories and new feelings. A romance was sparked that led to a consistent will-they, won't they theme that flowed through to the final moments of the series. After all was said and done, Eli went to Florida to live out the rest of his days on that boat. Lori, it seems, will be by his side. Closure was the main thing on the minds of McBride and his creative team when they mapped out these final episodes. I feel like they pulled it off. The Righteous Gemstones has solidified its legacy as one of the decade's best TV comedies, and it rode off into the sunset as only the show could -- on its own foul-mouthed, hilarious and heartfelt terms.
CNET
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
'The Righteous Gemstones' Recap: A Dysfunctional and Divine Finale
After four seasons, The Righteous Gemstones has concluded its sermon. The HBO comedy, created by series star Danny McBride (who also wrote and directed a handful of episodes), followed the dysfunctional, profane, sometimes violent and always funny misadventures of the Gemstone family and their thriving megachurch business. As disrespectful as the lead characters were, McBride always strived to portray the religious communities that inspired the show with respect. Instead, it was the Gemstones and those surrounding them that seeped with dysfunction: Themes like grief, workaholism, unprocessed trauma and internalized homophobia are just a handful of the issues that kept the show relatable amid all the chaos. Season 4 delivered nine formidable episodes that successfully tied up every loose end, provided closure to the characters who needed it, threw some unpredictable curveballs along the way and made that epic first episode in the season make much more sense. Spoiler warning: Before I continue, let this be your warning that major story spoilers are below. Proceed with caution. Read more: Max Streaming Service Review: Load of Content, but You Have to Make It Fit You Getty Image/Zooey Liao/CNET Jesse's duel of dysfunction The rivalry between Jesse Gemstone (McBride) and Vance Simkins (Stephen Dorff) finally came to a head in the finale, titled That Man of God May Be Complete, and it did so in the form of a classic two-man duel. Yes, the kind with guns. After Vance lost the Christ-Following Man of the Year award to Kelvin (Adam Devine), who stood in front of the cameras and crowd and pronounced his sexuality to the world, he unraveled. He dropped a yellow handkerchief on his foot in front of the Cape and Pistol Society, which was the provocation that led to the two men pointing weapons at each other. Danny McBride and John Goodman as Jesse and Eli Gemstone in the series finale of The Righteous Gemstones. Jake Giles Netter/HBO Neither man succeeded in hitting their targets. Instead, Jesse fired his weapon, looked around, and realized that this pomp and circumstance wasn't his bag. And then, he quit. Uncle Baby Billy's come-to-Jesus moment Whether it was pursuing his Christian trivia game show, Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers, or going all in on his cinematic opus, Teenjus, Baby Billy's (Walton Goggins) workaholism has always been front and center. This season, all his focus was on the movie about teenage Jesus, which he ended up starring in, ridiculous wig and all. But remember, Baby Billy is also a husband and father, and throughout his story arc this season, his addiction to work conflicted with his responsibilities to his children and wife. I didn't expect Baby Billy to come to his senses, but surprisingly, he did, and in the end, he chose family over another one of his silly productions. Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone in the series finale of The Righteous Gemstones. Jake Giles Netter/HBO The monkey on Judy's back BJ (Tim Baltz) becoming a competitive male stripper definitely wasn't on my bingo card, but it happened in season 4. After an accident on the pole left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, he and Judy (Edi Patterson) welcomed a therapy monkey named Dr. Watson into their home. Lo' and behold, the animal's help improved BJ's spirits and led to his ability to walk again. But the bond between Dr. Watson and BJ sparked jealousy in Judy, which led to the monkey's exit from their home. That break-up didn't last too long because after Judy discovered Dr. Watson had lost his mother, she found common ground with the animal and admitted out loud the reason she put up such a front was to fill the hole inside left by the death of her mother, Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles). The Gemstones' gold Bible conundrum I've been trying to make sense of the Bradley Cooper-starring season premiere, Prelude, for some time now. The episode took us back to Civil War times and explored the violent origin story of the Gemstone family. Elijah Gemstone (Cooper), a con man masquerading as a preacher, stole a gold-plated Bible from one of his victims before pretending to be a man of god to the soldiers dying around him. After a life of crime, the final moments of the premiere found Elijah turning toward religion and taking an interest in the book's lessons. Cut to the finale, and that gold Bible resurfaced. Adam Devine, Danny McBride and Edi Patterson as Kelvin, Jesse and Judy Gemstone in the series finale of The Righteous Gemstones. Jake Giles Netter/HBO Earlier in the season, it was revealed that Cobb (Michael Rooker), the unhinged ex-husband of Lori Milsap (Megan Mullally), broke into the Gemstone compound when the siblings were children, vandalized the property and stole that gold Bible. This is an essential detail because all hell broke loose once present-day Kelvin discovered the book in Corey Milsap's bag. Traumatized by the experience of killing his father to save Eli and Baby Billy in a very horror movie-style plot point in episode 8, Cory cracked. He admitted that he assisted his father in all sorts of crimes, including murder. And then, he proceeded to hunt the Gemstone siblings down with his gun. Each of them suffered gut shots. But thanks to the assistance of one intelligent little therapy monkey, Jesse could retrieve his gun, and this time, his aim was perfect. He took Cory down with a headshot. The impromptu battle ended with the trio praying over their childhood friend in a fashion similar to Elijah praying over the dying Civil War soldier in the premiere. This was when the siblings, without ulterior motives, turned toward religion to deliver peace to a man in need selflessly. Adam Devine and Tony Cavalero as Kelvin Gemstone and Keefe Chambers in the series finale of The Righteous Gemstones. Jake Giles Netter/HBO Kelvin and Keefe, sitting in a tree They got married. They dressed like Siegfried and Roy. It was glorious. Eli Gemstone finds his happy ending Last but not least, there's Eli Gemstone. The ghost of his deceased wife, Aimee-Leigh, has been with him every step of the way. Season 4 found the family patriarch stepping away from the church to live a Jimmy Buffett lifestyle on a boat. His kids lured him back in, but you could tell his passion for the family business had dwindled. The return of Aimee-Liegh's best friend Lori Milsap, into Eli's life dug up old memories and new feelings. A romance was sparked that led to a consistent will-they, won't they theme that flowed through to the final moments of the series. After all was said and done, Eli went to Florida to live out the rest of his days on that boat. Lori, it seems, will be by his side. Closure was the main thing on the minds of McBride and his creative team when they mapped out these final episodes. I feel like they pulled it off. The Righteous Gemstones has solidified its legacy as one of the decade's best TV comedies, and it rode off into the sunset as only the show could -- on its own foul-mouthed, hilarious and heartfelt terms.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Is that really Walton Goggins waterskiing stark naked in 'Righteous Gemstones'?
Is that really Walton Goggins waterskiing stark naked in 'Righteous Gemstones'? Walton Goggins has let it all hang out before in HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones," Danny McBride's satire on a megachurch family (Sundays, 10 ET/PT and streaming on Max). But nothing like in the opening sequence of this week's episode. Goggins, 53, who plays octogenarian Gemstone relative Baby Billy Freeman, is seen waterskiing in his birthday suit. It looks like Goggins threw caution to the wind to bare all. Not a chance. "There's a history there with this show, in Season 1 I stand up in a tub with my penis hanging out, and then there was the scene in last week's episode (in which Baby Billy is nude while getting dressed," says Goggins. "But no, that is not my penis!" Goggins has even had to field diplomatic calls from friends on the topic. "The first time I did that, people called me," he says. "One was a casting director friend of mine, and she said, 'You have a beautiful body, Walton,' and I said 'What are you talking about? That's my 80-year-old stand-in's body and penis!'" When asked about the waterskiing sequence, McBride laughs. He's asked a lot of his friend Goggins (the two shared lead roles in HBO's acerbic 2016-17 comedy "Vice Principals"), but even he knows where to draw the line. "No, I can confirm that Walton has never showed his penis on the show," he says. "There's always a body double, and never the same elderly penis." But are they real, or just prostheses? Danny McBride answers that riddle So those are not prostheses, the go-to for nudity in Hollywood, whether depicting Mark Wahlberg's member in 1997's "Boogie Nights" or in a recent episode of HBO's "The White Lotus," where Jason Isaacs accidentally flashes his family. (Goggins also co-stars in the current "Lotus" season as a character far darker than the bombastic Baby Billy, one who's in no danger of flashing anyone let alone his girlfriend.) "No, no prostheses," says McBride, who can't resist a trademark wisecrack. "Oh yeah, brother, those are red hot" organs. How did he even come up with the idea of putting Goggins on skis? Simple, the actor offered. "He told me he could do the slalom like that for real, and I said, 'OK, that's the cold open right there, you doing that, nude.'" If you're wondering why Baby Billy Freeman is out there waterskiing nude in the first place, Goggins has a theory. "It's kind of the same with the character I played in 'Vice Principals,' (Lee Russell)," says Goggins. "Both he and Baby Billy are deeply insecure human beings that just want to be relevant in a world where they don't feel relevant at all."
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Righteous Gemstones' Season 4, Episode 2 recap: Welcome Megan Mullally and the romance we've waited for
The Righteous Gemstones Season 4 premiered with a surprising flashback episode, a phenomenal welcome back with Bradley Cooper playing the crook, Elijah Gemstone, during the U.S. Civil War. But now it's time to get back to our present day story of the Gemstone family, with Eli (John Goodman) living the retiree life in Florida, while Baby Billy Freeman (Walton Goggins) is organizing a show to celebrate his late sister, Eli's wife, Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles). This week's episode also introduced us to a new character, Lori Milsap, played by Megan Mullally. Lori was Aimee-Leigh's best friend, and even though she's lost touch with the Gemstones, she's still beloved by the family when she reappears in their lives. SPOILERS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES SEASON 4, EPISODE 2 INCLUDED BEYOND THIS POINT While Righteous Gemstones has featured race cars and monster trucks, we're moving on to jet-packs in Season 4, Episode 2, titled "You Hurled Me Into the Depths, Into the Very Heart of the Seas." Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam Devine) are dressed like angels, rehearsing for the Aimee-Leigh Birthday Celebration Give-A-Thon, "raising money" and "lifting spirits," organized by their uncle Baby Billy. For the big finale, the idea is that all three of Aimee-Leigh's kids rise up with jet-packs, but there is a malfunction, which sends Jesse flying forward and then spinning in circles on the ground. Kelvin shoots up in the air and into a screen showing pictures of his late mother, and Judy flies back into the choir. In addition to Baby Billy needing his nephews and niece to learn how to use the jet-packs, he's also concerned because Eli is nowhere to be found, and won't answer calls from his kids. Fans of Righteous Gemstones will remember Baby Billy's nude introduction in Season 1, Episode 3, but for the last season of the show we're back to full-frontal nudity for Goggins' character, with Baby Billy taking off his pants as he's talking to Judy, Jesse and Kelvin about the Give-A-Thon. "This is what a f**king man looks like. This is how I roll, balls out and claws out," Baby Billy says, a his niece and nephews look away with disgust. "People in this family need to recognize which side of the bread's got butter on it.' "We didn't have to pay for as many pairs of pants this year, but you know what? We spent that money on importing some of the finest elderly penises we could to double for Walton," the show's star and creator, Danny McBride told, reporters ahead of the show's release. "Walton would not show his junk, which I respected, so we had to put out an international casting call to find the biggest and the best." Form there we head to the Florida Keys, with a long-haired Eli waking up on a boat and making eggs for a women who spent the night. "Just thought I'd get you on your way with some sunny sides," Eli tells her, before saying that while he's had fun, he's not interested in anything more serious, eventually just flat out saying, "I don't like you. Sorry." And she storms off the boat, much to Eli's excitement. Wearing a robe, smoking a cigar, letting his long hair flow in the wind, it looks like Eli is having a great time without the responsibilities of the church. But he gets a reality check when he kids interrupt his fishing time. Judy, Jesse and Kelvin are disgusted by his appearance, the amount of alcohol on the boat and the pink bra they find, which Eli says he uses for bait. A satisfactory answer for his kids, who think it's impossible for their dad to be romantic with anyone after their mother's death. "All your d**k juices are gone because mama got 'em in a jar up in heaven," Judy says. While Eli said he's not going to the Give-A-Thon, his kids aren't having it. So what makes him change his mind? Hearing Jesse, Judy and Kelvin repeatedly say "pussy." While Eli may have stepped away from church responsibilities, Kelvin and Jesse, in particular, are trying to be more successful. Righteous Gemstones Season 4 has now given us the moment we've all been waiting for, Kelvin and Keefe (Tony Cavalero) are officially a couple, and they've started Prism. "Maybe the Bible of ancient times doesn't work for us anymore," Kelvin says to his Prism members. "As modern young adults, we see the world different than older, lamer generations. We're more open, understanding, and accepting. And let's face it, some of the stuff in the Bible is not." "Let's get rid of that yucky stuff and focus on the good stuff," Keefe adds, before Kelvin pulls out a copy of the Kelvin Gemstone-edition Bible. But while they're a successful couple, Keefe asks Kelvin if they can maybe be more affectionate in public, maybe even get married, but Kelvin maintains that they're so successful because they keep their relationship "right down the mids." Meaning, leaving their romantic relationship up for interpretation, for some. "We're like the Ross and Rachel," Tony Cavalero and Adam Devine told reporters. "We sort of knew at the end of last season that we were going to go this direction, but it could have went a lot of different ways," Devine added. "I was very happy that Danny landed on us finally being together and being open and out in the church, and leading Prism, which was our sect of the church that is very inclusive in bringing everyone into the fold." While Kelvin is more successful than ever, Jesse has his own idea that he thinks will be his next big hit, Prayer Pods. They look like photo booths, but they are spaces to watch Gemstone content, like exclusive sermons, quick prayers, "Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers," Gemstones on digital demand, and of course, it has a donation button. But so far they're not rolling out as quickly as Jesse hoped, particularly after putting them in airports didn't work out. Ponitus ( Kelton DuMont) is also back with the family after flunking out of the Citadel for, as Jesse describes, making viral videos with his friends sticking firecrackers up their a**holes. "He came back worse and now he knows how to kill people," Jesse says about Pontius' return home. "It is a good skill to have if you're judicious," his wife Amber (Cassidy Freeman) says in response, adding that maybe Jesse should be more supporting of their son. While Pontius spends most of his time skateboarding outside the Gemstone church, Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) is trying to follow in his dad and grandfather's footsteps. But he's struggling with his preaching, and his first solo sermon doesn't go very well, getting completely flustered. Jesse also starts to feel threatened by his father, because Gideon isn't seeking much advice from him, but he sees Eli as a "mentor figure." Then we're back to the Give-A-Thon, with Baby Billy bringing on Aimee-Leigh's best friend Lori Milsap to sing at the event, which makes Judy, Jesse and Kelvin absolutely giddy. But Eli's kids are quick to point out that their father's cheeks are getting red as he gives Lori a hug, and Eli and Lori bond over missing Aimee-Leigh. When when it's time for big show, Eli does in fact come out on stage with his kids, and speaks about how much Aimee-Leigh loved everyone at the church, with the phones ringing off the hook with donations. After Lori performs, she shares a flirty moment with Eli in his dressing room, which ends in a handshake goodbye. But that's not enough for Eli. He runs out to the parking lot as Lori heads to her car and kisses her, and she kisses him right back. The episode ends with the kiss, and Jesse flying high with his jet-pack.
