05-05-2025
'The Righteous Gemstones' series finale recap: How does the show end, who dies and who survives?
It's the end of the era, one of the funniest TV shows in recent years has come to an end with the series finale of Danny McBride's The Righteous Gemstones. For four seasons Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterso), Kelvin (Adam Devine) and Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) have guided us through this satire of televangelists with great success, and now we have to say goodbye (until we start rewatching on Crave in Canada, Max in the U.S.).
When it comes to sticking the landing, the final episode of the series finds that balance between the absurdity that we love with The Righteous Gemstones, and a sweetness we've always felt between these characters and this family. And now it's time the who goes to TV heaven, otherwise known as living on streaming sites.
SPOILERS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES SEASON 4, EPISODE 9 INCLUDED BEYOND THIS POINT
We begin at The Cape and Pistol society, where Vance Simkins (Stephen Dorff) is clearly still upset about losing Top Christ Following Man to Kelvin. Vance comes in taunting Jesse by saying he's opening 10 mini-mall churches right next to Gemstone churches.
After years of this feud, Vance drops the yellow handkerchief, meaning that he's challenged Jesse to a pistol duel, with Eli volunteering to be his son's second.
Vance gets the first shot in the duel but misses Jesse, hitting a car in the parking lot instead. While Jesse now has the advantage, he purposefully hits a sign behind Vance (that bounces and hits another Cape and Pistols member). But Jesse says he doesn't need the society to prove that he's an "impressive man," and he quits.
Probably one of the most exciting revelations is between Kelvin and Keefe (Tony Cavalero). Keefe has renovated Kelvin's treehouse, and then Kelvin asks Keefe to marry him, with Keefe agreeing.
But that's not where the love story ends in this episode. When BJ (Tim Baltz) admits that he misses Dr. Watson, Judy organizes a visit for BJ to meet Dr. Watson's new companion, and Judy decides that they're going to keep the animal.
While Baby Billy had been prioritizing "Teenjus" instead of his family, as he's about to climb up on a cross for the show, he realizes his family should have been a priority and leaves the shoot.
But love isn't in the air for Eli and Lori Milsap (Megan Mullally), they didn't get back together after Corey (Seann William Scott) killed his father, her ex-husband Cobb. But Lori shares with Eli that Corey isn't doing well after Cobb's death and it's also impacting his marriage to Jana (Arden Myrin).
She also gives Eli a letter Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles) wrote to her after her divorce from Cobb, hoping that it lifts his spirits the same way it did for her.
But the Milsaps and the Gemstones have been friends for a long time, which means they care about Corey, so they invite Corey, Jana and Lori to try to cheer him up.
Corey brings back his Michael Jackson-inspired dance routine from their childhood to perform for the group, including the authentic jacket.
Things take a turn when Corey says he's facing an "emergency" since his father died, telling the Gemstones he wants $7 million to buy his dad's gator park. Even though Lori says it's rude to request that, Corey stresses that he killed his father to save Eli.
But Jana finally stands up for herself, saying she's tired of how rude Corey is to her, and she announces that she wants a divorce.
After the blowup the Gemstone kids tell Corey they're all supporting him, except they won't give him $7 million.
Then things start to get really outrageous. AsKelvin goes inside the lake house, he's sees a figure that looks like his dead mother calling his name and follows her into Corey's room. That's where he sees that inside Corey's bag is a gun and Eli's gold bible, the one that was passed down through generations of Gemstones. And Corey's written his name on the list of owners.
When Kelvin shows his siblings, Corey comes out and confirms that his father stole the bible when they were teenagers and there was the break-in at the Gemstone home.
Corey reveals he also used to help his dad with the "ex-boyfriends club," whenever his mom would have a new boyfriend, and the father-son duo would "handle things."
"At first dad would just fight them, and then things got worse and worse, " Corey says. "He even killed one guy."
"Daddy was a monster. By the time we got to Big Dick Mitch, daddy made me a monster too."
Then Corey goes on a tear, getting his gun and trying to shoot Jesse, Judy and Kelvin dead. First shooting Judy as the siblings walk through the doors of the lake house, and quickly playing "Red Red Wine" by UB40 through the lake house speakers as everyone else is out on the lake, masking the sounds of the gunshots.
Kelvin makes it look like he's hiding under the bed, but he was actually behind a curtain, but wasn't fast enough to attack Corey, who shot him.
Corey shot Jesse through a closet door, but before putting one more bullet in his head, Corey ran out of bullets. Jesse was able to crawl out into the hallway, as were Kelvin and Judy.
Then Judy rings the bell for Dr. Watson to get Jesse's gun in his "everyday carry bag," and Jesse is able to get one shot at Corey in the head.
While Jesse says they'll get Corey help, Corey just wants them to pray with him, similarly to what the wounded wanted from Elijah Gemstone in the season's first episode.
"Sometimes we let jealousies corrupt us. Sometimes we don't think about how we act and how it affects other and we do things that we regret," Jesse says in his prayer. "We all fall off the path dear Lord, that is who we are. We are imperfect beings trying to become something more."
"We are at your mercy dear Lord. And we hopefully ask you to guide Corey to your kingdom. He may not deserve it, but maybe he'll make a better angel than the was a man."
While we face Corey's death, the Gemstones make it out alive and we get to see Kelvin and Keefe married by Eli.
As the whole family, and their friends, dance at the reception as we hear a voiceover of Aimee-Leigh, it's the words she wrote in the letter to Lori after her divorce, which Lori gave to Eli.
"Sometimes it's easier to never say goodbye and just leave things where they lay," we hear her say. "Sometimes thing happen and the life we knew is taken from us, just like that. It can happen fast."
"When things change, it's easy to give into the darkness. When we hold on to pain too tight we lose the ability to grab the light. ... Even if years go by and we lose our way to each other, know I'll always be waiting, ready to share my love. I'm here whenever you need me. Please don't ever forget that."
Then we see Eli crying as he reads Aimee-Leigh's letter, looking up at the portrait he has of the couple on the wall of his office.
To end the show Eli is back in Florida, on a boat, and Lori shows up, making an unexpected visit.
"I figured, you could maybe use a first mate. Someone to point you in the right direction when you get lost," Lori says.
And that makes the end of The Righteous Gemstones, and despite all their wrongs, we still kind of want the best of this crazy family.
