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My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
Fans of HBO’s original programming have recently said goodbye to Succession and Barry, and The Righteous Gemstones’ third season proves that it can fill the comedic void. Fans of the former series’ will spot familiarity with The Righteous Gemstones. With such elements as siblings trying to follow in the footsteps of the family patriarch, such as in Succession, or the comedic elements found in the dramatic situations of Barry.
For those who haven’t watched the first two seasons of The Righteous Gemstones, the series follows the televangelist Gemstone family. The Gemstone Church was founded by Eli (John Goodman) and Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles) Gemstone, and the series takes place shortly after their mother’s death as the three children Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam DeVine) begin to run the televised mega church. Each season follows the family as someone from the past resurfaces bringing family issues and subplots involving each member.
This review of season three will contain minor spoilers to past seasons and the current, but will have no significant spoilers.
Familiar Family, Familiar Structure
By this point in the series, fans can expect recurring themes. A character from Eli’s past resurfaces, Jesse leads his siblings through the modern-day chaos, Judy’s rough relationship with men and her current husband BJ (Tim Baltz), Kelvin’s antics with his best dude-bro Keefe (Tony Cavalero), and finally, one flashback episode carried by Eli, Aimee-Leigh, and younger versions of the Gemstones. Plus, we get more of Walton Goggins, Baby Billy Freemen, the younger brother of Aimee-Leigh.
The clever writing of Danny McBride and his regular contributors, such as David Gordon Green and Jody Hill, makes these familiar themes seem fresh and invigorating in each season. It’s as if they created their tropes and recycled the formula warmly and welcomingly, similar to returning home to visit family. But a family that runs a televised mega church, theme parks, resorts, and a Christian streaming service, with a sprinkle of shady Memphis mafia personalities.
The Gemstone’s latest outing, Eli’s strange sister May-May Montgomery (Kristen Johnson), reenters the lives of the Gemstones due to the safety of her two boys Chuck (Lukas Haas) and Carl (Robert Oberst). The two Montgomery boys are heavily influenced and devout followers of their father Peter’s (Steve Zahn) church, The Brothers of Tomorrows Fires. The church looks like the Duck Dynasty men all got together and started prepping for the end times, with even more bearded men, guns, and sermons containing snakes. The militia also seeks to bring an end to the Gemstone family. While this happens, the three Gemstone siblings finally take over the church as their father enters retirement.
Jesse tries to lead his family while dealing with the jealousy of his wife Amber (Cassidy Freeman), and a successful at-home marriage therapy system called ‘The System.’ Judy returns from a concert where she had an affair with a washed-up guitarist, and Kelvin teams up with Keefe on a journey to clean up the streets of vile adult sex toys by buying out all the local supplies. All this excitement happens while trying to inherit a race car driver’s estate and a secret society of pastors.
Memorable Moments for Memorable Characters
Danny McBride is no stranger to arrogant, confident, macho men, and this shines through his portrayal of the eldest Gemstone sibling, as Jesse consistently embodies these types of characters. It’s a fitting role for McBride as the son of Goodman’s Eli Gemstone. They’re two men that can be arrogant in their ways, yet lovable. It’s important to note the performance of J. Gaven Wilde, the young Jesse. Wilde perfectly embodies a young Jesse while not mimicking McBride. Wilde makes the role his own, and unique parallels are drawn to establish the timelines to see that this boy would one day lead his daddy’s mega church.
Frankly, the main cast in all three seasons give some of their best performances in The Righteous Gemstones, yet the supporting characters honestly give this series its charm. They see Baby Billy singing as an oyster, Keefe attempting to be a youth pastor, to BJ getting in a nude fight. The series is crude, yet filled with a heart painted in gold, if it wasn’t for these characters’ strengths and how they impact the family.
Much like in season two, when Eric André and Jason Schwartzman were guest characters, guest performers showcased their fun on set. These characters in season three are also having fun with their roles. Zahn as Peter is perfect, showing his acting range within the role of a cult-like leader. The three orphan siblings of a rival mega-church appear throughout, and even the race car driver all seem to enjoy their time in this chaotic jumbotron world.
The Crude Conclusion
The Righteous Gemstones continues to showcase the dysfunctional Gemstone family as they navigate life without their matriarch Aimee-Leigh. The usual antics aren’t quite stale, but hopefully, as the series continues, so do the family dynamics. In just three seasons, we have seen significant character development and have a good idea of what to expect from future installments in the Gemstone Legacy. More important, hopefully, some of the performances will receive nominations when award seasons return after the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Overall, season three gets 4.5/5 stars.
The show is perfect for those wanting a new HBO series to follow (seeing that a fourth season was greenlit before the season three finale). More importantly, the series is excellent for those who want some comedy that isn’t afraid to play it safe. Even though it reuses the formula from season two, it’s not a broken one. The series isn’t as dark as the first season was, and hopefully however, the fourth season can break away from the established trends that the series continues to follow. But even though the series seemed familiar, it will make you laugh if you’re a fan of any of the actors in the series.
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My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
