Danny McBride’s series The Righteous Gemstones has come to a close with his fourth and final season. With the series concluded as a whole, our review this time will focus more than just on season 4, but still will primarily focus on the fourth and final season.
As always, we break down our reviews by story, acting, and overall. Let’s jump on into it.
Story 9/10
The series as a whole focuses primarily on the three children of the Gemstone family. All of them are involved in the church’s normal day-to-day practices and have been raised by Eli Gemstone and Aimee-Leigh Gemstone. They have grown up within a televangelist church and have an interesting view towards religion and society as a whole. Because of their upbringing, they are incredibly spoiled and detached from the modern day issues around them.
In the fourth season of the series, we specifically see the elder Gemstone, Eli played by John Goodman bow out from running the church completely, leaving all the practices to the three children, after they had particularly successfully taken over the reins from him in the prior season.
Recurring con man and constant swindler Baby Billy starts off the season convincing the Gemstone children to do their annual fundraiser on behalf of their deceased mother, Aimee-Leigh, as a result he convinces them to seek out their father and bring him back from his late life crisis to help celebrate their mother.
During the ceremony and fundraiser the event brings back into their world Lori Milsap, the best friend of Aimee-Leigh Gemstone to help celebrate the life of her best friend. During the fundraiser, Eli Gemstone and Lori fall into a romantic relationship, finding support within each other. When the children find out, the have a massive problem with it.
There are several minor stories within the season. Gideon Gemstone, the son of eldest son Jesse Gemstone, choosing to want to be a pastor. Another story is Baby Billy first destroying and then finding purpose in his family. There is even a story focusing a horrific tragedy accident on Judy Gemstone’s husband throughout the season. However, the main story of the season focuses around Lori and Eli’s relationship, the history of the two families and the damage left in the wake of their relationships.
Of all the past seasons, I feel like this season has more support from the sibling to each other. Normally the show ebbs and flows with love for each other, but when the show focuses less on the love of the siblings, and more on the bickering, it makes the show a little hard to watch. When everyone is united and working together, the show really soars.
I will warn though, from all the prior seasons, this one takes the darkest of turns. While the Lissons storyline from season 2 was incredibly dark, all the other seasons have been pretty lightly handled and well sprinkled with comedy and wackiness, but this season takes turns unseen twists into uncharted and suspenseful turns.
Acting 7/10
Danny McBride is once again his asshole self. He has mastered the art of self-important, bragger characters who believe the world revolves around themselves. The one thing I will say about the character of Jesse Gemstones though does appear to have something special about him, besides his hidden heart within. The Gemstone family as a whole seem to almost be bulletproof, and when they aren’t, they seem to be hardier than regular folk.
Edi Patterson who plays Judy Gemstone does a good job this season delving into a lot of her emotional problems and issues, it doesn’t touch down on the fact that she’s acted like that since she was much younger, but it was still interesting to see. The development and growth between her and her Sister-in-law, Amber, played by Cassidy Freeman, also leads into a better relationship with her husband BJ, played by Tim Baltz.
Adam Devine, Kelvin Gemstone has a smaller journey in this season as his primary storyline deals with childhood trauma, and being able to accept all parts of himself and finally be able to commit to the love of his life, Keefe, played by Tony Cavalero. Kelvin’s character’s break down this season leads to a very cathartic and happy end for the entirety of the show.
Also the best additions to the season was Lori Milsap, the best friend of Aimee-Leigh when she was alive played by Megan Mullally, and her son Corey, by Seann William Scott. Lastly, Lori’s ex-husband Cobb, played by Michael Rooker, is completely unhinged, a role he plays well.
Now that the show is ending I wanted to make sure I give props to Walton Goggins, who plays Baby Billy, for his amazing role within the series, as well as his wife in the show, Tiffany played by Valyn Hall. Their appearance episodes were usually a cut away from the main story and always an irrelevant joy to behold.
Overall 9/10
A lot of people are going to have a hard time watching this show. The theme and storyline of religion and televangelists can be a tricky one to navigate. Especially since the Gemstones in the series appear to be very blasphemous in most, if not all of their actions, choices, and statements. The good thing is that most religious organizations feel Televangelist are prophet hungry money mongers, who abuse religion for the purposes of crafting a station above all others in this world. It makes it a lot easier to laugh at the ridiculousness of the Gemstone family because of this.
It can still sometimes be difficult though to hear the blasphemy that goes on in this series though. If you have any inkling towards religion.
Conner’s Final Thoughts
While the conclusion of this series was heartwarming and enjoyable, I’m left still wanting more from certain story lines. The show did not do a very good job in its final season wrapping up all of its adventures. The major story, I really did enjoy, however, if the story of the first Gemstone, Elijah Gemstone, who faked being a preacher during the civil war, was a back door pilot, I’m down to watch an entire season of his adventures.
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