S01.E09: Better Is the End of a Thing Than Its Beginning

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Eli questions his children's future in the Gemstone ministry. Jesse struggles to keep his marriage together. Judy opens up to BJ about her past. A disillusioned Kelvin embraces his dark side.

Season finale, airing Sunday, October 13, 2019

[revbfc]

Predictable, but I loved it.

[MerBearStare]

I think this was my favorite episode of the season. I know that all the characters are terrible and that's the point, but I liked that there was some heart and kindness to multiple story lines: Eli making amends with Dermot Mulroney, Jesse volunteering with Gideon in Haiti, Keefe and Kelvin and Judy and BJ reuniting, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin working together instead of antagonizing each other.

To me the funniest moments were BJ acting tough with the security guard then immediately backing down and Judy punching Tiffany even though she didn't have to.

And my favorite line of the night was Jesse to Gideon, "Let these Catholics and liberals help these folks get their clean water." As a liberal who was raised Catholic, that cracked my shit up.

[SHD]

Jesus = karate guy

[scrb]

Yeah but we know they will break bad again don’t we?

I thought Baby Billy was either going to be killed or Eli was going to let him go away with the money since Groggins has his own show on CBS.  

But hey, if that show doesn’t last, he can be available for season2.

I wonder if McBride only plans for two seasons like Vice Principals.  So they will have to come up with new conflict or maybe it’s about Jesse rejoining his family.

Actually the characters in McBride’s shows start out bad but by the end are less awful.  The Gemstones have all had kind of mini redemption arcs with this season finale.

Can’t wait to see what they have in store.

[thuganomics85]

Definitely thought Baby Billy was going to be a goner, since Walton Goggins is currently doing The Unicorn as well.  Hopefully he can still come back, although I can him not being full time, since it looks like Billy is going to be traveling around and preaching from a tent!

I swear, anytime they have scenes of just the Gemstone siblings being childish with one another, I laugh non-stop.  Some of my favorite moments in this episode was just the three of them tattling to Eli about what the others have been doing, and the scene of them watching television together and giving each other passive aggressive (but still somewhat earnest) support.  They've really nailed that dynamic down, in its own twisted way.

How Edi Patterson managed to make that speech at the Outback Steakhouse both disturbing and darkly funny, is something I can not figure out.  I was already a fan after Vice Principals, but she is even better here.

Kelvin coming back and "saving" Keefe was also hilarious and insane, but somehow sweet.

Stealth MVP goes to the security guard, who was side-eying the ridiculousness that was Judy and BJ's dirty talk!

Jesse actually takes a solid step towards redemption by going back to Haiti and helping Gideon with his missionary work.  We'll see how that works out.

Another winner by Danny McBride and crew  for me and I can't wait to see what is in store for the second season!

[MMLEsq]

14 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

To me the funniest moments were BJ acting tough with the security guard then immediately backing down and Judy punching Tiffany even though she didn't have to.

I also liked the glued-back-together Jesus bobblehead with the wonky arm.

Edited October 14, 2019 by MMLEsq

[bijoux]

No way I would have predicted being touched by Jesse Gemstone in the final scene of the season when this show started. Though I do feel some assholery was missing there. Jesus on the dashboard, Gideon, I just came off the bus and I'm kicking your ass. What have you been doing? I howled at their first scene when Jesse tried to literally take him back home and their parting shots. 

6 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Stealth MVP goes to the security guard, who was side-eying the ridiculousness that was Judy and BJ's dirty talk!

That dude better get paid six digits and have benefits which include counseling. And I'm not talking about spiritual counseling. The reasons behind why Judy wasn't included in the front end business become clearer as time goes on. BJ is a fucking moron. He went to win back a woman who sexually harassed, then paid off her professor and kidnapped his son. Jesus take the wheel. With how many people show up at the megachurch, the dating pool has to offer at least one other lady willing to indulge his gold shower kink. 

1 hour ago, MMLEsq said:

also like the glued-back-together Jesus bobblehead with the wonky arm.

I rewound the gasps twice. Fucking hilarious. 

The siblings kill me dead with their dumbassery. So much so I thought they might kill Eli by the end of this episode. Like, he'd just go, I'm tired of this shit. Aimee Leigh, I'm coming. 

[tomsmom]

“What? That was a karate person”

LOL

[Bulldog]

Was this episode shot before they knew that they were renewed, because it seemed like a fitting series finale?  Everyone was more or less redeemed to some extent.

I assume both Goodman and Goggins are able to participate despite having shows on other networks due to the relatively small number of episodes ordered.  I'm sure they are willing to adjust filming to accommodate their schedules.

I knew when they all ran out during the thunderstorm, that somebody was going to be struck by lightning.  It was only a question of who.

[Armchair Critic]

19 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

I think this was my favorite episode of the season. I know that all the characters are terrible and that's the point, but I liked that there was some heart and kindness to multiple story lines

Me too, I watched this before bed last night and was glad it was a more light hearted episode. So many funny lines in this one. Even the guards were making me laugh, when the guard called him PJ he said "my name is BJ" and the guard goes "that's even worse!". 

That was quite an amusement park right on their property.

[revbfc]

Jesse & Gideon spending time together was exactly what I wanted from this episode.  I’m glad that Jesse realized that exile with his son was exactly what he needed.

Part of me thinks that Gideon could one day become Eli’s true successor.

[tennisgurl]

3 hours ago, revbfc said:

Part of me thinks that Gideon could one day become Eli’s true successor.

When Gideon was in Haiti talking about wanting to find redemption through good works and humble living, I thought that he might be the true heir to the original ministry that Eli and Aimee Leigh created before the millions of dollars and the mega church.

That was a surprisingly touching season finale for such a silly show, Elis last sermon was actually quite well done and moving, and I atually loved that even the selfish asshole Gemstones are showing some growth, with Eli giving the small town preacher a job, Jesse going off to join Gideon and try to mend fences with him, and Judy and BJ and Kelvin and Keefe finding each other again. They even had lots of nice moments with the supporting cast and minor characters, like the teen that Kelvin was mentoring and her family, the husband who had sex with the hooker looking longingly at his wife and kids in the row ahead of him, and even ghost Aimee Leigh looking on with approval!

The bits where BJ got back with Judy and Kelvin ran off to rescue Keefe from Satan and skin milk baths were actually quite sweet, in a really weird kind of way. Points to that security guard who kept stealing confused glances at BJ and Judy during their dirty talk. You can tell he was thinking "I am SO not paid enough for this." 

Well shit, I get why Eli wanted to keep Judy out of the public eye until now, she basically lived the plot of fatal attraction, but with some very questionable consent on the other parties part. That whole scene was so deeply fucked up, kudos to the actors committing so hard to it. "G'Day"

I really thought that baby Billy would be a goner, considering WG has The Unicorn now, but I am glad he lives to preach another day. Serious flashbacks to Justified with Baby Billy ending up in a tent style revival, the man was made for that! 

I love whenever the three siblings are together, they all basically act like five year olds instantly. Tattlers! 

[scrb]

I wonder though, the Gemstones siblings are obviously spoiled, live out a conspicuous consumption lifestyle.

But Jesse's kids don't show too much evidence of being spoiled.  There's Gideon and the second son, who both feel alienated from their father.

I'm sure they have nice things but they don't seem spoiled.  Of course only Gideon's character has development so the other kids are kind of like props.

What are the odds that children growing up in that environment wouldn't be spoiled?  Jesse has his toys, Amber has a huge arsenal.  You'd think the kids would have electric carts which are made to look like exotic cars or something.

If Jesse, Kelvin and Judy have become corrupted by all the Gemstone wealth, how did the kids avoid the same fate?  Or maybe Jesse and Amber are just spending most of the money on themselves?

Maybe McBride is focusing more on how ungodly they are or how they are the opposite of spiritual even though they're suppose to be spiritual leaders.  

Greed and materialism must be covered in the bible?  But rather than cite those verses, of course prosperity theology is a uniquely American thing.

I heard an interview with a young woman who grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church, who participated in their activities promoting hatred.  It wasn't until she befriended outsiders that she gained a different perspective and now repudiates them.

So it's kind of interesting that Gideon seems to reject his family's materialism or whatever they're preaching.  Since they're ostentatious, they should be also advocating prosperity theology.  But he rejected it before he left the fold, not afterwards.

[pasdetrois]

I like the more subtle humor (the siblings' rapid-fire talking over each other) and get annoyed with the McBride flavor of gross humor. It just seems so labored and childish. And I always think endless use of the word "fucking" in a script is lazy writing.

Still, I appreciate the megachurch-that-pulls-in-millions skewering. Watching Ken Burns' Country Music with its archives of old time tent revivals - they were lucky if they had chairs and a microphone.

[msrachelj]

So friggin funny. I wish I didn't delete it, I want to see a couple of scenes again. John Goodman throwing the Jesus statue against the wall and everyone OOHing was hysterical because it rings true. I'm surprised they didn't kiss it. That's what we were taught eons ago whenever we dropped a religious item. And the bit about leaving the clean water to the Christians and the liberals! There was more, my husband and I were laughing hysterically. I'm not a fan of the weird sex talk and all the peni! but great acting all around and such funny lines. I hear it was renewed? Fantastic . 

[Pj3422]

On 10/14/2019 at 3:55 AM, thuganomics85 said:

How Edi Patterson managed to make that speech at the Outback Steakhouse both disturbing and darkly funny, is something I can not figure out.  

That speech was both horrifying and hilarious!

[Uncle JUICE]

On 10/17/2019 at 8:27 PM, Pj3422 said:

That speech was both horrifying and hilarious!

It's a great example again of how hard a trick this show is pulling off week to week. The words coming out of her mouth are insane, and yeah, a little funny, and the addition of a bloomin' onion as a foreground object, it's definitely comedic. But Patterson absolutely pours everything she has into it, with real tears and everything, that some part of me felt terrible for this woman, who clearly spent her life being an overlooked female middle child, looking for acceptance (from BJ and her dad, of course) and a way to be special or be desired and 'impressive' (the lies she told about how many "dudes [she's] blown" or the innumerable men she (never) fucked. She sold the sheer heartbreak of Judy trying to hang on to the only man who loved her. 

Ditto, I think for Walton Goggins. I know he played a weird version of this character in Justified, which okay, I liked a lot, but honestly, if anyone has a "Southern preacher" role in any film or movie for the next ten years, he better be first choice. Not only does he play the preacher part convincingly, he plays the REST of the character, the private Billy, incredibly. Every speech he gives, even when it's got some ridiculous nugget in it, or when he dismisses Judy so callously, the shift in tones he manages, the guy's a treasure. 

What a surprisingly great show this is! 

[Witchz]

As if anything or anyone can make something Danny McBride touches better - there is Walton Goggins.  He is the icing on the best cake you ever had!! 

[qtpye]

On 11/1/2019 at 6:40 PM, Witchz said:

As if anything or anyone can make something Danny McBride touches better - there is Walton Goggins.  He is the icing on the best cake you ever had!! 

Walton is like his muse and inspiration. They are the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp of raunchy comedies.

[WhineandCheez]

Baby Billy is about 90% of the show for me.  When the one daughter called him "Uncle Baby Billy" I spit out my coffee.

[Victor the Crab]

Very late chiming in.

Edi Patterson deserves, at the very least, an Emmy nomination for that scene in the Outback steakhouse where she tells BJ about her only sexual tryst. What was hilarious about it was the music playing in the background while she was talking. It was both touching and heartfelt, as if it belonged in one of those Hallmark movies, while Judy was spewing all this crazy eyepopping batshit. I like how mismatched stuff can somehow blend in and make sense somehow.

I figured Keefe would find his way back to the dark side, And yet good for Kelvin to bring him back in, once Kelvin learned from his mistake. I'd have to say Kelvin might arguably be my favourite character of the series as he seems so earnest about his role, despite his appearance and attitude, when compared to the rest of his family.

Looks as if Gregory's wife forgave him for the night in Atlanta. But Chad's life is about to become a living hell because of his scorned wife. And after getting shot for Jesse too (well, that's what he gets for showing us his penis). I can see him living inside Jesse's house, much to the deep chagrin of Amber.

And yes, I do see Jesse moving back in, once he and Gideon finish their work in Haiti. Gideon should be welcomed back into his mother's arms, but things between her and Jesse will remain chilly for quite some time.

Eli's forgive but not forget position with his kids should carry over into the next season, as he will no doubt watch over them like a hawk.

Anyone else notice psycho Scotty sitting next to Amie Leigh in the congregation near the end?

Don't know if we'll see Baby Billy in the next season, maybe one episode. There seems to be a finality with his character going on the road to tent revivals telling people he saw his late sister.

In the end, Danny McBride's best work yet.

[Natalie68]

On 10/15/2019 at 12:07 PM, msrachelj said:

So friggin funny. I wish I didn't delete it, I want to see a couple of scenes again. John Goodman throwing the Jesus statue against the wall and everyone OOHing was hysterical because it rings true. I'm surprised they didn't kiss it. That's what we were taught eons ago whenever we dropped a religious item. And the bit about leaving the clean water to the Christians and the liberals! There was more, my husband and I were laughing hysterically. I'm not a fan of the weird sex talk and all the peni! but great acting all around and such funny lines. I hear it was renewed? Fantastic . 

I was surprised how many actors junk they showed in this show.  I cannot watch The Unicorn because all I see is Baby Billy!

[IWantCandy71]

I can remember hearing about Danny McBride years ago and how he's so funny, etc and when I first saw him, he completely turned me off. I still don't think much of him. As a actor and a comedian, he's limited. However, because of Walton Goggins, I watched all of Vice Principals. More than once, actually. And I laughed (and CRIED-the last two episodes of that show are some of the best series TV I have EVER seen) more than I ever thought I would have. Even at things DMc did. Lee Russell and Neal Gamby are anti heroes (at best), outright villains at their worst, and yet I LOVED them and their friendship. Hated that they only did two seasons of the show. 

So when I heard of TRG, and heard WG was coming along, okay. I gave it a try. And my biggest problem with it, aside from the obvious ? It's BORING. And maybe an UO among the people who enjoy the show, but I think DMc himself looks bored. Or maybe it's just his character in this one. I get that his shows are actually more dramas with comedy moments. But in every scene, I should feel SOMETHING, and I just don't. 

I hate to say it, but even Walton doesn't make this good-proof that while everything he touches is better because he's there, doesn't make the project itself worth recommending. I did enjoy the one flashback show with the mom being alive. If the show had been set in the past and they went with that, and had Danny McBride playing the father, with Walton as young Billy, for the entirety of the series, I think it would've been better. John Goodman could still have a part, somehow. Maybe JG and another actor could play the characters as older versions ? IDK. 

But I think what I might be missing is the awesome chemistry with McBride and Goggins that they displayed in VP, that is just lost here.  Righteous Gemstones is a show about horrible people, that I don't care about and cannot get invested in. VP was a similar type show, but I loved those two knuckleheads. A big part of it could simply be, that VP was written years beforehand, and there is obviously so much love by the creators in those characters and that story. And I feel like RG in comparison is just so....uninspired and lazy.

It's a shame, really. I adore WG, and if I hear of a really good episode he is in for the next season, I might stop and watch it. But otherwise, I think the show's a big "meh". It makes me think VP may have been a fluke LOL. 

IDK.

[azshadowwalker]

I didn't watch this when it first aired. Just finished it. I didn't see any redemption in these people. They're money-hungry trash taking from the poor to give themselves ease. 

As for why Eli accepted his wife, but not his daughter, I think his wife made him money. He had to accept her in the ministry, but he could fall back on misogynistic bullshit of his religion once he had the bag. 

I think they will do anything to keep their own family and wealth intact. Even put on pretenses. Does that make them redeemed? Not a damned bit. 

Wasn't terribly funny, even as black comedy. Typical HBO. 

[ahpny]

What works well here is that none of the characters (well maybe accept Baby Billy) is really as bad as they initially seemed. They still generally suck, but all (again other than Baby Billy) have shown at least some positive qualities overlay lots of bad  stuff. And thus, despite the satiric comedy DNA of the show, as in life, most people aren’t all bad or all good.

Though I get the over-the-topness of it all, Eli getting shot by his wife didn’t work for me. By that single act, she’s arguably the most evil of them all, and never gets called on her shit. I don’t find that funny or amusing. Eli has to move out after she guns him down with some high powered special forces type rifle? That’s attempted murder in the first degree and as bad or far worse than anything Eli has done. I don’t care if he fucked a horse, that’s still well below attempted murder. She should have moved out, not him, and rot in jail.