S01.E01: The Righteous Gemstones

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Upon returning from a baptism marathon in China, Jesse receives a video from blackmailers seeking to sully his reputation. Eli moves forward with plans to expand the Gemstone empire as he continues to mourn his late wife.

Airing Sunday, August 18, 2019

[Tachi Rocinante]

I may give it a shot, but something makes me wonder how Danny McBride continues to get work playing the exact same character in a different wardrobe . . .

Edited August 18, 2019 by Tachi Rocinante
Grammar

[Maire]

I love Danny Mc Bride and company so this was fine by me. Patiently waiting for Walton Goggins to show up.

[thuganomics85]

Pretty much what I expected after seeing Vice Principals: darkly funny and almost every person on here is an awful human being, and yet I'm still somewhat invested in seeing how this all plays out.  I don't know how Danny McBride and crew pull this off, but they seem to have a knack for it.

Jesse is pretty much every McBride character ever, but I still find him amusing (and, of course, awful.)  I'm hit or miss with Adam Devine, but he seemed to work here well enough.  John Goodman was his normal awesome self.  Glad that Edi Patterson is here in a sizable role (granted, I would be perfectly happy if everyone from Vice Principals showed up here.)  Also glad to see Cassidy Freeman and Gregory Alan Williams as well.  Plus, Dermot "Not Dylan McDermott, dammit!" Mulroney.

I guess the whole "Who is trying to blackmail Jesse" will be an ongoing story, but maybe I've just become really jaded with current relgion, because all I was thinking was that Jesse could probably survive the video easily if he does an over-the-top apology tour: complete with his wife being supportive behind him, while he preaches about how his "sinning" made him realize he needed God even more, and shed a few tears.  It just feels like religious figures could almost get away with murder as long as they say the right things (which usually are a mixture of "God", "forgiveness", "family", and more "God.")

Kelvin's "ex-Satanic" friend might be my favorite so far.

Definitely in it for the long haul now that I know that 

Spoiler

not only will Walton Goggins be showing up here, but decked out with white hair and apparently preaching in a shopping mall.

Can't wait!

[scrb]

I wouldn’t say previous Danny McBride characters were completely irredeemable.  There was some good in them, as he tried to do something good.

This Jesse guy deliberately runs down that other blackmailer.

Twice.

And who knows what he’d have done to Johnny Seasons.

His kid doesn’t  like him either.

[Armchair Critic]

I saw Danny say on a talk show that a lot of penis will be shown. The one tonight left a lot to be desired. 😉 I was a Vice Principals Fan and I enjoyed the first show so I am in.

[SeeMyDaintyPaws]

I loved it, but I truly enjoy dark almost black humor. I replayed the scene where the blackmailers got run over twice because it was so surreally funny to me. 

And phrases like “church lunch” will never be not funny to me for some reason. 

Count me in as here for the long haul. 

Also, I wonder if mama Gemstone passed away or just took off?

[revbfc]

As a person with a lifelong obsession with avaricious evangelists, this show hit the spot.  I’m all in.

[bilgistic]

I was raised in Southern Baptist church, unfortunately, so this show resonates with me. The first episode was amazing.

I caught the theme park in the background of one of the intro shots/videos of the family; televangelist Jim Bakker and his wife, Tammy, built a Christian theme park just south of where I live. It closed in 1989. Jim went to prison for several counts of fraud. Act surprised.

[iMonrey]

I never watched Vice Principals or Eastbound and Down, so I'm not overly familiar with Danny McBride. I tuned into this expecting to see a comedy but I was a good ten minutes in without laughing, or even smiling, once. 

It sort of reminds me of Fargo, in that it's kind of a dramatic parody with comedic elements, but that's another show I was never overly enamored with. 

That said, the ending was intriguing enough to keep me watching at least for a little while.

[biakbiak]

On 8/18/2019 at 1:09 PM, Tachi Rocinante said:

I may give it a shot, but something makes me wonder how Danny McBride continues to get work playing the exact same character in a different wardrobe . . .

Because he hires himself?

[iMonrey]

Yes, Danny McBride created and wrote Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals, as well as this show, so he basically creates, pitches and sells his own material.

[Victor the Crab]

When Judy told Kelvin to eat her ass, and Kelvin responded by telling her "That's incest, and it's dirty!", I can't help but think about Edi Patterson's role in Vice Principals, where she tries to woo and seduce Danny McBride's character, who now plays opposite her brother in TRG. Ewwww!!

That said, this series has potential. McBride wouldn't be mistaken for an award winning actor, for sure. But he does write some pretty good episodes. And he knows how to create characters for his series, and fill them out with the absolute best people possible. Adam DeVine is perfect as the baby douchebro Kelvin who gets on people's nerves. Patterson is great as middle daughter Judy, who yearns to contribute more to the family empire than just a specific female role (and would probably outshine her two idiot brothers in the process). And John Goodman is... John Goodman. Solid and dependable as always, playing the patriarch Eli. Walking the line between ruthless businessman preacher and being a sympathetic figure trying to keep his kids in check while yearning for his late wife, who had to have been the true spirit of the Gemstone clan, holding them together like glue.

The end of the first episode left my lower jaw dangling near the ground and left me looking forward to the next.

[Tachi Rocinante]

21 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Because he hires himself?

I realize that and it's probably the only way he can get steady work. He's like a shortstop with one leg.  No range.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Tachi Rocinante
spelling

[teddysmom]

I LOL'd at the baptism when the wave machine came on. For some reason it just tickled me. And when Jesse ran over the black mailers. 

It is classic McBride, I didn't watch Vice Principals but I saw the first few seasons of Eastbound. 

I'll watch this, it's like Succession but instead of billionaire NY assholes they're Southern scam artist assholes. 

[red12]

On 8/19/2019 at 2:08 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Pretty much what I expected after seeing Vice Principals: darkly funny and almost every person on here is an awful human being, and yet I'm still somewhat invested in seeing how this all plays out.  I don't know how Danny McBride and crew pull this off, but they seem to have a knack for it.

Jesse is pretty much every McBride character ever, but I still find him amusing (and, of course, awful.)  I'm hit or miss with Adam Devine, but he seemed to work here well enough.  John Goodman was his normal awesome self.  Glad that Edi Patterson is here in a sizable role (granted, I would be perfectly happy if everyone from Vice Principals showed up here.)  Also glad to see Cassidy Freeman and Gregory Alan Williams as well.  Plus, Dermot "Not Dylan McDermott, dammit!" Mulroney.

I guess the whole "Who is trying to blackmail Jesse" will be an ongoing story, but maybe I've just become really jaded with current relgion, because all I was thinking was that Jesse could probably survive the video easily if he does an over-the-top apology tour: complete with his wife being supportive behind him, while he preaches about how his "sinning" made him realize he needed God even more, and shed a few tears.  It just feels like religious figures could almost get away with murder as long as they say the right things (which usually are a mixture of "God", "forgiveness", "family", and more "God.")

Kelvin's "ex-Satanic" friend might be my favorite so far.

Definitely in it for the long haul now that I know that 

  Hide contents

not only will Walton Goggins be showing up here, but decked out with white hair and apparently preaching in a shopping mall.

Can't wait!

I grew up in evangelical christianity and I guarantee Jesse could rebound. There would be a few people who really are practicing Christianity for spiritual betterment who would leave the church but, many, many people would remain loyal to the Gemstones; especially since Dr. Big Daddy Gemstone appears to be relatively faithful and dedicated (so far). 

Even in the '80's and '90's the Power Team (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=power+team+christian+ministry) made a lot of money regaling Christian audiences with their pasts as steroid and cocaine addicted bodybuilders before "getting saved" and becoming upright men of God. Nothing new under the sun.

The writers have to be really careful with the blackmail storyline in this day and age when everyone knows how basically anyone powerful can recover from virtually anything.

On 8/19/2019 at 11:57 PM, bilgistic said:

I was raised in Southern Baptist church, unfortunately, so this show resonates with me. The first episode was amazing.

I caught the theme park in the background of one of the intro shots/videos of the family; televangelist Jim Bakker and his wife, Tammy, built a Christian theme park just south of where I live. It closed in 1989. Jim went to prison for several counts of fraud. Act surprised.

I peeped that too Bilgistic. Speaking to the redemption of these guys, you know Jim is remarried and currently broadcasting on Christian tv. His son is a minister as well but, more lowkey and hipster type instead of megachurch.

[scrb]

That may be how the show ends, with Jesse on a redemption tour and money still rolling in.

[red12]

Was I the only one wondering if Gideon might be old enough to be behind the blackmail? 

[Cupcake04]

On 8/23/2019 at 12:36 PM, red12 said:

Was I the only one wondering if Gideon might be old enough to be behind the blackmail? 

I thought that as well.  Hubby and I did a short list and he was at top.

We love this show.  Such a great cast.  McBride and Hill have created a nice market niche with this type of show/humor.  He definitely has cornered the market with the douchebag asshole who has a heart somewhere deep deep down.....aka Kenny Powers.  No matter the show, we just refer to characters like that as Kenny Powers.  That says something.

[zobot81]

I donno.  I think I'm having a major problem with how stylized the cinematography and blocking is -- I also think the directing is not great.  Like, why do we always need to see John Goodman's character shot from a low angle, looking up at him?  Is that supposed to convince me that he's some sort of Badass Dadass, just because the camera constantly has me at an inferior angle?  Also, it's sort of striking me as the evangelical version of Succession.  A less good version.  But I'll stick with it for a few episodes, see if I can shake the yuck.

[Victor the Crab]

It is a comedic version of Succession. Whether Danny McBride created it as such is debatable (and I don't think he did). And one would assume John Goodman's character is shot at a low angle because he is the patriarch that created the Gemstone empire, along with his dearly departed wife.

[ethalfrida]

On 8/23/2019 at 9:36 AM, red12 said:

Was I the only one wondering if Gideon might be old enough to be behind the blackmail? 

Thought so too but still have my quarter bet on the wife...

[QQQQ]

I haven't watched Danny McBride in any other shows, but I can't believe he's only 7 years older than Adam DeVine. In this show, he looks more like a contemporary of John Goodman. The sideburns don't help matters.

Edited October 27, 2019 by QQQQ

[Natalie68]

I loved this show!  I just found this forum.