Madeline
Normally, a show like The Righteous Gemstones would be a show I would scoff at. First, it is offensive to some. Next, the humor is so outrageous and ridiculous, only children could think it was funny. I do not know how Danny McBride does it, but he somehow makes jokes that should seem childish, completely hilarious.
Premise of The Righteous Gemstones
The Righteous Gemstones follows the Gemstone family, a family who has created a televised church that brings in millions of dollars that supports this family’s lavish lifestyles. They appear to be doing God’s work, but how much is for God and how much is for their own benefit. It is the silly business of Jesus Christ turned into a profit.
The Characters
It all starts with Eli, played by John Goodman, the patriarch of the family and the man who started the church. He has two sons, the eldest, Jesse, played by McBride, and expects to take over for his father. Kelvin, played by Adam DeVine, is the youngest child who prides himself on being a youth minister. And finally, the middle child, Judy, played by Edi Patterson, who has a dream of making it as a Christian Rock singer, like her mom. Each of these people in the family have their own drama and their own cast of characters that helps create the drama.
The Seasons
The first season is full of the mayhem that the faces of the church go through behind closed doors. Some of these activities result in blackmail that lead to robbery and kidnapping. The amount of greed hidden behind these faces of god is made transparent and makes you wonder if this is really the way into heaven as the spoiled children of the family never seem to grow up.
In the second season, there is a bit more evolution, but for the most part, the children continue to act the same way. We find out a bit about Eli’s past in crime and a character from this past emerges. Kelvin wants to prove himself as more than a youth minister and finds himself a group of body builders dedicated to god.
Final Thoughts
What seems like it would be a ridiculous show about a ridiculous topic turns out to be hilarious. It is a topic that always seemed odd to me that was brought to light with comedy. By the list of comedy shows I have written about, most have a sophisticated element. This show is mostly potty humor with an adult twist.
At this point, season two has not been fully released but it has been picked up for a third season. In some cases, this is when a good show turns down hill. But I have faith in Danny McBride to continue to deliver a great show.
