TV Review: ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 3, Episode 1
by Frank Martin
It’s strange that The Righteous Gemstones picks up right as Succession comes to an end, especially given the story’s developments. It was harder to see with previous seasons, but this season has Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) stepping back from the business and his children rising in his place. What results is a kind of sibling bickering that would make the Roy family blush. While Succession roots its family issues in real world drama, The Righteous Gemstones ramps it up to a fantastical extreme. The previous two seasons were filled with ridiculousness and this season appears to take it to a new level.
Now that Eli is officially stepping back, his three children have to share the spotlight. Unfortunately, they are all egotistical narcissists and can’t cooperate. Kelvin (Adam DeVine) is running an operation that focuses on confiscating sex toys. Having come back from a tour, Judy (Edi Patterson) is caught cheating on her husband by her brothers. Meanwhile, Jesse (Danny McBride) is embarrassed in a car race by a rival evangelical family. Overall, the Gemstone business appears to be struggling during the transition. But things are made even more complicated when Eli’s sister resurfaces after almost killing his wife years earlier.
The Gemstone’s past played a big part of the previous season, and it appears as if that past will also play a big role in this one. The show does a great job having all of its characters dealing with their own ridiculous drama while also dealing with the conflicts for the family at large. If there’s one thing this show does well it’s absurd antics. So far, this first episode upped the ante without overdoing it. Hopefully, this season can keep that slow and steady pace. There’s always the risk it may “jump the shark” while trying to outdo itself, but then again, “go big or go home” is practically the Gemstone family motto.
The Righteous Gemstones airs Sundays on HBO.
