The Righteous Gemstones: The Prayer of a Righteous Man

February 21, 2022 11:04 AM - Season 2, Episode 8

As the dust settles back at the compound, Jesse, Kelvin, and Judy consider where they stand; Baby Billy reconnects with a figure from his past.
posted by Cash4Lead (10 comments total)

Damn, Macaulay Culkin nailed that role. More!

Somehow I didn’t think to pin the cycle ninjas on Amber before this episode (I also haven’t been caught up so failed at following along the discourse). Was I just unobservant or was that scene outside Eli’s house playing up her shiftiness and ambition more than we’ve seen in the past?

Did Kelvin rig the cross or was that just another bit of magic realism a la Gideon’s motorcycle stunts? Still, lol at “It’s your house. You could have just said ‘go’.”
posted by supercres at 11:54 PM on February 21, 2022 [5 favorites]

In that moment, Macaulay was all of the viewers. I'm still thinking the cycle ninjas were sent by the Lissons. But i do like Eli settling all the issues with his children and the whole scene with Junior.
posted by Ber at 8:09 AM on February 22, 2022 [2 favorites]

The entire sequence with Kelvin reasserting his dominance over the muscle men was hilarious - dramatically breaking his casts on the cross, somehow carrying that cross (I definitely thought it was going to turn out to have been swapped for a lighter version, but I guess not), and then Thorsten just responding "it's your house, you could have just told us to leave." Perfect, no notes.

Apples lived for 17 years! I am glad Macauley Culkin got to punch Billy in the face and greatly enjoyed the ghost/hallucination of Aimee Leigh laughing about it afterwards.

I thought they'd get to the reveal of who sent the motorcycle gang this episode (how many motorcycle gang members are there anyway, 4 was silly enough but that jail break, hahaha). I wonder if the finale will run any longer than usual.
posted by the primroses were over at 10:28 AM on February 22, 2022 [3 favorites]

another bit of magic realism a la Gideon’s motorcycle stunts?

In that prior ep, wasn't Gideon's plan to leave home specifically to go do stunt work for films? Granted we've never *seen* him do wikkid stuntz previously, but it seems like something that is at least slightly set up as part of his skillset.
posted by FatherDagon at 10:32 AM on February 22, 2022

motorcycle stunts

I believe they’re called motorcycle pranks.
posted by snofoam at 10:38 AM on February 22, 2022 [8 favorites]

When it comes to who sent the Cycle Ninjas, the Lissons still seem like a strong candidate. But then you've also got Amber, who showed in this episode that she may be even hungrier to gain control of the Gemstone empire than Jesse is. Plus, we haven't heard anything about who killed Thaniel Block and the two other people on that cabin property (assuming Eli's alibi for why he had blood on his clothes was true), and I suspect that storyline and the Cycle Ninjas will intersect in the finale.
posted by Cash4Lead at 1:56 PM on February 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

wasn't Gideon's plan to leave home specifically to go do stunt work for films

Yeah for sure, was thinking more on the "wheelied motorcycle blocking a hail of bullets" end of un-reality, as opposed to "can do a wheelie". Still, it works for the light-fantasy of the whole show.

Either the AVClub or a AVC commenter mentioned that the Lissons are a reasonable suspect, but only if the whole thing is a scam. The Gemstones' $10M shouldn't be a make-or-break, to the point of trying to assassinate Eli, but if each $10M "investment" is going right into their pocket before they skip the country, it makes a little more sense. And with Eric Andre in the role, I can totally see that angle working for the arc of the season.
posted by supercres at 3:06 PM on February 22, 2022 [2 favorites]

Oh.. and it makes total sense that Thaniel would be going after the Lissons too, likely trying to uncover said scam, or they'd be worried he would.
posted by supercres at 4:46 PM on February 22, 2022

But then you've also got Amber, who showed in this episode that she may be even hungrier to gain control of the Gemstone empire than Jesse is.

Amberson would have stopped Jesse before they got on the bus that was shot up. She may turn out to be a mole for the Lissons but none of the attacks so far seem like they needed to have someone on the inside.
posted by Gary at 4:56 PM on February 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oof, I'm so relieved that BJ is not Harmon. But I really love Baby Billy segments, and Macaulay Culkin is genius casting for his son. Baby Billy has such child celebrity trauma -- he only behaves normally around the specter of his dead sister! -- that it's cool to see that contrasted against a well-adjusted, normal character played by the biggest star of my childhood.
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:16 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]