The Righteous Gemstones: But Esau Ran to Meet Him
June 19, 2023 6:29 AM - Season 3, Episode 2 - Subscribe
While the Gemstones pay a visit to the Montgomery boys, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin face the Board of Ministers. Streaming on Max, the title is from Genesis.
Car pranks return!
I was meh on the first episode this season, and I liked this one a lot better. I think it is because the three siblings are so unlikeable and one-note, and I don't think the show works as well then they are the total focus. Watching Eli and Gideon together is fun because their characters are more realized and sometimes surprising.
I appreciated finally some indication that swearing is generally NOT done in these circles. All kinds of bad behavior is tolerated but generally evangelicals don't swear.
posted by jeoc at 6:51 PM on June 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
I was meh on the first episode this season, and I liked this one a lot better. I think it is because the three siblings are so unlikeable and one-note, and I don't think the show works as well then they are the total focus. Watching Eli and Gideon together is fun because their characters are more realized and sometimes surprising.
I appreciated finally some indication that swearing is generally NOT done in these circles. All kinds of bad behavior is tolerated but generally evangelicals don't swear.
posted by jeoc at 6:51 PM on June 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
I actually quite enjoy the Gemstone siblings' interactions, but I appreciate that no one in universe does.
At first I was surprised the cousins left the militia so quickly, but it would have been hard to come up with reasons that Eli or anyone else would revisit their weird camp. This moves those characters into the Gemstones orbit.
I don't care about Judy's affair, but I was pleased to see Casey Wilson as the wife of that loser.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:35 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
At first I was surprised the cousins left the militia so quickly, but it would have been hard to come up with reasons that Eli or anyone else would revisit their weird camp. This moves those characters into the Gemstones orbit.
I don't care about Judy's affair, but I was pleased to see Casey Wilson as the wife of that loser.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:35 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
At first I was surprised the cousins left the militia so quickly
The feds were busting up the place, and the cousins were being blamed for it. Plus they were only there because their dad took them, and that was fairly recent.
posted by Etrigan at 3:22 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
The feds were busting up the place, and the cousins were being blamed for it. Plus they were only there because their dad took them, and that was fairly recent.
posted by Etrigan at 3:22 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have to commend this season for moving fast in terms of the militia storyline. This has got to be one of the best live-action sitcoms (comedy show? This seems too high-production to simply be a sitcom) in terms of both physical comedy and full-on Hollywood special effects.
posted by Apocryphon at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by Apocryphon at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2023
I meant that I was surprised that plot developed so quickly - I was surprised the writers didn't draw that out some, but then realized why it made sense to blow that situation up so soon. Agreed that was the correct move on the part of both the writers and the cousins!
posted by the primroses were over at 3:32 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by the primroses were over at 3:32 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Gideon coming in clutch (literally) as the Gemstone's unofficial wheel man! Love to see him finally getting his due from Grandaddy Eli.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 7:30 AM on June 21, 2023
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 7:30 AM on June 21, 2023
You gaslight yourself by being crazy!
posted by snofoam at 10:17 AM on June 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by snofoam at 10:17 AM on June 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
"I think it is because the three siblings are so unlikeable and one-note"
Yeah. I enjoy the show but their sniping and such drags and drags when it's just the three of them. They're sort of the hickish, noveau riche Beverly Hillbillies version of the Roy siblings from Succession, with equal amounts of venality, pettiness, and lack of redemptive qualities. (I almost said "Bizarro World" version, but on reflection they're not the opposite of the Roys, simply a bargain basement version of them.)
It's at its best when John Goodman is on screen, or when the kids are bungling something together with minimal sniping. Also anytime that Gideon or Baby Billy are around.
posted by jzb at 8:59 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yeah. I enjoy the show but their sniping and such drags and drags when it's just the three of them. They're sort of the hickish, noveau riche Beverly Hillbillies version of the Roy siblings from Succession, with equal amounts of venality, pettiness, and lack of redemptive qualities. (I almost said "Bizarro World" version, but on reflection they're not the opposite of the Roys, simply a bargain basement version of them.)
It's at its best when John Goodman is on screen, or when the kids are bungling something together with minimal sniping. Also anytime that Gideon or Baby Billy are around.
posted by jzb at 8:59 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
I enjoy the show but their sniping and such drags and drags when it's just the three of them.
McBride does a lot of stuff really well, but he is definitely too wedded to the "insult-counterinsult-countercounterinsult-adnauseam" shtick.
posted by Etrigan at 9:37 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
McBride does a lot of stuff really well, but he is definitely too wedded to the "insult-counterinsult-countercounterinsult-adnauseam" shtick.
posted by Etrigan at 9:37 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
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Nice to see Gideon getting to help with the stuntwork, too.
All in all, this was a promising start to the season.
posted by Etrigan at 11:45 AM on June 19, 2023 [2 favorites]