The Righteous Gemstones

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 18, 2019
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
6.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 5 out of 28
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User Reviews

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  1. dernspirit
    Aug 30, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The plot is amazing, but the way it is told is really uninteresting because of character narratives that are outdated.
    I have no feeling for the four main characters. They are not convincing.
    The ton of the first two episodes seems to be a mix of comedy and something serious : are the characters supposed to be funny ? or taken seriously ? The mix is so much more well done in Succession and VEEP.

    SPOILERS

    McBride (Jesse Gemstone) is the wrong actor for this role. I don't believe in this character. He lacks of seriousness, always playing with funny attitude (accent) and movements (hands on hips).
    He is supposed to have this beautiful wife, but when they are both in the scene , it's like they don't even believe their characters are married. It is all very overplayed like a outdated comedy (the scene were Amber G, Jesse's wife (Cassidy Freeman) asks only to him to remove his shoes).
    The character narrative is so not interesting. He is being blackmailed because of a video where he takes cocaine and he's with prostitutes. I mean... is this why I watch a show about big church in the US ? to see another bad guy cheating on his wife and taking drugs ? what ? you say this is the main plot of the tv show ? uuurgh ! I don't find it funny or interesting, ... I don't care !

    The sister, Judy and the other brother, Kelvin Gemstone, played by Edi Patterson and Adam Devine are maybe more convincing, because they have a little more interesting narrative (Judy is confronted to her sexist family and Kelvin on the verge of his coming out). But again, isn't it a little bit easy and déjà-vu ?

    I will decide at the third episode if there is enough hope to continue...    … Expand
  2. moonman1994
    Aug 19, 2019
    7
    A solidly amusing pilot episode. The Righteous Gemstones is an enjoyable parody of televangelists with a lot of potential. Current rating based only on the first episode. I'll update the score and provide more details as the season progresses.
  3. NavyBean
    Aug 19, 2019
    0
    How does Danny McBride keep getting work? Same freakin' character as Eastbound and Down, VPs and every other angry, dumb hick he's played for his entire career. Oh look! McBride plays another fleshy loudmouth with a bad haircut who curses when he needs a punchline! Yes! I couldn't get enough it on his other crappy shows. What another refreshing change for the yelling "comedian" who hasHow does Danny McBride keep getting work? Same freakin' character as Eastbound and Down, VPs and every other angry, dumb hick he's played for his entire career. Oh look! McBride plays another fleshy loudmouth with a bad haircut who curses when he needs a punchline! Yes! I couldn't get enough it on his other crappy shows. What another refreshing change for the yelling "comedian" who has been mislead that his take on anything is worth telling the world about. WTF, HBO! Is McBride related to Mr. HBO?… Expand
  4. JambiShine
    Aug 22, 2019
    10
    Great pilot episode. Looking forward to what this trio and supporting cast can do.
  5. geewah
    Jan 11, 2021
    7
    Danny McBride doesn't go outside his comfort in this moderately funny series. Has some real funny moments but often to few and far between. John Goodman & Edi Patterson are the standouts.
  6. GrantD243
    Oct 14, 2019
    6
    Danny McBride's shows all have a similar vibe, but while Vice Principals was a high point for his career The Righteous Gemstones brings him back down to the mediocre level of East Bound and Down. It has funny moments, but this show is largely take it or leave it. You might enjoy it, but you aren't missing out on much if you pass on it.
  7. Mindurbidniss
    Jun 21, 2023
    2
    Just not funny. Only character that even brought laughs was Baby Billy. McBride and especially Devine just try way too hard and it never lands. I guess if you're over of the few people that don't know megachurch good are a bunch of hypocrites you'll find some humor in that. I guess I just expected more coming off Eastbound and Down.

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Rebecca Nicholson
    Feb 5, 2020
    60
    For the bulk of this opener, The Righteous Gemstones hovers cautiously, without ever quite finding the strength of its voice. But it clearly has the potential to be much more. I’m praying for these Gemstones to shine.
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  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Aug 19, 2019
    75
    The series premiere is an hour long and that’s just fine because we’re just meeting his family and there’s a lot of soak in. But subsequent episodes running as long as 40 minutes seem padded. Feels like this should be a half-hour show. Remarkably, even as we’re shaking our heads at the hypocrisy of these people, by the fourth or fifth episode we have come to like these characters and we start to care about what happens to them. Well. Some of them.
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  3. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    Aug 19, 2019
    80
    Where the series ultimately thrives, though, is in its characterizations, which transform in unexpected ways over the course of the first six episodes (which were all that was provided for press).
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