Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 2 On HBO, Where The Televangelist Family Continues Their Hilarious Hypocritical Escapades

In the first season of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, the family of televangelists almost lost everything – thanks to their own stupid actions. Sex tapes, theft, and blackmail all threatened to unravel this ultra wealthy family, but with a little help from the man upstairs, though, they were forgiven – at least for the time being. Season 2, which premieres tonight on HBO Max, sees these slick sinners continue business as usual until an investigative reporter hellbent on taking down hypocritical evangelists starts to take a closer look at them. 

THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES: SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A wrestler lands a punch in the ring.

The Gist: The Gemstones are doing just fine. Eli (John Goodman) reigns supreme over his empire, spreading the word of God and attempting to keep his kids (and team of televangelists) in line, while Jesse (Danny McBride) and his wife Amber (Cassidy Freeman) try to push their eldest son Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) to be a leader in their family by way of moving into the late Grandpappy Gemstone’s house and having a talk with his younger brother about leaving his defiled underwear all over the house. Things get off to a rough start after an investigative reporter (Jason Schwartzman) publishes a piece exposing the hypocrisy of one of their televangelists, who takes extreme measures when it becomes clear there’s no recovering from this. The Gemstones don’t really sweat it, though; they deliver a rousing service, complete with a flashy musical performance from Judy (Edi Patterson), announce GODD (Gemstones on Digital Demand), and bicker at Church Lunch.

It’s business as usual for the Gemstones and their sidekicks, as Kelvin (Adam DeVine) and Keefe (Tony Cavalero) dedicate all of their time to the “God Squad”, a bunch of dudes whose main goal is stayin’ fit, and Judy acts horrified whenever someone mentions the possibility of her having children. Jesse and Amber, meanwhile, discover what they believe is the opportunity of a lifetime when West Coast televangelists Lyle Lissons (Eric Andre) and his wife Lindy (Jessica Lowe) ask them to go in on building a Christian timeshare they plan to name “Zion’s Landing”. When Eli decides it’s not something the Gemstones should get involved with, however, Jesse angrily tries to convince him otherwise. Unfortunately, Eli’s got his mind on other things; Junior (Eric Roberts), a childhood acquaintance of his, has reappeared in his life, reminding him of his days of amateur wrestling and criminal enterprises. When the two are accosted outside a restaurant, Eli is surprised to discover that fiery fighter still lives inside him – and unsure of where this all might lead.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: Fans of Danny McBride’s other shows Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals will likely enjoy The Righteous Gemstones, as well as fans of other series like Arrested Development, Workaholics, Succession, and The Other Two.

Our Take: Terrible families make good television. Take Succession, Arrested Development, and even Game of Thrones. It’s fun to watch relatives try to take each other (and most people around them) down, and even more of a thrill when their obvious childhood trauma bubbles up to the surface. The Righteous Gemstones delivers on fronts both fucked-up family related and straight-up hilarious, effortlessly reminding us why we’ve been watching Danny McBride for so long. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if it is up your alley, it elicits tears-streaming-down-your-face laughter, the kind of horrified guffaws only McBride and his team can deliver. Season 1 was a miraculous delight, full of riotous twists and turns and a cast full of unforgettable characters, and Season 2 delivers more of the same. Where The Righteous Gemstones has always succeeded is with its character work, pushing us to root for even the most terrible Gemstones in the group; they might be vile humans, but they’re our vile humans, right? Balancing empathy and entertainment is no easy feat, especially with characters like these, but this show pulls it off every time. (Also, is anyone on this stupid planet funnier than Edi Patterson? I don’t think so.)

All the hi-jinx and hysteria and humor are what make The Righteous Gemstones a thorough joy, but the deeper questions are what make it memorable, a true gem in a sea of shallow content. The deeply hypocritical nature of faith is an endlessly fascinating subject, one tackled in increasingly interesting ways as the second season progresses. Underneath all of the dick jokes and outbursts and sibling arguments are some real questions about humanity, about the stories we tell ourselves and what it means to use faith as a shield for everything – and that’s a true testament to McBride’s writing. This season digs deeper into the history of the Gemstones and the family’s patriarch, and the implications of our past sins and the nature of forgiveness. It’s hard to believe that all of that is wrapped up in ear worms like “Misbehavin'” and Danny McBride’s chunky gold rings, but it’s there – and it’s what makes The Righteous Gemstones such an unlikely miracle.

Sex and Skin: There are more than a few sex jokes, but no sexytime here.

Parting Shot: Eli’s victim holds up his mangled hands.

Sleeper Star: Gemstones newcomer Eric André runs away with the show within seconds of first appearing on screen, tearing up the stage and taking no prisoners with his over-the-top, loud and proud performance. As West Coast televangelist Lyle Lissons, he goes places we’ve never quite seen André go before, fully emulating the smug preacher persona we’ve become acquainted with thanks to Gemstones and people like Joel Osteen. His first scene has him take on some outrageous physical comedy, and the moments that follow allow us a glimpse into the man with the microphone. The Righteous Gemstones has been armed with a top-notch cast from the beginning, but adding players with energy as zany and unpredictable as André’s only raises the stakes and the entertainment.

Most Pilot-y Line: The Righteous Gemstones doesn’t fall into any pilot-y traps, instead delivering laugh-out-loud one-liners like “do not talk about my wife’s vagina at Church Lunch!” and “Daddy, all I do is I open my mouth and I let god do the rest.”

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Righteous Gemstones is as uproarious as ever in its second season, delivering laughs and horrified gasps with every scene. Praise be.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.