The Righteous Gemstones Review: And Yet One of You is A Devil (Season 1 Episode 7)

Getting what you want can be a blessing or a curse: it can be exactly as you wanted, or it can be a disaster. On The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 Episode 7, “And Yet One of You is a Devil,” both become true.

Easter Sunday proves quite eventful, with the Gemstone children getting the positions for the service they have dreamed of for so long (well, except for Kelvin). But it comes at a personal cost. The episode takes that personal cost and exponentially blows it up, making for one of the best episodes so far.

The way expectations are played with is one of its best strengths, as it comes down to character’s hearts and where their loyalty truly belongs. The reversal of Gideon to protecting his family may not end up as intended in the long run, but the move to try and stop Scotty shows that trust and kindness goes a long way for him.

The opening scene, showing Jesse as dismissive and slightly cruel to his son during the trip in Atlanta, shows the abject opposite of kindness and what it leads to (the recording). These polar opposites over the course of the episode is a window into where cruelty and kindness gets you in Gideon’s world: rather far.

Gideon finally commanding respect from his father is exactly the thing he wants, but it’s short-lived. It comes at a price, since it’s too late for Scotty to back down now.

One of the extra layers of tension for the heist is the fact that we see Amber’s handgun and the massive armory that she and Jesse possess, leaving the potential for a major shootout to stop Scotty once and for all. But surprisingly, he gets away with it. It’s one of those moments where the Gemstones don’t win, at least not yet, something that the episode manages to keep a mystery until the very end.

We’re used to seeing them come out on top, and rather easily. For them to fall to Scotty, who may charm people well but is a rather awful criminal, is one of those things the episode shields so well. So many things can go wrong for him, especially since Eli is left alone in his house and can call on security.

But the episode does end with the vault closing, not necessarily with Scotty getting away. A lot can happen before he gets off scott-free, and it’s in the fallout between father and son where the best meat of the situation belongs.

Kelvin, it turns out, is the only one who ends up with the least damage done to him, outside of his garage door from Scotty stealing back his van. Judy’s constant second guessing of herself and the verbal abuse of Baby Billy leaves her making poor choices and BJ leaving, her sudden spotlight something that loses everything else around her. While she may own the spotlight, it’s not the one she really wants.

Getting what you want comes at a price.

The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 Episode 7, “And Yet One of You is a Devil,” is a reminder that despite the show being a comedy, it does not hold back. When things go wrong, they go very wrong. Jesse’s mess, and Gideon’s revenge, leave them at a total loss now, and more to come from the fallout. While it may have given them what they wanted, it is not permanent, but the fallout coming may be.

Some stray thoughts on the episode:

• This episode in particular takes a larger look at the wealth and size of the Gemstone empire. Jesse’s massive yacht, the larger focus on the church performances, and the vault all give a larger context to the insane amount of money the family possess.

 

What did you think of this episode of The Righteous Gemstones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

The Righteous Gemstones airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 Reasons to Reserve a Room at the ‘Grand Hotel’