The Righteous Gemstones Review: Now The Sons of Eli Were Worthless Men (Season 1 Episode 6)
Judy Gemstone looks to make a name for herself as she falls under Baby Billy’s spell on The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 Episode 6, “Now The Sons of Eli Were Worthless Men.”
Edi Patterson has deserved her own episode for the better part of the season, and The Righteous Gemstones finally delivers. Judy has been a character who mostly delivers punchlines and literal punches, stuck under her siblings’ shadow and never getting a chance to shine for herself.
photo: Ryan Green/HBO
That her chance comes from Baby Billy as he looks to hurt Eli in any way he can comes as an interesting turn of events. The constant comparisons to Aimee-Leigh, her mother, shows that Baby Billy is merely looking for a stopgap to get the cash flowing, going so far to praise Judy’s lackluster audition moment to win her over and running clips of his performance with Aimee-Leigh while Judy dances with him.
But the fact that Judy performs wonderfully once she gets over her nerves during the main performance shows she is indeed ready to strike out on her own. It’s a moment that comes with a lot of pressure, as even her own father, Eli, manages to deflate her confidence by saying outright it’s Baby Billy looking to hurt him. Perhaps it’s true, in the grand scheme of things, but it’s her attempt to flourish, and she does.
Edi Patterson nails everything on the episode perfectly, able to take the anxiety Judy struggles with to show a different side to the character that has only been hinted at up to this point. It’s hard to tell if it’s due to blown chances, as Eli says, or a layer of misogyny that has proven itself rampant over the course of the season.
photo: Ryan Green/HBO
One thing is for sure, at least: the episode allows for two more renditions of “Misbehavin’,” a song that is quite possibly the earworm song of 2019 that started from The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 Episode 5, “Interlude.”
Jesse’s blackmail comes with a sense of victory. It’s a strange victory, where he sees Scotty’s truck almost as a trophy and a means for gloating. It’s a fun place to find the Gemstone clan, their gloating over the phone and small celebration on the dock giving the sense that they feel the chaos is over for them. That much cockiness, however, is never a good sign.
Gideon and Jesse’s closeness, too, and the way he smiles during the phone call between Jesse and Scotty, gives the impression he is warming up to his father again, despite looking to rob him. It’s hard to tell if Gideon is as dedicated to the heist as Scotty, as his attitude towards Scotty is more like he is someone to hang out with rather than a co-conspirator.
photo: Ryan Green/HBO
But one thing that comes across on The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 Episode 6, “Now The Sons of Eli Were Worthless Men,” is that there may be too much hubris going around. Scotty is now on the Gemstone premises, leaving Gideon with a potential mess ahead, and Baby Billy’s kindness certainly won’t last forever for Judy.
But as a showcase episode for Judy Gemstone (Edi Patterson), the episode is a reminder of the solid cast that is not always in the spotlight, and provides some strange character traits along the way. Everything may be looking good for now, but there will likely be a reckoning to bring everyone down from the clouds.
What did you think of this episode of The Righteous Gemstones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Righteous Gemstones airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.