The Righteous Gemstones Review: As to How They Might Destroy Him (Season 2 Episode 4)
Junior isn’t the only one looking to get revenge on Eli. The whole family starts to turn on him on The Righteous Gemstones Season 2 Episode 4, “As to How They Might Destroy Him.”
Although chaos is a given when it comes to a Gemstone family function, BJ’s baptism serves as the staging ground for some truly shocking events. It just takes the episode a little too long to get to that point.
The episode still delivers quality jokes, especially the ones centered around Judy’s hatred of BJ’s family. Despite seeming quite nice and normal, Judy is obsessed with projecting on them the same experience she’s had with her family.
It’s simultaneously hilarious and depressing. She can’t believe that BJ’s parents and sister KJ love and support him because she’s never experienced that kind of unconditional love.
From singing an entire song during the baptism comparing BJ to a butterfly who needs to leave its old life behind to accusing KJ of being jealous of her for sleeping with BJ, Judy is even more unhinged than usual.
Guest star Lily Sullivan is the perfect foil for Judy as the mature and sensible KJ. Their scene in the bathroom is filled with so much weird tension you almost expect them to kiss, which would be a very Judy thing to happen.
Despite Judy proving, again and again, she is not a great person it’s impossible to not enjoy Edi Patterson’s over-the-top performance. Tim Baltz gets his own “Judy” moment when her appeals finally cause BJ to snap and see his family the way she does.
It’s not a real party until someone throws cake at someone.
These highs aside, the installment is still too busy and distracted in its lead-up to Eli’s breakdown.
The Righteous Gemstones repeats beats from earlier in the season. Again we see Jesse get angry over Eli not investing in the Lissons and Kelvin obsess over his God Squad.
The show wants us to care about Eli and his frustrations but still keeps him at an arm’s length. What do we really know about him other than his disdain for his children and seedy past?
Season 1 hinted that Eli never really recovered from his wife’s death. His lack of composure this season shows there are more unresolved issues than that.
The question is whether a comedy foundationally about maladjusted adults who never learn is also interested in telling a story that deep. Right now it seems more interested in the spectacle of Eli’s meltdown and entanglement with Junior than any of the Gemstones finding closure.
The fallout from him breaking Kelvin’s hands after their argument and the attempt on his life via party bus means it will be hard for Eli to keep ignoring the elephant in the room. The next few episodes will be the real test of whether this season makes this storyline worthwhile.
Baby Billy is normally a welcome presence, but the inclusion of a subplot about his history as a father feels squeezed in.
“As to How They Might Destroy Him,” starts with a flashback of Baby Billy abandoning his first son, which ties to the present day as he’s expecting his second. There’s no real explanation for why he left his first son other than he’s a bad person.
It makes sense he ends up leaving Tiffany at the party, the stress of fatherhood making him revert to bad habits. In the context of the current storylines, however, this plot would be better served when The Righteous Gemstones wasn’t already juggling so many plates.
Unfortunately, the drama and comedy balance of this episode ends up feeling off-kilter. Considering how The Righteous Gemstones usually avoids this pitfall, it’s a bit disappointing.
Fortunately, it shouldn’t take a miracle to turn it around, just a little bit more focus.
Additional Thoughts:
- Amber compares the baptism to a wedding, but it’s definitely more of an 80s prom.
- Keefe continues to be the underrated MVP of the show.
- Should rompers with cummerbunds become a thing? I’m not convinced.
- As someone who has lived in North Carolina I cracked up at Judy’s “They’re from Asheville, daddy, they hate God,” line.
- After the conversation about water births, I expected Tiffany to go into labor and have the baby in the baptismal pool.
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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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.