Lo and behold the splendor of a new Monday morn, summoning us to regale you with the latest exploits of the Gemstone family. So get yourself a cup of joe, dude, and dive into our review of Episode 3: "For Their Nakedness Is Your Own Nakedness".
With two episodes of the third season already in the books, fans have been eagerly waiting to see what our beloved Gemstone uncle, Baby Billy, has been up to. And boy, did he deliver with an absolute showstopping performance of his hit song "There'll Come a Payday" to start off the episode.
The wholesome musical tone of The Righteous Gemstones has consistently been one of the series' standout qualities, and "There'll Come a Payday" proudly claims its spot among the show's greatest hits, which rivals the likes of Season 2's "Misbehavin'". Moreover, Walton Goggins continues to hit all the right notes with his pitch perfect portrayal of Baby Billy.
Every time you believe he has delivered his best performance, he surprises us once again with another remarkable display of talent. True to his nature, Baby Billy is far from content with his current Zion gig. And with Auntie Tiffany expecting yet another Baby Billy baby (no, the irony is not lost on us), he's going to be desperate for that cash, now more than ever.
At the Gemstone Manor, everyone's staring at Chuck and Karl Montgomery, who are gobbling food down like a pair of zoo animals. Yet, one must sympathize with the duo, for their voracious appetite suggests a hunger so primal that they must have been living on scraps in Peter's Waco compound.
Judy, never one to hold back, fires off a quick retort, but Mama Montgomery isn't having none of her cheek, and proceeds to 'kungfu her larynx.' For a split second there, you can notice Eli grinning in the background. Despite all the fussing about having to now share their home with their cousins, Eli lays down the law that they must find a way to coexist peacefully under one roof.
Meanwhile, Amber is still trying to keep up the facade of a perfect family, which now includes preventing Judy's affair from turning into a full-blown scandal. With the megachurch facing a rapid decline in followers, the last thing the Gemstones need is Judy's dirty laundry getting any kind of publicity.
But at this point, it seems like everyone, except for poor BJ, is privy to the scandalous affair. Even when Baby Billy throws Judy a zinger about "running the church and running around" later in the episode, BJ joins in the laughter, completely oblivious to the fact that he's the unwitting punchline.
Tim Baltz's portrayal of BJ has consistently been the heart and soul of the show. His ability to seamlessly transition from a deeply tragic character to a dazzling husband sporting pink rompers is a testament to his exceptional acting prowess. Nothing gets to him, no matter how much flack he gets from the Gemstone siblings.
The real standout moment of the episode, though, happens during cousin's night. Baby Billy steals the spotlight as he unexpectedly crashes the event, and gives Jesse and Judy an earful for not acknowledging baby Lionel (toilet baby) as their cousin. But the fun doesn't end there.
When his pitch for 'Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers' gets rejected (a clear ripoff of Family Feud), he ups the ante by pitting the eldest cousins against each other in a head-to-head game show battle. We always had a sense that Jesse wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but when he confidently answered that Joseph was locked up in prison with his cupbearer and butler, it was a whole new level of stupidity.
Chuck correctly answering the question only makes things worse, as Jesse pulls out a knife to defend his intelligence (whether there's much to defend is a whole other story). Luckily, Karl becomes an unlikely hero when he suddenly chokes on his food.
With his towering stature, it takes the collective efforts of all the Gemstone siblings to execute a successful Heimlich maneuver, resulting in a hilarious moment, including Keefe's unforgettable "lick his what?" remark.
Danny McBride's unique approach of using moments of chaos and conflict to bring the Gemstones closer is truly remarkable. What appeared to be an episode brimming with tension ultimately culminates in a heartwarming and poignant reunion, where the cousins find common ground and Eli embarks on a path to mend his fractured relationship with his sister.
Yet, the lingering mystery of what transpired between Aimee-Leigh and May-May remains, and we can only hope that the show will delve into their story as the season progresses.
Drop a comment down below and let us know what your favorite moment from Episode 3 was!
