HBOannounced the release date for the final season ofThe Righteous Gemstones.
Season 4 of theDanny McBride-led dark comedy about atelevangelistfamily and the wild shenanigans that befall them will debutSunday, March 9.
IsThe Righteous GemstonesWorth Watching?
I think so. Danny McBride has written three shows for HBO, and I’d argueThe Righteous Gemstonesis the best and most complete of them.
Eastbound & Downcame first and launched McBride’s mainstream popularity. He starred as Kenny Powers, a former Major LeagueBaseballplayer with the personality of an arrogant teenager. Debuting in 2009, the show stood out because it was so against the grain. Powers was completely unlikable (though sometimes redeemable). Except, somehow, you found yourself rooting for him.
As great asEastbound & Downcould be, plot lines and character arcs could leave a lot to be desired. Much of the show’s appeal came from McBride’s charisma, more so than the story being told.
In 2016, McBride returned to HBO with a new show,Vice Principals. There’s a noticeable improvement fromEastbound, in terms of storytelling. McBride still plays a Kenny Powers-adjacent character, butVice Principalsmakes more room for and relies more heavily on its ensemble. It’s also only two seasons and follows a single arc. By narrowing the scope to the politics of aschool, McBride (and his team) wrote stronger, tighter episodes and told a more complete tale.
And in 2019, McBride returned withRighteous Gemstones. It smashes together the big concepts and charisma fromEastboundwith the storytelling mastery ofVice Principals. The result is this audacious, dynamic, one-of-a-kind series that’s one of the best comedies of this century.
One of the things I admire most aboutRighteous Gemstonesis how much Danny McBride has learned to share the spotlight. InEastbound, he was front and center. InVice Principals, he was slightly ahead of his co-leads. But inGemstones, he creates so much space for Adam Devine, Edi Patterson, Tim Baltz, Skyler Gisondo, and others to really shine.
Not to mention Walton Goggins as Uncle Baby Billy. Goggins is a legend and steals the spotlight of every show and movie he’s in. He’s had iconic roles inThe ShieldandJustified. But I think Uncle Baby Billy is the best thing he’s ever done.
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So, yes, go watchThe Righteous Gemstones. And then tune in, March 9, for the Season 4 premiere.
