Most probably, Eli Gemstone clings tenaciously to each passing day, though I confess ignorance of his ultimate fate. As is my custom, I refrain from previewing episodes beyond those I am recounting. The "Cycle Ninjas," though striking as the animate counterparts of Akira's anime gang, prove woefully inadequate as assassins, inspiring the local sheriff to muse that they might just be "mischievous teenagers." However, even before Eli finds himself bathed in bullets akin to James Caan's fate in The Godfather, this episode of The Righteous Gemstones persistently raises a recurring inquiry: What becomes of the Gemstones post-Eli? Scratch that. What transpires now that his spirit has already departed, albeit physically present?
From the season's inception, with the introduction of "The Maniac Kid," the series has invited us to ponder the nexus between Eli's wrestling and thumb-breaking past and his current persona as the helm of a megachurch empire. His blend of showmanship and deception renders the connection apparent, as both Glendon Marsh Jr. and Sr. instinctively acknowledge, marveling at Eli's transformation from entertainer to entrepreneurial icon. Yet, here lies what the Marshes overlook: Eli genuinely believes in his message. Junior's astonishment is palpable when Eli invites him to dinner and introduces him to the potency of prayer. Similarly, when Eli speaks of Aimee-Leigh "saving" him in this episode, his sincerity is unwavering.
Though grotesque in its manifestation, the Gemstone empire revolves around amplifying one's voice to God through the loudest megaphone possible — or so Dr. Gemstone tells himself repeatedly. Yet, Aimee-Leigh's demise has derailed him so far from his mission that he risks reverting to his "Maniac Kid" roots, appearing quieter but no more virtuous than the three flawed offspring he has raised. When he advises Jesse against confronting the Cycle Ninjas, Jesse dismisses him outright: "Outlaw blood has flowed through these veins since I could stand and urinate. I know I inherited it from you." Despite Eli's attempts to be a decent man — evident in his humble plea for Kelvin's forgiveness after breaking his thumbs — the devilish whisper in his ear remains the loudest. Eli's children serve as daily reminders that he is not the person he aspires to be, nor the individual his congregation perceives him as.
There is no pressing need to extol the virtues of Eli just yet, but the predicament involving Junior and his assassins has significantly eroded his moral standing, almost on par with Kelvin's tenuous grip on the God Squad, which is as fragile as a smoothie glass in his hands. Following the cliffhanger that left us on tenterhooks two weeks ago—interrupted only by a mid-season "Interlude"—tonight's episode makes it abundantly clear that Jesse must take matters into his own hands, despite his father's command to remain confined within the compound's walls.
Claiming a desire to shield his family from future assaults, Jesse is nonetheless mortified by the fact that Amber confidently dispatched an assassin from fifty yards away, while his own shots amounted to mere metaphorical whistles in the wind. Director Jody Hill captures Amber's declaration, "Run, motherfuckers. Run!" in a manner reminiscent of Amanda Plummer's character "getting into character" at the diner in Pulp Fiction's opening scene. Yet, instead of Tim Roth lurking in the background, Jesse is seen fumbling awkwardly with his spent pistol.
The entire subplot featuring Jesse in this episode serves as a scathing indictment of a particular strain of wounded masculinity, which demands to be addressed through a reckless display of hyper-defensive bravado. (This paradigm eerily mirrors the life of Ben Shapiro.) Surely, Jesse realizes that those bullets were meant for his father, who was supposed to be aboard that luxurious bus after the baptism. Thus, his actions are not truly aimed at protecting his family. However, he is compelled to make a statement after the sheriff labels him as feeling "powerless" and after the marriage support group applauds Amber for her badassery. ("Let's not lose sight of why we're here," he counters, "and that's because most of you have messed up your marriages.") He must embody the role of David, ready to fell Junior's Goliath. And to do so, he possesses an arsenal of authentic slings.
In the face of a gun-toting Jesse and a mob of Christian men with troubled marriages, Junior remains unflappable, even though he holds nothing more than his genitalia in his hands as they advance. He may be a small-time gangster with a henchman who sports jean shorts and assassins who can barely hit the broad side of a barn, but Junior knows how to wield power effectively. So too does Eli, as evidenced earlier in the season during a parking lot scene where he remained calm and courteous until it was time to silence a loudmouth. Junior merely stands there, assessing the situation calmly, and concludes that Jesse and his entourage pose no genuine threat to him, despite a threat from the gallery to target "grandparents, kids, special needs." Though Jesse departs triumphantly, with his masculinity restored, he has merely painted a target on his own back that was not there before.
It will likely fall to Amber once again to safeguard the family. Assuming he survives, Eli might come to view being shot as a blessing, as he is the only person capable of dealing with Junior, besides Amber. Addressing this situation would propel him further down the perilous path he has been treading since Aimee-Leigh's death. Perhaps God is granting him the mercy of not having to confront his past. However, his children cannot undertake this reckoning for him.
