There's seldom a compelling reason to dwell extensively on direction in open-ended television series, as the majority of shows adhere to a rigid aesthetic blueprint, rendering the individual contributions of directors somewhat subdued. However, "The Righteous Gemstones" stands as a notable exception to this rule. Aside from two episodes helmed by Danny McBride, the bulk of the episodes are directed by Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, two directors with illustrious filmographies in the cinematic realm who don't appear to differentiate television in their creative approach. While the dialogue and performances in the show naturally steal the spotlight due to their remarkably pungent charm, it's imperative to acknowledge the stylistic flair that Hill and Green bring to the table. Their unique directorial style not only amplifies the humor but also imparts a propulsive, cinematic energy to the action scenes.
In the episode directed by Hill, two particular moments stand out vividly for me. The first is an uproarious sequence where Judy, BJ, and Tiffany confront Baby Billy outside a studio, where he is shamelessly promoting a coconut-flavored health elixir on television. ("This blessed formula, rooted in ancient Scripture, cures every ailment with effortless ease.") After a heated altercation between the two parties, Billy speeds off through an empty parking lot, towing a personalized car trailer laden with elixir jugs. As he makes an abrupt left turn, the trailer flips over, spilling his entire stash of elixir onto the ground. Hill, known for his penchant for dynamic camera movements, opts instead to capture Billy's motorized tantrum from a distance, from Judy, BJ, and Tiffany's perspective. This deadpan approach actually amplifies the humor, portraying Billy not as a charismatic snake-oil salesman but as a small-time hustler whose desperate money-making scheme has been foiled. Tiffany finally sees him for who he truly is.
The other sequence, a more flashy one, depicts Gideon using his stunt-cycling skills to chase down the two Cycle Ninjas who escaped from the insane hospital ambush. The entire sequence is thrillingly filmed, with neon-red, Akira-inspired motorcycles weaving through oncoming traffic in a manner reminiscent of a William Friedkin film. However, the staging of the final confrontation between Gideon and one of the bikers is particularly noteworthy. They take up high-noon positions at opposite ends of the frame, with their back wheels screeching against the pavement as they race towards each other in an absurd joust involving a machine gun versus a cattle prod. Gideon ultimately prevails by slipping the prod into his opponent's spokes, sending him flying through the air. In the money shot, Hill switches to a wide-angle lens and slows down the action, capturing the last Cycle Ninja flipping his bike end over end in a disastrous motocross-like maneuver gone terribly wrong.
Hill is confronting the climactic juncture of the season. With just two episodes remaining on the horizon, the long-simmering conflict between Junior's "Dixie Mafia" cronies and the Gemstone clan has erupted into the open, largely fueled by Jesse's decisive intervention. The Gemstone offspring have harbored dreams of seizing control of their patriarch's kingdom, Jesse in particular, who confesses to Martin that he and Amber indulge in these fantasies during their intimate moments. However, the stark reality of Eli, riddled with bullets and hovering between life and death in the hospital, has left them utterly unprepared and disoriented.
The cold open, a scene of unparalleled grotesquery, finds Jesse, Amber, Judy, and BJ puking with abandon outside the hospital, mirroring the obese diner's fateful encounter with the bucket in Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life." This grotesque spectacle serves as a metaphorical throat-clearing for the impending drama. Eli, once mocked as an outdated and inept square, now lies vulnerable, and the "new generation of Christian thought leaders" finds itself unready to shoulder the mantle.
For Jesse, the icy reality dawns during his maiden Sunday sermon, where he and Amber, donning fake sobriety, ascend the stage before a capacity crowd to rally support for their father. Despite the sympathetic audience, their introduction stumbles, and Amber's clever-yet-misguided hashtag, #EliGemsHome, fails to gain traction despite repeated explanations. (Though it has already garnered a life of its own on Twitter, hasn't it?) At the family breakfast, Jesse faces ridicule for attempting to usurp his father's seat at the head of the table, which he justifys with the feeble excuse of maintaining table spacing. As siblings descend into a cacophony of shouting, Amber asserts confidently that she is the only one capable of filling the power vacuum, a claim as false as her steady, assured shooting. The truth is, they are all lost without Eli, and the prospect of his mortality stings them deeply. This is not mere incompetence; it is profound grief.
Yet, there are ruins to rebuild, and Jesse, the architect of chaos, insists on wielding the broom with both hands. Heeding Martin's advice, who warns that the assassins might return to finish Eli off if they hear of his recovery, Jesse orchestrates a hospital ambush that is part "The Godfather," part "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and entirely absurd. The "Godfather" element involves wheeling Eli out of the room where the attack is imminent. The "Ferris Bueller" touch is humorous, as it's evident that Jesse has watched the movie and set a trap accordingly, with a dummy occupying Eli's bed and a cassette tape playing a recording of someone snoring. This leads to perhaps the episode's funniest moment: the assassins firing at the dummy while the snoring noises continue as if Eli sleeps through the ordeal unperturbed.
Though the episode concludes with an improbable victory, thanks to Gideon salvaging another of Jesse's hastily conceived revenge plots, the Gemstones' woes persist. Eli remains unconscious. Kelvin's home has been occupied by musclemen. And, apart from Amber, none knows how to navigate the power vacuum. It will take gallons of elixir to soothe the ulcers this family has self-inflicted.
