And Infants Shall Rule Over Them
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Episode 7
- Danny McBride
- John Carcieri
- Jeff Fradley
| "And Infants Shall Rule Over Them" | |
|---|---|
| The Righteous Gemstones episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Jody Hill |
| Written by |
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| Cinematography by | Paul Daley |
| Editing by |
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| Original air date | February 13, 2022 |
| Running time | 35 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
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"And Infants Shall Rule Over Them" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American dark comedy crime television series The Righteous Gemstones. It is the sixteenth overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Danny McBride, executive producer John Carcieri, and executive producer Jeff Fradley, and directed by executive producer Jody Hill. It was released on HBO on February 13, 2022.
The series follows a family of televangelists and megachurch pastors led by widowed patriarch Eli Gemstone. The main focus is Eli and his immature children, Jesse, Kelvin and Judy, all of whom face challenges in their lives. The series depicts the family's past and scandals, which unleash consequences. In the episode, Eli is comatose after the shooting, causing the family to plan their next move.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.288 million household viewers and gained a 0.1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising the episode's emotional tone, character development, performances and action sequences.
After the shooting, Eli (John Goodman) is now comatose in a hospital. Jesse (Danny McBride) and Amber (Cassidy Freeman) announce Eli's status to the church, intending to temporarily take leadership. Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) also announces that he is moving out of the house to work as a stuntman in Atlanta, stunning his parents.
BJ (Tim Baltz) helps Tiffany (Valyn Hall) in tracking Billy (Walton Goggins) through his credit cards. They confront him, discovering that he is selling fraudulent supplements. Tiffany confronts him for abandoning her, calling him out for abandoning Harmon back in 1993. Billy claims that he is raising money for the baby and insults Tiffany for not trusting him before leaving her. After not receiving support from his squad, Jesse confides in Martin (Gregory Alan Williams) that he feels responsible for Eli's condition after confronting Junior, also admitting that he no longer craves Eli's position. Martin suggests they can plan a new strategy: convincing the others that Eli's health is improving and intends to make confessions, which may attract the Cycle Ninjas. For their plan, Kelvin (Adam DeVine) releases Keefe (Tony Cavalero) from the God Squad's cage.
After announcing his "recovery" in the consecration, Eli is moved to the compound under the guise of remaining at the hospital. While staying at the hospital, Jesse is surprised to discover Gideon returning, intending to help. Due to a misunderstanding, Jesse ends up firing the whole private security detail, leaving Gideon, Martin, BJ and himself alone at the hospital. At the compound, Kelvin laments his situation and cries alongside Eli, who suddenly wakes up from his coma. As news reach the hospital, the Cycle Ninjas arrive. Jesse manages to subdue two of the gunmen while the rest flee on their bikes. Jesse allows Gideon to chase them, using a stun baton to subdue a gunman. He catches up with the other gunman, managing to knock him unconscious.
Production
Development
In December 2021, HBO confirmed that the episode would be titled "And Infants Shall Rule Over Them", and that it would be written by series creator Danny McBride, executive producer John Carcieri, and executive producer Jeff Fradley, and directed by executive producer Jody Hill. This was McBride's sixteenth writing credit, Carcieri's ninth writing credit, Fradley's seventh writing credit, and Hill's seventh directing credit.[1]
