But Esau Ran to Meet Him
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Episode 2
- John Carcieri
- Danny McBride
| "But Esau Ran to Meet Him" | |
|---|---|
| The Righteous Gemstones episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Jody Hill |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Paul Daley |
| Editing by | David Canseco |
| Original release date | June 18, 2023 |
| Running time | 31 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"But Esau Ran to Meet Him" is the second episode of the third season of the American dark comedy crime television series The Righteous Gemstones. It is the 20th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer John Carcieri, and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer Jody Hill. It was released on HBO on June 18, 2023, and also was available on Max on the same date. The episode aired back-to-back with the previous episode, "For I Know the Plans I Have for You".
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, the Gemstones approach May–May's husband, Peter, in order to save her children from his influence.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.223 million household viewers and gained a 0.07 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor, supporting cast and action sequences.
Stephen (Stephen Schneider) is talking with his wife, Kristy (Casey Wilson), revealing he was fired from the church. He hides his infidelity, so she believes he succumbed to his drug addiction. As their argument escaltes, she hits him in the head with a glass blender in front of their kids.
Tired of seeing Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) smoking and doing nothing following an injury, Jesse (Danny McBride) assigns him as their new driver. He drives Jesse, Eli (John Goodman), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine) to visit Peter (Steve Zahn), May–May's husband, at his compound. Peter commands a militia known as the Brothers of Tomorrow's Fires, where the inhabitants carry weapons and prepare for Doomsday. Peter does not respect the Gemstones, accusing them of using people for money and exploiting the church for their benefit. Later the FBI raids the compound, shooting and arresting many of the militiamen, although Peter, and his sons Karl (Robert Oberst) and Chuck (Lukas Haas) escape to a safe house. Peter believes Karl and Chuck colluded with Eli and May–May (Kristen Johnston), so he tortures one of his henchmen to prove his point.
During a meeting with ministers, Jesse, Judy and Kelvin make a poor impression. When a minister insults them using Aimee-Leigh's name, Jesse throws his shoe, which prompts the ministers to attack them with their own shoes. Eli meets with May–May, Karl and Chuck at a motel, worried that Peter may know about their encounters, and May–May is also harassed by militiamen watching her outside the motel. Eli manages to retrieve Karl and Chuck out of the motel and escape with Gideon behind the wheel, just as the militiamen follow them. After a tense chase, the two cars intercept Gideon's car and prepare to ram it. Gideon manages to evade them, and the two cars crash. Gideon then drives off.
Production
Development
The episode was written by executive producer John Carcieri and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. This was Carcieri's twelfth writing credit, McBride's twentieth writing credit, and Hill's tenth directing credit.[1]
Casting
In May 2022, it was reported that Lukas Haas, Robert Oberst, Sturgill Simpson, and Casey Wilson would join the series in recurring roles.[2] The following month, Steve Zahn was also announced to join the series in a recurring role.[3]
