But the Righteous Will See Their Fall
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Episode 8
- Kevin Barnett
- Chris Pappas
- Danny McBride
| "But the Righteous Will See Their Fall" | |
|---|---|
| The Righteous Gemstones episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 8 |
| Directed by | David Gordon Green |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Michael Simmonds |
| Editing by | Craig Hayes |
| Original release date | October 6, 2019 |
| Running time | 34 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"But the Righteous Will See Their Fall" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American dark comedy crime television series The Righteous Gemstones. The episode was written by Kevin Barnett, Chris Pappas, and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. It was released on HBO on October 6, 2019.
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 premiere introduced a long-running arc where Jesse is blackmailed for an incriminating video, which was revealed to be part of a scheme orchestrated by his estranged son, Gideon. In the episode, Gideon faces consequences for his actions, while Jesse decides to open up about the past.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.610 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the new changed status of the characters, character development and humor.
After dropping Judy (Edi Patterson) at her house, Billy (Walton Goggins) drives while receiving oral sex from Tiffany (Valyn Hall). Suddenly, a van crashes into them. While Billy and Tiffany have slight wounds, the driver, Scotty (Scott MacArthur), is knocked unconscious. Inspecting the van, they discover the stolen money and his gun, discovering that he robbed the Gemstone vault. Scotty wakes up and a panicked Tiffany shoots him in the head, killing him. After taking the money, they dump his van in a lake.
Security guards release Jesse (Danny McBride) and Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) from the vault. Eli (John Goodman) confronts Gideon for his actions, as he could've gotten them killed. Gideon takes the blame for the robbery, deeming it the only reason why he returned, not mentioning the tape. A heartbroken Amber (Cassidy Freeman) orders Gideon to leave their house. Billy and Tiffany retrieve their stuff from the prayer center, only to be interrupted by Judy. Billy dismisses her as lacking talent and leaves the town with Tiffany, disappointing Judy.
As Gideon packs his stuff, Jesse talks with him, deeming that Jesse blames himself for everything bad that happened. Despite Jesse trying to make him stay, Gideon chooses to leave. Judy visits BJ (Tim Baltz) at his pharmacy to reconcile, but he is not interested. Judy also takes offense when one of his co-workers delivers him lunch. On her way out, she uses a cart to crash the co-worker's car, getting herself arrested. Distraught over all the events happening, Kelvin (Adam DeVine) orders Keefe (Tony Cavalero) to leave, believing he cannot guide him anymore.
Haunted by Gideon's absence, Jesse meets with his friends and wives. He confesses to the tape, and then shows it to everyone, shocking them. While Jesse maintains they did not have sex, their wives are still disgusted. He tries to talk with Amber, but she angrily starts destroying part of the house. She then takes a rifle and shoots Jesse in the buttocks as he flees the house. Eli arrives at the police station, where he bails Judy out, while Billy and Tiffany return home and celebrate their new income.
Production
Development
In September 2019, HBO confirmed that the episode would be titled "But the Righteous Will See Their Fall", and that it would be written by Kevin Barnett, Chris Pappas, and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. This was Barnett's second writing credit, Pappas' second writing credit, McBride's eighth writing credit, and Green's fourth directing credit.[1]
