‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 3, Episode 8 Review

After an episode that ended like the previous one, it’s hard to have a high tension, action-packed episode to follow up — especially since the penultimate installment of the season. Stories and characters need time to develop and reflect on the suspenseful moments in the plot. Because of this, episode eight of The Righteous Gemstones is a little bit of a lull in the lives of the titular family. That’s not to say that important matters weren’t discussed or brought up. If anything, this segment did a good job aligning all of the chess pieces for a very eventful finale.

After escaping the custody of the Montgomerys, the Gemstone children turned their frustration about the incident towards Eli (John Goodman), who refused to pay the ransom. He isn’t exactly phased by this accusation. He never truly believed that his children were in any danger, and so his conscience is clear when they blame him for what transpired. Ultimately, this situation is a blessing for the church as a whole. The Gemstone children are united in their hatred towards their father, thus allowing them to work together for the first time. Plus, the kidnapping provided them the opportunity to play victim, which boosted ticket sales for the church.

While the Gemstones were on the rise, the militia that Peter (Steve Zahn) runs was on a downward fall. He was forced to abandon his compound after the Gemstones escaped, causing a lot of tension between him and the other militia members. They kicked him out, and he responded by calling the authorities on them. Peter also had a lot of explosives that he planned to use against the Gemstones. This is a lingering plot thread that still needs to be resolved. But that was the purpose of the episode. Between Peter’s bomb and the Gemstones coming together as a family, it’s setting the pieces set up for a great finale.

The Righteous Gemstones is now streaming on Max.