The Righteous Gemstones is an American crime comedy-drama television series created by Danny McBride. The series premiered on August 18, 2019, on HBO and concluded on May 4, 2025, after four seasons and 36 episodes. The series follows a famous and dysfunctional family of televangelists.
At the heart of this series are compelling characters, each contributing to the show's unique blend of humor and drama. One such character is Chad, Jesse Gemstone’s right-hand man. Let's delve into who Chad is and his role in the Gemstone family's world.
The Premise of The Righteous Gemstones
The Righteous Gemstones depicts a family of South Carolina-based televangelists and megachurch pastors led by widowed patriarch Eli Gemstone. Eli and his immature adult children, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin, lead opulent lives funded by the church.
* In the first season, Eli's estranged brother-in-law, Baby Billy Freeman, is brought in to lead the Gemstones' new shopping-mall-based satellite church, which leads to a conflict with Rev. John Wesley Seasons, whose smaller, neighboring church is threatened.* In the second season, Jesse and Amber partner with Texas megachurch leaders Lyle and Lindy Lissons to develop a Christian timeshare resort.* In the third season, Eli scales back his involvement in the church, handing over greater control to his children. Eli's impoverished sister, May-May, resurfaces, asking for his assistance in keeping her family safe from her ex-husband, Peter, a vengeful Christian militia leader who holds a decades-long grudge against the Gemstones.* In the fourth and final season, the Gemstone children continue to lead the church amidst their turbulent personal lives: Jesse struggles to leave a lasting legacy and keep control of his rebelling sons, while Judy must care for a depressed BJ after he is injured in a pole-dancing accident. Having entered into a romantic relationship with Keefe, Kelvin gains prominence after creating PRISM, an LGBT-friendly ministry.However, things spiral completely out of control for the Gemstones when a lonely Eli enters into a relationship with Lori Milsap, a close friend of Aimee-Leigh.
The Role of Chad
Chad is played by actor James DuMont. Chad is Jesse Gemstone’s (McBride) right-hand man and crony, who was a former sinner before changing his ways for the Lord. Chad is Jesse’s muscle.
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James DuMont was previously seen in TV miniseries “Law & Order True Crime;” on HBO’s “Treme” as Captain Richard LaFouchette opposite Melissa Leo; on “American Horror Story: Freak Show” as Foster/Dr. Morrison; in an episode of “Stranger Things,” and in several other TV roles since the 1980s.
The Righteous Gemstones' Best Insults | The Righteous Gemstones | HBO
Main Characters
The Gemstone family and their associates are portrayed by a talented cast:
- Danny McBride as Jesse Gemstone, Eli's oldest son and associate pastor of the Gemstone Salvation Center.
- Adam DeVine as Kelvin Gemstone, Eli's youngest son and youth pastor of the Gemstone Salvation Center.
- Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone, Eli's daughter. Judy, the middle child, often feels underestimated by her family as she tries to follow in her mother's footsteps as a singer and star of the church's services.
- Cassidy Freeman as Amber Gemstone, Jesse's wife who projects the image of a supportive and loving spouse. She encourages Jesse's ambitions to take more control of the church while privately struggling with his negative qualities.
- Tim Baltz as Benjamin Jason "BJ" Barnes, Judy's sensitive and mediocre fiancé, and later, husband. He is often intimidated by Judy, although it's apparent that he really loves her. BJ works in an optometrist's office in a local grocery store.
- John Goodman as Dr. Elijah "Eli" Gemstone II, the patriarch of the Gemstone family and lead pastor of the Gemstone Salvation Center. Eli is a widower, having lost his wife, Aimee-Leigh, one year prior to the start of the series.
- Skyler Gisondo as Gideon Gemstone, Jesse's oldest son, who moved to California to be a stunt performer, an act that Jesse considered to be a betrayal. Gideon later reconciles with his family and returns to work for the church.
- Walton Goggins as Baby Billy Freeman (season 1, recurring seasons 2-4), Eli's brother-in-law and brother of the deceased Aimee-Leigh Gemstone. A faded child star who was once part of a Gospel song-and-dance double-act with his sister, Baby Billy is a habitual liar whose financial dependence, bad influence on Jesse and Judy, and tendency to abandon his loved ones strained his relationship with the Gemstones.
- Jennifer Nettles as Aimee-Leigh Gemstone, Eli's deceased wife and the mother of Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin.
Production Insights
On June 28, 2018, it was announced that HBO had given the production a pilot order. McBride said he intended the series to run "longer than anything we've done before," including the four-season Eastbound & Down and the two-season Vice Principals. "If I had my way, when this is done, it's like this epic, sprawling tale, like the fucking Thorn Birds or something," he told Polygon. "You'll know everybody in this family, cousins, great uncles, all these people. In my eyes, this season is chapter one. It's just setting the table for who all these people are and what's about to happen." Like McBride's previous television characters, the Gemstones have "an inflated sense of self".
For the second season, Eli's backstory was inspired by the Dixie Mafia and the Memphis professional wrestling business, two subjects that have long fascinated McBride. He has stated that the Gemstones were originally inspired by Mafia families and that Eli's gangster background informs how the character runs his church in the present.
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Principal photography for the pilot was completed in August 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina, at Citadel Mall. The North Charleston Coliseum served as the interior of Gemstone Ministries, while a former Sears store at Citadel Mall was re-purposed into the Locust Grove Worship Center. (The new church being a former Sears was kept and referenced in the series).
The series music is composed by Joseph Stephens, who has collaborated with McBride on his previous television series. An original song, "Misbehavin", became a viral hit after its debut in the episode "Interlude". Performed by Jennifer Nettles and Walton Goggins as their characters Aimee-Leigh and Baby Billy, "Misbehavin'" is the fictional Freeman siblings' most popular song which they performed as children in the 1960s and reprised as adults in 1989.
Reception
The series has been well-received by critics.
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes Rating | Average Rating | Number of Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 89% | 7.5/10 | 19 |
| 3 | 100% | 8/10 | 15 |
| 4 | 100% | 8.9/10 | 20 |
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