Break out your best Sunday attire, kids, because church is back in session! HBO’s comedy The Righteous Gemstones season 4, aka the final season, is here. This is by far the most extreme, extravagant, ridiculous, and heartfelt season of the entire series. The fourth season is made of solid absurdist comedy gold as the family examines who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to leave behind as their legacy.
After a rocky couple of seasons resulting in the exposure of shocking Gemstone family secrets, Gemstone Ministries found its congregation shrinking and its funds dwindling in season 3. However, thanks to Uncle Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers game show fiasco, righteousness was restored, and redemption made its way around faster than a collection plate. And this brings us to season 4.
The Righteous Gemstones season 4 review
The Righteous Gemstones storyline continues with the Gemstone’s long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work, and their penchant for bickering. Their family ties run deeper now, especially after the events of season 3. This season, per the series logline, the family’s codependence is tested as they attempt to move forward without letting go of their storied past. So hunker down, because season 4 is full of jet packs, jealousy, prayer pods, the cutest service animal on the planet, more nakedness and sex jokes than you can shake a stick at (courtesy of Uncle Baby Billy), and even a wedding. Whaaat!!!
The siblings have amped up their sermons with jet packs, Jesse (Danny McBride) has developed and is peddling in-home prayer pods, Kelvin (Adam Devine) and Keefe (Tony Cavalero) are on a new moral crusade called PRISM, which examines the Bible through a modern-day light, Eli (John Goodman) is retired and living the kind of relaxed boat life The Dude, i.e., Jeffrey Lebowski of The Big Lebowski, would approve of (minus the air-freshening activity), and BJ (Tim Baltz), well, bless his sweet little heart. BJ, in continuing to embrace his eccentric manhood tendencies, suffers the most unexpected but hysterical freak accident that leaves him embarrassingly incapacitated. This gives Judy (Edi Patterson) another reason to be angrier than she already always is. Fun times, right?
And then there’s Uncle Baby Billy (Walton Goggins), who is at his silliest, most ridiculous, and most naked here. Season 4 is rife with Uncle Baby Billy’s oversized teeth, his priceless (and golden) “I’m a southern wealthy white man” accent and attitude, tremendous antics, and the birthday suit God gave him upon his birth. You’ll see plenty of Uncle Baby Billy’s cheeks and package, and it’s not even Christmas yet.
While “Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers” game show is a big ole hit, he craves more fame and feels he has more to offer in the form of a TV show. (Before I progress, though, go ahead and take that sip of whatever you’re drinking or finish that bite of whatever you’re eating; I don’t want you to choke.) So, he goes to his office, snorts a fat line of cocaine, and proceeds to type out his manuscript “TEEN JESUS”, which he shortens to “TEENJUS”, a young adult show about Jesus being a teenager in Nazareth. And let me just tell you, the production of this will have you rolling. It’s wicked comedy gold that even Jesus would laugh at.
Uncle Baby Billy is, without a doubt, Goggins’ best role to date, at least since Venus Van Dam in Sons of Anarchy. But we’re talking two extremely different character portrayals here. Goggins is a prismatic acting gem full of unimaginable range and talent, and he’s deserving of every ounce of praise, attention, and awards he gets because of it. We're sure going to miss him in this role.
There’s also a lot of jealousy floating around in The Righteous Gemstones season 4 that must be navigated smoothly to overcome the Gemstone codependence. Jesse gets super jealous when Kelvin is nominated for the Top Christ-Following Man award, and when Gideon (Skyler Gisondo) starts spending more time with Eli, who’s mentoring him on how to serve the Lord. Pontius (Kelton DuMont) is jealous of Gideon for being the golden child and a goody two-shoes, Judy is jealous of BJ’s new BFF, and the Gemstone siblings are all jealous of Eli’s new life interest, which they feel is pulling him away from the family.
Through themes of jealousy, truth, acceptance, forgiveness, and awareness, the Gemstones each discover who they are outside of the family name and grow as individuals because of it. As such, they’re better able to fill their role in the family in a much more loving, productive, and supportive way.
The biggest focus of the fourth season, aside from the mad props we should all give to the costume department for their efforts in dressing Kelvin, BJ, and Keefe, is its historical revelation, which helps us to understand the how and why behind everything we’ve witnessed in the first three seasons. In addition to giving us a look at the origin story of Gemstone Ministries and how the Gemstones even fell into ministry in the first place, season 4 also gives us more of Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles) and her impact not just on her family and congregation, but also on her friends, which is nice to see.
The final season is worth your time
While it’s sad The Righteous Gemstones has come to an end, we can leave church satisfied, feeling redeemed, knowing all is right with the family. Season 4 is absolutely hilarious, and Danny McBride, who is the creator of the show, has repeatedly and consistently established himself as a comedic genius. Not only does he know how to tap into a viewing perspective in a particular way that not many others are capable of, but he also delivers these absurd perspectives in relatable ways that not only make you laugh ‘til you cry but that also leave you stunned, with a warm heart rooted in real-world truth.
And, as Kelvin preaches in season 4, "The truth is that different is awesome. It's proof of the range of God's talents." One thing’s for sure about the Gemstones: You can try, and you might even knock them off their pulpit, but they always stand back up bigger, better, stronger, and prouder. And that's exactly how we leave our beloved Righteous Gemstones. If you're wondering whether or not you should watch the final season, the answer is that you definitely should.
The Righteous Gemstones season 4 premieres Sunday, March 9, 2025, on HBO and Max at 10 p.m. ET.
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