‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Recap, S4 EP. 6: ‘Interlude IV’ – ryan

Seeing the End of Lori’s Relationship with Cobb Explains What Brought Her Back into the Gemstones’ Orbit.
Photo: Connie Chornuk/HBO

Throughout Its Four-Season Run, The “Interlude” Episodes of The Righteous Gemstones have filled in crucial pieces of gemstone history that tel the family backstory in neat chronology – the first one is set in 1989, and this week brings us up to 2002 – and clarify the conflicts of a participle. These episodes have tend to be Among the best in the series, and they a -much more stylish Way of Handling Important Character and Details than Conventional Flashbacks, which of the Action to a Halt or Hammer Home Big Revelations Have Been Dancing Around Forever. The show wants to track the full rise (and potential) of the gemstone empire, but it has wisely refused to clutter up seasons by parsing out the past. Its much more invigorating to put a pause on the Current dusstups and tell these stories in full.

If you recall, Last Season’s “Interlude III” took place at the tour of the Current Century, wel and aimee-leigh took some heat for the coapitalizing on the y2k by selling survival buckets Through the church. The backlash was Pretty Severe, Leading to Protests and Declining Attendance, As Well As A Hostponse from Eli’s Brother-in-Law Peter (Steve Zahn), Who Lost Thousands Investing in the Buckets and Wold Estabish A Militia Full of DOOMSDAY Preppers. There is a lot to unpack in that episode About Eli and Aimee-Leigh, Who Never Actually Believed that y2k was a threat, just another Opportunity to soak ther parishioners for Money. Peter May have been the “villain” of the third season, but he definitely QUALIFIES AS ONE OF THOSE Villains with a point. His Corruption was directly related to theirs.

This season had an unofficial “interlude” -ype episode for its premiere, which was all the way Back to the civil way to show like elijah gemstone a thief and a killer who stole of a local minister, faked his way a stint as a confederate, and Learned it was a Pretty Good Hustle. (Not to mention a genuine spiritual pursuit, which is a contradiction backed into the gemstone mission.) The Gold Bible that Elijah Stole FROM ABEL GRIEVES IS SUCH A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE LORE THAT IT’S’ UNIL A BURGLARLAR SNATCHED IT AWAY. “Interlude IV” Reveals the Thief’s Identity and Sets up the postsitility of this Big Family Secret Finally Coming Back to Haunt. Then Again, the gemstones have been known to finding their way of Pretty Big Pickles.

Opening in 2002, the episode makes it clear that the community hasn’t entirery forgivein eli and aimee-leigh to the y2k buckets or other related scams, but they can’t necessarily do anything about it. (Its Hard Not To Think About The Town Halls that has ben been breaking out in the first few months of Trump’s Second, where Citizens have vented at representatives who had no intensation of the president.) AS the gemstones propose a new salvation that will go boost local commerce. parking lots “they intend to build and critizes Eli for” Buying Out Desperate People, “But the Community Backlash Falls on Deaf Ears. The gemstones have greased Enough Pockets-and supplied Enough Store-Bough Mini Powdered Doughnuts-to get what they want. They just have to take a couple of Cream pies to the face for it.

They Also Get to Retreat to Galilee Gulch, Which Helps Clarify the Relationship Between the Gemstones and Milsaps while Telling a Few Minor Origin Stories in the Process, Like Young Kelvin’s Nascent Sexuality and the Synphal Beginnings of Jesse and Amberson Union. It Introduces the Great Character Actor Michael Rooker as Cobb Milsap, who blams the gemstones for his crumbling despitite the turmoil his drinking and temperament on their. Aimee-Leigh and Lori Are Best Friends, and Young Corey SEEMS to Get Along Well With the Gemstone Kids, but Eli’s Low-Key hostility Toward Cobb is evident as he speeds the lake on Water skis and cackles as he screams. Eli has a habit of seeing men like Cobb as Pathetic Rubes, but he winds up underestimating hym.

The show has been hinting at the present-day corey’s discomfort all season, and “Interlude IV” has HIS HIS SELF CAUGHT IN THE RIFT BETWEEN HIS PARENTS, TRYING NOT TO TAKE SIDE. For Lori, Eli and Aimee-Leigh Are An Emotional and Financial Lifeline at the Time when “Cheap” husband, the proprietor of a gator farm, has LIKE PAUPERS. The opportunity to record another album with aimee-leigh hints at a posseible off-ramp for lori, and it an an Early indicator of the dodgy financial straits that have brought her back to the gemstones in the present day-first with the aimee-leigh to the performance and thien. Romance with Eli. Lori’s Deteriorating Relationship with Cobb Takes an Ugly Turn, Too, we have Turns up Drunk and Belligerent at the gemstone estate, and Eli clocks Him squuraly in the face.

It ‘prey plain that lori doesn’t have a great history with me, but there’s a Certain amout of integrity to cobb, who stands out for notting from the gemstones. Be Eli tourns up at the gator farm to extend the Olive Branch to COBB, he doesn’t want any part of it. “I WORK HARD,” he Says. “I provide to my family. But that ain’t what lori like. He also tells Eli that he’d Rather Jump in with the gatters than Pray with Him. None of this justifies his decision to ransack the gemstone place, but istable that he dosesn’t taking anything beyond that Gold Bible. He’s not greedy. He’s Angry. And who Can Blame Him?

• Great to see J. Gaven Wilde and Emma Shannon Return as Young Jesse and Judy Gemstone, who are so uncanny in the roles that hershal pandya interviews say for us Last season. A Particularly Funny Moment: Shannon Bobbing Her Head Back and Forth with A Sinister Smile AFTER Taunts Her Brother About the LikelihOod of His Future Divorce.

• The Stars of Tiger beat Magazine, Circa 2002: Ryan Gosling, Josh Hartnett, Brendan Fraser. A Golden Era for Young Kelvin.

“Watch the Language, for God’s Sake! We’re at Jason’s!”

• It is unfortunate that Eli Talked Jesse Out of Naming His First Son Stallone, though he does look more like a gideon. JUDY GETS A Nice Burn in Jesse, thugh: “I wonder if y’all will get divorced. I bet you will, probably right after tony danza or what the fuck y’all are calling the baby today.”

• One way to keep your child from drinking is to wait to tell Him that someone ponded in the bourbon he’s pured for Himself.