Warning! The finale of “The Righteous Gemstones,” titled “That Man of God May Be Complete,” which aired on HBO on May 4, 2025, contains spoilers.
Throughout the four seasons of “The Righteous Gemstones”, the heirs of the title Evangelical family frequently become their own biggest obstacles. They sabotage their romantic connections, compete fiercely in church matters, and consistently frustrate their cherished “Daddy” with their antics. However, in the series finale “That Man of God May Be Complete,” written and directed by series creator and star Danny McBride, things take a dramatic turn. In the climax of the episode, Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson, also a writer for the show), and Kelvin (Adam DeVine) find themselves pursued, shot, and left for dead by their true adversary – childhood friend Corey Milsap (Seann William Scott), who holds them responsible for the disintegration of his parents’ marriage.
In the bizarre world of gemstones, this conclusion stands out – as he wreaked havoc, Corey sported a duplicate of Michael Jackson’s famous red-and-gold military jacket; the wounded gemstone siblings spread their own blood across their vast lakeside mansion as they inch towards each other to strategize a response to Corey. Meanwhile, Dr. Watson the monkey retrieves Jesse’s gun so he can retaliate. However, as the siblings hope that an injured Corey will reach heaven, the series is also at its most heartfelt. Jesse’s candid confession that “at times, jealousy can corrupt us. At times, we don’t consider how our actions affect others” resonates with every character in the show.
In a heartwarming fashion, the emotional wedding of Kelvin and Keefe (Tony Cavalero), Uncle Baby Billy’s (Walton Goggins) family recommitment, and Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) and Corey’s mom Lori (Megan Mullally) reigniting their romance marked a poignant end for the Gemstones. What makes this ending particularly special is that it leaves room for viewers to imagine where the siblings might head next, according to McBride, Patterson, and DeVine who met on Zoom before the series finale aired. The open-ended nature of the series’ conclusion allows fans to envision various scenarios such as Kelvin and Keefe starting their own ministry, or BJ and Judy running a monkey sanctuary. As McBride puts it, “There’s so much potential for anything to happen, even the worst-case scenario.” What is certain, however, is that the comedic and emotional bond between McBride, Patterson, and DeVine remains intact, regardless of whether The Righteous Gemstones has come to an end.
For everyone here, is there a standout fourth-season scene of the others that you particularly enjoy? And Danny, do you have a preferred scene featuring Adam?
Danny McBride: I don’t have a favorite with Adam, though.
Adam DeVine often commented on his scenes with “That didn’t resonate with me.” [Shoulders shrug].
D.M.: [Chuckles.] I’m thoroughly fond of everything Adam performs in the show. His speech for the Top Christ Following Man left me quite impressed. I recall watching him deliver it and feeling a sense of pride, although he isn’t my son. At that moment, I felt as if he truly stepped up to the challenge.
A.D.: It’s because you thought I was gonna blow it.
My hopes weren’t high, but Edi never fails to amuse me, and what truly astounds me is when she can make me tear up. When she delivered that speech to Dr. Watson, I thought, “Wow, this is really touching me!” She did a fantastic job, and it was an emotional, fitting conclusion for the character’s journey and growth.
Edi Patterson: Thanks, dude!
As a movie enthusiast, let me tell you that Edi’s humor never fails to crack me up. The interplay between Judy, BJ, and Dr. Watson always leaves me in stitches, especially when jealousy takes over. When BJ kissed Dr. Watson, causing her to stumble back as if struck, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing so hard that I had to rewind and watch it again! This season, Danny’s storyline with Gideon was another highlight for me. The way Danny’s insecurity is portrayed, given that Danny is such an insecure character, really resonated with me.
The truth’s coming out.
A.D.: I’m not on your show anymore! Now it can all come out. [Laughs.]
In a more straightforward manner: Everyone participating, particularly these two friends, consistently bring authenticity to everything they do, even when the situations seem absurd. Seeing this transform into genuine sincerity is both inspiring and amusing. I feel just like Danny did – watching Adam deliver that speech was truly impactful. With Danny, he manages to evoke those unusual feelings of laughing and crying at the same time when Jesse gets hurt or frustrated, or when he’s trying to impress Vance Simkins, especially during scenes involving capes. These moments are so awkward they leave me in stitches.
D.M.: We got to find something to work on together. It seems like we would get along really well.
Danny, you mentioned about writing for the cast that you enjoy inventing situations that make them step outside their comfort zones and try new things. Has Danny given Adam and Edi anything this season that felt like that? And did Danny write any scenes for himself that he knew would be challenging?
D.M.: When I say “outside their comfort zones,” it’s not meant to be something uncomfortable in a negative sense, but rather pushing them towards areas they haven’t explored before. Adam and Edi are incredibly talented actors, and any chance they get to showcase both sides of their characters makes them more than just cartoonish. The dynamics between Jesse and his sons, particularly the struggle of being a parent and not always meeting your children’s expectations, were new territories for me as a writer. It was fascinating to delve into these vulnerabilities and portray Jesse’s struggles with fatherhood.
I found it thrilling to present complex situations for Judy as the character because, much like Danny suggested, it made the story more engaging. There was never a thought of her being too tame. The way we developed her was liberating and, in my perspective, very feminist since I had the chance to portray her with the same level of complexity and chaos that male characters on TV often have. For instance, “I had an affair this season, I needed to make Judy’s character relatable despite these actions.” Whenever difficult scenarios came my way, it felt like a precious gift.
As an individual, I struggle with genuine expression. [Pauses slightly.] Moreover, I’m neither affectionate nor compassionate.
E.P.: That’s true.
As a comedian, I don’t often get to act out genuine, emotional, romantic scenes. But the moments with Keefe were special because I got to portray them in a sincere and heartfelt way, which was really enjoyable.
Regarding Judy’s scenes, they often become internet sensations, such as when she kicks the bathroom stall door or this season with Megan Mullally, where there was a moment requiring her to touch your “bare titty meat.” How do you handle Judy from a physical comedy perspective?
E.P.: Those two elements were discovered on set. Danny had the idea for kicking the bathroom door during the episode he directed, and I thought, “Absolutely! That’s the essence of this whole production.” As for the scene with Megan, Danny, I have a question for you. Was the intention always to use handheld camera on the Steadicam?
D.M.: After capturing that scene, I immediately thought, “Let’s discuss it!” [Laughs.] I could sense your energy within it, and I felt that this wasn’t meant to be stationary. We needed to move with you. It required a sense of life. That’s when we removed all the dolly tracks and decided to do everything handheld, allowing you to guide where the camera goes.
The ideas came together quite nicely there. The particular length of Judy’s curls, which were slightly awkward, allowed me to instantly connect with her on a physical level. The actions we performed weren’t scripted. I initiated and responded in ways not specified in the script, such as humping her, having her hump me, touching my side boob, and using explicit language about breasts. All of this occurred on the day itself. It’s a bit like the classic question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The granting of permission seemed to open the floodgates for truth to manifest physically.
As far as I’m concerned, my collection of clothes was more like me. I noticed some preachers wearing large spectacles that seemed unnecessary, merely for fashion. I wondered if Danny might find it stylish too. When I tried those glasses on, I started fiddling with them, and we decided to say I did it “for fashion.” This sparked something within me, and I thought, “Wow, he has small trinkets. He plays with his rings, he plays with his bracelets,” which gave Kelvin the freedom to express himself a bit more freely, letting his unique side show.
In the initial stages of filming the pilot episode, there was an idea for Jesse’s character – he would envision himself as Elvis or similar. Instead, I wanted to portray Jesse as always on edge, ready for action. When I think about a movie like The Goonies, each character is distinct and vibrant. I aimed to achieve that same level of authenticity with our trio – so that whenever all three characters appear together in the frame, they feel well-developed, and their body language defines them. Additionally, I wanted our characters to come across as three completely unique kinds of idiots. [Laughs.]
In the intense final scene set at the lakeside house, it’s Seann William Scott as Corey who hunts down the Gemstones and fatally shoots all three of them. As they rally together, they retaliate by shooting him. In his dying moments, he receives a prayer from them. I wonder what everyone thought about that twist?
A.P.: I had a feeling about parts of it, indeed. Working on the script gave me the sense that there could be a situation involving gunfire.
Upon reading it, my initial thought was, “Are we meeting our end in this final season? He plans to eliminate our characters! This is utterly absurd!” The revelation left me startled.
Danny, seeing as you’re both a lover and a writer of horror, was it your intention to infuse a genre atmosphere into this sequence?
D.M.: Absolutely, I wanted it to feel authentic and relatable. It could be argued that we all have a bit of the ‘sicko’ in us, and when you hear a show is coming to an end, your first thought might be, “Who will meet their demise?” [Laughs.] I was exploring this idea. I thought, People are going to wonder. Let’s give them what they want. Let’s see what that would look like. The filming of that scene was quite extraordinary. The lake house we needed for the shoot-out didn’t exist. Nothing seemed large enough to capture the scale required for a Gemstone vacation home. We kept searching for suitable locations, even considering digitally adding a lake to the back of a house. However, our location supervisor, Kale Murphy, eventually found a house on Lake Murray. It’s an impressive 18,000-square-foot property.
As a movie enthusiast, I found myself standing in that stunning house, orchestrating the climactic scene: Kelvin emerged from one hallway, Judy from another, and Corey entered through the front door, only to be struck down and collapse within this very room. Surrounding him, we prayed fervently. The exquisite fireplace we stood before, adorned with intricate stonework, caught my eye. Intrigued, I inquired about its history from the house’s owners. They revealed that it was originally constructed in a 1500s English church and happened to be the very spot where we filmed our final scene, with all of us gathered in prayer. Remarkably, this location wasn’t even secured two weeks before filming, making its discovery nothing short of serendipitous. It’s moments like these that remind me just how fortunate our production has been, as seemingly insignificant challenges often transform into delightful surprises, guiding us towards outcomes that surpassed our wildest imaginations.
At the last minute, it turned into quite a frenzy as we were competing for the lake house. Then when we arrived, I couldn’t help but ask, “Did you have this plan up your sleeve the whole time?
On the day we filmed the final scene in which we performed the prayer, it just so happened that the previous night saw Hurricane Helene passing through North Carolina and South Carolina. As a result, there was a power outage. Edi, I believe a tree might have fallen blocking your driveway?
As a grateful fan, I found myself trapped in an impossible situation. Yet, the kind soul living across the way showed true compassion by physically removing a portion of his fence, allowing me to navigate my way past the impasse.
D.M.: We found ourselves in a tough spot. It was our final day at that location, which meant we had to give it our all, even with 100 mph winds on set that morning. The house had no power, preventing anyone from working. Yet, we couldn’t afford to delay, as we were scheduled to wrap the following week and wouldn’t return to this site. So, we waited until around 1 p.m., losing a full day of shooting time, and ended up with only four hours. Under the circumstances, it was an exhilarating way to end our work together because we all understood the significance of what we were doing but had to forego the comforts we had initially anticipated. It became, Let’s make this happen. We streamlined the shooting process and the camera swiftly moved from one scene to another. Both of you performed admirably, and we managed to capture the scene before leaving. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved, and it’s amazing to look back on the challenges we faced to get there.
Just as we were on the verge of beginning, didn’t the power miraculously return? We were in quite a fluster. The inside was sweltering and everyone was laboring under dim lights. It felt like we were asking ourselves, “How on earth are we going to manage this?” And then, all at once, it seemed as if [raises arms, makes an angelic note]. It was almost as though the performance had been… divinely aided.
D.M.: Hashtag!
As an actor portraying my character, I found the gradual unfolding of Kelvin’s hidden aspect – his being a gay man – to be a unique and rewarding experience. The developing relationship between Kelvin and Keefe added depth to both characters and provided a genuine connection that I may not encounter again in future roles. It was truly a privilege to bring such a sensitive and significant part of Kelvin’s character to life on screen.
A.P: Judy brings out my joy! There’s a certain charm in being unfiltered and operating at full speed, only to wonder later if I might have accidentally knocked something over. [Laughs.] Her fearlessness is inspiring, and I aspire to incorporate that spirit into all aspects of life.
D.M.: Creating a show like this at my home in South Carolina has been an amazing experience, especially when the entire production team arrived and put their lives on hold to help bring the story to life. It’s something I look forward to every year. We made this show despite challenges such as COVID and strikes. The world changed significantly during the making of the show, but knowing I would soon reunite with my friends made the changes seem less daunting. There are so many aspects of it that I will miss, particularly the scenes shared with these two. When I reflect on the first season, when we were all gathered on Kelvin’s couch, reassuring him that it was okay not to be Jesus, and discussing Judy having boyfriends who would perform oral sex, we couldn’t stop laughing and creating something absurd. I often reminisce about those moments, appreciating their uniqueness and humor. It’s those memories that I will miss the most.
E.P.: Big-time same.
A.D.: You’re going to make us cry, dude.
E.P.: Same!
During the filming of our final episode, there were spontaneous heartfelt speeches shared among us, expressing the deep affection we have for each other. As you watch the season now, you’ll recall those behind-the-scenes moments when we would chat and relax before shooting scenes together.
E.P.: [Turns off camera.] Don’t look at me!
D.M.: Haha, Edi’s crying! [Laughs affectionately, Edi puts her camera back on.]
I’ve found myself deeply drawn to this incredible group – the cast, the crew, even Danny and the Rough House team. They’ve managed to create something truly unique down here. Just recently, I had a chat with Tim Baltz, who shared his sentiments about missing it all since we’d soon be packing up and swapping our warm Charleston days for wool sweaters back home.
E.P.: To put on a whole wool suit!
A.D.: And a wool ascot, for whatever reason.
D.M.: So, what was today’s conversation on Gemstones all about?
A.D.: The Righteous Gemstones?
E.P.: Oh!
A.D.: You might have to do a do-over, then.
E.P.: Yeah, I said some wrong stuff.
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2025-05-05 08:09