Another season of Straight gems means fresh evangelical family shenanigans brought to TV screens by comedy whisperer Danny McBride.
The creator, writer, occasional director and star brings the Gemstone kids into a new chapter in their lives as father Eli (John Goodman) steps back, leaving Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam Devine). with more responsibilities. But are they capable of taking over the family empire? Fans of the show might know the answer to that question without thinking too much about it, but we can’t help but give this immature trio the benefit of the doubt.
As they work to maintain their family’s legacy, each of the Gemstone children faces their own challenges, with Jesse shouldering the heavy burden of trying to fill Eli’s shoes. Taking it upon himself, Jesse focuses on work, but there’s always another twist to grab your attention. “Each season, we always tell two stories,” says McBride. “There’s the story of what happened in the past and how it affected things in the future.”
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“That back story fills in the blanks of how this family got to this place. Sometimes it could be a simple decision or crossing paths with someone, but everything has repercussions and always moves things forward,” he adds. In this case, that past story is based on family history with a part of the family that viewers have yet to meet.
“If you open up the family and start exploring the different paths of it, there’s a lot of meat there and it’s a lot of fun,” McBride teases. “
As for Judy, her ego is through the roof, but there is also an underlying sense of guilt that affects her actions, but for what? The season will reveal her focus in time, but for now, Patterson teased that Judy is fresh off a multi-state tour. According to the star, “She kind of feels about it, about her place in the world, and she feels like shit.” As expected, confidence and Judy Gemstone are not the most stable combination.
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“She thinks that’s part of being a rock star. If people want to join you, you should let them fall in love with you. You’re a rockstar; what else should you do?” Meanwhile, her dutiful husband BJ (Tim Baltz) handles church duties at home, sending them on different paths as the season opens.
And Kelvin found his next calling leading the “Smut Busters”, a group of young people determined to rid the world of pornography and sex toys. “Kelvin always has to have something. He’s really trying to find his way to church to differentiate himself from his brothers,” notes Devine.
“Jesse seems to be the lead pastor trying to basically be our father. Judy has this song and dance thing, so she’s trying to be a mom and I’m trying to do my own thing. And this season, I’m trying to break some mess,” explains the actor. In Devine’s words, smudging busting involves taking Kelvins “keefe (Tony Cavalero)” and teenagers to porn stores in an attempt to shut them down.
“So other people can’t get their hands on these deviant things,” says Devine. Slightly more popular than last season’s “God Squad,” Kelvin’s biggest flex in this venture is his Smut Busters van and shirts, which have a funny story, according to Cavalero, who recalls an Instagram account that “posts ridiculous christian stuff and someone took a range. photo of the Smut Busters van in a garage. People thought it was like a real church thing.”
We can’t blame them. When it comes to his world Precious stones, the lines between their comic reality and ours are getting blurrier by the day. Don’t miss what they do when Straight gems returns to HBO.
Straight gemsSeason 3 premieres Sunday, June 18,