Recaps

The Righteous Gemstones season 1, episode 4 recap: Wicked Lips

The Righteous Gemstones
Tony Cavalero and Adam Devine in The Righteous Gemstones episode ‘Wicked Lips’. Pic credit: Ryan Green/HBO

As with the first three episodes of The Righteous Gemstones, the fourth episode took a turn and focused on yet another member of the family.

After the first episode introduced the family, the second focused on Jesse and the third on Baby Billy. This episode took Adam DeVine’s Kelvin and made him the center of attention.

If there is one thing to take note of in “Wicked Lips,” it is that Kelvin might be the best of the Gemstone family. He is not corrupt like Jesse and is less needy than his sister Judy.

Kelvin’s mission on The Righteous Gemstones

The main story in this episode was a family that donates more money than anyone to the Gemstone Empire and their daughter who is rebelling and might be headed toward a more satanic lifestyle.

Eli (John Goodman) decides it is time that Kelvin steps up and proves himself in the Gemstone family. It is important for Kelvin as well, as he sees himself as the youth-whisperer due to his success with kids in his youth ministries program.

The episode actually started off very strange as Kelvin’s friend Keefe (Tony Cavalero) was walking with an ice cream cone and came across some people dressed up in masks, makeup, leather, and chains. He used to be part of this group but left them when he turned to God.

This seemed to come from out of nowhere for a character that was minor in every sense of the word before this week. However, by the end of the episode, the scene was perfect and really tied up the theme of the episode perfectly.

The biggest focus was on Kelvin doing what he could to try to help swing Dot (Jade Pettyjohn) back to God to help her wealthy family and prove himself to Eli.

It started with Kelvin and Keefe showing up at her house and trashing everything that they considered to be a temptation. It ended with her walking out and then hooking up with her boyfriend, who told Kelvin he would kick his butt if he kept butting in.

It continued when Kelvin convinced Dot to attend a youth ministries event at a trampoline park. While Dot seemed impressed, she cut out early to go to a party with her boyfriend.

When Kelvin and Keefe showed up at the party, it was a massive satanic dance party that included a lot of drugs and sex (warning: this episode has a lot of sexual innuendo and situations and nudity). It also included Keefe’s old friends.

See, Keefe used to dance naked as a teenager in the club before he found God.

Kelvin finally found Dot and her boyfriend. This showed how Kelvin is not a wuss, like he comes off as, as he stands up to the boyfriend and causes him to back up. Nothing happens, though, as the police raided the place.

Dot’s boyfriend ran and left her lying on the floor with the danger of being trampled. Kelvin reached down his hand and saved her. Not only that, but he had to have God on his side as he was able to dodge all the police and then Keefe’s old friends helped them find a secret way out to safety.

Kelvin succeeded.

However, the best part came at the end when Keefe told Kelvin that he proved himself and that is when Kelvin said that Keefe was his greatest success. It was a perfect ending to the episode and a great episode focused on Kelvin.

Jesse’s lies on The Righteous Gemstones

It wasn’t only Kelvin in this episode, though. Jesse’s lies are continuing to threaten his life.

His son Gideon learned where the Gemstones put their money when they collect it on Sundays before it is taken away on Mondays. He returns to Scott and the two decide to figure out a way to get in and steal it on a Sunday.

Meanwhile, one of Jesse’s buddies left emails on his server about their dealings with prostitutes and his wife hacks his server to read them. She brings the information to Cassidy but she just defends their husbands.

Jesse agrees to go pray with the couple and they try to convince her that it was all a joke and they make up excuses.

However, on the way home, Jesse passes Scott and Gideon in a van and gives chase. He makes an excuse to Cassidy that this is just someone he plays games with on the road and the entire chase ends with Scott flipping the van.

Scott and Gideon go on the run into the woods while Jesse gets out with his gun. When he tells Cassidy it is still just a game, it is clear she is starting to have doubts.

Seeing how well of a shot Cassidy is in one scene tonight, it is clear that Jesse better watch his step if he continues to lie to his wife.

The Righteous Gemstones airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.

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