Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Righteous Gemstones season 4, episode 1!
The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4 has introduced Bradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstone, and here is who he is and how he is related to John Goodman’s Eli Gemstone. The Gemstone family is absolutely massive, with each season ofThe Righteous Gemstonesintroducing newmembers of the Gemstone family tree. However,The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4’s premiere introduced the oldest Gemstone yet in the form of Bradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstone.
The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4 will be the final seasonof Danny McBride’s hit comedy series, with it telling the story of the titular televangelist family one last time. Despite there being a limited amount of time with the main cast ofThe Righteous Gemstonesleft,the season 4 premiere made a risky move by not featuring the main cast at all. Instead, it focused on an entirely new cast, raising a lot of questions about how it related to the rest ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4.
Bradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstone Is Eli’s Direct Ancestor From Nearly 200 Years Ago
He Started Gemstone Ministries
Despite the rest of the show (minus the “Interlude” flashback episodes) taking place in the modern day,The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4, episode 1is set in 1862. The episode tells the story of Bradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstone, a Southern criminal during the Civil War who kills a priest names Abel Grieves. After learning that the Confederate Army is drafting Military chaplains that will be paid $50 a week, Elijah takes up Grieves' identity and begins preaching for the Confederacy.
10 Best Shows Like The Righteous Gemstones
The hilariously raunchy HBO series from Danny McBride currently airing its second season shares several components with other notable comedies.
This started the Gemstones' ministry, which continued all the way to the time of Eli, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin. The full Gemstone lineage hasn’t been revealed, meaning that it isn’t known how many generations exist between Elijah and Eli. It is known that Eli’s father,Roy Gemstone, was born in 1917, with Eli being born in 1952. Based on this, it is likely that Elijah Gemstone was Eli’s great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather.
The Real Meaning Of Elijah Being Eli’s Namesake In The Righteous Gemstones
It Has Multiple Meanings
The introduction ofBradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstonemeans thatThe Righteous Gemstonesviewers now know Eli’s namesake, and this has a lot of meaning. Despite Eli being a pious preacher, he is named after a murderer con-man. This could reference the dark underbelly of Gemstone Ministries, with the outward-facing Christian family concealing scandals, jealousy, pride, and a variety of other dark traits seen throughout the show.
The Righteous Gemstones Cast & Character Guide
The Righteous Gemstones season 4 is finally here, and here is a full breakdown of the show’s cast and characters ahead of the final season.
However, Elijah Gemstone’s arc also demonstrates a major theme that has been present throughoutThe Righteous Gemstones: repentance. By the end ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4 premiere, Elijah realizes his wrongdoings, with him praying to God and taking care of the bodies of his fellow soldiers. Elijah seems to have actually changed, something that could tie into the themes ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4’s story.
The Righteous Gemstones
Cast
The Righteous Gemstones follows the story of a renowned televangelist family, embroiled in a legacy marked by deviance, greed, and charitable acts, all under the guise of religious devotion. Released in 2019, the series explores their complex dynamics and the challenges they face in maintaining their public image.
