Danny McBride and Storytelling
- Rianne Manning
- May 7
- 5 min read
This post/analysis reflects my current thoughts, which may evolve with future rewatches, research, or discussion. I may update or revise this piece over time.
Introduction
Growing up, I often found myself without television shows or movies to watch with my family—or more specifically, my parents. The last film I remember watching with them was Raising Arizona (1987), and until a recent rewatch, I only remembered the scene wherein a baby carriage is propped up before an epic explosion. I recall my pre-teen self savoring the comedic moment with what felt like a guilty chuckle, a humor so forbidden that I struggled to understand how my father and I shared a similar appreciation and mutual understanding for provocative comedy in cinema.
Within the last year, I visited home a few times, and during one of those visits, I shared a meaningful moment with my family that I will never forget.
“A religious comedy, huh?”
My father is a man of few words, and when he asked this with what seemed to be restricted humor after the chaotic opening scene of the Wave-pool Baptism in The Righteous Gemstones (2019), I was filled with anxiety. I worried that my new favorite show was one he was tolerating simply so his daughter would spend time with him. Throughout the entire episode, he remained cold—what I even perceived as agonized. My mother and little sisters laughed occasionally, but my father said nothing until the robberess Lucy (Virginia Gardner) was run over a second time.
He laughed heartily.
In that moment of shared laughter with my family, I felt echoes of past, inexplicable feelings associated with collective television viewing and seemingly forbidden humor. I do not claim to understand why or how my conservative, white family manages to share moments of humor with me, an adopted, leftist Latina. Perhaps in the future, I will expand on the reach of quality comedy and humor.
For his ability to appeal to everyone—regardless of gender, political identity, sexuality, or spirituality—especially in The Righteous Gemstones, I want to sincerely thank Danny McBride. His artistic ability brings together the most unlikely of groups. I find his humor indirect, nuanced, and highly calculated, particularly in moments such as when Judy (Edi Patterson) utters “Skibidi” in the final episode. Genius.
That being said, I’m uncertain whether my family would enjoy the last season as much as I did, or rather, how if they too would struggle to find reasons to like it. In this post, I will list some of my criticisms and praises for Season 4, specifically the final episode of McBride’s Emmy-nominated series.
Praise Be to He
From Eastbound & Down (2009) to The Foot Fist Way (2006), McBride’s acting and directing leave the viewer with a distinct aftertaste of foul amusement. Somehow, he manages to humanize some of the worst characters ever created in comedy television, while also villainizing seemingly perfect, morally sound characters in a comedic way.
Throughout The Righteous Gemstones, McBride criticizes corruption within megachurches while maintaining respect toward Christianity as a whole. Reddit user @conversation_pace states: “I always loved how the show doesn’t use the Christian theme for cheap jokes, but definitely point[s] out the hypocrisy of megachurches and so on.” Many users shared similar opinions, showing how the fair yet exaggerated characterization of the Gemstones resonated positively with viewers in the subreddit. McBride’s decision to restrain his otherwise controversial humor (seen throughout his career) from overtly mocking religion upholds ethical boundaries that I, and many viewers, find respectable.
Up until Season 4, all of the characters in The Righteous Gemstones had fluid, nuanced, and interesting arcs. There’s a reason viewers connected with them: they were doing more than slapstick humor and car tricks. Eli, and his complex relationship with money, fame, and a troubled wrestling past becomes a character worthy of peace. Keefe, with his background in sexual deviance and Satanism, struggles with shame and acceptance. Judy’s immature approaches to conflict express her unresolved grief.
These characters are likable not because audiences empathize with them, but because they are able to understand why they are despicable. We cannot empathize with their corrupt actions and beliefs, yet we are shown their feelings, desires, and personal struggles. We are forced to confront how we might act under the weight of a Gemstone legacy. Their lack of morality is paired with karmic consequences, which makes these corrupt figures even more likable. Not only are viewers forced (and perhaps want) to understand to them, we get to see them face justice.
I also appreciate McBride’s attention to soundtrack choices. I remember watching Eastbound & Down and seeing the Cole Gerald (Jason Sudeikis) overdose scene. McBride’s use of “Queen” by Perfume Genius struck me as inspired—a song I once considered a queer community "deep cut" when utilized in mainstream media. Sitting at only 900K views on the official YouTube channel (though 30 million on Spotify), I hadn’t heard it featured in many shows or films at the time.
In the final episode, “Red Red Wine” by UB40 was another brilliant choice. The song echoes the miracle of water to wine, yet also symbolizes the blood on the Gemstones’ and Corey’s hands. It made for what may be the best scene of the entire season (aside from Baby Billy’s plea for coke to enhance his demon-conquering ability). In the best way, I felt shocked and jarred by this scene and was equally impressed by the cinematography therein.
Proverbs 15:31–33
However, the “Red Red Wine” chase scene left me in shock and unable to process what felt like a rushed remainder of the episode, aside from the pacing of Aimee-Leigh’s letter. The stark contrast between death and the celebration of Keefe and Kelvin not only underemphasized the family’s resolution, but overemphasized Corey’s role in the show. While I understand that Aimee-Leigh’s monologue reflected the "incompletes" of life, Season 4 as a whole lacked the polish of the earlier seasons, thus resulting in a collection of storytelling pitfalls which mirrors those in Eastbound & Down.
The beginning of the series had an exceptional balance of development, authentic representation, and humor. However, the start and middle of Season 4 felt like one long trailer for teaser clips or shallow sitcom moments which I know McBride’s talents are capable of exceeding. Overall, the comedy in the msjority of the fourth season felt campy to a fault: oversaturated, static, and flat.
There was a noticeable loss of comedic control and intention in the dialogue, with much of the humor falling into repetition. Like the profanity and nudity in Eastbound & Down, The Righteous Gemstones Season 4 often relied on meaningless riffs and shock-value nudity (namely, Baby Billy). I can’t say what I would have done differently, but I do know the entire first half of the season felt like an attempt to replicate the successful formula of the earlier seasons. If McBride had extended Vice Principals (2016), I suspect he might have fallen into a similar trap: creating additional seasons filled with potential but falling short of audience expectations and strong storytelling.
As an avid fan of experimental media and films, I am the last person to criticize ambiguity or unresolved endings. However, the final episode of The Righteous Gemstones felt shortchanged due to its lack of narrative balance and once-complex character arcs.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I believe McBride’s career in television and film has evolved for the better over time. Throughout his career, he has shifted from representing largely mainstream culture to more diverse representation in his work including that of the "brainrot" memes (younger audiences), the “healthy masculinity” mindset (which is also touched on in Eastbound and Down), and marginalized and queer communities. I wonder: does this signify a change in McBride’s personal views or a new way of processing the world over time?
I appreciate all the work McBride and his teams have done on his many projects and look forward to watching more of his work in the future.
Comments