The Righteous Gemstones
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TonightsThe Righteous Gemstoneswas, in the most literal sense, a true breakthrough for male representation in art.
Where have we seen anything like that before?
On television, there doesnt seem to be much precedent at all forthe fight between BJ and Stephen.
A new beachhead has been established.
At bottom, the fight really just exploits a long-standing comic rule: Male nudity is funny.
In a fight thats about two men reclaiming their dignity, theres no room for shame.
He has been cuckolded.
Its not enough for him to be hurt by his wifes semi-infidelity.
He needs to answer it with a force that doesnt come naturally to him at all.
(He is tragically incorrect in that assumption.)
But Stephens shame in acting outside himself and his values undercut his triumph.
For her part, Judy is feeling deep remorse, though the reconciliation process is testing her patience.
Shes been there for his joke-arounds and watched food documentaries with him.
What more could he want?
The hilarious dialogue is like an episode ofExtreme Makeoverwhere everyone is narrating the incredible life-changing things that have happened.
I think it happened when we dressed them up, gave em haircuts, says Kelvin proudly.
The rift between the Gemstones and the Montgomeries cant be resolved so easily.
(Adam DeVine is a rhetorical dead ringer for George W. Bush when Kelvins feeling petulant.)
Judy detests him for ignoring her pleas to help her out of the Stephen situation.
My monster truck was far too giant a gesture.
Them boys will hack a program real quick.
Make your mama do all kinds of nasty stuff.
Thats the gist of this, basically?
I hope you like me now.
BJ has become a new man.
