02x03 - For He Is a Liar and the Father of Lies

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Righteous Gemstones". Aired: August 18, 2019 –; present.*
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Series follows a famous yet dysfunctional family of televangelists.
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02x03 - For He Is a Liar and the Father of Lies

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[TV STATIC DRONES]

[BRIGHT TONE]

[TENSE MUSIC]

What part of "leave him the hell alone"

did you not understand?

Somebody had to do something.

I'm sorry, Daddy. I was weak.

I let Jesse and Judy peer-pressure me.

Peer-pressure you?

We did it all together
as the new generation.

What?

Uh, as the new generation
of Christian thought leaders,

our time.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

[PHONE BUTTONS CLICKING]

[SIGHS]

♪♪

[SIREN WAILING]

Jesus.

[MUSIC INTENSIFIES]

♪♪

[FIRETRUCK HORN HONKS]

[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]

f*ck.

Have you told anyone else about this?

Does anybody else know you were here?

No, Daddy, just you.

Don't tell anybody else.

Do you understand?

This stays with us.

♪♪

ALL: ♪ Lead me down to the river ♪

♪ Down to the river ♪

♪ Where I'll give my life away ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪♪

♪ Down to the river ♪

♪ Where I'll give my life away ♪

[WINCING] Ah, ah.

[GROANS]

You and the men are
doing excellent work.

Be it his will, the
harvest will be bountiful.

Praise be to He.

We've been working really hard.

Everybody's in really high spirits.

Way to keep the faith, my friend.

Make sure the men finish their chores.

And, uh, I'll meet you
in the steam showers,

but bring Titus and Odd Chris.

I could smell them during worship.

[SNIFFS]

The f*ck is this? A refugee camp?

I'm expanding my repertoire.

I told y'all I'm not
gonna be a youth minister

my whole dang life.

So what, you're collecting muscle mens?

No. All members of the
Kelvin Gemstone God Squad

are here voluntarily.

We lift, we pray, and we
are mindful of our diets...

Clean living, being ripped,

and getting high on Christ.

Okay, well, whatever this bullshit is,

I don't got time for it, okay?

Our daddy k*lled that reporter.

Mm-mm. You got a sick mind, Jesse.

Thank you, Kelvin.

That's exactly what
I been sayin' to him.

You guys were there. You saw him...

Coming in all late,
acting all suspicious,

blood on his damn trousers.

It's obvious.

If our daddy had anything to do with it,

why would he take us back
to the scene of the crime?

Yeah, Jesse, that don't
make no f*cking sense.

Okay. If Daddy's as squeaky
clean as you two think he is,

then why was that reporter
here in the first place?

He hates Christians?

And I guess it's just a big coincidence

that Daddy's shady-ass
friend from Memphis

just breezes into town
right before this happens?

Y'all heard dude at church lunch,

talking about "handling it,"
"taking care of business."

They f*cking whacked him.

- Oh.
- Okay.

Oh, you goin' too far now, Jesse.

Call our daddy a k*ller one more time,

and see if I don't b*at that ass.

Oh, you wish.

Man, you ain't as tough
as you think you are.

- You know what?
- Oh, come on.

You know what? I'ma join Kelvin's anger,

and I'ma join him at b*ating yo' ass.

Come on, you want some of this, boy?

Yeah, you want some of it?

Stop talking sh*t on Daddy, boy.

Don't talk sh*t on Daddy, boy.

All right, whatever.

Y'all are lying to yourselves.
[CHUCKLES]

You don't know Daddy as
well as you think you do.

That man is cold as ice.

Recognize.

Judy, you need a ride?

Yeah, I'll take one.

Get one.

Who cares, Jesse?

I'ma ride up on one of these boys home.

I'll just drive you home.

[TV NEWS INTRO MUSIC PLAYS]

The news media and the world
mourns the passing


of Peabody Award winning
journalist Thaniel Block


in what some are calling
a suspicious fire.


Do I think it was an accident?

No.

- [PHONE RINGS]
- He was investigating

some very powerful people, and he d*ed.

Dr. Gemstone, there's a gentleman

here at the gate wishing to see you,

a Glendon Marsh, Jr.

Says he was your guest
here the other night,


but I don't see him
registered on the guest list.


Would you like me to let him in?

Yes, sir.

Sorry, sir. Dr. Gemstone is a busy man.

I couldn't get ahold of him.

I just heard you talkin' to him.

Yea...

That was his housekeeper.

Have a blessed day.

Well...

how 'bout that?

Now, you gon' treat
a old man like a assh*le.

You're lucky I don't get outta this car

and knock those f*ckin'
teeth outta your mouth.

Like I said, sir,

have a blessed day.

[DOOR SLIDES SHUT]

See the mighty power
of our Lord and savior


flowing through
the Kelvin Gemstone God Squad!


[UPBEAT DANCE MUSIC, CHEERS]

[GONG RINGS]

Florida Cody, everybody!

[GRUNTING]

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Liam!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Titus!

[GRUNTS]

Now let's give it up for the best,

strongest behemoth on my squad,

Torsten!

He is a devout Christian,

captain of the football team,

and he even dated the prom queen.

But that female put Torsten
in quite the predicament.

Gave him an ultimatum:

his celibacy or his soul.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Well, I think you know his answer.

If that's not virgin power,

I don't know what is.

If these Christian men can achieve

such amazing feats of
strength individually,

just imagine what we can
all accomplish together.

♪ Work that, work that,
work that, work that ♪

♪ Work that, work that, work that ♪

♪ Work that, work that,
work that, work that ♪

♪ Work that, work that, work that ♪

♪♪

♪ Work that, work that body, body ♪

[GRUNTING]

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Ah... dude, please
don't stand on my neck.

It's too much weight. [GRUNTING]

Nowhere else to step. I mis...

I miscalculated, okay?

Just deal with it.
The kids are loving it.

Ah! There's my tendon. Get down the leg.

- Get down the leg, come on.
- Be cool, Titus.

I can't, I can't, I can't!

[KIDS SCREAMING, GASPING]

- Ow!
- Oh, no.

- [GROANING]
- Are you okay?

- Did it look cool?
- So cool.

- [ALL GROANING]
- Ow, my hips.

- My hipbone.
- Oh, no.

- Ah! Ah!
- Okay.

Oh... we need a medic.

- Medic!
- Medic!

[MUSIC STOPS]

Someone get a f*cking medic!

[ALL GASPING]

Thank you, Lord, for
bringing us all here together


to enjoy this delicious
food from Fancy Nancy's.

May it give us sustenance and strength.

In your name, amen.

- ALL: Amen.
- Mm.

The Lissons just sent over
some materials for the hotel.

I think they're getting a little antsy.

Any ideas on new investors?

Really, Amber?

I mean, do you think we are in any state

to attract investors right now?

I mean, in case you missed
it, a reporter d*ed in a fire,

and people are trying
to blame the Gemstones.

Nobody's trying to blame the Gemstones.

- Twitter is.
- See?

This is exactly the problem
with lame-stream media.

Believe half of what you
see and just a little bit

of what you hear, and
monkey see, monkey do,

monkey pee all over you.

I don't know.

After he came out with the
story about the Butterfields?

Bet Grandaddy k*lled him.

Pontius.

- Why would you say that?
- It's what I would do.

No, that is disrespectful talk,

and I will not have that at this table.

Yeah, Pontch, you know
Granddad ain't like that.

- Thank you.
- If he was gonna do it,

he'd just hire someone.

- He's too smart.
- Exactly.

Wait, what?

I bet he'd pay cartel guys

or, like, an assassin to burn him alive.

Granddaddy b*rned someone?

No, baby. Abraham, no, no, no.

Jesse, are you gonna say something or...

Mm. Yeah.

Knock it off.

You're gonna scare your brother.

Your granddad didn't burn anybody alive.

If he did it,

he put a b*llet in that reporter's head,

then he b*rned up the cabin
to cover up his tracks.

A b*llet in the head, huh?

Nah, I like burning alive better.

A lot of people like the
b*llet in the head better,

'cause that's more realistic
and what's probably happened

if somebody was there
to witness it and to

be able to confirm the k*ll method.

Everybody, just eat
your Fancy Nancy's, okay?

Granddaddy is not a m*rder*r.

New subject.

Tobias, bring it around!

- Hey, can you get me a spot?
- Nah, go take a break.

I drew you a piping hot mustard seed

and Epsom salt bath.

I heard from the hospital.

Liam's gonna be okay,

but seven of his ribs were broken

and one punctured something.

The men stacked wrong. [CHUCKLES]

They are soft on fundamentals.

What's going on?

What are they saying?

Titus was rubbing his
neck on the drive home

and showed some of the guys

where your shoe made a mark on it,

but that's it.

[LAUGHS] Well...

I guess someone's been
slippin' on leg day, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Something might have
to be done about Titus.

I agree completely...

%.

But I'm afraid to say
that some of the others

have been questioning
their place here as well.

That's the downside of assembling

an entire group of alpha males.

As they grow stronger,
they grow more defiant.

Some have been slacking
on their Bible study too.

[HUFFS] Son of a B.

I do not have time for
this drama right now.

Brother,

what's troubling you?

Your mind seems dark and black.

[SOFT MUSIC]

If I tell you,

you can tell no one.

I promise to keep your secret,

and if I don't, you can cut my
tongue out with rusted shears

and bury it deep.

Deal.

Jesse, Judy, and I...

we stumbled across a dead body.

Multiple dead bodies, actually.

One of which was that reporter.

Did you k*ll him?

No.

We were there to talk,

protect our family name.

I know you don't know
my daddy all that well,

but...

you don't think he's the type of person

to m*rder someone, do you?

It's hard to say.

Human beings are capable
of horrific things...

Depending on the circumstances.

Are we in trouble, friend?

I guess it depends on who did it.

♪♪

Hey, Daddy.

You wanted to see me?

Everything okay?

No, Kelvin, everything's not okay.

What in God's name happened
at your muscleman youth show?

Oh.

Oh, you... I mean, you
probably are thinking

of the unfortunate injury Liam suffered

during the massive muscle pyramid stunt.

- That's the one.
- [SCOFFS]

Okay. First of all, Daddy,

you do not need to worry about it.

Okay? He will heal,

and I will take care of it.

Oh, good, so you'll take
care of the lawsuit too.

Abso...

Lawsuit?

The injured muscle boy
is suin' the church.

I got the letter today.

If I ain't got enough
going on around here

with this reporter's death,

now I have to clean up your mess,

pay for your stupid mistakes.

You're the youngest,
but that doesn't mean

you have to act like a damn child!

Take some responsibility
for once in your life!

Grow up!

- [HUFFS]
- Or is that too much to ask?

[PHONE RINGING]

[SIGHS]

[PHONE RINGING]

- Damn it!
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]

Dr. Gemstone, it's time for
your meetin' with the deacons.

Coming.

I'm trying to be patient, Kelvin.

I'm trying to understand you, son.

I really am, but you're a big boy now.

Time to put on your big boy pants,

stop wasting your time playing
with your muscular boys.

They're muscle men, Daddy!

[PHONE RINGING]

[BIRDS CHIRPING, INSECTS BUZZING]

So I was just kind of
moving stuff around,

settling in, and I... I found some boxes

of Granddad's old stuff in the closet.

Come take a look.

Oh.

Look how young he was.

Back when he had all his faculties.

- Pretty cool.
- It is cool.

Uh, but there's... there's more.

Some stuff that's not so cool too.

- _
- I mean, maybe Pontius was right.

"Glendon Marsh orders k*lling
of Memphis police officers."

Glendon is Junior's pop.

Daddy used to wrassle for Glendon.

Says there in that article
that he would use the wrestlers

as enforcers for his g*ng.

My suspicions were spot-on.

Daddy brought Junior
here because he wanted him

to ice that reporter.

Okay, look, I know when Daddy was a boy,

he used to run around, get in trouble...

Then he met Mama and
turned his life around.

Blah, blah, blah.

That's the Lifetime
Movie of the Week version,

the bought and sold,
made for the masses.

What I'm trying to get to is
that Ken Burns documentary.

What's the real with Daddy?

How nasty was he?

[CLEARS THROAT]

I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear.

Judy, I didn't want to worry you,

but I saw something very
strange with your daddy today.

What, BJ?

I was out rollerblading...

[UPBEAT FUNKY MUSIC]

♪♪

You rollerblade?

It's an exercise I do to keep swole.

♪ My name is Yum Yum, gimme some ♪

♪ My name is Yum Yum, gimme some ♪

♪ My name is Yum Yum, gimme some ♪

♪ My name is Yum Yum, gimme some ♪

♪ Most of all, I like the girls... ♪

I was crushing some heel-toes,

fishtails, slaloms, hockey turns...

When I noticed Dr. Gemstone.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

I yelled out, "Hi, Daddy,"

"Hey, Dr. Gemstone,"

but no response.

He got on this ride called The Exodus.

From the shadows, I watched him.

♪♪

He rode it...

All by himself...

Over and over...

and over and over.

The Exodus. That's a big clue.

- Yeah, I'm not seein' it.
- Daddy always hated

that rollercoaster, Jesse... Always.

He never would ride it with me

'cause he said it gave him bubble guts,

and now he's ridin' it
alone like a psychopath?

And why is that, you think,

'cause he's trying to k*ll somebody?

Sure, that's classic psycho behavior.

Daddy's on this over
and over again by himself

to whip himself up into a m*rder frenzy.

- m*rder frenzy?
- Yeah.

Like when people are
getting all high and horny

on a rollercoaster, just like, ahh!

That didn't happen.

Everything you just said
is a guess, all right?

This rollercoaster
ain't part of the case.

- This ain't sh*t.
- [HUFFS]

It's part of my case, 'cause BJ saw it.

Found you.

What're you all doing?

Being secretive behind people's backs?

Ain't nobody being secretive.

We're just solving
this case in real time.

We ain't trying to give
people f*cking updates.

Daddy's friend Junior...
Dude's in the mafia.

Or some redneck version of it.

Why do you even care? Why are you here?

All you're gonna do is just argue

and act like you the
damn expert on Daddy,

when you ain't.

Okay. Fine.

I guess I'll just leave,
but I'll be taking this.

- The f*ck is that?
- It's Daddy's phone, dummy.


Cellular devices, it's
what the police use

to catch t*rrorists
and pedos these days.

It's got everything.
Locations, biometrics.

GPS metadata.

Digital secrets.

There's digital secrets on there?

What's on there, Kelvin?

Digital secrets, Judy. I just said that.

It's got all kinds of juicy
stuff in here probably.

But it is password protected.

What, you don't know his passcode?

I do. It's easy.

It's his birthday.

He uses it for everything.

Cool, plug it in. Put it in, Kelvin.

- Put it... just...
- Yeah, plug it.

Plug in his birthday, yeah.

Plug it in. Put it in...
put in his birthday.

- Daddy's birthday.
- Plug it.

Ah... yeah, I'm havin'...

I'm having a little
brain toot right now.

W-what... what is his birthday exactly?

- The exact date?
- Jesse, tell Kelvin,

um, Daddy's birthday.

What is it, June, July?
Wh... I don't know.

No, man, it's winter.

'Cause remember, Daddy's
got one of those birthdays

where you get screwed 'cause
it's so close to Christmas.

Uh, no, dummy, that's me.

- Oh.
- Hold on.

Let me Google this sh*t. Let me see.

Yeah. Good idea, plug that.

Whoo, we were way off. September.

Plug this in: - - - ,

fiddy-two.

- - - ...

Ugh, dang it.

What's the problem?

That was last week.

We forgot Daddy's birthday.

Oh, dang.

Oh, well.

Okay, it worked. We're in.

All right, uh, first text chain.

- Between Martin and Daddy.
- Here we go.

Night of the m*rder, : p.m.

- Mm-hmm.
- "Went out with Junior."

"Things went sideways.

"Need your help here.

Now. Total sh*t show."

: a.m., Daddy writes,

"Hate to have put you
in that predicament,

"old friend.

"Thanks for cleaning up my mess.

Goes without saying, but
this stays between us."

Martin replies with a...

thumbs up emoji.

f*ck. Thumbs up emoji?

[SIGHS]

O... okay, uh...

Daddy and Junior, day
after the m*rder, : p.m.

"Last night reminded me of old times.

I set 'em up, you knock 'em down."

Oh, my God.

That's Dixie mafia.
Those are the old times.

And "knock 'em down" means k*ll.

And "k*ll" means m*rder.

And m*rder causes death.

[ROLLERCOASTER RATTLES]

k*ll, k*ll, k*ll, k*ll, k*ll, k*ll.

- Hear you wanted to see me.
- Hey, Daddy.

Hey, uh,

we... we have to talk to
you about something tough.

And you can be honest with us.

Our allegiance is with
you, not man's laws.

What's this all about?

We know that...

you had that reporter...

Eliminated.

And we just want you to know,
Daddy, that we discussed it,

and we think what you did was right.

We are team Eli.

You hired Junior to smoke him,

and we think that's dope, not scary.

- I'm glad you did him.
- Did him?

k*lled, sweet Daddy.

Now, come on. Stop
acting old and feeble,

and just tell the truth, okay?

We know about Junior's daddy Glendon.

He was a criminal.

Junior was one too.

You didn't want Thaniel finding
out about your criminal past,

so you had Junior pop him.

That's what you kids think of me?

Daddy, come on.

You get home all late
at night, outta breath,

sending text messages about stuff.

Riding rollercoasters.

I didn't do it,

but I am worried that maybe Junior did.

He comes from a bad way,
doesn't know any better.

That's how his kinda
people take care of things.

Okay, and you had nothin' to do with it?

Blood all on your hands and khakis.

How the hell'd that get there then?

I was hoping to not
have to discuss this.

[QUIET MUSIC]

I didn't have anything to
do with that man's death.

But... you were there?

[SULTRY MUSIC]

Junior invited me out bowling

with a couple of
hairdresser friends he met

while he was in town.

Just some good old harmless fun.

All of a sudden, Junior
says he has to go,


he has to do something important.

Would I mind getting his friend home?

♪♪

Junior's other friend was kind enough

to invite me in for a nightcap.

Again, totally harmless.

[POP]

Ooh.

Until she asked me if
I wanted to go in her hot tub.


I like to go in the buff.

[SULTRY MUSIC CONTINUES]

♪♪

Oh, this is beyond embarrassing,

but I had recently read this
article about this thing,


manscaping, so I decided
to give it a try.


[RAZOR BUZZING]

Suppose my hands aren't as
steady as they once were.


Ah! Ah!

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

And you cut off your sagging ball bag?

- Not off.
- Okay.

No... wh... wh... hey, whoa, whoa.

Wh-wh... what are we talking about here?

Wait a minute. So you were trimming

you pubic hairs, and you
sliced your testicles?

That's how you got blood on your khakis?

I felt like a fool.

And then I really started bleeding out,

- so I called Martin.
- That's why Martin lied.

Didn't want us to know you
were trimmin' your pubic hair.

- Yes, I guess so.
- What the actual f*ck, Daddy?

- You're dating?
- No.

I mean, I don't know.

Nothing serious. Just casual.

Casually dating women?

- Yes, Judy.
- Not Mama?

No, Jesse, not Mama.

So you're two-timing Mama?

Shavin' your nuts for some other bitch.

Jesus Christ, Daddy.

Why couldn't have you
just k*lled somebody?

Disgusting.

♪ Getting by, good and high ♪

- ♪ And strange ♪
- ♪ Gonna get some strange ♪


♪ I'll keep living till the day I die ♪

♪ As long as I can get it up for... ♪

The world is full of
people who will fail you,


let you down,

betray you.

In tonight's reading, we shall
discuss how even Jesus Christ

overcame obstacles.

[SOFT RATTLING]

Titus, come on, now. Join the men.

Ass meets mat, crisscross applesauce.

- Let's do this.
- Can't.

My hammy cramps when I sit like that.

That's fine. Just...

take a knee.

You know, get on your...
Get on your knees.

Nah. I'ma keep riding.

Too cool for school, huh, Titus?

Not too cool. Just
here to get ripped, bro,

not sit around for story
times like a f*cking toddler.

No!

Too far, Titus!

Okay, that's it. That is it!

Keefe, summon the men to the firepit.

Have them dress in their
formal evening athletic attire.

Too far, Titus.

Titus of Tampa Bay.

You challenged me twice
this week, didn't ya?

Come on, brother Kelvin, I
was just trying to voice...

I'm the one with the voice! Okay?

I am the leader.
I am the alpha, not you.

Here, we say, "Strength above all else."

That is our motto.

So if you feel you are
strong enough to lead us,

prove it, Titus.

Bear the cross!

[INTENSE CHORDS]

Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

Big, strong man like
you carrying this cross

little steps, feet probably.

Jesus Christ carried
his cross , feet.

Could Jesus Christ
bench press pounds?

What say you, Titus?

Have you the power you think you have?

When I'm done manhandlin' this cross,

I'm takin' an inside-the-house bed.

[INTENSE MUSIC]

♪♪

[GROWLS]

[GRUNTING]

That's right! This is all me.

[GRUNTING]

[YELLING]

My hammy.

My ha... my hamstring.

Ah!

[GROANS]

[SCREAMING IN PAIN]

I had it. I had it.

Ah!

[WHINING MOCKINGLY]

[LAUGHING]

Well, men,

it appears as though my judgement

to challenge the fallen...

[SINGSONG] Was just.

Titus, you must learn
to respect my authority.

And people who like to
think I am still a child

need to understand I am not.

I'm full-grown.

I'm a man.

Torsten, Sky,

please secure this traitor
in the containment unit.

Let's see if seven days and seven nights

in solitary confinement can help him.

No! Hey, no!

[SKY GRUNTING]

No! [SCREAMING]

You're a joke!

Destruction will come upon thee,

and I will do the coming!

Ooh. That's nasty.

[INTENSE PERCUSSIVE MUSIC]

[HUMMING]

♪ Bum bum-bum bum bum ♪

- Hi, Eli.
- Aah!

[LAUGHING]

- Where you been?
- What the hell are you doin'?

We need to clear some things up.

'Cause I thought we was pals, Bubba.

Why you ain't answerin' my calls?

I know we used to roll together,

but my life took a different path.

I met my Aimee-Leigh,
and she changed me.

We're not in the same world now.

I'm not a thug no more, Junior.

But I still am, is
that what you're saying?

Eli...

you think you're better'n me?

You ain't nobody.

You come from the same
place I come from... worse.

You come from Shitwater,
Arkansas, over the bridge.

Go back to Memphis.

Don't come here no more.

I don't wanna be your friend.

[SMALL LAUGH] Damn.

Well, now I know the real score.

Man, ice cold, Eli.

Ice cold.

That's fine.

I tell you what.

If we ain't friends, we enemies.

How you like that?

[UPTEMPO WESTERN MUSIC]
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