Prelude

Bradley Cooper delivers an absolutely stellar performance in this episode, making it one of the most compelling and emotionally engaging installments of the entire series. His acting is nuanced, drawing viewers into every moment with a level of depth and authenticity that elevates the storytelling. This might just be the best episode yet, setting an incredibly high bar for what comes next. However, that also presents a challenge-where does the show go from here? If they immediately jump back to the present day without addressing the weight of this episode properly, it could feel jarring or even underwhelming. The writers now have the difficult task of maintaining the momentum and ensuring that whatever comes next doesn't feel like a step down in quality or impact. Hopefully, they find a way to transition smoothly and keep delivering at this level.

One of the things i've always loved about The Righteous Gemstones is their flashback episodes. They don't always make sense at the time but with time they will show you why it's important. A lot went on in this one. We see, what i can assume is, the origin of the Gemstones and their involvement in religion. We also get a few glimpses of this gold bible. I think we're going to see a lot about how these origins and family heirlooms play a role in our modern day Gemstones' lives. While a serious episode, it really sets the tone that this season is going to be bigger and better than the rest. The Gemstones are going out with a bang.

This episode was so good and so far removed from the present life shenanigans of the Gemstones that if I wasn't the one to actually press play on it I would've sworn it's a different series.

In this "Prelude" you see a man go from a malfeasant and a swindler to someone that's still holds the same attributes honestly, but with a newfound will for self discovery and a curiosity to actually step into the shoes of the man he was impersonating. All set during de civil war era, which was surprising considering we never got that far back with none of the previous flashbacks.

Is this still a comedy; the answer is yes, gallows humor if you will.

I hope for more of this from the writers.

Bradley Cooper is great in this! But t I truly don't understand what is appealing about extreme gore, bullets to the head, murder by strangling, and the insensitivity it must require to enjoy watching an hour of bloody dismemberment reenactments of the Civil War. The purpose and aesthetic of the episode would have been the same without 90% of it. Violence sells though, I guess. This isn't the only episode where I have a similar comment but it was on display here throughout the entire episode, right up to the machine gun executions at the end. What was the point? I didn't turn on The Righteous Gemstones for anti-war realism.

Although an engaging 19th century American period piece, I found it a total waste of time. Civil War reenactments are misguided and unhelpful in understanding the serious divisive political climate of that era. You don't need an entire episode to explain the extreme and total insincerity of the Gemstones religious scam. We all knew it was a joke from the first scene of E1S1. The episode, however brilliantly and skillfully portrayed, was more focused on the graphic brutality of the Civil War rather than the absurdity of religion. The whole premise was quite unbelievable. I hope the rest of their final season gets back to the intense and senseless sibling squabbles that made this show must see!