As 'The Righteous Gemstones' Winds Down, Remembering 'The God Squad'

It was announced this week that the upcoming season of "The Righteous Gemstones" is the final one. The HBO series, created by and starring Danny McBride, follows the fortunes of a Christian megachurch that was presided over by Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) for its first two seasons. On the third, he decided to turn the control over to his three squabbling children – Jesse (McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine), but complications ensue when the siblings are kidnapped by a militia leader with a vendetta against the family. 

"The Lord spoke to me and said it's time to wrap this sucker up," series creator and star Danny McBride said in a report from Variety. "The story this season made the themes, ideas, and characters in 'The Righteous Gemstones' feel whole and complete.  I have loved every second of working with this team for the past eight years, and there are some incredible payoffs, twists, and turns in store over the course of this wild final season."

While the satiric take on televangelism hasn't received the industry acclaim that greeted "Hacks," it remains one of the funniest shows on television with over-the-top performances and an outrageous scenario that includes one very funny queer meme. This involves Kelvin, the youngest McBride, and his relationship with Keefe Chambers (Tony Cavalero), a former Satanist turned McBride acolyte and Kelvin's constant companion. In Season Two they introduced the God Squad – a cadre of hot musclemen whom Kelvin wants to bring to the Holy Land to act out Jesus's exile in the desert, but he gets no support from Eli; and the God Squad turns against him. To maintain power, Kelvin introduces a "Survivor"-like challenge called "Bear the Cross," in which a member must carry a concrete cross on his back, then erect it and climb upon it. 

He is challenged by Thorsten, a Viking-like muscleman who successfully bears the cross and takes control of the God Squad from Kelvin and Keefe. Kelvin wrestles control back by successfully bearing the cross, and dissolves the Squad in the process. The subtext to these shenanigans is very queer, as is Kelvin's long-standing relationship with Keefe, which finally went public at the end of Season Three when Keefe helps rescue the kidnapped Kelvin. When the liberated Gemstone children stand before the congregation, Kelvin kisses Keefe in front of his siblings and the congregation.

Whether there is any repercussions for this expression of same sex affection will likely be addressed in the upcoming season, which premieres sometime in March on HBO; but there hasn't been a sweeter queer romance on television than that of Kelvin and Keefe – its closest equivalent was that of David Rose (Dan Levy) and Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) on "Schitt's Creek." Will Kelvin and Keefe get married on Season Four? Let's hope.