Mama told them not to but they did it anyway: HBO renews Righteous Gemstones for a third season

It’s time to get on your knees and pray—or maybe get an expensive ticket into a megachurch ceremony, file in to find your seat, witness some completely over-the-top narcissism under the guise of “Christianity,” and then pray—because HBO’s excellent religious comedy series The Righteous Gemstones has been renewed for a third season. The show’s second season, which involves a mysterious murder, disgruntled muscle boys, and of course the continued unraveling of a beloved family of televangelists, is still airing and won’t wrap up for another month, but HBO clearly has some faith in the series.

The series was created and written by Danny McBride, who also stars as eldest Gemstone child Jesse. Edi Patterson plays his sister, Judy Gemstone, with Adam DeVine playing his brother Kelvin and John Goodman playing his father, world-famous TV preacher (and former amateur wrestler/shakedown guy for criminals) Eli Gemstone. Walton Goggins shows up from time to time as an old man called Baby Billy, and this season has prominently featured a new preacher couple played by Eric Andre and Jessica Lowe who are good friends with Joe Jonas. It’s a very good show.

The Righteous Gemstones has a tendency to veer wildly in different directions, with shocking and violent twists happening almost every week, so it’s impossible to predict where the Gemstone family might end up after season two ends. It’s pretty safe to assume that the whole core cast will stay on, because it would be ridiculous to give up any member of this core cast, but there are few more episodes in season two to go before we know how this is all going to shake out.

In a statement, HBO Programming Executive Vice President Amy Gravitt said, “after a season of literal fire and brimstone, blood, sand, and rollerblading, who wouldn’t come back for more?”