Interlude III

"Interlude III" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American dark comedy crime television series The Righteous Gemstones. It is the 23rd overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer John Carcieri and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. It was released on HBO on July 9, 2023, and also was available on Max on the same date.

The series follows a family of televangelists and megachurch pastors led by widowed patriarch Eli Gemstone. The main focus is Eli and his immature children, Jesse, Kelvin and Judy, all of whom face challenges in their lives. The series depicts the family's past and scandals, which unleash consequences. The episode is set in 2000, and follows conflicts in the family, as well as establishing Peter's problems with Eli.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.240 million household viewers and gained a 0.05 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised Green's directing, writing, performances and character development.

Plot
In 2000, a young Judy (Emma Shannon) flirts with a classmate, Trent, in high school. Annoyed with her behavior, Trent cuts her hair with scissors, causing her to get mocked by everyone. She confronts Trent, telling him she loved him and destroys his music instrument.

Eli (John Goodman) and Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles) face public scrutiny after having warned about Y2K, claiming it would cause the apocalypse. They profited off from many items related to the panic fear, causing church attendance to decline and spawn protests outside their church. That night, Jesse (J. Gaven Wilde) brings his girlfriend, Amber (Keely Marshall), for a family dinner. Judy makes it clear she does not like Amber, accusing her of just going out with Jesse for his money. Amber accidentally leaves her grandmother's ring in the bathroom, which Judy then steals.

May-May (Kristen Johnston) and Peter (Steve Zahn) lead a snake handling church, and later visit the Gemstone estate, hiding their mockery and disdain for them. Peter confides in Eli that he is in financial trouble after over-spending on doomsday prepping, despite Eli warning him not to do so, having lost $25,000. Eli agrees in buying his merchandising to help him with the situation. Peter eventually comes clean to his family, causing May-May to confront Eli and refusing to accept any of his money. Eli and Aimee-Leigh talk at the salvation center, worried about May-May's accusations of their dishonesty regarding Y2K, revealing they never believed in it. Their conversation soon exchanges into their children, with them admitting Judy is a problem, unaware that Judy is nearby overhearing them.

Jesse demands that Judy returns the ring to Amber, and they both bond over their conflicts. Judy returns the ring to Amber, while Jesse dons a mask to brutally attack Trent for cutting Judy's hair, before shaving his hair and spanking him in front of the class. After a suggestion from Martin (Gregory Alan Williams), Eli faces the protesters, admitting his mistake but convincing them to give them a chance to spread the word of God in the church. Peter prepares to take off the doomsday prepping merchandising to Eli, but instead decides to let it in the storage unit. He later attempts to rob a bank, but it goes awry; he barely escapes a shooting, but ends up with a wounded right cheek and a security guard dead, just as more police sirens are heard.

Development
The episode was written by executive producer John Carcieri and series creator Danny McBride, and directed by executive producer David Gordon Green. This was Carcieri's 14th writing credit, McBride's 23rd writing credit, and Green's ninth directing credit.

Writing
J. Gaven Wilde explained that the scene at Judy's bedroom was done to further develop their characters beyond their conflicts, explaining, "What I really tried to bring to that scene was an overall brother-sister tension. We wanted to show that Jesse and Judy are deeper than what we have seen so far. They're not just these one-dimensional characters. They can be deep and complex." Emma Shannon also added, "I think, deep down, they love each other. I think, especially with the introduction of Kelvin, they grew closer, because neither of us wanted Kelvin to be a new member of the family. We hate each other, but deep down we love each other."

Filming
For the episode, David Gordon Green explained the crew was not "shooting it like a comedy." As a form of subverting expectations, Green chose to film Peter's robbery from the point of view of the diner booth across the street. He explained, "We're just trying to up the ante, and do something different. It was something you had to map out and choreograph and do safely, so nobody got run over. Then you hope that the lighting stays the same so you can do it all in one take."

Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "I Have Not Come to Bring Peace, But a Sword" was seen by an estimated 0.240 million household viewers with a 0.05 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.05 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.256 million household viewers with a 0.05 in the 18-49 demographics.

Critical reviews
"Interlude III" received extremely positive reviews from critics. Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "'Interlude III' provides much context to the first four episodes but also raises questions about the future. Namely, why was Peter's investment in Eli's doomsday grift such a secret? Most importantly, May-May attacks Aimee-Leigh in the season opener. Why does she blame her specifically?"

Scott Tobias of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The Righteous Gemstones doesn't try to use 'Interlude III' as too tidy an account of the adult Judy, but it does show what a misfit she remains as the middle sibling and only girl in a family whose business doesn't have a succession track for women." Breeze Riley of Telltale TV gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Every season The Righteous Gemstones delivers a standout flashback episode, and Season 3 is no different. 'Interlude III' sets up the feud between the Montgomerys and Gemstones while also giving us a heartwrenching look at Judy’s youth."