Eli’s Big Secret Comes Out in ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 4, Episode 3

The Righteous Gemstones, HBO’s raunchy hit comedy about a megachurch family that finds unheard of ways to describe profane acts every episode, is setting up major storylines for its final season.

While Judy is dealing with her husband’s paralysis in an unfortunate competitive pole-dancing mishap and Kelvin’s dealing with the simultaneous popularity and bigotry of his new queer-focused ministry after coming out of the closet, patriarch Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) is dealing with his biggest storyline of the series yet: a love interest.

In last week’s episode, Eli reconnected with his deceased wife’s long-time best friend Lori, and by the end of the episode the two were making out as It’s A Sin by the Pet Shop Boys played.

This episode, Eli and Lori are secretly hooking up while their children are unaware, and the kids doubt anything is going on. Judy Gemstone—in a typically disgusting yet hilarious fashion—sees the two standing next to each other and tells her siblings “Can y’all just, like, picture sweet Miss Lori, you know, like, nude in her bathroom, splashing on CK One, so she can get railed by Eli’s big old floppy, daddy d–k?”

Near the end of the episode, Eli announces to his children at their weekly after-church Jason’s Steakhouse luncheon that him and Lori are, indeed, a couple. The Gemstone children run into the restaurant kitchen to hide and sulk, where Eli later finds them crying.

He pulls them out and rants to the children about how lonely he’s been since their mother died all that time ago, and all he wants is a companion to share his life with. (In the funniest shot of the episode, Kelvin’s glasses are still fogged up from the freezer as the Gemstone siblings crowd around their father to give him a group hug.)

As the episode closes, Jesse Gemstone gives a sermon to his congregation, saying any of their constituents are the same as family to them. “No matter what,” Jesse says. “We never turn our back on family. That is our Gemstone commitment to you.” Seems like the final season’s storyline will be a test to see if that commitment holds; whatever happens, it will undoubtedly be hilarious.

The Righteous Gemstones airs every Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m.