The Righteous Gemstones has risen.
Following a lengthy wait, the HBO series is returning for its sophomore season on Sunday, Jan. 9. Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson and Adam DeVine return as the ethically questionable televangelist family in their quest to bring glory to god.
They'll be joined by returning and new cast members, including Eric André, Eric Roberts and Jason Schwartzman.
But what's happened between 2019's season one and now? For starters, Judy (Patterson) and BJ (Tim Balz) got married at Disney World, with Prince Eric officiating the ceremony instead of Dr. Gemstone (Goodman).
While Judy is all about making BJ an accepted member of the Gemstones, Patterson, who plays her—and who has also written for the show—told E! News in an exclusive interview that her "dad and/or her brothers had pissed her off or hurt her feelings." So, in retaliation, Judy and BJ eloped at the Happiest Place on Earth: "They were probably somewhere near Disney World—or not. I mean, they've got jets. And I think it probably was a split-second decision off of some kind of perceived fight that she had had with her family."
Though viewers didn't get to witness their nuptials, Patterson painted a picture of the big day, saying there were probably multiple costume changes for the bride and groom.
And Judy and BJ aren't the only ones experiencing marital bliss. Jesse (McBride) and Amber (Cassidy Freeman) are doing pretty well themselves—that is, after they recovered from last season's blackmail scandal.
McBride said that their marriage is better because of the whole ordeal, explaining, "You definitely have to have the honesty if you want to build a strong relationship and so these two being honest with how horrible they are builds a strong relationship."
Freeman agreed, adding, "I think it's a lot easier to stand by someone when you know what you're standing by. I like to say I'm not a rule follower, but I like to know the rules so I know what I'm breaking."
Now, the couple is focused on taking the reins from Dr. Gemstone, giving them a "common purpose," as McBride put it.
"They have a goal together and they're working on it together," he said of their improved dynamic. "I feel like they've committed to this relationship and to being honest with one another and now they're putting all of that energy, instead of deceiving one another, into trying to take over this church."
Their aim is to become the next Christian power couple, like Lindy (Jessica Lowe) and Lyle Lissons (André), who ask them to invest $10 million in their Christian resort, Zion's Landing.
Then, there's Kelvin (DeVine) and Keefe (Tony Cavalero), who have been hard at work with Kelvin's God Squad, a crew of meaty men who perform feats of strength in the name of God. As DeVine told E! News, "we are just lifting, praying and being mindful of our diets."
But he also said it's an ill-fated attempt to find where he belongs in the Gemstone empire. "He wants the respect of his family so he gets 40 muscular men covered in oil to work out in his front yard and he thinks that's going to get the respect that he thinks he deserves," the Workaholics actor explained. "So he's obviously pretty skewed when it comes to executing these good intentions."
As a whole, the family is forced to come together when journalist Thaniel Block, played by Jason Schwartzman, threatens the reputation of their mama, their mama Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettle). Though the cast couldn't say what would come of Thaniel's investigating, DeVine teased, "At the end of the season, it all winds up together in a big, beautiful comedy bow."
The first two episodes of Righteous Gemstones premieres on HBO Sunday, Jan. 9, with the first season streaming now on HBO Max.