As Judy Gemstone explained on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, when love BJ Barnes shared his dream of a Disney wedding, “We did it Nike style, dog. We just did it.” It doesn’t matter that they didn’t take the time to inform her brothers Jesse (Danny McBride) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine), or have patriarch Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) officiate the vows. Disney’s Prince Eric filled in nicely.
But actress and show writer Edi Patterson speculated to E! News that there may have been more driving the couple to elope at the Happiest Place on Earth. ”I think sometimes with things like that whims get followed in anger and/or in frustration,” the actress, who plays Judy, said. “It probably was a split-second decision off of some kind of perceived fight that she had with her family,” as is par for the course with the Gemstones.
Although the ceremony wasn’t depicted in the show, Edi said, “I think you’re seeing a lot of the wedding play out at the baptism.”
Said baptism was held to pacify her siblings and father, who don’t entirely like BJ (Tim Baltz) because he isn’t a “true Christian,” with Tim explaining to E! News that the ceremony wasn’t just an initiation into the church, but the Gemstone family too. “It’s a very symbolic episode and event for him,” he shared of episode four storyline, “because I think to him, it probably feels like once this happens, he’ll be fully accepted.”