Gemstones Episode 2.6 Deep Reading: a frame-by-frame analysis of the sex scene

  

In case you're new here, The Righteous Gemstones is a HBO Max sitcom about the famous, ultra-rich televangelist Eli Gemstone and his three children, who live in separate mansions on his compound and get into constant squabbles and scrapes.  But of course they love each other deep-down.  Kelvin (Adam Devine) is the youngest son, around 30 years old. a muscle enthusiast who usually works in the low-prestige teen ministry, and has to constantly prove himself.  Keefe (Tony Cavalero), a former Satanist whom he saved, is his boyfriend.  

Everyone treats them as a couple, especially in Season 2, when Keefe is definitively accepted as a member of the family; yet no one ever refers to them as "boyfriends" or "partners" (except once in Season 1, and Kelvin denies it).  They never say "I love you" except in a gesture in a song.  They are never shown sharing a bedroom, or even cuddling on a couch; their displays of affection occur in long shots, and are limited to hugging, forehead-pressing, and holding hands (once, when they are fleeing from danger).  They are never shown kissing, even in situations when romantic partners would be expected to kiss.  So are or aren't they? 

Which brings us to Season 2, Episode 6: Kelvin is standing naked in front of the mirror; distraught:  he has lost the respect of the God Squad, his cadre of muscle men; his father hates him; he is worthless, nothing, no better than a beast.  Keefe suggests that he will feel better if he gets dressed for the day.  His hands are broken, so Keefe will have to dress him.

1: Kelvin turns around.  Keefe kneels in front of him, and says "Now step into your Tommy Johns."  Instead, Kelvin reaches out with both hands and pulls Keefe's head forward.  

2: Kelvin guides Keefe's head down, and grimaces and groans as he begins oral sex.  Sometimes it's very sensitive, at first.

 3: A sharp breath, and then Kelvin cries out in pleasure.  Adam is obviously simulating having an orgasm.  Notice that Keefe's head is no longer visible, as he's going way down, but Kelvin is still guiding his actions. 

4: Fatigued and disheveled after all his effort, Keefe swallows (you heard me, he swallows) and whispers "Nice."  This is not the point at which you would usually do that, but remember, this is all simulated.

More oral after the break

5: A shot of Kelvin fatigued and dreamy, immediately after Keefe..um...swallows. His hands are no longer on Keefe's head, since the act is over.

6:.Kelvin relaxes and smiles.   

7: Keefe returns to the task of pulling up Kelvin's underwear.

 8: Cut to Keefe finishing the job of dressing Kelvin.  He gazes with a mixture of fatigue, pride, and sexual excitation and boops Kelvin on the nose.  

9. Kelvin leans forward.  Keefe looks directly at the camera, as if he is breaking character.  Maybe there was no scripted kiss, so he looks for direction, then figures that Adam is ad-libbing.  He puckers up.  But at the last second Kelvin turns his head to the left and walks away, leaving Keefe with a look of surprise, then resignation: "Oh, well, at least I got to have sex with him."

They could have easily staged "Helping Kelvin Get Dressed," from the waist up, having Keefe buttoning Kelvin's shirt, or have him pull up the underwear with a swift down-and-up motion, the way a nurse or straight friend would.  Instead, the director ordered (or Adam and Tony improvised) gestures and facial expressions that precisely mirror the stages of someone receiving oral sex.  Why bother?  The only conceivable reason is: they wanted viewers to conclude that the pair are indeed having sex, thus definitively answering the "are they or aren't they?" question.

Except: the whole exchange takes exactly three seconds, such a short time period that many viewers won't catch what is happening at all.  Or they 'll conclude that Kelvin is in pain from his injury (which makes no sense: his hands are injured, not his legs), or that he just enjoys putting on underwear.  

Surely such a major transformation in their relationship deserves a reasonable amount of time.  Or even if I am mistaken, and the purpose of the scene is to establish that the two have sex regularly, why go to great lengths to depict something that you have to go through frame-by-frame to see?  

See also: Gemstones Episode 2.6: Yep, they have sex