Righteous Gemstones wins HBO’s game of thrones with mountains of styrofoam and a monster truck

polygon.com:

When you think of extravagant thrones on television, you probably think of HBO. The Righteous Gemstones hopes to keep it that way.

Danny McBride’s ostentatious drama about a uniquely American empire and the failchildren set to inherit it is the funnier, more popular version of Succession. Perhaps the best example of the series’ willingness to go all the way with its outlandish premises and set designs is the throne room from its recently wrapped, excellent third season, where the three newly anointed church leaders hold court on a variety of issues.

The Gemstones’ throne room is not dissimilar to what we’ve seen on HBO in Game of Thronesor House of the Dragon, whether it’s the lavish stage of King’s Landing or the more stripped-down version in Winterfell: The leaders listen to problems brought forth and decide what to do about them. But in classic Gemstones fashion, what separates this throne room from the rest is simply how ridiculous it is. Instead of an invading army or a peasant rebellion, they’re listening to pitches on Bible-themed game shows, or figuring out new and exciting ways to enunciate “daddy,” or doing damage control over a high-profile affair (OK, that one does sound familiar). And instead of the ornate decorations of Westeros, the Gemstones throne room combines its subjects’ massive wealth and lack of any self-awareness to perfect, gaudy effect.

In their throne room, the Gemstone children sit atop three fluffy purple chairs, raised on an elevated purple platform (Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin all agree they would like to look down on the people who come to them). There’s a huge compass in the middle of the floor, an illuminated world map on a wall, and small statues of doves hanging off the chandelier.

But