"Baby" Billy Freeman is one of the main characters in the T.V. series, The Righteous Gemstones. Billy is Eli's brother-in-law and a fellow televangelist. He is portrayed by Walton Goggins
Background[]
He was born to Mr. & Mrs. Freeman sixty years ago and had one older sibling, a sister named Aimee-Leigh Freeman. He had been a child singer who was part of a successful duo with his sister. In the present, he's the most outwardly manipulative member of the family who's desperately seeking to reclaim his former fame. He and Aimee-Leigh hail from Freeman's Gap, South Carolina, a community in the Appalachian foothills in Pickens County, SC. Freeman's Gap is nearby Pumpkintown, SC, a small Pickens County community not far from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the North Carolina border. When Aimee-Leigh goes to Freeman's Gap to confront Billy in 1989, she is seen passing through Pumpkintown by the Pumpkintown General Store. Baby Billy and his sister had been successful child artists, with their famous hit Misbehavin' depicting their childhood shenanigans. Baby Billy and his brother-in-law, Dr. Eli Gemstone always had a tense relationship, with things reaching climactic events both in 1989 and in 2019. Baby Billy has had multiple wives/girlfriends, most of which display certain characteristics of low-intelligence and featuring physical traits that most consider to be unattractive.
Season 1[]
As of the beginning of Season 1, Baby Billy had been estranged from his late sister's family. In the episode "Interlude", this relationship is revealed. The episode portrays a flashback to 1989, when Aimee-Leigh was still alive. Both Baby Billy and Aimee-Leigh had stagnated in their musical career, and Aimee-Leigh had switched to participating in Eli's Gemstone Ministries televangelism show. She was still able to display her singing and musical talent alongside Eli, however, Baby Billy's career had hit a rough patch. Baby Billy had been left in Freeman's Gap with their family's ancestral home following their parents' deaths. Baby Billy had been dependent on he and his sisters' singing duo for income, and was in dire financial straits in 1989. Baby Billy's idea to both solve his financial issues and re-launch his and Aimee-Leigh's musical careers was to embark on a reunion tour. However, the plans for this tour were put on hiatus due to Aimee-Leigh's surprise pregnancy, later to be Kelvin Gemstone.
At first, Aimee-Leigh and Eli decided that it was best to not go on tour due to the pregnancy. Baby Billy was incredibly upset at this, and stormed off from the Gemstones' conference room. Later, Aimee-Leigh returns to Freeman's Gap to confront Baby Billy. Upon learning of how bad Baby Billy's financial situation was, Aimee-Leigh agreed to go on the tour to help her brother out and prevent him from selling off parcels of their land to developers.
After that, Baby Billy was present at a birthday party for Judy Gemstone. Baby Billy was set on causing internal conflict for Aimee-Leigh and Eli, having given Jesse Gemstone Coors Light beer even when Jesse was underage, as well as giving Judy a small electric car as a gift, which Eli and Aimee-Leigh deemed was inappropriate. This upset Judy greatly and led her to resent her parents and their gift, a locket necklace. Jesse then creates a scene while he's drunk at Baby Billy's suggestion, insulting his father and their church ministry. Upon sobering up, Jesse reveals to Eli that it was Baby Billy that gave him the beer.
Later, at a Gemstone family post-Sunday service lunch, Baby Billy gaslights his sister. Baby Billy states that he told Aimee-Leigh that he had already begun selling off parcels of their land, much to Aimee-Leigh's chagrin. Aimee-Leigh knew this was a lie given Baby Billy had just before told her he hadn't started selling the land yet. This leads Aimee-Leigh to cancel the tour, and she and Eli decide to cut Baby Billy out of their lives.
Flashing back forward to 2019/the present day 30 years later, Baby Billy still hasn't spoken to Eli even after the death of Aimee-Leigh. Eli had planned on opening a new church location in Locust Grove, Georgia, and needed a pastor to oversee this expansion. Eli then decides to extend an olive branch to Baby Billy, by way of offering him said pastor position. Baby Billy at first demurs, believing it to be a setup from Eli. However, Baby Billy does accept the position later.
Baby Billy flip flops yet again and decides to quit his post as the pastor in Locust Grove over another argument with Eli. However, as Baby Billy is packing his stuff up and getting ready to leave Locust Grove, a group of burglars associated with local pastor, John Wesley Seasons, breaks into the church location (located in a former Sears' mall anchor store). Eli, whom had wanted to apologize to Baby Billy and make amends, happens to arrive at the church just as the burglars are committing their break-in. As the burglars are about to confront and/or shoot Baby Billy, Eli arrives and forces the burglars to give up at gunpoint. Eli saves Baby Billy, and then orders the burglars to strip down naked. Eli also then orders the burglars to leave the church through the mall in the nude. This leads Eli and Baby Billy to making amends for the time being, but Baby Billy being a malignant schemer, only keeps this truce temporarily.
Baby Billy begins to groom his niece Judy to join his church location. Judy had been largely relegated to odd jobs and secretarial roles with no real responsibility at their flagship sanctuary in Charleston. Upset at always being relegated to a lower status, Judy then reaches out to Baby Billy about joining his location. Baby Billy has Judy "audition" by singing and clog dancing like her mother used to with Baby Billy. Upon being impressed with her abilities, Baby Billy hires Judy and starts calling her "Judy-Leigh". Eli realizes that Baby Billy doesn't actually believe in Judy's abilities, but is stealing his daughter away the same way that Baby Billy saw Eli stealing Aimee-Leigh from him.
This leads Judy to going back and forth between Locust Grove and Charleston to sing the Easter Sunday service, which Baby Billy took as an insult. Baby Billy then cuts Judy off from his ministry, stating that she wasn't actually that talented and he was using her as a way to get back at Eli. This leaves Judy with nothing, having lost her fiance Benjamin Jason "BJ" Barnes as well as her position in the main Gemstones location.
Having finally worked one over on Eli, Baby Billy quits his post and leaves the Locust Grove location rudderless. While receiving fellatio in a car from his wife, Tiffany, he runs a stop sign and gets T-Boned by a red van, driven by none other than his nephew Gideon's accomplice, Scotty. They assess the scene and go to the red van. Scotty was at first unconscious and believed to be dead, however, he awakens and Tiffany accidentally shoots Scotty through the temple. They review the vehicle and see that Scotty had stolen multiple giant bags of Gemstone cash, which the two then run off with back to Freeman's Gap, after pushing the red van with Scotty's corpse into a nearby swamp area.
Upon visiting the accident scene, Jesse has an epiphany about where the money had gone. Realizing that no one had heard from Baby Billy in weeks, Jesse deduces that Baby Billy was the one that hit Scotty and ran off with the money. All four Gemstones then drive up to Freeman's Gap to confront Baby Billy. At first, Tiffany lies and says that Baby Billy wasn't there, but the four see him running across a field away from the main house. They track Baby Billy down, whom is eventually struck by lightning. Baby Billy unloads on Eli, stating that he deserved the money because Eli prevented him from being able to earn income with his sister as their singing duo. However, the Gemstones take what's left of the cash (most of the $3 million minus some that Scotty and Baby Billy had spent) and leave Baby Billy.
Baby Billy is shown in the final season montage of the whole family as leading a Billy Graham-style tent revival. He and his wife Tiffany are shown selling paintings and other items in their tent as a source of income.
Season 2[]
Baby Billy has a reduced role in Season 2, not having a major appearance until Benjamin Jason "BJ" Barnes' baptism and ceremony. He sings at BJ's ceremony, showing his talent after years of not performing regularly. He and his pregnant wife, Tiffany, stay with BJ and Judy at their house in the Gemstone Compound, which leads to friction with BJ's parents and sister, KJ Barnes. BJ's family expected to stay with BJ and Judy at their house, but were forced to rent a hotel room because Baby Billy and Tiffany would be there, with Judy describing Tiffany as "feral".
Baby Billy and Tiffany stay at the Gemstone compound for an extended time, and Baby Billy eventually takes off, leaving Tiffany much the same way he did his prior family, which is shown in a flashback to 1993 in the episode Interlude II. In 1993, he was with his wife and son, Harmon, whom was displaying developmental/cognitive issues. Allowing Harmon to choose an animal from a pet store, Harmon settled on a cat. Before Harmon chose, Baby Billy abruptly left the store and abandoned his son and wife, believing he didn't have the means or wherewithal to support either. After some time by himself engaging in various business schemes, he reaches back out and reconnects with his sister, Aimee-Leigh for the holidays. Aimee-Leigh and Eli invite Baby Billy to stay with them for the Holidays, and Baby Billy brings gifts to each of their kids. Aimee-Leigh and Eli joke about not having a gift for Baby Billy, before giving it to him and extending a paid offer to perform with Aimee-Leigh at their Christmas TV special. Aimee-Leigh and Baby Billy reunite to perform for the first time since they did together before Kelvin's birth.
In the present day, Baby Billy has taken off and left Tiffany with Judy and BJ. BJ teaches Tiffany how to read and write, and helps her track down Baby Billy through bank and credit card statements, on accounts taken out by Baby Billy in their yet-to-be-born son Lionel's name. Baby Billy had been selling quack healing products, marketed to heal even COVID-19 infections. Tiffany, Judy, and BJ would track down Baby Billy to a studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (where Danny McBride attended UNC School of the Arts), where he was filming an advertisement for his snake oil healing products. Originally, Baby Billy tried to hide his presence from Tiffany and stated there was no Baby nor Billy there, but he was hiding behind a trailer with his name and likeness plastered on it. He came out and concocted a false story about him selling the products to support Tiffany and baby Lionel, but Judy and Tiffany called his bluff, as he would not have tried to hide originally if he had a legitimate reason for his leaving Tiffany. Baby Billy attacks BJ for helping Tiffany track him down through his credit card records, and Tiffany refuses to join Baby Billy, at Judy's suggestion. Baby Billy takes off with his trailer, driving recklessly across the parking lot and tipping his trailer over and spilling out his products. Baby Billy is later seen with his trailer upright and heavily damaged, but still travels with it. Judy and BJ decide to take the hapless Tiffany in, and help raise baby Lionel with her.
Baby Billy experiences extreme guilt as a result of his abandoning both families he had built during his life. He tracks his now-adult son Harmon down, and meets with him. He and Harmon (played by Macaulay Culkin) have a heart to heart, where Harmon expresses his contempt for Baby Billy abandoning him and his mother. Harmon states he picked out a cat that fateful day, and the cat lived a long life alongside Harmon. Baby Billy asks if Harmon wants or needs anything, and Harmon states he wants nothing more than to punch Baby Billy in the face. Baby Billy allows him to, and Harmon has a catharsis of sorts after cold cocking his father.
Baby Billy is present at Zion's Landing, during the soft opening/preview of the resort. He confronts Tiffany and Judy, who continue to resist his efforts to get back with Tiffany and be involved with baby Lionel. Judy tells Baby Billy off, which leads Tiffany to go to the porta potty. She begins labor in the porta potty, shrieking and attracting the attention of other guests. Baby Billy eventually figures out what's going on, and rushes to the porta potty. Tiffany gives birth to baby Lionel, who falls into the toilet of the porta potty, mimicking Tiffany's own birth. Baby Billy has his redemption moment when he decides to go in and rescue baby Lionel from the filth, and then presents Lionel to the guests as his son.
In the final scene during the church service, Baby Billy, Tiffany, and Lionel are seen together in the pews. Baby Billy's first son, Harmon, and Harmon's family are seen as present in the pews.
Season 3[]
Baby Billy is introduced in Season 3 as an artist-in-residence at the Gemstones' new Florida Resort, Zion's Landing. Dressed in a clam suit, he performs "There'll Come a Payday" at the pool area of the resort. Despite being put up in a penthouse suite at a luxury resort hotel, Baby Billy expresses his frustration with his place in life, believing he is destined for greater things. He then comes up with the idea for a Christian version of the popular gameshow, Family Feud, dubbed "Baby Billy's Bible Bonkers". Originally pitching to Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin, Baby Billy's idea is shot down as a copy of Family Feud and having a tongue-twister as a show title. Baby Billy is convinced the show will be a smash hit on their Christian television network, and even has Tiffany assist him in putting together the presentation with a diorama of what the gameshow set could look like.
While the Gemstones mingle with their Montgomery cousins, Baby Billy insists that his toddler Lionel be included in cousin-bonding events, despite his age. It is shown throughout that Lionel is shown eating unhealthy items such as mud or cigarette butts. Although it is common for babies to think everything is edible, the fact that both Baby Billy and Tiffany either overlook this or are quite slow to catch Lionel shows their somewhat neglectful and/or lackadaisical attitude towards parenting. At one point, Tiffany even forgets Lionel in his pram in the Gemstone siblings' office where Baby Billy presents his pitch for "Bible Bonkers", although she quickly rectifies that when reminded.
After the siblings shoot down Baby Billy's first pitch, Baby Billy continues trying to work Jesse to try and stem the loss of attendees at their church. Baby Billy and Jesse then have the church rent a Virtual Reality projector, which creates a hologram of Aimee-Leigh. Initially enthusiastic, Jesse and Baby Billy try to pitch Eli and Jesse's siblings/relatives/church personnel on using the Aimee-Leigh hologram. No one else finds the hologram compelling the way Baby Billy and Jesse do, leading to an emotional breakdown from Eli and the hologram machine eventually being destroyed. Baby Billy remarks that the Church did not, in fact, purchase the machine, but were renting it from a local vendor.
As the saga with the Montgomery's evolves, Baby Billy finds out that one of the Gemstones' largest benefactors, Dusty Daniels, is potentially considering leaving his will to a similar family, the Simpkins. Once the Gemstones family are returned from the Montgomery Militia compound, Baby Billy pitches Bible Bonkers again, this time having the Gemstones and Simpkins compete, with the winner getting Dusty Daniels' estate bequest. The Gemstones agree to the pilot and allow Baby Billy to set up his studio and gameshow set. Both families compete, and it is shown that the Simpkins have a way more advanced knowledge of the Bible than the Gemstone siblings. Suddenly, the church and its studios are inundated by a plague of locusts, similar to the plagues described in the Book of Exodus. The chaos that ensues leads to the show being stopped and the studio being destroyed, with various fixtures collapsing and/or killing people present. However, the Simpkins' oldest sibling is exposed as a coward, leaving Dusty Daniels to be rescued by the Gemstones and taken out of the studio. While Baby Billy got his original wish, he was unable to complete the episode and its taping. However, he and Tiffany (who was playing piano for the show), were able to escape relatively unharmed. It is unclear as to the future of Bible Bonkers and whether or not the show will resume. Baby Billy, Tiffany, and Lionel are shown at the end of the season, celebrating family time and enjoying themselves alongside their entire extended family, the Montgomery's included. Aimee-Leigh is then shown as a Star Wars force-ghost like presence as she appeared to Baby Billy in Season 2, watching over her extended family with pride.
Quotes[]
I'm beginning to see why your approach hasn't been working. You have elitist tendencies, which is not pretty. I know how to speak to the common man.
Photos[]
References[]
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