Bradley Cooper Stars In HBO’s Most Overlooked 2025 TV Episode That Just Won Big

One of the most overlooked yet outstanding 2025 TV episodes finally got the recognition it deserved and did not receive at last year’s Emmy Awards. Starring actor and director Bradley Cooper in a surprise guest star role, this HBO episode was one of the most celebrated season premieres of 2025 by viewers, but was not given any industry accolades – until now.

The Writers Guild of America Awards – East were held on Sunday, March 8, 2026, although the WGA West ceremony was canceled due to an ongoing strike. Just one week before the 2026 Academy Awards, the ceremony honored some of the most talented screenwriters in Hollywood. While the usual suspects, like The Pitt, The Studio, Sinners, and One Battle After Another, took home top prizes, this HBO comedy series won in one key category.

The Righteous Gemstones Season 4 Premiere Finally Won Big

After being nominated for two Emmy Awards for its season 4 premiere episode, ‘Prelude’, the HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones finally won big at the recent Writers Guild of America Awards – East last weekend.

While The Righteous Gemstones season 4 did take home one Emmy for Stunt Coordination in a Comedy Series for its final season, and received 3 Critics Choice noms, this latest WGA Award for Episodic Comedy is arguably the biggest accolade for the series.

If you’ve been a fan of The Righteous Gemstones since its 2019 premiere, then you know all about its hilarious ensemble cast led by Danny McBride, Adam Devine, Edi Patterson, Walton Goggins, John Goodman, and more. The series, which was created by McBride, was one of HBO’s flagship comedy series for six years until it concluded last year after 36 episodes.

While winning top TV honors like Emmys and Golden Globes has its perks, The Righetous Gemstones winning a WGA Award carries additional emphasis as it was voted on by screenwriters and members of the WGA. This demonstrates a distinct and educated appreciation from other writers in the industry for an episode that has largely been ignored by larger contests.

Bradley Cooper Guest Stars In One Of 2025’s Best TV Episodes

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Bradley Cooper’s only appearance in The Righteous Gemstones was in a surprise role in the season 4 premiere, which was an ambitious swing for the dark comedy series. While The Righteous Gemstones has featured flashback episodes in previous seasons, none of them have gone as far back as the Civil War era to portray the Gemstone family’s origins.

Cooper plays Elijah Gemstone, a morally corrupt ancestor of Goodman’s Dr. Eli Gemstone, who assumes the identity of a preacher after killing him. Elijah quickly learns of the benefits of being a man of God, especially how it makes him untouchable on both sides of the war, and uses this disguise as the ultimate con. This plants the seeds for the Gemstone family dynasty, which ironically uses faith as a means for their lavish lifestyles.

Part of the reason why The Righteous Gemstones season 4, episode 1, was so exceptional was that it was so unexpected. There had been no indication that Cooper was going to appear in The Righteous Gemstones season 4 whatsoever, so the initial shock value was quietly one of TV’s most shocking developments of 2025. Additionally, starting off the fourth and final season with an ambitious extended flashback, without any of the main cast involved other than McBride’s direction, was a big swing that truly paid off.

Even if The Righteous Gemstones season 4 win at the WGAE Awards also goes somewhat unnoticed, it is certainly deserving of the award, as it is considered one of the best episodes of The Righteous Gemstones ever made. Considering that major awards ceremonies tend to stick with a few fan favorites and critical darlings each awards season, it’s great to see an underdog that should have gotten more buzz finally have its day.