Thaniel Block

Thaniel at his South Carolina Airbnb

Thaniel Block is a well-respected investigative journalist, specializing in exposés of megachurch pastors throughout the United States. He is played by actor Jason Schwartzman.

## Plot

### Season 2

At the beginning of season 2, there is a council meeting of megachurch pastors where they discuss the fate of pastor Makawon Butterfield. Butterfield and his wife had engaged in sexual acts with a prostitute, which was enough for his fellow pastors to call for his resignation. Thaniel Block had written the article that revealed all of this to the general public in the New York Times.

After taking down the Butterfields, he turned his sights on the Gemstones. He rented a cabin in a rural area outside Charleston while conducting his investigation of the Gemstones. He was approached by a neighbor who introduced himself as a friend of the landlord, then said that the owner does not allow smoking on his property. Thaniel curtly said goodbye to the man, who then went on his way. Once out of earshot, Thaniel remarked to himself how much he hates the South.

He first approached Eli Gemstone, who rebuffed him initially. However, Thaniel revealed that Eli was not his main target, but that he had spoken to former employees that worked under Eli's wife, Aimee-Leigh Gemstone. Thaniel stated that these employees had painted a different picture of Aimee-Leigh than the one that the public saw routinely. Eli stonewalled Thaniel, with Thaniel eventually departing. Eli reveals this meeting and Thaniel's investigation into them at a post-Church lunch, piquing the interest of Jesse Gemstone, Judy Gemstone, and Kelvin Gemstone. Despite Eli's warnings to stay away from the journalist as anything said or done would likely be ammunition he could use against them, the three siblings decide to drive over to the cabin. They were hoping to get Thaniel to confim his sources. When they arrive, a lot is suspicious. The front door was open, but Thaniel was nowhere to be found. Kelvin, who stayed by the Tesla vehicle, got out and noticed a damaged car and two dead bodies nearby: one against the car and one up in a tree above the car. Jesse discovers Thaniel's dead body inside the house, with a clear bullet hole in his head. Judy goes inside as well and sees the body, with Kelvin slipping into them and forcing them to fall into Thaniel's pool of blood. They later run into their father who has bloodied trousers. They put two and two together, but Eli's alibi is that he had cut himself below his waist.

Later in the season, it is revealed that Lyle Lissons was Thaniel's source. He had been meeting him regularly including visiting him in South Carolina. At some earlier time it is revealed that Lyle exposed the corruption on the Butterfields. Thaniel pressed Lyle for information about the Gemstones, and Lyle refused because of his pending business deal with Jesse. Thaniel threatens to investigate Lyle himself, saying he knows of what Lyle does with some of his boys in the orphanage. Lyle admits that he caught four of his pastors skimming, but Thaniel dismisses this sellout as small potatoes. Lyle then departs the rental house and gets into a red vehicle where four henchmen are waiting. In the vehicle, Lyle's henchmen discuss what to do with Thaniel to defend themselves, also in conversation revealing they are the four men whom Lyle sold out to Thaniel. One of the men pulls out a set of hand grenades. He grabs a grenade, pulls the pin, and reveals it will only detonate when he lets go of the handle. Thaniel comes outside to confront them, and in the confusion, the man drops his grenade. Lyle chases Thaniel into the house, where Thaniel is shooting at Lyle. In the ensuing explosion, two of Lyle's men are killed, who turn out to be one by the destroyed vehicle and the man whose corpse was rocketed to the tree limb. Lyle follows Thaniel through the cabin, and Thaniel eventually misfires and the ricochet hits him in the head, instantly killing him. Lyle hides in a closet, where he sees the Gemstone siblings falling into Thaniel's dead body and pool of blood. After his two remaining men witnesses the Gemstones issues getting into the Tesla, Lyle and some others torch the cabin with Thaniel's body in it. The arson act also fails to go to the plan, with the two underlings of Lyle being caught in the blaze and screaming for help. Lyle shoots them both dead then flees the scene to cover up all involvement.