Why We Don't See Grace Preach in Episode 6

In the sixth episode of Greenleaf, the showrunners make the bold decision not to show Grace preaching. They show the moment leading up to it but cut out just before she gets into the meat of her sermon.

Co-executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Craig Wright explain why they decided to withhold this crucial aspect of Grace's character. "Well, it's very interesting because for a long time we talked in the writers' room about never hearing Grace preach," Oprah says.

Craig says it wouldn't have been as satisfying as viewers would expect. "If you're watching a TV show and someone's a songwriter, you never want to hear the song," Craig says. "It's never going to be as good as it ought to be. The song you imagine will always be better than the song it actually is. And so early on in the season, I didn't want to unveil Grace preaching. I just knew it would never be as amazing as the show had sort of indicated it would be."

"We debated for a long time about whether or not she should or shouldn't," Oprah adds. "Should we ever hear her preach? Should that always just be in the back of our minds that she was this great preacher."

For Oprah, the moment leading up to the sermon was powerful in and of itself. "I was excited to see that we get to a moment of fruition where that dynamic of her preaching is fulfilled. The moment where she lays it down, you know she's getting ready to throw down—yes, I'd join that church! Amen, sister Grace, amen!"