Cult
Episode 1: You're Next
By: Carlos Uribe
Cult
is a show about fanatics of a show-within-a-show called Cult and a
production assistant and reporter who investigate them.
Spoilers
Ahoy!
What is the best way to describe Cult? Imagine that a group of fans
got really passionate about The
Following. They decide that they're going to create their own serial
killer cult that mimics the show. That's basically what Cult is
about. It just so happens to premiere after the Following but this
show was conceived six years ago. It was originally developed for the
old WB network but the order was canceled when it was merged with
UPN. It was killed by the newly formed network but it did look into
reviving it. It didn't at first but now it has changed leaders. The
development history shows that there was a strong belief in the
premise. The question is if this show is any good? No. There might
have been an intelligent way to execute the idea behind this show but
that didn't happen. Cult is a pretty terrible show with weak
characters, a stupid plot, and inconsistent performances. It does
have a few saving graces. The first is that the direction of the
pilot is actually pretty good. Jason Ensler does a good job at making
sure that the show-within-a-show has a distinct look that's separate
from what's supposed to be reality. He might not have a smart script
to work with but he does the best that he can. The second saving
grace is that this is a show that is so bad that it's good. There's
never a dull moment in Cult and it'll be easy to get sucked into the
plot. This is a show that works best when you're not really thinking
at all.
The plot begins by introducing us to reporter Jeff Sefton. The actor
portraying him, Mathew Davis, is known for his role as Alaric in the
Vampire Diaries. He does a decent job as Jeff but there are some
lines he simply can't sell. This reporter is working at Los Angeles
for a minor newspaper but he used to work for the Post. It turns out
that he had gotten fired for lying about a source so that six corrupt
cops would be locked up. It appears that television writers know only
one way to drag a character into a conspiracy: a character goes
missing. I hate that plot technique but Cult goes along with it. I'm
not sure why Jeff couldn't just investigate the show because he was a
journalist and got a tip that something fishy was going on. This need
to add stakes by having a missing brother doesn't work because the
only thing we know about him is that he has an addictive personality.
The brother is a former drug addict who easily gets obsessed. When
the police don't seem to be taking the investigation seriously, Jeff
decides to find his brother by himself. He's quickly joined by Skye,
a production assistant on the show who can relate to Jeff because her
father had gone missing. It helps that she was interested in the
hidden fan community that seems to genuinely be afraid of the show or
other fans. The plot is filled with stupid decisions and reveals too
much about the characters through dialogue but it's still pretty
addicting.
The show does not have the strongest characters. Jeff is a reporter.
He has a brother that he cares about but who easily annoys him. He's
had to take care of his little brother ever since their parents died.
That's all there is to the character. There is nothing about what
drove him to be a reporter or what even led him to lie. His passion
for journalism is supposed to shine through but his complaints to his
current boss felt forced. Jeff is so far not really a character but a
vehicle to introduce us into the world of Cult. He's as unfamiliar
with the fake show as the audience which allows the series to feed us
the necessary information in an effective manner. The female lead is
weaker. She's a production assistant who is good at her job and who
has a missing father. That's basically all that there is to the
character. If Jeff acts as the audience's vehicle then Skye is going
to act as the guide. Her work with the show makes her familiar to it
which means that she can be of great assistance when it comes to
figuring out show trivia. It also helps that her research has made
her an expert of recovering deleted cell phone data, which basically
means she's good at technology on this show.
There aren't that many other characters listed as main ones. There is
Marti Gerritsen. We don't actually meet her but we do meet the
character she plays on the fake Cult show. Her character is called
Kelly Collins, a dedicated cop trying to take down a cult leader. She
used to belong to his cult. She's basically a typical cop character
with a connection to the fake series bad guy. The other character is
Roger Reeves. We only meet this actor for a second but his character
Billy Grimm is the cult leader. There's hints that Reeves might
actually be involved in the fanatical cult outside the show as well
but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a red herring. The character
he plays is a typical evil cult leader that is able to manipulate
people into doing his will. That's basically all the main characters.
There is one more important side characters in the pilot: a cop who
is also secretly a member of the cult. That's all that there is to
her. There are also references to the creator of the
show-within-a-show. This character doesn't make public appearances
and seems to be the sole writer of the fake Cult. I have a theory
that he's secretly behind the fanatical cult and is Skye's father.
This is just the kind of show that would try to pull that off.
You're Next serves as the pilot for Cult. It has been a long road for
the project but was it worth it? I can't answer that for certainty.
The pilot might have sucked but I can't find myself but wanting to
see how the plot develops. To give credit where credit is due, this
show is very ambitious and that it manages to be as coherent as it is
should be commended. The direction is tight and I love the musical
score. It's addicting as heck. It's just too bad there isn't an
actual good show surrounding these elements.
Other
Notes:
I think it's suggested that Jeff watches the whole season of Cult at
the end or at least a few episodes. Apparently he just likes to stand
and look at the television rather than grabbing a chair like a normal
person.
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