While this series is somewhat successful in showing what the Heaven's Gate Cult was about, it barely scratches the surface, and does so clumsily.
*** Spoilers below! ***
The series barely mentions what the members do to pass time, which is interesting enough, since they spent 25 years on the road or living in rented mansions seemingly all over the country. Early on we know how Heaven's Gate members are about to ascend to alien UFOs in the 70'es, but what kept the members part of this cult when they didn't ascend? We learn some of the members earn money with computer jobs, but what about the rest of the group, what did they do?
In the first episode we are introduced to Robert Balch, a sociologist who infiltrates the group only to write back on what he saw. He joins with a friend under false pretense. But the mule seems to stay in the group throughout the many years of Heavens Gate, and we never get to hear about why he stayed, how long he stayed, what he found out, or why he left. His friend is barely mentioned.
In the finale episode it is revealed through letters to her daughter from the founding "Ti" persona, that she was a hypocrite. The daughter reads exceprts from the letters to surviving members of the group, a year after the suicides. This is such a powerful section of this tale, but only 2 minutes is spent on it! Why didn't the daughter expose her mother prior? Why didn't she expose her mother to the Heavens Gate followers and families, when her mother died back in 1985? It is almost evil how she tells it a year after the fact. We should at least get some reactions from the surviving members, instead we get 3rd part info from the mysterious mule who seemed to be nowhere and everywhere throughout the entire timeline of the Heavens Gate.
On a psychological level, as to why people would join a cult in the first place this show does not know where to stand. We are told "everybody" can join a cult, but at the same time we are told most people leave cults. We are told this could have happened to anybody no matter how bright, but at the same time shown video of a social experiment in which 2 out of 3 fall victim to group pressure, implying that at least 1 out of 3 would be able to stick to their beliefs. And so the show fails to investigate who and really why people joined this group.
In the first episode we are introduced to Robert Balch, a sociologist who infiltrates the group only to write back on what he saw. He joins with a friend under false pretense. But the mule seems to stay in the group throughout the many years of Heavens Gate, and we never get to hear about why he stayed, how long he stayed, what he found out, or why he left. His friend is barely mentioned.
In the finale episode it is revealed through letters to her daughter from the founding "Ti" persona, that she was a hypocrite. The daughter reads exceprts from the letters to surviving members of the group, a year after the suicides. This is such a powerful section of this tale, but only 2 minutes is spent on it! Why didn't the daughter expose her mother prior? Why didn't she expose her mother to the Heavens Gate followers and families, when her mother died back in 1985? It is almost evil how she tells it a year after the fact. We should at least get some reactions from the surviving members, instead we get 3rd part info from the mysterious mule who seemed to be nowhere and everywhere throughout the entire timeline of the Heavens Gate.
On a psychological level, as to why people would join a cult in the first place this show does not know where to stand. We are told "everybody" can join a cult, but at the same time we are told most people leave cults. We are told this could have happened to anybody no matter how bright, but at the same time shown video of a social experiment in which 2 out of 3 fall victim to group pressure, implying that at least 1 out of 3 would be able to stick to their beliefs. And so the show fails to investigate who and really why people joined this group.