Showing posts with label Waco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waco. Show all posts
Sunday, May 7, 2023
Pilot Review: Waco: The Aftermath
Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
What I’m Watching: Waco (Series Finale)
Waco: Season 1, Episode 6 “Day 51” (B+)
This was a very powerful and well-made concluding hour, one that brought things to a devastating end after what really felt like a balanced portrayal of a situation that escalated way too fast and was never going to lead to a peaceful resolution. The degree to which things had gone beyond any sort of place from which the Branch Davidians could come back was made clear by Gary losing his temper as he was on the phone with Steve telling him that David was working on his manuscript but refusing to show it to anyone, explaining that he was giving them every olive branch he could think of and he could hardly blame the FBI and the ATF for wanting to go in after so long. Gary didn’t feel that way, of course, and he was just as horrified as Richard was when he tried in vain to help the women and children who were in the bunker unable to escape after the tear gas turned into a fire. It was too late for Rachel and Michelle to change their minds and decide to leave, and only David and Steve had the choice to end their own lives when capture seemed like the only option. Thibodeau did make it out, the only recognizable face with such a huge death toll on the inside of everyone else we got to know on this show. Radio host Ron’s list of so many instances involving a standoff leading to tear gas, then fire, then death was haunting, and while the contemporary problems of society have more to do now with shooting unarmed African-Americans, it’s still worthwhile to remember that this didn’t need to end this way. How else it could have turned out, I’m not sure, but I do think this was a strong series. Coupled with “Manhunt: Unabomber,” it offers a stirring recreation of infamous political events from the 1990s. I’d love to see Kitsch, Shannon, Sparks, and any of the rest of the cast recognized for their performances come Emmy time, but I’m not sure that’s likely.
Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh
This was a very powerful and well-made concluding hour, one that brought things to a devastating end after what really felt like a balanced portrayal of a situation that escalated way too fast and was never going to lead to a peaceful resolution. The degree to which things had gone beyond any sort of place from which the Branch Davidians could come back was made clear by Gary losing his temper as he was on the phone with Steve telling him that David was working on his manuscript but refusing to show it to anyone, explaining that he was giving them every olive branch he could think of and he could hardly blame the FBI and the ATF for wanting to go in after so long. Gary didn’t feel that way, of course, and he was just as horrified as Richard was when he tried in vain to help the women and children who were in the bunker unable to escape after the tear gas turned into a fire. It was too late for Rachel and Michelle to change their minds and decide to leave, and only David and Steve had the choice to end their own lives when capture seemed like the only option. Thibodeau did make it out, the only recognizable face with such a huge death toll on the inside of everyone else we got to know on this show. Radio host Ron’s list of so many instances involving a standoff leading to tear gas, then fire, then death was haunting, and while the contemporary problems of society have more to do now with shooting unarmed African-Americans, it’s still worthwhile to remember that this didn’t need to end this way. How else it could have turned out, I’m not sure, but I do think this was a strong series. Coupled with “Manhunt: Unabomber,” it offers a stirring recreation of infamous political events from the 1990s. I’d love to see Kitsch, Shannon, Sparks, and any of the rest of the cast recognized for their performances come Emmy time, but I’m not sure that’s likely.
Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh
Friday, February 23, 2018
What I’m Watching: Waco
Waco: Season 1, Episode 5 “Stalling for Time” (B+)
I didn’t realize that there was only one installment left in this series – I thought there were eight – but I guess that makes sense given how this one ended, with Tony practically authorizing Mitch to storm the place after the latest escalation. We’re seeing just how Gary is being boxed out of his own negotiations, with Mitch opting to employ psychological warfare tactics that Tony laughed off as something he had never even heard of during the press conference. As the patience of the lawmen outside the compound is wearing then, so is David’s, as he dismissed Gary as illegitimate because he didn’t believe in God and then started lashing out at his own followers. Steve has the primary voice of reason so far, and I imagine that he wouldn’t have any problem with letting someone like Thibodeau leave when he actually asked to, and not just banishing someone who had been caught drinking to accompany a woman who wanted to leave to be with her youngest child, who had been separated from his brothers because he came from a different father. In all this, we’re hearing some interesting conversations about gun control that feel even more relevant given how prominent it’s become in the past two weeks in real life. While I’ve started to notice this on a number of shows I’m currently watching, it’s especially important here because the fact that they were converting semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons, which was illegal except with a permit, begs the question that continues to dominate this whole standoff: if this group did nothing wrong, what exactly did they need all that firepower for?
I didn’t realize that there was only one installment left in this series – I thought there were eight – but I guess that makes sense given how this one ended, with Tony practically authorizing Mitch to storm the place after the latest escalation. We’re seeing just how Gary is being boxed out of his own negotiations, with Mitch opting to employ psychological warfare tactics that Tony laughed off as something he had never even heard of during the press conference. As the patience of the lawmen outside the compound is wearing then, so is David’s, as he dismissed Gary as illegitimate because he didn’t believe in God and then started lashing out at his own followers. Steve has the primary voice of reason so far, and I imagine that he wouldn’t have any problem with letting someone like Thibodeau leave when he actually asked to, and not just banishing someone who had been caught drinking to accompany a woman who wanted to leave to be with her youngest child, who had been separated from his brothers because he came from a different father. In all this, we’re hearing some interesting conversations about gun control that feel even more relevant given how prominent it’s become in the past two weeks in real life. While I’ve started to notice this on a number of shows I’m currently watching, it’s especially important here because the fact that they were converting semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons, which was illegal except with a permit, begs the question that continues to dominate this whole standoff: if this group did nothing wrong, what exactly did they need all that firepower for?
Saturday, February 17, 2018
What I’m Watching: Waco
Waco: Season 1, Episode 4 “Of Milk and Men” (B+)
This series is definitely painting Gary as the only person, aside from Rodriguez of course, on the side of the law who is bothering to try to see the Branch Davidians as human beings. Talking to Balenda and having a child tell him that they can’t call her mother because they killed her makes him much more sensitive, but he’s also framed that way in comparison to Mitch and Tony, who are calculating and just want to find a way to get home before Christmas. Milk being the centerpoint of the negotiations in this episode seemed simple enough, but even that involved contradictions like wanting the children to be sent out, and the unfortunate fact that the bugged delivery picked up David and Steve’s conversation about drinking the milk, further indicating to Mitch and Tony that these people couldn’t be trusted. Tony did reveal that they’re purposely filtering information from getting out, like the video in which Rachel lamented the death of her father. Steve is a smart, level-headed individual for Gary to be talking to, but ultimately he’s going to continue to be driven by his faith in the God that he believes spoke to David, a man he confessed to not liking all that much though he accepts him as a prophet. The power being cut just after they saw Balenda making an appeal to her son to come out and return to his real family was a dramatic way to end the episode and indicate no much progress in bringing this standoff to a peaceful end anytime soon.
This series is definitely painting Gary as the only person, aside from Rodriguez of course, on the side of the law who is bothering to try to see the Branch Davidians as human beings. Talking to Balenda and having a child tell him that they can’t call her mother because they killed her makes him much more sensitive, but he’s also framed that way in comparison to Mitch and Tony, who are calculating and just want to find a way to get home before Christmas. Milk being the centerpoint of the negotiations in this episode seemed simple enough, but even that involved contradictions like wanting the children to be sent out, and the unfortunate fact that the bugged delivery picked up David and Steve’s conversation about drinking the milk, further indicating to Mitch and Tony that these people couldn’t be trusted. Tony did reveal that they’re purposely filtering information from getting out, like the video in which Rachel lamented the death of her father. Steve is a smart, level-headed individual for Gary to be talking to, but ultimately he’s going to continue to be driven by his faith in the God that he believes spoke to David, a man he confessed to not liking all that much though he accepts him as a prophet. The power being cut just after they saw Balenda making an appeal to her son to come out and return to his real family was a dramatic way to end the episode and indicate no much progress in bringing this standoff to a peaceful end anytime soon.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Take Three: Waco
Waco: Season 1, Episode 3 “Operation Showtime” (B+)
Well, that was one hell of a shootout. It really did feel like the famed first battle of the Revolutionary War, where it was difficult to tell who shot first and won’t matter in the long run because enough people are dead and there’s no going back from it for any of them now. Wayne calling the police to tell them to get the ATF to stop shooting right before the cameraman called on behalf of the ATF for backup was intense, and there’s definitely much political commentary to be found here, with lines like, “Who do you call when it’s your own government attacking?” and Eric Lange’s radio host Ron Engelman talking about the law against attacking your own citizens. We had our latest “Boardwalk Empire” alumnus, Glenn Fleshler, show up as FBI Agent Tony Prince, there to bridge the relationship between the ATF, who were more than ready to throw Rodriguez under the bus for not warning them about an armament and allegedly being compromised, and Gary, who is cool under pressure and managed to strike a deal that should have worked well and help resolve things smoothly. The negative publicity from the TV commentators seemed to be enough to convince David that his message wasn’t actually heard, prompting him to tell Gary that God spoke to him and told him not to surrender. That can’t be good for anyone involved, and, only three episodes in, I think we all know that it’s just going to get much worse from here.
Well, that was one hell of a shootout. It really did feel like the famed first battle of the Revolutionary War, where it was difficult to tell who shot first and won’t matter in the long run because enough people are dead and there’s no going back from it for any of them now. Wayne calling the police to tell them to get the ATF to stop shooting right before the cameraman called on behalf of the ATF for backup was intense, and there’s definitely much political commentary to be found here, with lines like, “Who do you call when it’s your own government attacking?” and Eric Lange’s radio host Ron Engelman talking about the law against attacking your own citizens. We had our latest “Boardwalk Empire” alumnus, Glenn Fleshler, show up as FBI Agent Tony Prince, there to bridge the relationship between the ATF, who were more than ready to throw Rodriguez under the bus for not warning them about an armament and allegedly being compromised, and Gary, who is cool under pressure and managed to strike a deal that should have worked well and help resolve things smoothly. The negative publicity from the TV commentators seemed to be enough to convince David that his message wasn’t actually heard, prompting him to tell Gary that God spoke to him and told him not to surrender. That can’t be good for anyone involved, and, only three episodes in, I think we all know that it’s just going to get much worse from here.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Round Two: Waco
Waco: Season 1, Episode 2 “The Strangers Across the Street” (B+)
There’s something very disarming about the way in which David inspires his followers, parading them in for some unknown punishment only to offer them each a lick of ice cream and then calmly and disapprovingly emptying Vasquez’s gun. He barely even got angry when he went over to tell Vasquez to call off the operation. It’s those who are most loyal to him, like his wife Rachel, who come off as less friendly and more stringent about the rules. Michelle’s main concern about marrying David Thibodeau was that it would be keep her from being close to the main David, who doesn’t want to indulge in any pleasure of the flesh, and who won’t even allow this newly married couple to disobey the rules of men not being allowed up to the women’s quarters. We saw Emmy winner Camryn Manheim from “The Practice” as the younger David’s mom, who seems like she’s still connected to a member of this cult and who we’re likely to see again in some capacity. As Gary debates whether to report Richard for his bad call during the operation, we’re treated to a whole mess during the action when Vasquez literally went running and waving his arms to get them to stop since the Branch Davidians were well aware that they were on their way. It didn’t take long for this siege to begin, but we know that it’s the bulk of this story, and the way that Vasquez seemed to be taken in by some of what David was saying makes me think that he’s going to play a vital role in what’s to come.
There’s something very disarming about the way in which David inspires his followers, parading them in for some unknown punishment only to offer them each a lick of ice cream and then calmly and disapprovingly emptying Vasquez’s gun. He barely even got angry when he went over to tell Vasquez to call off the operation. It’s those who are most loyal to him, like his wife Rachel, who come off as less friendly and more stringent about the rules. Michelle’s main concern about marrying David Thibodeau was that it would be keep her from being close to the main David, who doesn’t want to indulge in any pleasure of the flesh, and who won’t even allow this newly married couple to disobey the rules of men not being allowed up to the women’s quarters. We saw Emmy winner Camryn Manheim from “The Practice” as the younger David’s mom, who seems like she’s still connected to a member of this cult and who we’re likely to see again in some capacity. As Gary debates whether to report Richard for his bad call during the operation, we’re treated to a whole mess during the action when Vasquez literally went running and waving his arms to get them to stop since the Branch Davidians were well aware that they were on their way. It didn’t take long for this siege to begin, but we know that it’s the bulk of this story, and the way that Vasquez seemed to be taken in by some of what David was saying makes me think that he’s going to play a vital role in what’s to come.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Pilot Review: Waco
Waco (Paramount)
Premiered January 24 at 10pm
Now this is a show that I really want to watch because I’m genuinely interested in the subject matter. It’s very similar to “Manhunt: Unabomber” in that it details a much-publicized event in the history of the United States from when I was very young and (fortunately) wasn’t aware of what was going on. This is officially the flagship program of the brand-new Paramount network, which was Spike TV up until a few weeks ago. This show looks a lot like the other mentioned above since it jumps around between different moments to showcase the infamous siege and to give some background information on all of the characters on both sides. What’s most impressive for this much bigger story is the talent involved. Taylor Kitsch, who got his start on “Friday Night Lights” and then headlined season two of “True Detective” gets to play militia leader David Koresh, with Melissa Benoist from “Supergirl” taking on a very different role and both Paul Sparks, from “Boardwalk Empire,” and Andrea Riseborough, who starred in most of the films I just saw at Sundance, also playing members of the Branch Davidians. Two other “Boardwalk Empire” alumni, Michael Shannon and Shea Wigham, are on the side of the FBI, with many more actors sure to have a spotlight in the coming episodes. This opening hour was a bit disjointed in its construction, and I’m hopeful for a more coherent deep dive in the installments to come to truly make sense of who these people were and what led to this standoff taking place.
How will it work as a series? There’s one element of this story which involves the beliefs held by all involve, and the other part of it is the events that actually took place. Digging into the former has already begun, and it’s a matter of negotiating the two and turning it into interesting television that will ultimately make it work.
How long will it last? While it’s hard to tell what’s a miniseries and what’s a traditional drama series these days, this one is definitely the former since it’s a contained story that theoretically goes as in-depth as possible into what occurred without the possibility for a whole new approach in an imagined second season. This show’s success will be more indicative of how its newly-branded network will do, and so far this decently-received, well-watched series seems to be off to a good start for its broadcaster.
Pilot grade: B
Premiered January 24 at 10pm
Now this is a show that I really want to watch because I’m genuinely interested in the subject matter. It’s very similar to “Manhunt: Unabomber” in that it details a much-publicized event in the history of the United States from when I was very young and (fortunately) wasn’t aware of what was going on. This is officially the flagship program of the brand-new Paramount network, which was Spike TV up until a few weeks ago. This show looks a lot like the other mentioned above since it jumps around between different moments to showcase the infamous siege and to give some background information on all of the characters on both sides. What’s most impressive for this much bigger story is the talent involved. Taylor Kitsch, who got his start on “Friday Night Lights” and then headlined season two of “True Detective” gets to play militia leader David Koresh, with Melissa Benoist from “Supergirl” taking on a very different role and both Paul Sparks, from “Boardwalk Empire,” and Andrea Riseborough, who starred in most of the films I just saw at Sundance, also playing members of the Branch Davidians. Two other “Boardwalk Empire” alumni, Michael Shannon and Shea Wigham, are on the side of the FBI, with many more actors sure to have a spotlight in the coming episodes. This opening hour was a bit disjointed in its construction, and I’m hopeful for a more coherent deep dive in the installments to come to truly make sense of who these people were and what led to this standoff taking place.
How will it work as a series? There’s one element of this story which involves the beliefs held by all involve, and the other part of it is the events that actually took place. Digging into the former has already begun, and it’s a matter of negotiating the two and turning it into interesting television that will ultimately make it work.
How long will it last? While it’s hard to tell what’s a miniseries and what’s a traditional drama series these days, this one is definitely the former since it’s a contained story that theoretically goes as in-depth as possible into what occurred without the possibility for a whole new approach in an imagined second season. This show’s success will be more indicative of how its newly-branded network will do, and so far this decently-received, well-watched series seems to be off to a good start for its broadcaster.
Pilot grade: B
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