While I was watching it, I thought it was quite good, similar to Wild Wild Country with far more primary documentation of conversations, etc. I enjoyed how they shaped the narrative around these two members, who they later revealed were deeply privileged and favored by the cult leadership (Mark because of his professional success, Sarah because of her charisma and that she was based in Pacific NW), and grew the story slowly by adding in storytellers like Jane, Barbara Bouchey, and Toni Natalie. It took its time with Keith, showing him first as Mark/Sarah saw him during their first years in NXIVM and slowly eroding the image from prophet/genius to abuser/charlatan.

But then I read the witness testimonies during his trial and the sentencing, and although the last episodes talks a little bit about NVIVM in Mexico, it really ignores the abuse faced by Mexican women, such as that he raped at least one Mexican girl when she was 15 and kept her in nearly-complete isolation for 12 years. Also Kristin Keeffe's testimony is absolutely damning, and even though she was in the documentary, it barely touches how much they fucked with her - for example, after she left the cult, a private security firm stalked her and insinuated themselves into her life by pretending to be her neighbors/friends, when in fact they were being paid $400,000 by Bronfman and Raniere.

As I watched it, I appreciated how it grew the story from two storytellers, establishing this initial 2005-2017 timeline, and then slowly going back, little by little, into the early 2000s, into the 90s. But the failure to cover exactly how sick and torturous he was seems kind of inexcusable to me.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on it

    • MirrorMadness [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      yeah, it is so fucked up that

      1. Keith indoctrinated Nancy's daughter
      2. The ending suggests Keith and Nancy have an intimate "vow"

      The Frank Report sucks [actual headline: Roger Stone Claims Biden Will Pardon Raniere, and it's taken seriously], but here's the transcript of Kristin Keeffe's initial statement to the court during Raniere's sentencing. It's barely touched on in the series