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“This cult has everything.” – Caroline, channeling Stefon from SNL,  before we unpack the many strange and disturbing facets of the four-part docuseries Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, and one of America’s most infamous mass suicides. This cult mixes a strange blend of UFO mythology, musical theatre and the apocalypse. Starting with a light-hearted chat about what kinds of cults we might actually fall for (spoiler: cats, lots of TV, introvert-friendly, and insomnia-curing ones), we'll explore how a desire for belonging, meaning, and transcendence can be exploited by supposedly charismatic leaders like Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Expect deep dives into gender erasure, alienation, as well as strange footwear and last meal choices.

We examine the playbook of cult recruitment, the trauma left behind, and the sobering reminder that nobody joins a cult—they're vulnerable and join something that seems like it might save them.

Trigger warning:

genital mutilation, mass suicide, religion, cults, abuse, and sexual repression

Palate cleanser:

Need something lighter after all that darkness? Check out @ozzymanreviews, an Australian TikTok/YouTube voiceover creator who narrates animal videos in hilarious accents.

If you liked this try:

• Sounds like a Cult the podcast, 
• Mike Flanagan's film, Dr. Sleep (trigger warning for traumatic death of a child). 
• For Marshall Applewhite's faves, try Star Trek, the Sound of Music, the X-Files, 
• Under the Banner of Heaven ( true crime nonfiction meets religion).
• The Handmaid's Tale and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler 
• Midsummer (more cult vibes)
• The novel In the Clearing (fictionalized version of the Australian cult the Family). 
• Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang (a story of a society that believes heaven is a real place in the sky and build a tower to reach it)
• The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog  (impact of childhood trauma by a psychologist who worked with kids from the branch Davidian cult).
• Yellowjackets. 1984 (group think)
• More cults: The Vow, Love Has Won, and The Way Down.

Homework: Inspired by the shaming of sex and religious extremism, our next episode subject Stephen King's first iconic novel Carrie.

Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. 

And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7