'The Vow' Episode 2: Viewers find HBO docuseries thrilling, some call for all episodes at once to binge-watch
In HBO miniseries, 'The Vow', viewers get in-depth retellings from former members of NXIVM (pronounced Nex-e-um) that dominated the news a few years ago when it was revealed that a secret society within the cult was operating as a sex trafficking front. Both the founder, Keith Raniere, and actress 'Smallville' Allison Mack — a prominent member of the group — were arrested on trafficking charges among others in 2018.
After a six-week trial in 2019, Raniere was convicted in June 2019 of charges, including racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and attempted sex trafficking. 'The Vow' features the cult's former members, including actresses Sarah Edmondson and Bonnie Piesse, as well as Piesse's spouse, filmmaker Mark Vicente. The show consists of nine episodes. The first two episodes have only just gotten into the workings of NXIVM and Raniere with those who left the group recounting their experiences with what has often been called a cult. Nonetheless, while the pacing may be slow, 'The Vow' is an enthralling watch, as fans can attest to.
One fan tweeted, "Is anyone watching #TheVow on @HBO? I’ve never understood how people can get so drawn into cults, but this docuseries is showing just how alluring they can make it—an unnerving underscore to our current cult-like political environment." Another noted, "The @TheVowHBO is an amazing, compelling, thrilling and horrific inside look into the makings of a cult. Wow so damn good. A tour de source of a doc series. #TheVowHBO #TheVow." A fan tweeted, "Wow, the second episode of _The Vow_ is incredible. Defection from a high-commitment organization requires a willingness to give up your entire community and courage to face the terrible consequences you know await. Heroic."
Is anyone watching #TheVow on @HBO? I’ve never understood how people can get so drawn into cults, but this docuseries is showing just how alluring they can make it—an unnerving underscore to our current cult-like political environment.
— 𝕁𝕂 (@whatsayJK) August 31, 2020
The @TheVowHBO is an amazing, compelling, thrilling and horrific inside look into the makings of a cult. Wow so damn good. A tour de source of a doc series. #TheVowHBO #TheVow
— Paula Halton (@haltonpm) August 31, 2020
Wow, the second episode of _The Vow_ is incredible. Defection from a high-commitment organization requires a willingness to give up your entire community and courage to face the terrible consequences you know await. Heroic.
— Anne Phillips (@annephillipswa) August 31, 2020
However, some fans wondered whether there was a missed opportunity and whether HBO should have perhaps released all at once so that people could watch it in one go. One fan wrote, "Holy crap #TheVowHBO is so good.. I'm upset that there isn't more episodes out so I can just binge it in one sitting." Another opined, "I feel like we’d all be talking about #thevow if they’d dropped it all at once instead of little bits every week. This is definitely a binge show. Missed opportunity."
Holy crap #TheVowHBO is so good.. I'm upset that there isn't more episodes out so I can just binge it in one sitting. 🥺
— Danica Rockwood (@ODanicaRockwood) August 30, 2020
I feel like we’d all be talking about #thevow if they’d dropped it all at once instead of little bits every week. This is definitely a binge show. Missed opportunity.
— Kiala (@Kiala) August 31, 2020
'The Vow' airs on HBO on Sunday nights at 10/9c.