Is anyone following this doc about Nxivm?

I just don't understand how anyone with a functioning brain could buy any of that bullshit.

My wife and i have been enjoying it and finished episode 4 figuring episode 5 will wrap everything up and then i look online and see it lasts 9 episodes! They are really going to drag it out.

Crazy stuff. Allison Mack was infatuated with this dude from day one.

Wife and I are enjoying it immensely. Very well made series doc and fascinating if you're into cults....

Highly recommend.

This could have easily been 3-4 episodes, and then everything I was watching for (fallout after the arrests) is teased for Season 2.

I am three episodes in. Like it so far. Knew a lot of the stuff already but hearing all these phone conversations “as they happen” as opposed to hearing about them after the fact from talking heads, makes for an interesting experience, even at the expense of visuals (I am getting pretty sick of looking at silk shawls ). HBO (and we) are lucky that Mark was so meticulous with his recording and documenting.

This is another in a long line of recent multi-part documentaries that outstayed its welcome. Could have done this one in half as many episodes.

That said, Raniere is supposed to get sentenced this Tuesday (Oct. 27th).

Yes, the first two or three episodes were very good. Everything else could have been condensed into one episode. And I was disappointed that the good stuff is being pushed off to another season. In that regard, it reminds me of Season 1 of The Killing.

This is on Starz if you have it.

UPDATE: He got 120 years in prison.

Finished watching this and I have to fully agree with you. They really padded this. They only needed 5 episodes, max.

I get that you want to show what Raniere's teachings, theories, nonsense, whatever is about, but it almost felt like I attended all of his seminars. Another episode and I'd probably get brainwashed as well. This is definitely something to watch while you're surfing or doing other things. It's tough to sit through his ramblings for long periods of time.

Speaking of ramblings - is he always pontificating about shit, or is that just the stuff they recorded (or just showed)? Makes me wonder if Raniere ever had a normal conversation.

Hopefully, Part II is not as nearly as long as Part I.

Anyone watching Part II?

Yep

I didn't even finish Season 1.

Two episodes in and there's zero reason for this new doc to exist. We all know the results of the trial and there's very little new info about Nxivm being provided. And they're doing four more of these. Should have just been a two-hour documentary.

I actually liked this week's episode when they covered the work with Tourette's syndrome people. I understand that none of what NIXVM did there was scientifically proven to be effective, but it seemed to help some people, and the insight into what it was like being someone with Tourette's was very interesting. Also, the conundrum of having powers that you could use for evil or for good seemed to reinforce, for me, the insidious evil of the leader. I originally thought season 2 was unnecessary, but I've enjoyed it so far.

With respect to previous posters, I think this season is absolutely fascinating so far. Particularly the Nancy interview and sit downs with Raniere loyalists (to this day..)

Lends a somewhat more sympathetic spin to the actual work of the group and the help several received from his teachings.

Yep...I was just coming on here to post this. Episode 3 is pretty interesting and worth watching. When I posted, only the first two had dropped.