An examination of the UFO cult through the eyes of its former members and their loved ones. What starts with the disappearance of 20 people from an Oregon town, ends with the largest suicide on US soil.
EPISODE 1
The Awakening
The inception of the group dates back to 1970s Oregon, where founding members Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite begin to recruit individuals interested in end-of-the-world Christianity, New-Age religion, and UFOs.
EPISODE 2
The Chrysalis
Bonnie and Marshall, who call themselves Ti and Do, enforce strict rules of no family communication. After Ti dies from cancer in 1985, a distraught Do briefly allows members to visit their families, and a few consider leaving the group for good.
EPISODE 3
The Second Harvest
Using a sci-fi TV series to help bolster his teachings, Do encourages asexuality and submission, and he even initiates voluntary castrations; having dwindled in number, the group start recruiting again, but they're met with derision and scepticism.
EPISODE 4
The Exit
The arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet spurs the group members to prepare for their departure; after the authorities are alerted, Heaven's Gate becomes a pop culture phenomenon, but the suicides have a very different effect on those closest to them.
J. Clay Tweel
Amy Entelis
Chris Bannon
Eric Spiegelman
Lyle Gamm
Ross M. Dinerstein
Shannon E. Riggs
Peter Clowney
Erik Diehn
