Leah Remini’s A&E show Scientology and the Aftermath is taking a well-deserved post-Emmys two-week breather after pushing hard to get the first six episodes on the air. It will resume with the next new episode on October 10.
We have some inside knowledge of what goes into putting together one of these shows, and we can tell you it’s an exhausting amount of hard work. Not only is there a huge amount of footage that has to be put together as tightly as possible, but the Church of Scientology is doing everything it can to derail the series, harassing and trying to intimidate people that have agreed to be on the show.
Gary “Jackson” Morehead told us that decisions about some of his interview footage were still being made on the Sunday before his episode aired — that’s just 48 hours to go.
So we don’t begrudge Leah and Mike and crew a couple of weeks to regroup and prepare the next episode, which looks like it’s going to be a harrowing examination of the notorious Mace-Kingsley camp for the children of Sea Org members. That should be terrifying.
But while the show takes a pause, we thought we’d take this opportunity to gauge your interest in the shows that have aired so far. Let’s quickly go over them, and then we’ll poll you…
Episode 1, “Thetans in young bodies,” aired on August 15 and featured Mirriam Francis and Saina Kamula. They had grown up in Scientology, and each of them had been sexually molested while they were students in Scientology facilities. We later followed up with them about their interview with LAPD detectives, and they told us they were pretty disappointed with how that turned out.
Episode 2, “The ultimate failure of Scientology,” aired on August 22 and featured Marie Bilheimer talking about her former husband, Aaron Poulin, who hanged himself at Scientology’s “Hollywood Inn,” and Lauren Haggis talking about her former friend, Tayler Tweed, another young Scientologist who committed suicide. We had written previously about Marie and her family’s distressing story of disconnection.
Episode 3, “The perfect Scientology family,” aired on August 29 and featured Liz Gale, who talked about her brother Philip’s suicide on L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday in 1998, and how she and her mother have clashed over the raising of her children outside Scientology. We had done our own story on Liz, but in Leah’s show we learned just how far her mother would go to punish her for leaving the church.
Episode 4, “The Bridge to Total Freedom,” was the first of four planned “special episodes” and it aired on September 5. It featured Bruce Hines and Leah’s mother, Vicki Marshall, discussing Scientology’s actual beliefs and how it is structured as a complex set of steps or levels. Bruce had previously helped us with our own examination of the Bridge, but it was really something to see Leah, Bruce, and her mother discuss openly the secrets of OT 3 and OT 8 on national television.
Episode 5, “The rise of David Miscavige,” aired on September 12 and it featured John Brousseau — giving his first television interview — and Gary “Jackson” Morehead. Both of them had worked at Scientology’s secretive “Int Base” near Hemet. California, and had witnessed the rise of David Miscavige as leader of the organization after the January 24, 1986 death of L. Ron Hubbard. JB is an especially great expert on Miscavige — he was Dave’s brother-in-law for 16 years!
Episode 6, “Scientology and celebrity: The betrayal of Paul Haggis,” aired on September 19 and featured the Oscar-winning director as well as former Scientology celebrity recruiter Karen Pressley. Both of them, and Leah, provided great insights as to the lives of the pampered in Scientology. Haggis also discussed Scientology’s homophobia, and the episode ended with Haggis and Leah very forcefully throwing down the gauntlet at the church’s remaining celebrity members.
OK, so please vote in our poll for your favorite show so far this season, and tell us what else you’ve wanted to say about Scientology and the Aftermath. Hopefully, it will get us through this long, dark night.
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Your proprietor goes true crime
Your proprietor gabbed with the Hunt-a-Killer podcast recently, and they did let us go on and on.
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 4,885 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 31 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,094 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 1,868 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 2,642 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 1,988 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,482 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,522 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,234 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 760 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 4,849 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 1,989 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,309 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,284 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 640 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 4,942 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,049 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis for 1,451 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,324 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 905 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,410 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 1,654 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,763 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 26, 2017 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2016 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2016), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
