Ep 7. A Tale of Two Cults

In A Tale of Two Cults, Dark Side of the '90s explores the rise and fall of two notorious religious cults that captivated the public's attention in the 1990s: Heaven's Gate and the Branch Davidians.

Viewers are taken on a journey through the beliefs, practices, and ideologies of these groups, as well as the events that led to their eventual demise.

Heaven's Gate, led by Marshall Applewhite, believed that a UFO would take them to a higher plane of existence if they shed their earthly shells through suicide. Dark Side of the '90s delves into the group's origins, its recruitment tactics, and the shocking mass suicide of 39 members in 1997.

Meanwhile, the Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh, were a splinter group of the Seventh-day Adventists who believed they were living in the end times. The show explores the group's controversial practices, including stockpiling weapons and allegations of child abuse, as well as the infamous siege of their compound in Waco, Texas, by law enforcement in 1993.

Throughout the episode, Dark Side of the '90s examines the societal and cultural factors that allowed these cults to gain such a devoted following, including the growth of the new age movement and the increasing distrust of government institutions.

With interviews from former members, experts, and journalists who covered these stories, A Tale of Two Cults offers a nuanced and thought-provoking look into a dark chapter of 1990s history.