Ep 1. Leah/Hannah
- TVPG
- December 30, 2014
- 82 min
In the first episode of Escaping Polygamy, viewers are introduced to two sisters, Leah and Hannah, who are both desperately trying to escape from the polygamous group they were born into. The episode starts off by introducing the Salgado family, a group of polygamists who live in a tightly-knit community in Utah. Leah and Hannah were both born into the Salgado family and have grown up in a world where polygamy is the norm.
Leah, who is 21 years old, is married to a man who is over twice her age and has already been assigned a second wife by the leader of the Salgado group, their father. Leah is incredibly unhappy in her marriage and is desperate to leave, but she knows that attempting to escape on her own would be almost impossible. She reaches out to her older sister, Hannah, for help, knowing that Hannah has already fled the community and started a new life outside of polygamy.
Hannah, who is 27, left the Salgado group years ago and has been living in hiding ever since. She knows first-hand how dangerous it can be to try and leave the group, but she's willing to risk her own safety to help her sister escape. She sets up a meeting with Leah and explains to her the dangers that they will both face if they try to leave. She tells Leah that they need to be incredibly careful and plan everything out before they make their move.
The rest of the episode focuses on Leah and Hannah's attempt to leave the polygamist group and start a new life. They spend weeks planning and preparing, trying to find a safe way out of their community. They finally make their move on the day that Leah's husband is out of town, hoping that they can leave without anyone noticing their absence.
The sisters must navigate dark, empty fields and treacherous highways in the middle of the night to try to make a safe escape. At one point they're spotted by the group's security detail and must quickly find a place to hide until they're sure they're out of danger.
Throughout the episode, viewers get a glimpse into the Salgado community and the difficult lives lived by those trapped in the group. Many members of the community are shown struggling to make ends meet, while the group's leader lives in a huge mansion and chooses wives from among his own daughters. The Salgado group is portrayed as a dangerous and oppressive cult that uses fear and intimidation to control its members.
Overall, the first episode of Escaping Polygamy is a suspenseful and emotional journey as viewers watch Leah and Hannah try to escape their oppressive community and start new lives outside of polygamy. The show sheds light on the reality of life in a polygamist group and the risks that individuals face when they try to break free from the control of their leaders.