Watch The Way Down

The Way Down is a miniseries drama from HBO Max that premiered in 2021, exploring the world of a fictional religious sect known as the Remnant Fellowship. The show is set in Nashville, Tennessee, and is loosely based on the real-life Remnant Fellowship Church and its founder, Gwen Shamblin.

The story revolves around the charismatic and enigmatic Gwen Shamblin, a best-selling author and leader of the Remnant Fellowship. She is revered by her followers as a prophet and spiritual guide, having developed a weight loss program that intertwines her faith teachings with a strict regimen of dieting and exercise.

As the show begins, we see the intense devotion that Gwen inspires in her followers, who refer to her as 'the Weigh Down Queen.' Her teachings have helped them shed pounds and find spiritual fulfillment, creating a sense of community that is almost cult-like in its intensity.

However, as the story unfolds, we start to see a darker side of the Remnant Fellowship. The church is rife with secrets, and members who stray from the teachings of Gwen are ostracized and shunned. Gwen herself is portrayed as a complex figure, deeply flawed and struggling with her own demons.

Throughout the series, we see the effects of the Remnant Fellowship's rigid and dogmatic belief system on the lives of its members. We meet characters like Rachel, a teenage girl who is sent to a 'boot camp' run by the church to cure her of her supposed rebelliousness, and Peter, a former member of the church who is haunted by his experience years later.

The show also explores the power dynamics within the church, as Gwen's husband, Joe, struggles to balance his role as a spiritual leader with his own ambitions and desires. As the series progresses, tension builds between Joe and Gwen, leading to a dramatic climax that upends the lives of everyone involved.

One of the standout aspects of The Way Down is its portrayal of the Remnant Fellowship's unique brand of Christianity. The church is shown as a spin-off of popular evangelical movements, but with a distinctive emphasis on the importance of weight loss as a form of spiritual discipline. This approach is both satirical and earnest, and the show strikes a delicate balance between poking fun at the absurdities of the world of evangelical megachurches while also exploring the sincere faith of its characters.

At the same time, the show does not shy away from the darker side of religious extremism. We see how the Remnant Fellowship's strict adherence to its teachings can lead to coercion, abuse, and even tragedy. The series asks important questions about the nature of faith, the pitfalls of dogma, and the dangers of unchecked authority.

With a talented cast that includes Elizabeth Marvel as Gwen Shamblin and Josh Lucas as Joe Lara, The Way Down is a gripping and thought-provoking series that explores the intersection of religion, power, and identity in America today. Whether you are a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this show is sure to stimulate your mind and challenge your assumptions about the role of religion in our lives.

The Way Down is a series that ran for 1 seasons (5 episodes) between September 30, 2021 and on HBO Max