The Path (TV series)

The Path
Genre Drama
Created by
Starring
Composer(s) Will Bates
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 46–56 minutes
Production company(s)
Release
Original network Hulu
Original release March 30, 2016 – present
External links
Website

The Path is an American television drama series starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan, and Hugh Dancy. The show portrays members of a fictional religion known as Meyerism.[1][2][3]

The series was ordered by Hulu in March 2015 with a straight 10-episode order.[4] The series was originally titled The Way, but was changed to The Path in September 2015 due to its similarity to real-life ministry and alleged cult, The Way International.[5] The show debuted on March 30, 2016.[6] On May 4, 2016, Hulu renewed the series for a second season, set to premiere on January 25, 2017.[7]

Premise

Eddie Lane lives in Upstate New York with his wife Sarah and their two children, Hawk and Summer. They are all members of the Meyerist Movement, a new age spiritualist movement. Eddie returns from Peru, where he had undergone a spiritual retreat designed to advance him further up Meyerism's spiritual ladder. Unbeknownst to his family, while in Peru, Eddie experienced a revelation which causes him to question his faith in Meyerism. Meanwhile, Cal Roberts, a friend of Sarah's and one of Meyerism's top leaders, is looking to expand their influence and deal with the imminent death of their founder, Doctor Steven Meyer.

Meyerism

Meyerism is a fictional movement in the series founded by the character Dr. Stephen Meyer who on October 28, 1974 was said to have literally climbed a ladder of burning light to receive the message of universal truth. Meyer gave to his followers the instructions for their spiritual development, written in the first book of Meyerism, The Ladder. Meyerists believe that all people are damaged which is the cause of the world's suffering. Through personal enlightenment, they seek to become aware of suffering in themselves and others, and to heal the world, caring deeply about family, humanity and the environment. However, The Ladder foretells that their efforts will be thwarted by non-believers or Ignorant Systemites (I.S.) whose selfish actions will result in an apocalypse, and promises salvation for those who ascend The Ladder where they can live forever in The Garden.

The Movement claims 6000 members with facilities located in San Diego, California and Parksdale, New York, with a retreat center located in Cusco, Peru. Most practice Meyerism in everyday lives, while others have taken vows of service and dedicate themselves to counseling, recruitment and outreach programs. Spiritual progress is evaluated on an ascending series of rungs from R1 to R10, with many decisions made by the senior membership or Upper Rungs (U.R.). Meyerists practice meditation and use biofeedback devices and drugs—including ayahuasca and cannabis—to aid in reaching deeper levels of consciousness, and put considerable stock in visions and intuition which are believed to be The Light trying to communicate with them.

Cast

Main cast

A convert to Meyerism with a wayward past. Eddie suffers a crisis of faith when all that he has come to accept as truth is fundamentally challenged.
The charismatic, unofficial leader of The Meyerist Movement. His ambition puts him at odds with the organization's existing leadership and roils Sarah and Eddie's already turbulent marriage.
Born into a Meyerist family, Sarah's compassion and authority have made her an important figure in The Movement. Her devotion, however, is tested when she uncovers her husband's falsehoods.
An addict who's been saved by Cal and a team of Meyerists after a tornado leveled her hometown. Now freed from a life of abuse, she becomes infatuated with Cal and devotes herself entirely to The Movement.
An FBI investigator who seems to be the only agent suspicious of the mysterious religious sect that recently responded to a natural disaster. As he delves deeper into the investigation, he faces personal troubles at home and is forced to reflect on his own faith.
Eddie and Sarah's devoted teenage son who wants nothing more than to drop out of high school and join The Movement full time. His loyalty wavers when a popular classmate pursues a relationship with him.
A popular girl at Hawk's school who would normally have nothing to do with "a weird cult kid." After a financial crisis hits home, she turns to Hawk and his family for help.
A defector of Meyerism who holds The Movement responsible for the mysterious death of her husband. She employs Eddie's help in a search for answers and redemptions.
A novice member of the Meyerist Movement who begins to date Mary when she joins the Movement. Sean's sister was shot and killed in a school shooting, which led him to join the Movement.

Recurring cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"What the Fire Throws"Mike CahillJessica GoldbergMarch 30, 2016 (2016-03-30)
The faith around which Eddie Lane has centered his life is shaken when, in a drug-induced state, he sees Meyerism's founder comatose in a hospital bed, the instructions for their salvation incomplete. His wife Sarah becomes suspicious and believes he is having an affair when he secretly meets with Alison Kemp, a Meyerist defector who might understand him. Meanwhile, Cal Roberts arrives to take leadership of the eastern region, and evacuates desperate people from a tornado-stricken trailer park to the Meyerist compound where they are indoctrinated. Mary Cox offers her body to Cal, and later Cal takes her to the trailer park and brutally beats her abusive father.
2"The Era of The Ladder"Mike CahillJessica GoldbergMarch 30, 2016 (2016-03-30)
Sarah and Eddie begin the Infidelity Rehab Program but he won't confess to an affair. He meets Alison, considering to pay lip service to Meyerism despite his lack of faith, but she angrily claims that the Meyerists killed her husband Jason in Peru for trying to leave and are trying to kill her. Eddie begins to investigate this when he is alerted that his son Hawk got in a fight at school, over attention from popular-girl Ashley who turned to him as her family are about to lose their home. For his family's sake, Eddie undergoes 14 days of interrogation, by the end of which he has confessed to an affair with Miranda Franks who is herself brought in for counselling. Cal's ambitions show as he breaks protocol to appear on the local news, demands the faith of John Ridge whose son Freddie enters their drug rehab program, and instructs Mary to be with Sean to recruit more followers. FBI Detective Abe Gaines puts the Meyerists on cult watch.
3"A Homecoming"Michael WeaverAnnie WeismanApril 6, 2016 (2016-04-06)
Meyer's tumour hasn't responded to treatment, and Cal tells Sarah that Meyer is moving on and the final rungs are about the succession of leadership. Miranda Franks won't confess to the affair, receiving no pity from her only visitor, Sarah, and collapses in a cell at the compound. Eddie cuts ties with Alison and responds violently when he finds her outside his home. Cal visits his estranged, alcoholic mother Brenda and breaks two years of sobriety to get her into an assisted living facility. And Detective Gaines convinces Mary's father to delay charges until he can build a bigger case against Cal.
4"The Future"Michael WeaverJulia BrownwellApril 13, 2016 (2016-04-13)
Founding members Bill and Felicia arrive and warn Cal to check his ambitions, blaming him for Alison Kemp's continued hostility and Miranda's treatment. Cal shows that he's convinced Miranda to blame herself for everything that happened, and states that he will write the last three rungs himself. However, Cal is still concerned of what Eddie may have learned in Peru and offers to be his guide for 7R, which permits no secrets between them; asked by Felicia to spy on Cal, Eddie agrees. Sarah cautions the Ridges on Freddie's apparent progress after two weeks' rehab, but John pulls his son out when he learns Sarah is giving him Ayahuasca. Sarah later rescues Freddie from a drug den, and sends Freddie and his mother Kerry to Cusco. At the Ascension Day celebration, Mary reveals her father's abuse and is comforted by the whole assembly, giving Detective Gaines second thoughts. Hawk continues to attend to Ashley's well-being, and despite warning from his cousin Joy, he kisses Ashley at a field party.
5"The Hole"Patrick NorrisColeman HerbertApril 20, 2016 (2016-04-20)
Hawk's relationship with Ashley comes out and Sarah is terrified that he might choose to be ignorant and be denied a place with the family in The Garden. Hawk pretends to break up with Ashley but sneaks out at night to be with her. An angry John Ridge demands Cal return his wife and son from Peru; Cal is initially irate with Sarah for ignoring his orders but later defends her actions to Ridge. Ridge's bodyguard brutally beats Cal, while Silas guides Freddie and Kerry through a vision, drawing them closer together. Mary considers leaving when a preoccupied Cal is dismissive of her, but Sean convinces her to stay. And Detective Gaines learns his infant daughter has a condition that might require surgery, and receives advice from Eddie.
6"Breaking and Entering"Patrick NorrisJessica GoldbergApril 27, 2016 (2016-04-27)
Eddie joins Cal searching the motel room of Alison Kemp whose presence Eddie conceals; Alison later admits to taking $40k intended for Jason's secret missions. Sarah confronts Cal about intimidating the widow, and Cal admits to Eddie that it was a mistake. Ashley's family are evicted and Hawk convinces Sarah to shelter them. Ashley's mother explains what happened and the family interpret it through Meyerism, take them to an inspirational lecture from Cal, and get her a job. However, Ashley realizes her father has no place in the Meyerist afterlife; Hawk consoles her and they have sex. Sean is transferred and Mary admits to first dating Sean on Cal's instructions but now sees Sean when she looks into the light. Detective Gaines learns that Jason was trying to buy late-stage cancer medications. Sarah sneaks into the well-appointed home of her estranged sister, Tessa, who left Meyerism almost 20 years ago, and finds a half-dozen prescription sedatives. Cal takes in several undocumented immigrants.
7"Refugees"Roxann DawsonJason KatimsMay 4, 2016 (2016-05-04)
Police, media and protestors descend on the Meyerist Compound. Bill and Felicia work with the Upper Rung council for the surrender of the Hondurans, but Cal calls for a vote. Caught sheltering Alison, Eddie admits to Cal what he saw in Peru and Cal demands he undergo The Walk. Meg panics when she sees a Meyerist meditation room at the dental office, pulls her family from the compound and forbids Ashley from seeing Hawk. Mary entices Betsy to get drugs from the infirmary, confronts Cal and leaves—but quickly returns when her father emerges from the protesters. Silas unexpectedly arrives and goes to Cal, declaring that the Movement is dead. Cal pleads that the next generation is waiting for him to lead them, but Silas calls Cal a fraud and Cal lashes out, fatally stabbing Silas. At the vote, Sarah makes an emotional plea for the Hondurans which sways the Membership. Eddie prepares to leave on The Walk when Hawk returns home in despair and asks to go with him.
8"The Shore"Roxann DawsonAnnie WeismanMay 11, 2016 (2016-05-11)
Cal buries Silas's body in the woods, then brings Sean back to the compound to reunite with Mary. The standoff ends as the Meyerist compound is successfully declared a protected space, and they receive a sizeable spike in donations. Felicia shares her concerns of Cal's recklessness and asks Sarah to be ready to take a bigger leadership role. Sarah finds an idol Silas had left for her, of which she'd earlier dreamed. The FBI's case is handed over to Homeland Security, which Gaines views as putting politics before justice. Eddie and Hawk grow closer as they begin The Walk; at his childhood haunt of Coney Island, Eddie has a vision of his brother on the beach. Nicole delivers a stillborn baby which Sarah revives through resuscitation and prayer. The experience was moving enough that Sarah almost transgresses with Cal, but when she stops he throws suspicion on Eddie, leading her to find Eddie's burner phone.
9"A Room of One's Own"Michael WeaverJulia BrownwellMay 18, 2016 (2016-05-18)
Cal asks Meyer to communicate any displeasure before Cal commits to the next phase of the Movement. Sarah meets Alison and trades Jason's journal for the truth about Eddie. Mary's promiscuity and drug use are exposed; Cal prompts Sean and Mary to recommit through marriage. Eddie and Hawk return and Sarah confronts her husband over 3 months of lying, feeling that he's rejecting everything in her soul. Gaines is given two weeks' leave to clear his head. Hawk leaves to get a job to support Ashley despite Sarah's threats to cut him off. Both parents seek help, leaving Eddie estranged from his extended family while Cal bribes Ashley to break-up with Hawk. Cal asks John Ridge for help to expand Meyerism globally. Alison reads the journal and contemplates suicide before surrendering herself at the compound.
10"The Miracle"Michael WeaverJessica GoldbergMay 25, 2016 (2016-05-25)
Eddie refuses to sign forms labelling himself a denier, moving out to a motel. Alison seeks help, Jason's journal stating that he was going to climb the ladder even if it killed him, and Cal reverses an existing policy to permit forgiveness for repentant deniers. Eddie visits the hospital and prays for Gaines's daughter, whose condition suddenly resolves before her scheduled surgery. Eddie asks Richard for help, fearing a psychotic break, but Richard urges Eddie to find the meaning to his visions. Mary tells Cal that they're alike, trying to be good but irreparably broken and seeking darkness; they have sex. Sarah agrees to take the Movement to the next level with Cal, joining him as a guardian of the light, but soon discovers that Cal wrote the last three rungs himself. Eddie returns to the retreat center in Peru where he finds an empty hospital bed, with Meyer standing at the window.

Production

The Meyerist compound was shot on location at Nyack, New York, redressed with influences from kibbutz living, collective farming, and production designer Russell Barnes's experiences being raised on an island with limited resources. The two-story Lane home was built on a sound-stage. Almost all of the Peru scenes were shot in the area, including a New York state park used for a mountaintop scene with subtropical plants concealing uncleared snow.[17]

The Eye symbol, central to Meyerist branding and given dominance in many interiors, was based on tribal, Egyptian and modern art, with a rising sun overlaid to show hopefulness for a new day.[17]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Annie Awards February 4, 2017 Best Animated Short Subject The Path Title Sequence Pending [18]

Reception

The first season of The Path has received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator, Metacritic, the first season scored 70 out of 100 based on 33 reviews.[19] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter reacted positively to the series, writing: "There's a lot to like about The Path, from the strong visual sense of place that director Mike Cahill established in the first two episodes to its theoretical take on faith, and of course the exquisite acting and deft writing."[20] Hank Stuever of the Washington Post, wrote that "The Path works best as an intense psychological study of an extended family whose members equate faith and loyalty with happiness."[21]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix had a more critical reaction to the series. He called the show a "a dry, claustrophobic show, with not enough of a narrative hook to pull the viewer through hour after hour of it."[22]

Controversy

Residents of Marysville, WA have called the show "insensitive" for exploiting the October 24, 2014 shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School. Episode 2 referred to the shooting in order to develop the backstory of one of the characters. The insult, they say, was that the show's writers changed the real events in order to make them better fit the story, giving the shooting a racial motive (the character stated that the shooting was due to "the color of their skin").[23] As of July 8, 2016, Hulu and the writers of the show have yet to acknowledge or apologize for this; however as of September 24, 2016, this episode now shows an alternate version of this character's backstory where he states his twin sister was shot, making no mention of his race nor the color of his skin.

References

  1. ↑ Felsenthal, Julia (March 29, 2016). "In Hulu's The Path, Cult Members Are Just Like Us". Vogue. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  2. ↑ Miller, Julie (March 30, 2016). "The Path Fact-Checked: The Ugly Truth Behind Real-Life Cults". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ Bently, Jean (March 30, 2016). "Allow The Path Stars to Explain Their Fake Religion, the Meyerist Movement". E! Online. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 23, 2015). "Hulu Orders The Way Family Drama Series About Faith From Jason Katims". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (September 22, 2015). "Jason Katims' Hulu Drama The Way Forges New Path Amid Legal Pressure". TVLine. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (December 30, 2015). "The Path: First Images From Hulu's Aaron Paul-Michelle Monaghan Drama". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 4, 2016). "The Path Renewed For Season 2 By Hulu". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  8. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 17, 2015). "Aaron Paul To Star In Hulu Drama Series The Way, Enter Deal With Universal TV". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 4, 2015). "Jeri Ryan Joins Amazon's Bosch; Hugh Dancy In Hulu's The Way". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 9, 2015). "Michelle Monaghan To Star In Hulu Drama Series The Way From Jason Katims". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  11. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 24, 2015). "Daniella Alonso Joins Animal Kingdom Pilot; Emma Greenwell In The Way". Dateline.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 2, 2015). "Rockmond Dunbar Cast In Hulu Series The Way". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  13. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 9, 2015). "Kyle Allen Cast In Hulu Series The Way". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 25, 2015). "Amy Forsyth Joins Hulu Series The Way". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2015). "Sarah Jones Cast In Hulu Series The Way". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  16. ↑ Petski, Denise (May 6, 2016). "The Path Ups Paul James; Shaun Sipos Joins Dark Matter". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  17. 1 2 Grobar, Matthew (June 14, 2016). "The Path Production Designer Russell Barnes Reveals On-Screen Errors and Design Influences". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  18. ↑ "44th Annie Award Nominees". International Animated Film Society. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ "The Path Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  20. ↑ Goodman, Tim (March 16, 2016). "The Path: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  21. ↑ Stuever, Hank (March 29, 2016). "Slow but emotionally creepy, Hulu's The Path portrays family life inside a cult". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  22. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (March 29, 2016). "Review: Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan go down a dull 'Path' for Hulu". HitFix. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  23. ↑ Small, Joanna (May 27, 2016). "Marysville School District: Show about shooting is painful, inappropriate". KIRO Seattle. Retrieved July 8, 2016.

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