Ep 5. Putin's Revenge | Part Two

In season 36, episode 5 of Frontline, viewers are taken on a journey to understand the complex narrative surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The episode, titled Putin's Revenge | Part Two, expands upon the previous episode's exploration of Russian disinformation campaigns and interference in the election.

The episode opens with a recap of Part One, which introduced viewers to the key players involved in Russian meddling in the 2016 election. This includes high-ranking Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign, such as Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. The episode then delves deeper into the various ways that Russian intelligence agency, the FSB, and their military counterpart, the GRU, manipulated and influenced the election.

The documentary focuses on several key areas where Russians were able to impact the election, including hacking, targeted social media campaigns, and propaganda. The show takes on an investigative approach, diving behind the scenes, using experts to provide an in-depth analysis of the myriad of evidence available. Frontline interviews cyber experts and top-level officials from the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence communities to piece together a compelling case for Russian interference.

The episode then ventures into the propaganda element of Russia's election meddling. Viewers get an inside look at Russia's news conglomerate, RT, to explore how it acted as a propaganda weapon for the Russians. The show highlights several key stories supported by RT, one of which being the highly controversial Seth Rich Conspiracy theory. This visual account provides the audience with insightful impressions of the acting elements to give a better overall understanding of the situation.

The episode concludes by exploring the broader implications of Russian meddling in US politics. It touches on the lasting damage that the interference has created and poses important questions about the current political climate in America. The show ends with a strong statement that the evidence against Russian meddling is compelling, but the question remains as to whether or not they will face any significant repercussions.

Overall Putin's Revenge | Part Two is a captivating documentary that takes a deep dive into the Russian's interference in the 2016 election. It showed how the Russians' takeover of key American government mismanaged, exploited, and manipulated people. Using the sweeping accounts from the firsthand witnesses and interviews with experts in the field, the audience gets a comprehensive picture of the issue from the start to the end. It's a must-watch for anyone wanting to broaden their understanding of Russian disinformation campaigns.