Ep 3. The Second Harvest

In the third episode of Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults season 1, titled "The Second Harvest," the focus shifts to the aftermath of the group's infamous mass suicide. Viewers will witness the chaos that ensued as news of the deaths broke, including the immediate investigation launched by law enforcement.

Through archival news footage and interviews with former members of the group, viewers will learn about the sheer scale of the tragedy, which saw 39 people take their own lives at the behest of Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite. This episode delves into how the cult's strict beliefs and isolation from the outside world eventually led to the mass suicide, and will explore how Applewhite's teachings convinced his followers that they were embarking on a journey to a higher realm of existence.

In "The Second Harvest," viewers will also witness firsthand accounts of the aftermath of the mass suicide, including the discovery of the group's website (which was still live and being updated, even as the members were taking their own lives). There will be interviews with journalists who were on the scene during the immediate aftermath, as well as local residents who lived near the cult's compound and were stunned by the sheer horror of what had taken place.

Another focal point of the episode will be the aftermath of the tragedy, particularly in terms of how the families and loved ones of the Heaven's Gate members were left to grapple with the aftermath of the suicides. For many of these individuals, the tragedy was compounded by the fact that their loved ones had completely cut themselves off from the outside world while part of the group, and they had no idea what their loved ones were even involved in until after their deaths.

Overall, "The Second Harvest" promises to be a sobering exploration of the devastating impact that cults can have on individuals and families. The episode will offer insight into the thought processes that ultimately led to the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, as well as the emotional aftermath for those left behind. Despite the bleak subject matter, viewers can expect a thoughtful and well-researched examination of one of the most notorious events in American cult history.