This episode is very good, as it continues the story as portrayed in the first episode. The actor that portrays BATF agent Rodriguez bears a strong resemblance to the real person. The other actor portraying BATF agent Agguiler
I believe does a very good job to.
This episode certainly could leave viewers ready to see the next one, of the BATF raid.
The flaws of this episode are errors of omission, such as:
Much of the story of the BATF investigation is omitted. The BATF is present at gun shows, and would have known that the firearms parts, accessories, and other merchandise sold by the Branch Davidian at gun shows was completely legal. It would have been interesting to have a scene at a gun show, showing a Branch Davidian table.
It omits the fact the way the BATF obtained its search warrant. The affidavit for the warrant describes, for example separate upper and lower receivers for AK rifles, which don't exist. The affidavit also cites claims by former Davidian Marc Bareult as a witness to what he had seen, although he was legally blind.
It omits the fact that the BATF relied on information provided by "cult buster" groups such as the Cult Awareness Network for information. The "deprograming movement" of a few decades ago has been discredited.
It omits that entire story of the Waco Press Tribunes article, "The Failed Messiah," and the investigation of that.
Despite the omissions, this episode is very good. To cover the points I have brought up it would take at least one, if not two episodes, and this who produced this min-series probably had to deal with things such as "time-inits," and a "budget."
This episode certainly could leave viewers ready to see the next one, of the BATF raid.
The flaws of this episode are errors of omission, such as:
Much of the story of the BATF investigation is omitted. The BATF is present at gun shows, and would have known that the firearms parts, accessories, and other merchandise sold by the Branch Davidian at gun shows was completely legal. It would have been interesting to have a scene at a gun show, showing a Branch Davidian table.
It omits the fact the way the BATF obtained its search warrant. The affidavit for the warrant describes, for example separate upper and lower receivers for AK rifles, which don't exist. The affidavit also cites claims by former Davidian Marc Bareult as a witness to what he had seen, although he was legally blind.
It omits the fact that the BATF relied on information provided by "cult buster" groups such as the Cult Awareness Network for information. The "deprograming movement" of a few decades ago has been discredited.
It omits that entire story of the Waco Press Tribunes article, "The Failed Messiah," and the investigation of that.
Despite the omissions, this episode is very good. To cover the points I have brought up it would take at least one, if not two episodes, and this who produced this min-series probably had to deal with things such as "time-inits," and a "budget."
