The programme was quite good, although I preferred the Canadian "Four Corners" programme. It was more measured and therefore more hard-hitting and it covered more aspects of the cult.
Nevertheless Panorama pushed the "wierd cult" aspect quite well.
Highlights for me were:
- M&M showing Sweeney how Black Scn was used to get him to react
- Info about the cult using and holding confidential info on people
- Sweeney's point about the cult craving respectability, yet his exposure of their disreputable activities!
Too much of the programme, in my opinion, was dedicated to Sweeney's own personal experience although this does show the effect the cult can have on the individual, but Sweeney is just one individual and he personalised it too much for me.
Too much airtime given to the "reformation" movement and not enough to critics.
The link was not made too well between the OTIII "story" and the behaviour of the celebs, Tommy, M&M, and DM. The OTIII story
is the motivation for all the mad behaviour, it is not just some interesting "secret" that is only given when enough contribution has been made. This was how the "core secret" was presented by the programme.
How I wish Sweeney had asked M&M
why they behaved like they did when in, why DM behaves like he does, why the celebs do and say what they say, why people like Amy and the Headleys stay in and put up with what they do?
The explanation is Ron's OTIII sci-fi story. The link is not well made by these programmes. Ron's "Wall of Fire"
is the motivation even for those who haven't studied it yet. Although the lower level poopers are ignorant of it, they are influenced by it in things like KSW and Hubbard's policies and attitudes to "enemies".
Alas the cult and its members are stuck in an "electronic incident" and are fighting old enemies off the track.