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With three episodes underway, Under the Banner of Heaven has caught some menacing pace with the latest episode, exploring the real-life murders of Brenda Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in the backdrop of the staunch and often dangerous Mormon religion. The show's latest episode, titled Surrender, aired on May 5 on Hulu.
The previous episode ended on a cliffhanger with Detective Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) approaching a cabin in the woods, searching for the escaped Lafferty brothers. The latest episode picks it up from this point and continues to explore the apprehension of another Lafferty brother, Sam (Rory Culkin).
Under the Banner of Heaven Episode 3 review: No country for good men
The previous two episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven primarily dealt with exploring the Mormon religion and its history, sometimes slowing the whole plot down. The third episode fixed this problem by not looking at the direct history of the faith in an exploratory manner but instead focusing on its impact on a small and large scale.
This episode also clarified how the fictional elements are crucial in explaining the moral crisis of the bone-chilling, true-crime story. Detective Jeff Pyre (Andrew Garfield) played a massive part in this process, both for his role in the story and the actor's prolific performance in bringing out every nuance of a man of faith caught in a moral war with his profession and self.
The first half of the episode is captivating in a typical crime-film manner, relying on edge-of-the-seat drama and a chilling sequence of the two detectives approaching the cabin. Jeff Pyre's slow and subtle denial of his moral obligation in the face of his religious beliefs forms an intriguing backdrop for this entire sequence. Despite this, his presence was crucial in Sam Lafferty's arrest.
Though Sam did not appear to be the only perpetrator in the case, he seemed to be involved in more than one way in the murder. As the sequences shifted to accommodate Jeff's personal life, more scarring details about the religion began to surface, starting with the inherent patriarchy present in day-to-day activities.
With three episodes down and three Lafferty family members in custody already, the show may continue this trend of focusing on one member of the family in each episode.
Technical aspects of Under the Banner of Heaven Episode 3
The show has been technically quite proficient from the very start. This episode, however, gave it more room to explore with some high-intensity scenes, some glimpse into the family lives, and an overall distorted atmosphere for a crime thriller.
Garfield's portrayal of a man caught between duty and faith is striking in every scene of this episode. Additionally, the excellent script could hold the viewer's attention at all times. Other technical aspects were at par with the previous ones, with little to no neglect in proficiency.
Under the Banner of Heaven is shaping out to be quite an excellent watch. The latest episode is now streaming on Hulu.
