'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Under the Banner of Heaven just aired its latest episode, delving deeper into the fundamentalist beliefs of the Laffertys while also throwing some light on historical events that have directly affected the fate of the LDS Church, as well as its staunch followers, like Ron Lafferty (Sam Worthington) and Dan Lafferty (Wyatt Russell).
The crucial episode was the fifth one out of the proposed seven episodes, and by now the show has made it clear that Brenda Lafferty’s (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) murder was entirely motivated by religious prejudice, and the worst part about all of this is that Brenda and her infant child may not have been the last ones among the targeted group.
Read on for a detailed review of the latest episode of Under the Banner of Heaven.
Under the Banner of Heaven review: May history remember
The episode began with a handheld shot of Jeff Pyre (Andrew Garfield) and Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) attempting to piece together more clues by dissecting Sam Lafferty’s (played by Rory Culkin) narrative and closing down on Dan and Ron as the primary perpetrators in the case.
As intriguing as the mystery was at this point, it was still limited to murder and a family. The next part of the episode expanded it into a much larger game of religious fundamentalism. After a tip from Robin Lafferty (Seth Numrich), the detectives met Bernard Brady, another follower of the faith, and learned about his affiliation to the cause of Ron and Dan.
The episode unfolded in a deliberate manner, taking just enough time to reveal the bigger cause after subtly introducing the problematic (and almost disgusting) beliefs of Ron and Dan.
Near the end of the episode, the detectives discovered a note with names written on it inside Ron's shirt on a remote farm. They interpreted this as the "holy list," which Sam had mentioned earlier. They also realized that Ron had intentionally left his footprint behind. He wanted himself and his crimes to be discovered so that he could proclaim himself as the "true prophet." Ron perhaps wanted to think of himself as the modern time’s Brigham Young, the successor of Joseph Smith.
An added historical context to the crimes
The show took an extremely bold step with regards to the subject matter. It delved into the past of the Mormon religion and its leaders in a period piece setting. With beautiful mise-en-scene and character makeovers, the last section of the show depicted the story of Mormon leader Joseph Smith.
It went on to show the group's strong religious beliefs in defending their image and Joseph's eventual surrender. It also showed the mob violence that resulted in Joseph's death and the subsequent rise of Brigham Young, who became the next president.
This episode of Under the Banner of Heaven was truly an exceptional one, and it left some avenues wide open for the upcoming episodes.
The first five episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven are now streaming on Hulu.
