Under the Banner of Old Tropes

In the coming weeks, much ink will be spilled (digitally) and many hands will be wrung (metaphorically) over the FX/Hulu series Under the Banner of Heaven. I have not seen any more than the publicly available previews and will withhold judgment until I actually watch it. I expect to be alternately entertained, impressed with the acting and production quality, and occasionally dismayed at various inaccuracies and misreadings of my people's faith and culture. Most of all, I expect that simply by virtue of narrating The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the lens of the horrific murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty, most viewers will walk away confirmed in their assumption that this faith community -- no matter how nice their real-life Latter-day Saint neighbors or coworkers are -- is something akin to a weird, dangerous cult.