"Cult" is the newest show on the CW, and it's definitely one of the freakiest thrillers on TV right now. Featuring a deeply unsettling show-within-a-show, "Cult" centers of a series of real world disappearances that seem to mimic the crimes of the fictional TV series.
When his brother goes missing, a washed-up journalist teams up with a production assistant working on the show, and the two work together to uncover the truth. Missed the premiere? Let us bring you up to speed!
The show-within-a-show
The show-within-a-show on "Cult" is also called "Cult." As confusing as that may be, the story is pretty straightforward: Law enforcement official Kelly Collins and her partner are investigating a string of deaths and disappearances related to a cult led by a charismatic man named Billy Flynn. Kelly's own sister and her sister's son have gone missing, and Kelly blames Billy and his disciples. The victims on the show all repeat the same phrase right before they die: "Well, hey! These things just snap right off!"
Obsessive fans
The fictional "Cult" has developed the same kind of rabid fandom that shows like "Lost" and "The X-Files" had during their prime, with fans getting together at bars and clubs to watch the episodes and look for "clues" about the deeper conspiracy that is bleeding from the show into the real world.
One such obsessive fan is Nate Sefton. Nate reaches out to his disgraced journalist brother, Jeff, and tells him that "Cult" is more than just a TV show. Nate fears that his life is in danger because Nate looked too closely into the show's secret messages. Nate tells Jeff, "If anything happens to me, find Miriam," and gives him a pair of 3D glasses.
Things get weird
Jeff dismisses Nate's ravings as paranoid, but changes his tune when Nate calls him later that night, shouting, "Well, hey! These things just snap right off!" Jeff goes over to Nate's apartment and finds blood everywhere. But his brother is nowhere in sight!
The police get involved, but the police are more inclined to think Jeff is a suspect. Frustrated by the lack of progress the cops are making, Jeff takes matters into his own hands.
Jeff meets Skye and sparks fly
Jeff cons his way onto the set of "Cult," where he crosses paths with a PA named Skye, who has also noticed that the show has been causing weird behavior among its fans. While on the set, Jeff also bumps into Roger Reeves, the actor who plays Billy Grimm -- and Reeves throws off some seriously weird vibes.
Jeff and Skye also learn that the show's creator, Steven Rae, is notoriously private. He never appears on the set, and most people who work on the show have never seen him in person.
A break in the case
Skye helps Jeff track down Miriam, a friend of Nate's. Nate and Miriam used to cosplay as characters from "Cult." Miriam doesn't say much, but she tells Jeff that Nate is not all right. Out of nowhere, she says, "Well, hey! These things just snap right off!" and shoots herself in the head.
Using the 3D glasses Nate left him, Jeff watches a secret disc that Nate left for him. Skye says that a similar disc was used on the show, where it allowed Billy Grimm's people to tap into a person's digital life. When Jeff puts the disc in his computer, he gets a frantic phone call from Nate, who tells Jeff he shouldn't have used the disc.
"Don't try to find me!" Nate screams before the line goes dead. After the phone cuts out, a seriously creepy video of Billy Flynn saying "You're next" over and over again begins to play on the computer.
With the dual revelations that the lead police officer investigating Nate's disappearance is aligned with the "Cult" show and that fans of the show are kidnapping people who ask too many questions about Steven Rae, fans can't wait to see where this mind-bending series will go next!
