Series Review
'Waco': complex true story of deadly clash between cult & FBI well-told
The tragedy of Waco is part of American mythology; now a six-part series aims to explore what really happened during the infamous siege between law inforcement and a polygamous religious cult
Taylor Kitsch was only 12 when the Waco, Texas, catastrophe happened and all he remembers is seeing a compound in flames on television. Now he is the main star in Waco - a six-part miniseries that looks back at the tragic events of 25 years ago, on April 9 1993. Kitsch plays David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians, the cult in the 51-day standoff with the FBI that ended with 76 people killed in the fatal fire that consumed the compound.
Writers/directors, brothers Drew and John Erick Dowdle, say they wanted to tell the story of what actually happened - not just the version that is part of American mythology. They want to correct misinformation on both sides - the FBI and the Branch Davidians. And yes, they succeed, up to a point.
The series is based on two biographies: A Place called Waco by David Thibodeau (Branch Davidians survivor) and Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator by Gary Noesner.
The series shows that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) descended on the Branch Davidians complex, Mount Carmel, with a warrant to search for illegal firearms the cult was accused of amassing and selling. The ATF federal agents were trigger-happy and fired first in a two-hour shootout. Koresh pleaded with the ATF agents. He was shot and Mount Carmel was under siege. Several people were killed. When the FBI stepped in, the situation was volatile. It had escalated quickly.
WATCH | The trailer for Waco..
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