S01.E05: Some Bad Mistakes

[helenamonster]

Quote

A desperate Charles Manson escapes with his Family to a desert hideout. Los Angeles is paralyzed with fear as the police fumble the investigation. HELTER SKELTER reveals how Manson unexpectedly helps brings his reign of terror to an end.

Original airdate: 8/23/20

[izabella]

I was glad those two girls managed to escape from the desert.  I was disappointed it didn't seem they told the police anything about the murders, though. 

One detail that was odd is that they were just eating candy, no actual food.  I guess that explains why a young (murderous) girl like Susan Anton was missing a tooth and seemed to have a cavity in the back when she smiled in one of the video clips they showed. 

I found myself wondering, if these lost and lonely girls had been picked up hitchhiking by Mother Theresa instead of Manson whether they would have turned to helping others instead of killing people at Charlie's command.   I mean, Charlie seems like an abusive dumbshit to me, so I can't quite understand how anyone would abandon their humanity to murder a bunch of innocent people at Manson's orders.  So were these girls somehow warped themselves to begin with, did the months of isolation and drug use warp them, or are humans more likely to become inhuman than humane when vulnerable?

Edited August 24, 2020 by izabella

[larapu2000]

On 8/24/2020 at 11:36 AM, izabella said:

I was glad those two girls managed to escape from the desert.  I was disappointed it didn't seem they told the police anything about the murders, though. 

One detail that was odd is that they were just eating candy, no actual food.  I guess that explains why a young (murderous) girl like Susan Anton was missing a tooth and seemed to have a cavity in the back when she smiled in one of the video clips they showed. 

I found myself wondering, if these lost and lonely girls had been picked up hitchhiking by Mother Theresa instead of Manson whether they would have turned to helping others instead of killing people at Charlie's command.   I mean, Charlie seems like an abusive dumbshit to me, so I can't quite understand how anyone would abandon their humanity to murder a bunch of innocent people at Manson's orders.  So were these girls somehow warped themselves to begin with, did the months of isolation and drug use warp them, or are humans more likely to become inhuman than humane when vulnerable?

The two girls that escaped did end up testifying against the family eventually.  

From the book Helter Skelter and what I've read outside of it, Charlie picked the people for the murders for a reason.  Tex and Susan were violent and Susan had already been involved in Gary Hinman's murder, Patricia Krenwinkel was one of his most ardent supporters, and Linda Kasabian was the only one with a valid license (and thank god she had a conscience and testified).  I'm not sure why Leslie Van Houten was asked, but other girls spoke of how she was cold and a bit mean to others, so maybe Charlie saw potential in her.  

Some of the women, like Gypsy, Dianne Lake, etc, really were gentle souls that personified the hippie movement and were shocked by the murders and ended up testifying against the family, or leaving shortly thereafter.