Escaping Polygamy - General Discussion

[Galloway Cave]

In some cases, they are recreating parts of the escape. In others, they are recreating all of it. But all of the stories are true and the escapees are really escaping. The show likes to play up dramatic moments, and the story line about The Insider was kind of stupid (I am pretty sure it was one of the girl's relatives that they keep in touch with). That said, leaving the more strict sects like FLDS can be very dangerous and if the escapee helps others or becomes very vocal about polygamy, they remain in danger. 

[ShaNaeNae]

On 12/12/2019 at 5:59 PM, Kuntrygal said:

I thought these episodes were real life situations... Now I'm starting to wonder. The episode where they rescued Isaac, when they packed all his stuff up in their red/maroon vehicle, the back was full. As it showed them driving down the road with him, all that was in the vehicle, was one black trash bag. So I'm now a little confused about the show. 

Most reality shows aren't 100% real.  I'm surprised people don't realize this yet.  Most are retakes or reenactments.  The situation itself is real, but there needs to be some manufactured drama...it's a TV show for entertainment. 

[bettername2come]

So I've been having a quarantine marathon of this series thanks to random YouTube recommendations, and there's one thing that's bugging me....

Why on earth do they say "go to heck?" I would get it if it happened occasionally, habit of saying heck when you're using it as an expression and not saying "hell" as a cuss, but it's come up a lot from multiple people from multiple groups and it's bothering me. Like, you're talking about literal hell, why is the word not used.

[Kohola3]

9 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

Like, you're talking about literal hell, why is the word not used.

I'm guessing it's an ingrained thing, drummed into them from childhood.  Just something the are used to saying.

[JenMcSnark]

13 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

So I've been having a quarantine marathon of this series thanks to random YouTube recommendations, and there's one thing that's bugging me....

Why on earth do they say "go to heck?" I would get it if it happened occasionally, habit of saying heck when you're using it as an expression and not saying "hell" as a cuss, but it's come up a lot from multiple people from multiple groups and it's bothering me. Like, you're talking about literal hell, why is the word not used.

I grew up regular Mormon (LDS) and saying any type of curse word is a no go.  My mom always said "heck".  My dad cursed but we got in big trouble if we said hell instead of heck.  

I think maybe just like taking the Lord's name "in vain", you're supposed to respect Hell as a real place made by God to house Lucifer.  

But I think mostly it's ingrained. My mom grew up in Idaho and my dad in Utah, so it may be a regional thing too. 

[CrazyMoon]

So I binged watched the entire series in two days...barely got anything else done...plus I got take-out so I wouldn't have to stop to cook for myself! I did get all sucked up in truly bizarre-ness of cult behaviors. Amanda's mom just broke my heart...she sounded like a teenager "but I love him"...he's mean to you & your kids...biggest reason in the world to go, because he doesn't love you.

I do hope it comes back.

[Kohola3]

I would love to see a "where are they now" episode to see if all of the escapees stayed out.  Brainswashing is a hard thing to break away from, I wager at least a few went back especially ones that were close to their mother and/or siblings.

Just watched the kid whose mom died of colon cancer. That was just heartbreakingly cruel and criminal on the part of the husband.  And yet they claim to work for god.  Sheesh.

[Kim0820]

On 6/20/2018 at 6:34 PM, Galloway Cave said:

Wasn't there some video sent to them by The Insider that showed Jennifer's wedding? It was held in some rec hall-looking place with paper streamers every where. They watched it and pointed out various people they knew and they saw Jennifer dancing with their father. They were very disappointed in Jennifer and talked about how their father gave her exactly what she wanted to draw her back to The Order. But I agree with you; Jennifer played her sisters to get married to her boyfriend/cousin/half-brother. She wasn't a good enough actress to pull off the anguish of wanting to REALLY leave.

All I could think of was - how soon before her husband gets another wife?  Or maybe Jennifer accepts that.

I was thinking how annoying it would be to do all that work to help someone leave and then have them go back.   

The mother, Lori, who went back chided her daughter as being just as controlling for arguing, which I thought an unfair accusation, as it is entirely different.  The man she "loves" controls a lot more of her daily life than her daughter trying to persuade her that it is better to be out of the cult. 

On 8/16/2018 at 12:41 PM, Galloway Cave said:

Same here and I don't know how Matt and the girls (especially Kolleen) didn't just flat out tell that girl to knock it off. I know she was brainwashed to think the was God's Chosen one and she shits glitter, but once off the compound her mother was the decision maker and in control. That would have helped the mother feel more empowered to control the situation and make a better decision over their future, instead of going back. 

I had the same thought - the mother should tell her this is for her own good and she'll thank her one day.  But that is not the way the mother was.  Shanell was so kind and understanding, that I went with that, because I have not been through anything like that.  

The stuff they take - that is true, I'd take only a bag.  There was an episode where someone forgot their driver's license and they had to go back for it at great risk of running into whoever was returning from church.

There's a Netflix show "Be Sweet."  It is about leaving the FDLS.  One escapee packed her stuff into a U-haul type trailer, and her brother drove it down the road ahead of her.  At one point, the trailer door failed and it opened and all other stuff flew out onto the road and got run over by trucks.  She took is philosophically, as accenting her new beginning!  She had packed up some of the pastel dresses, so that symbolism worked.