The Cult (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Cult is a New Zealand
serial drama
television series in which a group of people try to rescue their loved ones from a mysterious cult
called Two Gardens.
The Cult held the 8:30-9:30 spot on TV2 in New Zealand. The series debuted in New Zealand on September 24, 2009 and finished with a 2 hour season finale on December 10. It is airing on Portuguese
television in 2011.
Situated several kilometres away from the compound, the liberators meet at a nearby lodge, known as "The Glen" - Michael Lewis who is looking for his sons Ryan and Nathan, Andy's wife Gina Delaney and sister Annabelle, British couple Harris and Frances Seger the parents of Jenni, accompanied by their assistant heavyweight, Hugo and Daniel, another Brit looking for his girlfriend Hannah.
During a ride with Michael Lewis, Daniel disappears in the car crash, leading Michael and the other liberators to believe that he'd been kidnapped. The Liberators find out that the cult
Two Gardens is being led by a man named Edward North, and that it is their loved ones' choice to stay there. After breaking in to Two Gardens, in a quest to rescue their loved ones, they find a missing Jenni, (who was being looked after by a man who lived in the forest) and later, Michael's son, Nathan.
After finding Jenni, they realise something isn't right with her, as she appears to be in an unresponsive and trance-like state and appears to have Heterochromia
in her right eye, something she didn't have before. In order to try to find out what is going on in Two Gardens, they manage to kidnap the resident doctor, Cynthia Ross, with very limited success. The doctor refuses to reveal what she knows, leading eventually to Harris and Frances begging new accomplice and apparent 'de-programmer' Sophie to torture Cynthia for the information they so desperately need.
During the night, Jenni is taken back to Two Gardens and the next day, during Cynthia's escape, Hugo is shot. Gina, attempting to get Andy back, is kidnapped but is told by Edward that they share something, but he won't tell her what. He does decide to let her see Andy, who it is revealed, has cancer and is slowly dying because of this. Hannah decides to tell Edward she is pregnant with Ryan's baby. However, under orders from Edward, Cynthia poisons the water supply in the well to make it look like Gina did it. Gina watches as Andy gives into the cancer and dies. After she is freed she tells everyone that Andy is dead. Andy is the taken to the "white room" where his left eye is injected with something and he is stabbed in the stomach, showing his "revival".
From here on we see flashbacks of the characters' pasts. Gina tries to save a woman from her violent boyfriend but is thrown in front of a car for "interfering", leaving her dead for 44 minutes. Michael, suffering an aneurysm and Frances also, it is revealed, die for exactly 44 Minutes. Edward, who it appears has discovered these coincidences, begins to believe that they will lead this world into a era of peace and wants to bring them together. We learn Sophie is a highly skilled cult de-programmer and mother of one, whose young daughter is later kidnapped and presumed dead. On the surface, Sophie appears to ally herself with the Liberators, however a darker side is revealed (unbeknownst to the Liberators), and it is likely that Sophie is seeking revenge for her missing daughter. It is at this point that Sophie can be seen working with a group of people who don't want "The Commencement" (what Edward wishes to happen) to go ahead.
Towards the end of the series, we learn Edward, along with Daniel, also died for 44 minutes and this event brings them together, leading to the establishment of Two Gardens. Edward's plan for "The Commencement" is almost complete, and he works with Sophie to kidnap all Liberators and bring them to Two Gardens. Upon returning to spot where the friends were kidnapped, Michael gets a call from Daniel who claims he escaped from Two Gardens, and asks him to meet back at "The Glen". Upon returning to the Glen with Sophie, they catch him out lying, and manage to knock him out then go to his motel to find out what's going on.
In Daniel's motel room, Michael and Sophie discover are folders of all those who died for 44 minutes, along with the startling revelation that it appeared to have happened on the same day and that it seems as though they were "Chosen" for something. Daniel then wakes up. Michael is disbelieving of Daniel's claims but Daniel does tell him that Edward is a loose cannon and that the people of Two Gardens, including Ryan, are in grave danger. Daniel exposes Sophie's lies to Michael and he's forced to side with Daniel and go into Two Gardens to try to stop Edward and The Commencement before it's too late.
Meanwhile the group working with Sophie turns out to be an anti-cult group, and with plans to wipe out everyone at Two Gardens. Once inside, in a desperate attempt to save Ryan, Annabelle is fatally shot, with Cynthia unable to save her. Cynthia makes her escape with Hannah, her latest test subject. With it all over, and everyone finally free of Two Gardens, Daniel comes in and tells a saddened Edward that he, Daniel, now has Michael. The anti-cult group walks in, and Daniel tells them that Edward is all theirs.
The Liberators
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
serial drama
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
television series in which a group of people try to rescue their loved ones from a mysterious cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
called Two Gardens.
The Cult held the 8:30-9:30 spot on TV2 in New Zealand. The series debuted in New Zealand on September 24, 2009 and finished with a 2 hour season finale on December 10. It is airing on Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
television in 2011.
Plot
A few years prior to the starting of the series, a number of people started disappearing, later turning up in a mysterious compound, known as "Two Gardens". Amongst these people were Ryan Lewis, Andy Wills and Jenni Seger. Years later, another group of people, the relatives of Ryan, Andy and Jenni, receive pictures of their loved ones in "Two Gardens". They each learn of the fellow liberators seeking to find their loved ones and decide to band together to rescue the trio and the great mystery surrounding their disappearance...Situated several kilometres away from the compound, the liberators meet at a nearby lodge, known as "The Glen" - Michael Lewis who is looking for his sons Ryan and Nathan, Andy's wife Gina Delaney and sister Annabelle, British couple Harris and Frances Seger the parents of Jenni, accompanied by their assistant heavyweight, Hugo and Daniel, another Brit looking for his girlfriend Hannah.
During a ride with Michael Lewis, Daniel disappears in the car crash, leading Michael and the other liberators to believe that he'd been kidnapped. The Liberators find out that the cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
Two Gardens is being led by a man named Edward North, and that it is their loved ones' choice to stay there. After breaking in to Two Gardens, in a quest to rescue their loved ones, they find a missing Jenni, (who was being looked after by a man who lived in the forest) and later, Michael's son, Nathan.
After finding Jenni, they realise something isn't right with her, as she appears to be in an unresponsive and trance-like state and appears to have Heterochromia
Heterochromia
In anatomy, heterochromia refers to a difference in coloration, usually of the iris but also of hair or skin. Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin...
in her right eye, something she didn't have before. In order to try to find out what is going on in Two Gardens, they manage to kidnap the resident doctor, Cynthia Ross, with very limited success. The doctor refuses to reveal what she knows, leading eventually to Harris and Frances begging new accomplice and apparent 'de-programmer' Sophie to torture Cynthia for the information they so desperately need.
During the night, Jenni is taken back to Two Gardens and the next day, during Cynthia's escape, Hugo is shot. Gina, attempting to get Andy back, is kidnapped but is told by Edward that they share something, but he won't tell her what. He does decide to let her see Andy, who it is revealed, has cancer and is slowly dying because of this. Hannah decides to tell Edward she is pregnant with Ryan's baby. However, under orders from Edward, Cynthia poisons the water supply in the well to make it look like Gina did it. Gina watches as Andy gives into the cancer and dies. After she is freed she tells everyone that Andy is dead. Andy is the taken to the "white room" where his left eye is injected with something and he is stabbed in the stomach, showing his "revival".
From here on we see flashbacks of the characters' pasts. Gina tries to save a woman from her violent boyfriend but is thrown in front of a car for "interfering", leaving her dead for 44 minutes. Michael, suffering an aneurysm and Frances also, it is revealed, die for exactly 44 Minutes. Edward, who it appears has discovered these coincidences, begins to believe that they will lead this world into a era of peace and wants to bring them together. We learn Sophie is a highly skilled cult de-programmer and mother of one, whose young daughter is later kidnapped and presumed dead. On the surface, Sophie appears to ally herself with the Liberators, however a darker side is revealed (unbeknownst to the Liberators), and it is likely that Sophie is seeking revenge for her missing daughter. It is at this point that Sophie can be seen working with a group of people who don't want "The Commencement" (what Edward wishes to happen) to go ahead.
Towards the end of the series, we learn Edward, along with Daniel, also died for 44 minutes and this event brings them together, leading to the establishment of Two Gardens. Edward's plan for "The Commencement" is almost complete, and he works with Sophie to kidnap all Liberators and bring them to Two Gardens. Upon returning to spot where the friends were kidnapped, Michael gets a call from Daniel who claims he escaped from Two Gardens, and asks him to meet back at "The Glen". Upon returning to the Glen with Sophie, they catch him out lying, and manage to knock him out then go to his motel to find out what's going on.
In Daniel's motel room, Michael and Sophie discover are folders of all those who died for 44 minutes, along with the startling revelation that it appeared to have happened on the same day and that it seems as though they were "Chosen" for something. Daniel then wakes up. Michael is disbelieving of Daniel's claims but Daniel does tell him that Edward is a loose cannon and that the people of Two Gardens, including Ryan, are in grave danger. Daniel exposes Sophie's lies to Michael and he's forced to side with Daniel and go into Two Gardens to try to stop Edward and The Commencement before it's too late.
Meanwhile the group working with Sophie turns out to be an anti-cult group, and with plans to wipe out everyone at Two Gardens. Once inside, in a desperate attempt to save Ryan, Annabelle is fatally shot, with Cynthia unable to save her. Cynthia makes her escape with Hannah, her latest test subject. With it all over, and everyone finally free of Two Gardens, Daniel comes in and tells a saddened Edward that he, Daniel, now has Michael. The anti-cult group walks in, and Daniel tells them that Edward is all theirs.
Cast and characters
The Cult- Latham GainesLatham GainesLatham Gaines is an American actor, artist and inventor. Born February 3, 1964 in Birmingham, Alabama, he is the son of the novelist Charles Gaines and artist Patricia Ellisor Gaines.-Acting career:...
plays Edward North, charismatic leader of Two Gardens - Scott Wills plays Saul, head of security
- Danielle CormackDanielle CormackDanielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She was one of the original core cast of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in...
plays Cynthia Ross, the cult's doctor - Gareth Reeves plays Ryan Lewis, Michael Lewis' eldest son
- Dwayne CameronDwayne CameronDwayne Cameron is a New Zealand film actor. He is perhaps best known for his role of Bray on the teen drama series The Tribe and Tyzonn in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, although he has also had recurring roles in Street Legal and Mercy Peak and a guest role in Shortland Street.-Biography:Born...
plays Nathan Lewis, Michael Lewis' other son - Chelsie Preston Crayford plays Hannah
- Kip Chapman plays Andy Wills
- Bodelle de Ronde plays Jenni Seger
The Liberators
- Renato BartolomeiRenato BartolomeiRenato Bartolomei was born in Australia of Italian descent.Starting his acting career in Australia, he is now a prominent actor in New Zealand, who had a prominent role as Craig Valentine in Shortland Street....
plays Michael Lewis, successful defence lawyer looking for this two sons - Lisa ChappellLisa ChappellLisa Irene Chappell is an actress and musician from Auckland, New Zealand. She is best known for playing Claire McLeod on the Nine Network drama series McLeod's Daughters.-Early life and career:...
plays Sophie McIntyre, cult deprogrammer hired by the liberators - Andy Grainger plays Harris Seger, UK psychologist looking for his adopted daughter Jenni
- Rachel Nash plays Frances Seger, Harris' wife
- Kate ElliottKate Elliott (actress)Kate Elliott is an actress.She was born in and currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand. She has acted in television series and films since she was about 14 as well as numerous advertisements on New Zealand television....
plays Gina Delaney, reformed party girl looking for her husband Andy - Sara WisemanSara WisemanSara Wiseman is a New Zealand actor living and working in New Zealand.-Film:* Matariki .... Megan* The Insatiable Moon .... Margaret* Jinx Sister .... Laura* This Is Her .... Sandra...
plays Annabelle Wills, also looking for Andy who is her brother. - Will Wallace plays Hugo, the liberator's 'muscle', ex SAS.
Trivia
- The anti-cult group appear to be Christian.
- In one of Daniel's vision, a flash-forward reveals he is alive in 2011.
- At the end of the first series, Edward is shown to have seemingly been protecting Michael, Frances and Gina.
External links
- twogardens on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- The Cult measures up to real life cults at http://www.cultwatch.comCultwatch.com