The show-within-a-show entitled Cult debuted last night on the CW. If you haven’t watched it, let’s get you up to speed with the premise:
“Investigative journalist Jeff Sefton has learned to laugh off his brother Nate’s relentless string of obsessions, especially his latest rant that a hit TV show intends to harm him. However, when his brother mysteriously disappears, Jeff takes Nate’s paranoia seriously, and in the process uncovers the dark underworld of the TV show Cult and its rabid fans.”
What first grabbed my interest was one of the promos showing Robert Knepper from Heroes as cult leader Billy Grim. The promos had a creepy feel and very gradually revealed the plot; which showed the protagonist Jeff Sefton, who is portrayed by the ever-awesome Matthew Davis from The Vampire Diaries. And joining the cast is Alona Tal from Supernatural as an actress who plays the detective in the show-within-a-show. Suffice to say, a show that stars actors from series that have a cult following — and called Cult — more than piqued my interest.
Cult definitely took inspiration from hardcore fans of other shows — most notably Supernatural — with fans (within the show) who gather together to geek out, dress up, and research into the hit series. On top of that, there’s mysterious disappearances, murders, and suicides that seem to lead to the show Cult.
There is of course a creepy aesthetic, and also a quirky feel that kept me immersed in the episode. The actors and crew are clearly having fun with it, and as should we.
What I’m trying to say is the first episode of Cult was a lot of fun. There’s a lot of potential for the series — not to mention all the potential for meta references. And I mean a lot.
The next episode airs Tuesday at 9 PM on the CW. Watch Cult! You know you want to.
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