Waco, the miniseries, will premiere tomorrow night on Paramount Network (formerly Spike). Taylor Kitsch plays David Koresh and, as Sarah noted when she wrote about the trailer a few months ago, this is hopefully the role that will break Taylor Kitsch out of his post-FNL funk. Did you watch Manhunt: Unabomber? Waco comes up a lot on that series because the FBI and Janet Reno took such sh-t for what went down in Waco, it unofficially informed their approach to how they pursued Ted Kaczynski. Sarah observed that in the previews for Waco, there seemed to be an undercurrent of sympathy toward the Branch Davidians. Is that intentional marketing to fire up controversy? If so, will that help the show?
What will likely draw a lot of people to the show is our collective fascination with cults; it’s the secrecy, it’s that it so often ends badly which is why it’s so easy for a bystander to be all like, how did they believe all that, I would never have believed it. You can’t really know though if you’re just looking at the end. Of course, for those involved, it never feels that way until the end, like the way it works in any relationship that falls apart, really.
Here’s Taylor yesterday in New York on a busy press day to promote the show, culminating at the premiere. He looks good. He looks excited. And he should be. He’s also an executive producer on Waco and he tells The Hollywood Reporter, in a new interview just published this morning he’s also writing, directing, producing, and starring in his next project, Pieces. It’s a good read. But if you’re hoping for an FNL reunion… well… spoiler alert: he’s not into it. Which is the RIGHT answer. Leave it alone!
