Waco, post-truth

As an everyday concept, post-truth came into its own during the 1992 Gulf War as a way of defining news in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion. That means it cannot be considered truth at all, but rather a lie masquerading as the truth.

For those of you who cannot remember what happened in 1993 in Waco (Texas), a religious sect led by David Koresh was raided by the FBI, which led to the deaths of the leader and many of his followers. The US authorities appeared to be well within their rights to attack the compound where the Branch Davidians (Koresh’s followers) were holed up with a bunch of weapons, as it seemed they were planning an attack on the local population. The Branch Davidians, it was claimed, were expecting the arrival of a new Messiah who would save humanity and open the doors to paradise.

Yet, as the days and weeks went by, rumours began to spread that cast doubt on the official version of events, but without them really managing to displace the narrative put forward by the US authorities. But those rumours endured and 25 years on from the tragic events the new television series Waco attempts to retell the story from this alternative point of view. Most of us fully accepted the official version, but Waco does enough to show that the rumours that circulated following the incident are more credible than we might have expected.

Waco comes to us with all the signs of a high quality product. One of them is that it is directed by Dennie Gordon, a specialist in TV series who has directed more than 60 episodes for series such as Legion, The Office, Madam Secretary and Bloodline. Another is scriptwriter John Erick Dowdle, who makes his debut in television, after a successful career directing films such as Quarantine, Devil and No Escape.

So, with one expert in directing television series and another expert in action and mystery filmmaking, what could go wrong? Fortunately, absolutely nothing. Everything is just as it should be, and is boosted by magnificent performances from Michal Shannon and Taylor Kitsch. The former plays an FBI negotiator specialising in kidnappings, while the latter brings David Koresh to life. This is a Koresh who suffered abuse as a child and who found in the Bible the necessary motivation to keep going. Within the sect, Koresh is considered a sage who knows the path to happiness, while in the outside world he is portrayed as a violent madman.

The series greatly benefits from being based on the books of David Thibodeau (a member of the sect who lived for some months in the compound in the lead-up to the police raid) and Gary Noesner (played by Shannon). Having two original versions of the event –one from a Davidian and the other from a police officer– helps to provide perspective on the official version. One of the most shocking things is learning that to justify the budget of the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), the story of the sect stockpiling weapons was invented and used as the excuse for the raid. The attack by the ATF is the start of the Waco siege that the FBI brings to a tragic end. It is six episodes of action, spirituality and powerful political criticism. Don’t miss it.