By Dominique Tassell
With half the series currently available on Disney+, Under the Banner of Heaven is an example of a true-crime show involving religion that doesn’t demonise all followers.
The series is based on the real-life murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica.
The show is a dramatic retelling, told from the perspective of Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) as he investigates the murders and uncovers buried truths about the origins of the LDS religion and the violent consequences of unyielding faith.
The show touches on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is different to the modern-day Mormon church, and makes clear distinctions between the two.
While some have criticised the show for putting a man at the centre of the story of a mother and daughter who were brutally murdered, I understand why they chose the take the perspective they did.
Using Detective Jeb Pyre as their main perspective has allowed the show to ensure that the Mormon religion is shown in its entirety.
So far in the episodes that have aired, Jeb is shown to be a kind, thoughtful, family man with the best of intentions.
Honestly, the character could border on too generous for a cop in the 80s, but Andrew Garfield plays him perfectly.
Could they have used a female detective? Again, this was the 80s so probably not realistically.
While many true-crime series nowadays seem a little drawn-out, Under the Banner of Heaven has taken the series as an opportunity to explore attitudes towards faith, gender roles, and radicalism; all very much issues in present-day America.
The series also highlights a number of up-and-coming stars in Hollywood. Performances from Daisy Edgar-Jones, Wyatt Russell, and Rory Culkin are particularly good.
Overall, the series is a breath of fresh air in its portrayal of faith and a lesson (and a warning) on how to take religion into the modern age.
