‘The Garden: Commune or Cult?’: A Drama-Packed Social Experiment
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Discovery Channel’s “The Garden: Commune or Cult?” gives viewers an unprecedented look inside The Garden – an infamous off-grid commune that’s been steeped in controversy since a member revealed the group killed and ate a feral cat.
The six-part series blends reality TV with an investigative documentary that seeks to expose a group inundated with allegations of being a nefarious cult. However, at its core, “The Garden: Commune or cult?” showcases a fascinating social experiment of societal structures.
Based deep in the Ozarks, The Garden is a leaderless egalitarian community that abandoned societal norms to live off the land under its own laws. As the commune reopens to new members, the series follows three newcomers, Tyler, a veteran and doomsday prepper; Jessica, a content creator looking to kick her social media habit; and Tishiela, a truck driver and survivalist as they embark on their 10-day “initiation period.”
Despite the producers’ efforts to weave in forced skepticism, it’s clear from the outset that The Garden is not a cult. The show’s true allure lies in the group’s quirky members and their attempts to navigate communal living free of the social structures they’re trying to buck. Tempers flare as the group struggles to balance perceived powers and manage sporadic conflicts without having leaders.
The three initiates, who were lured by the enchantment of free-spirited living, realize that an equal-say society may not be the oasis they expected. From dumpster diving for food to running to a neighboring property to escape a tornado, Tyler and Tishiela find their attempts to move the commune toward more self-sustaining practices stifled by one member of a counsel that requires full consensus.
Content retrieved from: https://www.newsrecord.org/arts_and_entertainment/the-garden-commune-or-cult-a-drama-packed-social-experiment/article_de6f24c6-8640-11ef-b5b4-f7c0ab5bae6c.html.
