UPDATE: Apparently, there’s more trouble behind the scenes at Scientology and the Aftermath. After Mike Rinder’s announcement that Season 3 will begin on August 15th, he has now announced in a comment on his blog that Season 3 won’t start until the end of the year – November maybe.
UPDATE2: And now Leah and A&E have finally decided that November 27, 2018 will be the first episode of Leah Remini and the Aftermath, Season 3.
We here at AlanzosBlog – can’t frikking wait!
I can hear Leah throwing a screaming fit from her dressing room from here!
After 2 seasons of watching the former head of the Office of Special Affairs, and one of his assets, waffle around and emotionally manipulate people just like they did when they were in Scientology, you wake up and realize that no charges have been filed against any Scientologist for any criminal activity, and David Miscavige is still in power, abusing whoever he wants in Scientology – all still tax free.
There is a lot of tough talking on the show. And there has been some real heartbreaking stories of morally outrageous cruelty told on Scientology and the Aftermath, but nothing of any real substance. Much like Scientology itself, nothing has been shown that lived up to the promises that have been made.
The climax of Season 1, for instance, was visiting an attorney’s office in New York City to see what could be done about all the ‘criminality’ in Scientology. We were told to wait for the results of that meeting in Season 2.
I was excited – We were finally going to be able to do something about it!
But when Season 2 arrived, Remini called for a federal investigation in the Hollywood Reporter and knowingly, intentionally, lied – outrageously – that Scientologists believed in pedophilia. But as Season 2 wore on, no announcement appeared about anything having to do with what the attorneys told them. And no stories of any criminal acts were being reported, either.
And then, during Season 2 we got more tough talk about nullifying Scientology’s tax exemption and more tough sounding, but ultimately mealy-mouthed, insinuations of criminal activity, but no evidence whatsoever to bring about any kind of an investigation by law enforcement. And certainly nothing to repeal their tax exemption.
We saw lots of heart tugging and crying about all the cruelty in Scientology, and then 2 unexplained weeks of no new episodes – just complete holes in the schedule. Only to find out that they had an episode on Danny Masterson which they chickened out on at the last minute and never showed.
It’s no wonder Scientology and the Aftermath viewer ratings continued to plummet
In the run up to Scientology and the Aftermath Season 3, attempting to be the tough talker once again, Remini says the focus of the series is “the shift to what will happen when the authorities become involved”. She urged congressman, senators, police officers, and the FBI to prepare themselves for what the pair says will be uncovered.
Did you hear that congressmen, senators, and police officers? Prepare yourselves!
Where have we heard that one before?
The Wind Has Gone Out of Leah Remini’s Sails
Examine this quote:
“People are starting to say we’re going say we’re to tell the story, and you can come after us and that’s OK ’cause we’re gonna tell the truth,” Remini said. “I applaud .. people who have told the story before us and who will tell the story after us, because it’s a collective.”
– Leah Remini, Deadline June 25, 2018
It’s strange, isn’t it? In Season 1, Leah Remini’s tough talking rhetoric was extremely powerful. Every time she opened her mouth it was clear and forceful and you completely understood where she was coming from and what she was saying.
But this quote reflects what I think Leah has learned as she has had more resources to dig and investigate and interview people on the subject of Scientology than any critic has ever had. And, as with most things involving Scientology – even Scientology criticism – when she scratched the surface, she found very little there there.
It appears that pretty much everything Scientology does is entirely legal, if not moral. And as we know, law enforcement can not act on immorality, nor should it. So Leah has had no choice but to leave us with a bunch of hot air and emotional manipulation, and this does not make good TV.
A&E obviously learned this the hard way. That’s why when they hit pay dirt on shocking viewers about ‘cults’, they dumped Leah with only 4 episodes in Season 3. And in what is obviously going to be Leah’s last season, they went with a more legitimate model, Elizabeth Vargas, an actual journalist who, hopefully, won’t talk tough without backing it up, and won’t chicken out when it comes to reporting the legal stuff.
Maybe it was too much to ask of Leah Remini, having spent 34 years in the church and being a new recruit to the anti-cult movement’s pseudo-scientific ideas. Maybe she was confused and weakened by having her whole life vilified by her new found anti-cult ideology after Scientology.
The anti-cult movement can be an incredibly confusing thing for a vulnerable Ex once they adopt the deceptive, over-simplistic, and self-defeating ideas of “cults” and “brainwashing”. They are made to redefine everything they ever experienced as a Scientologist, turning their spiritual pursuit from one of the most sacred and life-giving things they’d ever experienced into something profane and evil. That’ll fuck with anyone’s mind and weaken them, introvert them, and reduce them into something ineffectual and complaining like a spoiled teenager.
I hope that Leah wakes up from the anti-cult movement and starts to honestly and individually evaluate the 34 years of her life she spent in Scientology. Even though Scientology is ultimately nothing more than the kindergarten kitsch of religions, most Scientologists are sincere in their spiritual pursuit, and they generate a lot of valuable experience for themselves. But having a season to prepare which Leah has already started manipulating people again with all her tough talk, and with her reputation to uphold for being a big SJW ‘cult buster’ now, those aren’t ideas she’s likely to entertain anytime soon.
Someday, Leah might do a real series on what it’s like to participate in a minority religious and spiritual pursuit, and just treat it fairly, rather than splattering them and vilifying them so dumbly and unoriginally with anti-cult movement bilge.
Someday she might do that? I’ll be sure to prepare myself!
In the meantime, Alanzosblog will be watching Scientology and the Aftermath Season 3, and reporting on it here.
Obviously this is a Scientologisty site and blog…let’s just see if my comment gets posted?? If you’re anti the show then you’re definitely a Scientologist…and good luck with that!
This is such a sad, desperate attitude.
Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Starts November 27th
Thank you, Marie!
Said like a true Scientologist trying to sound objective.
Welcome to AlanzosBlog, Kevin.
Obviously, if it was that easy to take this multi billion dollar blood sucking, home wrecking ,life destroying, pathetic excuse for a help group much less religion down, they would already be off the map. You must be one of the Cogs in their wheel to write this. There is only so much you can do regardless of your name. Money will always pay for its way. The idiots that naysay on this topic clearly have no clue. OR they are on payroll to post.
Keep up the good work Leah – Mike. Your persistence is noted, appreciated and supported whole heartedly.
Have you ever been involved in Scientology, Lora?
Did you become interested in Scientology watching through Leah’s show?
No, I didn’t become interested by watching show. I grew up the kid of a Scientologist. My mom had to disconnect from me because I wouldn’t disconnect from my son. Super sad, especially for her. My son was declared an enemy of the Church. Just straight lies. Tearing apart families while hiding behind the ramblings of a dead sci fi writer. Everything that you hear is true. Its all true. But I have a feeling, you already know that.
Welcome to Alanzo’s blog. Please continue to tell your story.
I understand that you think I’m a Scientologist, but I’m not. I also understand that you probably think I love to destroy families and rape children because I sometimes criticize Leah’s show and other antiScientology things, but that’s not true either.
I am for the exposure of abuse, whether that abuse is performed by a Scientologist or an anti Scientologist.
I’m for the exposure of abuse, period.
I hope you stick around and test me on that. I think you’ll see it’s true.
Alanzo
Well Thank you Alanzo. I don’t think you love to destroy or rape. I actually don’t think Scientologists ” love to” either. I think its a bi product. I think that the CO$ represents way more harm and danger then those who are trying to expose them could, even if by your standards, they exaggerate or embellish. I think that CO$ will survive because they have more money. I think that Leah and Mike are doing the best they can. I think that if I were no a Tologist and had seen the show, then read your twist on it, I might still do a personality test. Again, that’s me. I would love to see the COS people freed and the handful of scum at the top locked up and maybe even studied.
I asked you guys not to give up it’s an awesome show and more people are interested then what they’re protrain on this blog it’s a fantastic show my sister who I haven’t seen in a long time loves your show and we just were talking about it my daughter loves it all of us watch it at different places different states it’s fantastic show and we’re looking forward to the new season
I agree Peg. I don’t know much about other cults, just this one but if there speaking stops one person from joining or someone sees a show that’s not suppose to and gets out… I commend them. Its hard to be in, its hard to be out and to make Scientology any less of a cult then it is, so that we don’t perpetuate hate is a cover. Most likely designed by the org to weaken the minds of those following the show. You are either for or against Scientology. There is no in between. Those that pretend to be X tologists but then trash Leah and Mike…..arent X. They aren’t attempting to keep the peace of fight hate with love. They are manipulating for a cause. My bet.. still on the COS wheel. But thats just my opinion.
It’s seemed to me that in season two both Mike and Leah were careful as to how they worded everything. Perhaps it was due to the law suit. One thing we need to realize is that law suits of this nature take a long time, sometimes years. In s2 we got more intense information. More sexual assaults and abuse. We also got the of the round table with experts to help us with what they experienced/invesigated/researched/etc. It was even more eye opening that s1.
If Aftermath is having issues with a start date and if they are only getting four episodes, then Scientology and their gaggle of lawyers have won. Let’s all be realistic here. This is exactly what is going on.
Personally, I think we’d all benefit hugely from investigating the hidden criminal activity in the Christian and Catholic churches. That cult has destroyed so many like and killed so many innocent people, raped children, degraded and subjugated women. So much more. Audit those churches. In fact, start taxing all cults.
But yes, Aftermath. It’s sad that Scientology is winning. Mike, Leah, you and everyone that participated in this are heroes. Keep up your work. Never stop fighting. You’re saving lives….literally. Much love to you all.
Thanks, Dixie. The report I heard about four episodes for Season 3 might be wrong. I was told that there were 9 episodes ordered with 4 “specials”.
But who knows?
That is what I have heard as well. Apparently, the first special is on Jehovah’s Witnesses and there will be 3 other specials. I am unsure what cults those will be about. 9 episodes will be a continuation of Scientology.
Great point about the Catholic and pseudo Christian cult Dixie. They make Scientology look harmless by comparison.
I wondered what was happening with that show, well, kind of. I don’t actually watch it really but it seemed like something was going on with it, so thanks for the info.
Re this:
“The anti-cult movement can be an incredibly confusing thing for a vulnerable Ex once they adopt the deceptive, over-simplistic, and self-defeating ideas of “cults” and “brainwashing”. They are made to redefine everything they ever experienced as a Scientologist, turning their spiritual pursuit from one of the most sacred and life-giving things they’d ever experienced into something profane and evil. That’ll fuck with anyone’s mind and weaken them, introvert them, and reduce them into something ineffectual and complaining like a spoiled teenager.”
It sure would.
I can’t say that I agree that the alternative should be JUST: “what it’s like to participate in a minority religious and spiritual pursuit, and just treat it fairl”
IF by that you mean that we should ignore the obvious intelligence connections in even creating this “minority and religious spiritual pursuit” and go off into hearts-and-flowers about the whole thing – and I did say IF – then I would have to heartily disagree that doing that would constitute “fair” treatment.
Fair to me, means accurate, not leaving anything out, good bad or indifferent. I do agree that these people are definitely “vilifying them so dumbly and unoriginally” but I would add INNEFFECTIVELY as well. There definitely be demons there deserving of villification, but most of the time these people stick to tabloid-level crap.
Deliberately trying to create Panic! in people about scientology and that’s just more of the same intelligence-psychological warfare bullshit. See this declassified OSS document – https://mikemcclaughry.wordpress.com/the-reading-library/cia-declassified-document-library/psychology-division-divisional-memoranda-13-all-the-ways-to-cause-panic/
Behaving like that to manipulate people is no different than when they were IN the church.
You said you didn’t watch the show, so how can you agree that “these people are definitely ‘vilifying them so dumbly and unoriginally’? Perhaps watching the show would give you a better chance to critique it fairly?
I’ve seen every episode of Scientology and the Aftermath. I don’t know where you got that.
There is no way that I would comment on something I have not seen.
But because this subject is so tribal, maybe the idea that I have not seen every episode makes you feel more comfortable?
Remember, you are talking to an ex-cult member – someone who has been through the ringer regarding his own belief system and the trials and tribulations of having it tested, having it fail, losing faith, and picking up the pieces again.
Most people have not been through that process.
Have you?