The Hollywood Reporter says that “Scientology and the Aftermath” will be picked up for a second season.
In my long and weird career, I’ve been involved in the development of two reality TV series. In each case, the actors were told that Season 1 was all their risk. The network would provide a director, a camera man, and a sound guy, and would help with some of the writing, but it was all up to the actors to make the season a success.
The per-episode rate in Season one, when compared to the hours worked, is in the Sea Org range of pay. But if the actors pull it off, and the show is a hit and the network decides to renew for a second season, that’s when the real money starts rolling in.
And so, after 25 years of running the Office of Special Affairs destroying the critics of Scientology, and for 10 years of hiding what he did there and who he specifically destroyed, Mike Rinder is about to become a solid citizen of the Upper Middle Class.
He will be known as one of the greatest critics of Scientology.
The irony.
It burns.
This season would be a great opportunity for Mike Rinder to address his past and to finally come clean to those he has harmed as the head of the Office of Special Affairs. I’m sure it could be made into must-see TV.
I’d like to know if anyone has any question that they would like Mike Rinder to answer for them in Season 2 of Leah Remini’s Scientology and The Aftermath, or even before the season begins from his blog.
Specifically, I’m looking for those subjects that you know that Mike Rinder has ignored or covered up because the information was embarrassing to him, or because mentioning it was not conducive to his own successful career path to Scientology’s most prominent critic.
Here’s a list to get us started:
Dennis Ehrlich
Arnie Lerma
Vaughn Young
Stacy Brooks
Jesse Prince
Robert Minton
Keith Henson
Lisa McPherson
Mike and Virginia McClaughry
Alt.Religion.Scientology
Beliefnet.com
Any hidden lawsuits against critics and their businesses in order to destroy their incomes
Critics Families he has destroyed, or attempted to destroy
Any Specific Apologies he’d like to make to any of the critics lives he had destroyed by the Office of Special Affairs, or that he attempted to destroy
Please add any people or subjects which I have missed. This list was only to get us started – I certainly do not want ANYONE left out.
Mike – These people need a “truth and reconciliation episode” to heal from this horrific fight that they fought knowing that you would use the full force and power of your position to try to destroy them for exposing the abuses of Scientology. These were people for whom there was no upside for themselves personally. They literally faced destruction for the good of others so that no one else could be harmed by the Church of Scientology ever again.
This will be a running theme on this blog until these questions get addressed.
The time has now come, Mike.
Let’s hear it.
That was an excellent article!
I no longer fraternize with Mike’s blog. I always felt his articles were a little flimsy. But there were definitely times when I enjoyed, and took part in his comment section. Not a big fan of Aftermath. I feel Leah and Mike are feeding there wallets and egos at the expense of exes and still-ins. I don’t mean to sound so harsh. I watched several of the episodes with my ‘never in’ girlfriend and my opinion is the show enforces what most people already believe about Scientology, that it’s an evil cult that is full of suckers. On top of that I don’t think it will do anything to get people out of Scientology. If I’m wrong about the latter I’ll take back what I’ve said. I also noticed Leah and Mike get passes on the “sucker” label because they came into Scientology via family. Most Scientologists I knew were able, intelligent people who wanted to help. And most Scientologists I knew got tangible results from Scientology. I’m not condoning Scientology, I know it’s a high control cult that makes many false claims. But ex Scientologists and still ins deserve to have the whole picture shown, Instead of being thrown en masse under the proverbial bus.
Ah! The proverb of the bus – under which people are thrown.
We know it well! 🙂
It’s the hardest message in the world to get through to people. Think of Mike Rinder’s first message that he tried to sell as an Independent Scientologist: “Scientology and the Church of Scientology are two separate things! The first one has good things in it, and a lot of bad things in it, too! But the organization that runs on Scientology is a North Korean re-conditioning camp!”
That message was a hard sell. I’m glad he finally gave it up.
This message is easier. It’s the message that all the critics who got out of Scientology since the 1960’s – since at least William Burroughs – have been delivering. And it’s this message, along with Leah Remini’s talents and contacts, that Mike Rinder is riding like a rocket to the moon.
I say, all power to him, as long as he makes good on the damage to the people he has ignored, and distracted from, and in some cases even continued to try to discredit and fair game, after leaving his position 10 years ago as head of the Church of Scientology’s Office of Special Affairs.
How do you know whom he has made amends with? Who he has righted the wrongs with? Why does he have to do it publically? I think this show is a good start.
A critic that Mike has famously not done anything to make things right with is Gerry Armstrong. His wife Caroline Letkeman, a former Class 9 auditor and her self a long time critic of the Church of Scientology, has been very eloquent and persistent about the ways that both Mike Rinder and Marty Rathbun could make things right with Gerry. ESMB has many very detailed discussions about this.
Gerry’s website at GerryArmstrong.ca has a whole rash of information about this very subject.
Here’s more about Gerry Armstrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Armstrong_(activist)
The show IS a great start. The show is the best and most powerful piece of criticism that has ever been waged against Scientology since the Time Magazine story, and the launch of Tony Ortega’s blog. You should understand that I believe that Mike’s rise to prominence as the number 1 critic of Scientology in the last couple of years is completely deserved.
I’ll never stop saying it so nobody can get me wrong: Both Mike Rinder and Marty Rathbun have been two of the most effective critics of the Church of Scientology in its entire history.
There’s just this one little area….
OK. I get that. I am sure you know more than me. I’m sorry if I came off as bitch. To be honest I have wondered more than once how Mike feels about all he has done. Must be a terrible burden to carry. I will read your links. Alanzo. Thank you.
Interesting. I don’t see Aftermath that way. For us hardcore Exs, Aftermath maybe a bit lukewarm. We know there is much more that could be said. But, considering this is a TV show meant for the masses, and the fact that the Scn experience is incredibly complex, I’m amazed there’s even a TV show.
I watched Aftermath, not to learn about the horrors of being a member of CoS, but because its history in the making. I think Leah’s heart is in the right place. And I don’t think anyone is getting rich off of this. Personally, even if they were, I really don’t care; as long as the material they present is truthful and honest.
They have pointed out that some benefit can be found. But, that is the subject of another TV show. This one is about the abuse meted out by the church.