The Garden: Commune or Cult

The editors of the show should be ashamed. This is in no way a documentation of what happened. It turns out half the drama contained in the show was completely fabricated by the editing team The cast (and I used the term cast because the people in the show were in no way represented accurately so this is more like acting than anything else) have come out and pointed out how horribly this was done in other to make them look like nut jobs. If you want to watch a silly drama filled show, this might be for you. But if you actually want to learn about intentional communities, there are far better resources on the internet than this show.

Wtf did I just watch? Why can't I stop watching? Oh bc it's junk food and junk food is addicting. I don't, for a second, believe a single solitary event or person in this FICTIONALIZED series is legit. This goes double for the girl with the lashes. Hon, we ALL know you took the first callback that came your way to get on TV and try to quit your day job to be a full time influencer.

This series makes me disgusted to be a millennial and have to be grouped in with these complete and utter morons. If you hate people who coin themselves "Tree," or - wait for it - "VIBE," this will be utter rage fuel. Idk what made me laugh harder - the girl who uses moon water to try and cure someone's severe back injury, or the Tree guy throwing a child-level temper tantrum over BeING aBLE tO PaRtY. This isn't a cult. This a group of privileged morons who think they are CHANGInG thE WoRLd by not taking a shower.

And don't even get me started on Narayah.

I wouldn't describe this show as terrible. I don't really like fake drama passed off as real, but I could tolerate this show most of the time.

My blood would boil every time a character would deliberate about if The Garden is a cult. They would say asinine things like, "well, they have a leader, so they're definitely a cult." Or "they kicked someone out, which as everyone knows means they're a cult." Never mind that there is no religious component, people are free to leave whenever they want, there is no overt pressure of conformity, etc etc. The tagline question of "Commune of Cult" is clearly answered in the first 10 minutes.

Now, there are other dysfunctional practices that are still allowed to be questioned, but we've got the big one out of the way. Kinda click-baity to base the entire premise of your show around something so obvious from the get-go.

By the way, voluntary communities are allowed to have leaders, agreed-upon systems of governance (ie. Unanimity, consent through silence, etc.), and they can kick people out for whatever reason they want.

I just have to provide a retort to Tyler, from my neck of the woods here in (rural) Colorado, not too far from Colorado Springs: You are an ex-military person, a self-proclaimed end-of-days "prepper" who claims that when "the time comes," we'll all be begging for you to help us. And you'll just tell all of us, "F-- you!" So my response to that egotistical load of your b.s. Is this: I, for one, will never, ever ask for any sort of assistance from you. Sure, I might perish in this so-called "end-of-days," as many, many other people might, as well. So, no Tyler, F-- you man! Those sharing your fear, have said and will continue to say our prayers.

Is there more to come? This documentary ended without an ending. I feel frustrated about the whole thing. I wasted hours watching this just to have it end, abruptly. In my opinion, I felt that nobody in this documentary was appealing in any way, or was a sympathetic character. Everyone came across as self-indulgent, narcissistic, and egomaniacal, to some degree. I wish HBO would add a warning that this is an incomplete documentary, so people don't waste their time if they are expecting a wrap-up at the end. I really thought there would be more episodes. Why didn't the question asked in the title ever get answered? 👎