Under the Banner of Heaven does not open at the beginning or the end, but in the middle. The series begins with the murders of a Mormon mother and her child, and the lead detective, Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield), being called to investigate. After Allen was arrested, he was found standing across the street from his home covered in the blood of his loved ones.
There are contents.
Under the Banner of Heaven, which is based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction novel of the same name, begins to move forward and backward in time until three separate timelines emerge. The first time period is in 1984 and follows Jeb as he begins his own investigation into the murders. The events that led up to the crime that opens the show are showcased in the second. The origins of the very Mormon beliefs that may have played a role in the murders ofBrenda andErica are explored in the third, which is set over a hundred years before the rest of the show.
Under the Banner of Heaven isn't interested in time for the same reasons as True Detective, but the split timeline structure makes it sound like it. The passage of time allows Under the Banner of Heaven to explore the violence that inevitably erupts when a community finds itself torn between fundamentalism and progressivism.
It's Garfield who finds himself at the center of the conflict. Early on in the premiere of Under the Banner of Heaven, a non- Mormon detective named Bill Taba is warned by Howle's Allen that a Mormon man's beliefs are in question. It's a piece of advice that Jeb initially reacts to with disdain, but it doesn't take long before he begins to realize that Allen may be right.
Garfield has more experience playing a man torn between two worlds than any other actor of his generation, which makes him the perfect man to play Jeb. Garfield never overplays the uncertainty about his faith or the pain he feels about having to question his religious leaders over the course of the show. The star is one of the most vulnerable actors we have right now, but his performance in Under the Banner of Heaven perfectly rides the line between raw and torn.
Bill, an out-of-towner who is forced to partner with a man whose faith he doesn't understand, is the perfect partner for Jeb because of his inner conflict. Bill's outsider perspective allows him to challenge Jeb's instincts in a number of critical moments, but as time goes on, Bill's confidence as a lawman makes him a good ally. He is one of Hollywood's great character actors, and he brings an indispensable presence to Under the Banner of Heaven. One of the most memorable TV detective duos in recent memory is created by him and Garfield.
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays the young victim at the center of Under the Banner of Heaven's story as an optimistic and kind-hearted woman without ever making her come across as foolish or nave. She highlights the character's strength whenever she can and that keeps her from feeling like a victim despite her role in the show. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was similar to the one he gave in last year, as Dan Lafferty, one of Brenda's brothers-in-law.
The show's tricky material is brought to life by creatorDustin Lance Black. Black's script is full of sadness and anger, but they don't use exploitative tricks in order to keep viewers engaged. He lets characters like Allen and Jeb wear their emotions on their sleeves and force them to be in the same room with each other. It is a decision that allows the show's themes to emerge through the police station conversations, which frequently blur the line between interrogation and theological debate.
The show's split-timeline structure can sometimes feel unwieldy and repetitive, but when it works, it results in Under the Banner of Heaven achieving a scope that feels all-encompassing and intimate. That is, in no small part, thanks to Black's decision to root many of the show's flashbacks in Allen's present-day pain, with Howle giving a stunningly raw performance.
Under the Banner of Heaven has an overwhelming feeling of empathy, which makes it stand out from the rest of the true-crime crowd. The first part of the series takes viewers to the scene of the murders of Brenda andErica within the first 10 minutes, but the exploration of it never feels exploitative. Instead, the episode's director, David Mackenzie, handles the scene with real care, showing only a few brief snippets of blood and, in a few fleeting instances, her feet on the kitchen floor.
The sequence focused on Garfield's face was more focused on the gruesome details of the murder than it was on the actual crime. Garfield has always been a highly emotional performer, and his facial reactions to what he sees are powerful enough to communicate the gravity of the show. The scene is a great example of how to handle a visual adaptation of a true-crime case.
It comes to an end when Jeb stumbles out of the house and finds another officer sitting on the porch. He says a line that might as well be the mission statement for Under the Banner of Heaven as a whole.
The first two episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven will premiere on April 28. Digital Trends was given early access to the show.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
