'Waco' Recap: 'Of Milk and Men'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK... 

As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango, and what amazes me about that saying, is how much it rings true as I get older. Because there is so much in our lives that is completely and utterly dependent on our interaction with others and if we cannot communicate properly or find common ground, whatever it is we are trying to accomplish can end in utter disaster and oddly enough, all of that came into play on last night’s episode of Waco.
 
Because in reality, I think a lot of the finer details of the 51-Day standoff at Mount Carmel are overshadowed and forgotten because of how this tragedy ended and how it started, but thankfully, ‘Of Milk and Men’ took the time to explore the fact that one of the many reasons that this whole mess ended in disaster was the sheer fact that neither side could come together and find common ground since the Branch Davidians refused to leave the compound for reasons we will break down momentarily, and also because the FBI/ATF were steadfast in their belief that the only way to resolve this matter was to storm the compound.
 
However, we were able to bear witness to the fact that there were some people who tried their hardest to end the standoff peacefully since much of this episode revolved around Gary and Steve’s interactions, wherein Gary pulled out every single trick in the negotiating book to have Steve step up and lead the Branch Davidians and resolve this mess while David healed up from his gunshot wound, and while Gary made some progress with Steve since some people in the compound did leave and Steve outright admitted his disdain when it comes to David, the stalemate continued regardless and really, the key reason for that was David through and through because of his ‘power of sight’ and oddly enough, that allowed for David to transform in this episode as well.

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​Because despite spending a fair chunk of this tale healing, once he was coherent and relatively healthy again, David was a man filled to the brim with defiance. After all, he was right about the military showing up at his doorstep and with that bargaining chip in his hands he played it to the fullest, reminding his flock of why they committed to this way of life and well, there was a confidence and arrogance surrounding him in this episode and this change in his personality made David frightening in a way and of course, armed with the belief that he was right all along, he in essence dug in when he resumed negotiations with the FBI and well that brings us back around to the whole matter of everyone being unable to work together.
 
Because the FBI saw David’s arrogance and acts of defiance as flippant when it comes to this dangerous situation, prompting them to turn up the proverbial heat, believing it will somehow help in the matter. But they simply do not see how loyal this group is to him, and how much they believe in what he says and clearly, their attempts to create a pressure cooker, will cause more harm than good. If anything, what made this episode so compelling is that it didn’t have a traditional feel storytelling wise in the slightest.
 
The script was confused and jittery and jumpy and well, it needed to be, because that’s an exact reflection of the situation at hand. The point of this show is to take us along for a terrifying ride and I truly appreciate the fact that this episode left me frustrated and out of sorts because that means it’s doing its job. Either way, the standoff continues and there’s no doubt in my mind that next week’s episode will be equally as tense and frustrating as we barrel toward disaster. Until next time. 

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