'Waco' Recap: 'Visions and Omens'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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​While the twenty-four-hour news cycle has done a phenomenal job of keeping us informed as often as possible, it does have an inherent flaw. Eventually the cascade of stories become overwhelming and certain stories slip out of our minds as we focus on new moments and new developments in our world. But while that flaw will likely never change, since the world is always changing, film and television can complement the news in beautiful fashion since storytelling allows for us to return to significant moments in our planet’s or country’s history, allowing for us to not only reminisce but gain new perspective on those all-important moments.
 
Oddly enough, darker slices of American History have been popping up left and right over the past couple of years on the small screen and the newly launched Paramount Network is taking part of this reflective surge as well since last night saw the premiere of Waco. Now, if that word/name sounds familiar there’s good reason for that since this six-part miniseries chronicles the fall of the Branch Davidians at Mount Carmel in Waco in 1993, an event that dominated the news cycle back then, and well, this is a series that I’ve been eager to watch since I first heard about it since this is an event in our history that is a touch foggy in my mind. But thankfully this series is clearly going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to the details of this tragic event.
 
For example, the series premiere, ‘Visions and Omens’, took the time to fill in the backstory of the incident at Ruby Ridge that happened long before the ATF and FBI arrived at David Koresh’s doorstep and that kind of detail exists to not only introduce us to the noble man that is Gary Noesner, but to remind us that the disaster in Waco was set in motion well before the ATF became aware of what was going on behind closed doors in the compound, and to inform all of us that not everyone wanted the siege to end in violence and that agendas most certainly came into play when the spit hit the fan, and it accomplishes all of this in magnificent fashion. 
 
But in addition to educating us on such matters, what really makes this series impressive are the performances from the cast. Michael Shannon is sublime as Noesner, and his subtle performance exudes nobility and honor, but in all reality, Taylor Kitsch and his portrayal of David Koresh is what steals the show in this episode. Because not only is Kitsch a physical ringer for Koresh in this story, he brings us new insight on the man by showing us exactly what made him a leader that people were willing to die for, since he is so incredibly charming in this tale and he knows exactly how to reach people on a fundamental level. But make no mistake about it, Koresh is as unstable here as he was in 1993 and Kitsch is able to deliver a chilling authenticity to his madness as well.
 
If anything, this is shaping up to be quite the powerful miniseries, it’s already mesmerizing thanks to those performances but it’s equally haunting in its own right because of the fact that we know how this story ends and the tragedy that hangs over this story gives it a sense of urgency and really when all is said and done, I’m hooked. This is top notch television through and through and I am looking forward to learning more about this whole incident and all the mistakes that predicated a heartbreaking moment in our nation’s history. Until next time. 

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