The Way Down
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The Way Down
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Way Down is a docuseries about the late controversial pastor Gwen Shamblin, and the faith-based weight loss program that became the foundation for the Remnant Fellowship Church. It addresses mature issues, such as cult behavior, church-sanctioned abuse, addiction, extramarital behavior, and death. Drinking, pot smoking, and drug addiction is discussed, as is the rejection of anti-depressants and other medical interventions. Explanations about evangelical tenets of faith and tradition are also offered, and proselytizing is featured. While the language is mostly clean, on occasion some strong curse words are audible, and random logos are visible, but not in a commercial context. The accidental deaths of Shamblin, her husband, and other church leaders in May 2021, which occurred while the series was in production, is briefly addressed.
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What's the Story?
THE WAY DOWN is a documentary series about a woman who created a religious cult based on weight loss. In 1992 conservative Christian and registered dietitian Gwen Shamblin started the Weigh Down Workshop, a faith-based program that combined bible scripture-based doctrine with weight-loss advice. As her program became an international (and financial) success in the evangelical world, Shamblin began adapting a more individualized and zealous approach to her religious teachings, and by 1999 established the Remnant Fellowship Church in the upscale city of Brentwood, Tennessee. With the help of interviews with former followers and associates, what follows is a discussion of how she used the church as a way to further her business enterprises, while creating a damaging cult-like organization with thousands of followers.
Is It Any Good?
The unsettling docuseries chronicles how the late pastor and diet guru created a controversial ministry that combines biblical teachings with common-sense diet tips to build power and wealth. The Way Down discusses the way Gwen Shamblin, many of whom within the church referred to as a prophet, equated being thin with spiritual perfection, and rejected scientific explanations for weight gain in order to exploit her followers' fundamental religious beliefs for her own gains. It also explains how she preached her own version of Christianity, which rejects the foundational tenets for most Christian faiths, but created a place for her as a matriarch in a religious world led by men. But much of the series focuses on some of the many controversies that followed her and her husband, actor Joe Lara, until their deaths (the two died in a plane crash in May 2021), and details disturbing activities within the organization. It's subjective, and active members of the church are not interviewed (despite the efforts of producers). Nonetheless, The Way Down tells an intriguing story that shows how people's religious beliefs and personal vulnerabilities can be exploited in unexpected, consequential ways.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the purpose behind documentaries. They are produced to be informative, but are they supposed to be objective in the way they tell the story? Why?
What is the definition of a cult? Does The Way Down portray the Remnant Fellowship Church as a cult, and Gwen Shamblin as a cult leader? Is this a fair assessment of both?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 30, 2021
- Cast: Gwen Shamblin
- Network: HBO Max
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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