The second season of the controversial Korean docuseries "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal" has finally arrived, and I had the misfortune of watching it. Documentaries, at their core, show us things in their rawest form. We should be aware of the perspectives of the victims, the detectives, and the people who fall prey to the country's many problematic institutions, but what I hated about "In the Name of God," which follows "Echoes of the Survivors," is that the series dehumanizes the victims by exploiting them in every possible way through dramatized sketches of the incidents they experienced.
Honestly, hearing about the terrifying experiences some of these people went through is hard enough, but showing us footage that could be somewhat titillating due to the angles and lighting is truly unimaginable, in my opinion. Echoes of the Survivors features three new cases, in addition to the JMS cult, which we saw frequently in the first season. The last two episodes of the series were the ones I found most enjoyable, as they show the victims' struggles trapped under the rubble, which creates a sense of claustrophobia and allows me to empathize with them.
However, the other three cases involve sexual assaults, which I understand should be described in detail for documentary purposes, but sensationalizing the victims' trauma is heartbreaking, to say the least. The worst part is that, for example, in the Brothers' Home case, the surviving victims appear wearing the tracksuits they were supposed to wear when they were kidnapped; the whole scene is terrifying, and they even have to hold up license plates to emphasize their message. In my opinion, this is truly exploitative.
I understand the documentary's goal. It's about showing us the lengths people will go to for power and money, and how that affects the victims of the serious crimes they committed. I can see that the previous season had some impact, but I still believe the director is basically harassing people to obtain statements if they had anything to do with the perpetrators. However, that's not what documenting is, right? If someone isn't willing to come forward, there's nothing you can do about it, so harassing them will only make you look bad. If someone hasn't let the last 30 years make them bitter, they're not going to change their mind now.
Also, I'm not convinced by the cases chosen for this season. However, Sampoong's is the most appropriate of all. Another aspect I don't fully understand about the series is the time it spends giving us gruesome details of what these criminals did, only to wait until the final minutes to show us the ins and outs of the crime. The whys, the whats, and the hows. Since these cases affected the entire country, most people probably already know what happened. However, if it's going for a global impact, it's missing many elements. Yes, it's important to pay attention to the victims, but this doesn't mean we should relive traumatic moments and feel completely devastated in the process.
The level of trauma in the four episodes is very high, and I recommend not watching them all in one sitting. I think the series specifically starts with the most shocking cases before moving on to those that can be less sensationalized at the end. There's something meta about the whole thing, because it's almost as if the creators of the series are exploiting the victims a second time, somewhat contradicting the message they're trying to convey. I'm not saying they're committing crimes, but it's almost as if, just to make their show famous, they've edited and presented the material in such a way that you feel like you're watching one of those true crime documentaries where the victims are especially implicated.
Of course, you feel for the victims and wish they hadn't gone through such trauma, but it's all overshadowed by the horrendous nature of the crimes committed against them, which we have to see and hear repeatedly. Does it make sense to show us multiple victims reiterating how terrible the abuse was? I, too, want to look at it from another perspective. Suppose I were part of a cult and watched a show like this about my cult leader; would I change my mind? I'm not so sure. Perhaps I would dismiss it outright? Perhaps the authorities would take heart and be more careful next time? I'm not sure, but in the end, I can't get over the fact that this show is so sensationalized, unfortunately, for entertainment purposes. Because that's precisely what it is.
After watching it all, I feel like I'm immune to practically nothing and like I can't connect with anyone or feel empathy due to the over-the-top dramatic reenactments and studio-style interviews. I also feel like the show could have done a better job protecting the victims instead of desensitizing us as an audience by making them feel worse about their own situations. Yes, we want to hear their stories, but not at the cost of their mental health. So, honestly, the only opinion I have after watching this very tough show is that I wish they hadn't made it. I'm sure other people may feel differently, but this is how I truly feel. So I would give The Echoes of Survivors 2 out of 5 stars, mainly because of the Sampoong case.
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