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Feb 19, 2013 By Lily Moayeri Issue #44 - Best of 2012 - Grimes

The lines between reality and fiction are blurred in Cult. The CW series is a frame narrative about a shallow, self-important reporter, Jeff Sefton (Matt Davis, The Vampire Diaries) and an overeager research assistant, Skye Yarrow (Jessica Lucas, Melrose Place). Together, they are trying to figure out what happened to Sefton’s brother, whose mysterious disappearance may be linked to a television show. The audience is witness to that fictitious show-within-a-show, a story about a disturbing but fascinating cult leader, Billy Grimm (Robert Knepper, Prison Break) and the determined police detective, Kelly Collins (Alona Tal, Supernatural), who is out to get him. It is hard to keep the two shows separated, and that’s the whole point. The show-within-the-show feels so much like the “real” story that when its closing credits roll, one expects that the actual CW show is the one that is finishing. Knepper is the most compelling thing about Cult, but he’s on his own there. Despite its attempts at mystery, intrigue, and creepiness, Cult doesn’t have the requisite magnetism or acting to develop an actual following. (www.cwtv.com/shows/cult)

Author rating: 2/10