People Are Freaking Out About David Miscavige Because Of Leah Remini’s Scientology Docu-Series

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Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

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We’re only two episodes into Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, and the show has already found an impassioned audience. The show has been praised by critics but has yet to dominate the blogging landscape in the way that HBO’s Going Clear once did. However, reactions on Reddit and Twitter prove that audiences have been watching and they are outraged.

Filled with interviews from former members, Scientology and the Aftermath is an eight part docu-series that gives mainstream audiences a rare look into an organization that has been described by many as a cult. Airing on A&E, the series is presented by comedian, actress, and former member-turned-outspoken opponent of Scientology, Leah Remini. Whereas Episode One primarily focused on the alleged secrets of the Church of Scientology’s Sea Org, Episode Two follows the story of Mike Rinder, a former spokesperson for the organization. Before leaving the church, Rinder was a Scientologist for 46 years and worked for 25 years alongside Scientology’s current leader, David Miscavige. It’s the claims connected to Miscavige that has most recently enraged social media.

On Wednesday, a thread was submitted to r/television, questioning why David Miscavige was “loose” when A&E’s show has “literal evidence” of Miscavige placing Americans in “what is essentially a gulag” and beating and torturing them for years. So far the thread has almost 2,200 comments and have been upvoted over 17,500 times — a shockingly high amount for a post on r/television. Most of the comments switch from outrage over the various crimes detailed in Scientology and the Aftermath to general Reddit ramblings, but there is one element that separates this thread from others: Karin. During an AMA for the series, a user asked Remini if she thought there were members of Scientology reading the AMA. Remini responded with this gem:

Because Reddit is Reddit, several threads about Scientology and the Aftermath have been filled with Karin references. However, Reddit isn’t the only social media site fascinated by the allegations against Miscavige the docu-series has made. Many have been angered by the church leader:

Remini has also been very active on Twitter, answering questions about the organization for curious and often outraged viewers:

In today’s fast-paced internet environment, it’s impressive that impassioned discussions about the series are still continuing two days after the show’s second episode aired. Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath premiered to 2.1 million viewers, but its audience has since dropped to 1.58 million viewers. These are still impressive numbers for A&E, and if the show’s social media response is any indication, the series is already a winner for the network.

[Stream Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E]

Stream 'Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath' on A&E