The characters weren’t likable— and I call them characters because what a joke. Sarah is so far from the victim, but shows maybe she should have chosen acting after all.

This is a very well done podcast, highly informative albeit also a deeply disturbing story. The parallels with Scientology are wild, which makes it pretty clear that Keith learned from their modus operandi. Sarah was INCREDIBLY brave to come out, Nippy too. They’re lucky to have each other!

I went down this rabbit hole after someone I knew as a child became embroiled and I am more disturbed the more I know. Great journalism and story telling.

Josh is a nice polite Canadian and way too soft on his friend Sarah, who is clearly hiding facts (like sleeping with Raniere, despite her denials), meanwhile she is looking to monetize her experience. The authorities should have a few words with her, b/c this entitled princess is definitely more complicit than she lets on. Josh also got rolled by the lawyer…he needs to mature a bit more before doing any more of this kind of investigative work…

Sarah is starting to come across as phony. Deep down I think she’s wondering why Keith didn’t want to sleep with her. I love this pod but she’s getting on my last nerve selling out to make money off her experience. Ugh

I think the best episode was where Josh interviewed Keith Raniere’s lawyer. Josh was very professional and came across as non-biased in the questions he asked. Overall, very well done podcast. Fascinating topic and gripping delivery.

Sarah is not innocent in all of this and I wonder if she blew the whistle for the future financial gain she stands to receive by tell her story. Just because she came out doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be in jail as well.

Inadequate content warning in The Fright Experiments bonus episode. Episode included graphic description of execution in real snuff film. Totally unexpected. Also, no reflection on interview, no context or framing of story. Very unfinished, like material not yet produced or edited. I will not listen to further episodes, as the content feels gratuitously violent, and as traumatizing as the fake study it is reporting on. Not real journalism.

I appreciated that Josh grew up with Sarah and was able to tell her story with compassion without leaving facts behind. Much respect for you both.

Five stars

Sarah comes off as an arrogant privileged young woman that got involved with a trendy cult like organization. GMAB. How could anyone let someone like Keith Raniere “mentor” or control them in a multi level pyramid scheme. It is hard to understand how this took place without being complicit.

Soledad O’Brien would say after listening to episode 6 that Josh failed to call Keith’s lawyer out on his “spin”. Josh let himself be used by this lawyer to spin spin spin. This was a journalistic fail. Otherwise this was a fascinating early expose on the Nxivm cult.

Very informative and a great story

The host does a good job and has nice speaking skills. However, I had to stop partway through. If this cult was as serious as she’s making it out to be, which it very well could be, she wouldn’t be giggling and so giddy to talk about it. She sounds like a narcissist who enjoys the limelight that this has given her. I was interested in learning more about NXIVM, but this podcast isn’t it.

Loved this podcast! I could not finish it fast enough.

Glad I finally found the time for this one-very compelling podcast!

Well researched and produced but they went easy on Sara E. She is complicit in the mess but skillfully plays the victim.

Cannot stop listening! So well done! Thank you!

I can’t NOT stop listening to this. Thank you, Josh Bloch.

Most coherent, best researched and narrated podcast on NXIVM. Thanks!!

I loved this but I think the journalist went way to easy on his friend, Sarah. There are so many questions that were left unanswered, especially after the interview with the defense attorney. I do not think Sarah was in a cult and I do not think she has any legal standing. She bought into some crap and is embarrassed. She tried to take the clients with her when she left. Then she played victim.

Binged in three days. Excellent research and interviews! I recommend this to true crime lovers!

Couldn’t make it through the first episode.

I listen to allot of true crime. These girls got duped, some wanted to be with this man, their were many warning signals for each but thei ignored them. I really just see this man as a con artist and too many gave to him anyway... pay the consequences

I came to this podcast after getting hooked on Leah Remini’s podcast/shows about Scientology. Sarah’s story hooked me in right away and is a terrifying but important story to hear and be aware of. I binged the whole series in just 2 days. Highly recommend if you are a fan of true crime.

Oh My Goodness! This podcast is riveting! I couldn’t turn it off!

Kept hearing about this and it was sooo good. Did not disappoint. Loved listening to this as I worked.

Why do we have to listen to someone’s toddler for this story?

Such a wonderful CBC podcast!

The host gets worked by the lawyer and consistently sows doubt about Sarah’s story. Show some empathy. Pathetic.

Joined a pyramid scheme , got a brand ... screwed others for money ...

Still looking for a series that’s been as engrossing as this one. The journalists did a marvelous job telling this story—all sides of it. You feel for Sarah as if you were pulled into the cult along with her. If anyone has any recommendations for a similar, help a girl out!

I agree 100% with what Keith’s attorney said. These were all intelligent people capable of making their own decisions. Sarah chose to be branded. She was not held down and branded against her will. She willingly went along with it. If she was so concerned about what was being put on her body, she should have freaking looked at the branding from the get go and seen that it was his initials. All these people were and are responsible for their own actions including the people that SHE recruited. And honestly, I think she was butt-hurt and jealous she didn’t know about and wasn’t a part of the harem and that someone was recruiting her people to DOS behind her back. I still don’t even think she feels bad about any of it. She’s garbage.

The only critiques I’m seeing here are people victim-blaming Sarah, but the show makes very clear the uncomfortable truth that someone can be both a victim and a perpetrator at the same time. Most cults thrive on that dynamic. This show was incredibly well-done and informative- I’m so glad it exists to educate people in hopes that cults and MLMs like these won’t always have the same power to draw people in. I’m overjoyed that Keith got his life sentence today.

This is a good podcast but it just proves more that Sarah refuses to take real accountability. It’s clear she was aggressive in her tactics and was a bully. She was also perfect fine having slaves and the brand until she freaked out about telling her husband MONTHS later

I feel like Josh has blinders on (at times) regarding Sarah-but facts are facts and overall he and the producers did a solid job of telling the story; however, Sarah is definitely working him. The tears seem to manifest when the talk gets hard and the crisis of conscience only seems to strike when she can’t just say what she wants and must instead wrestle with the right-speak. Being Canadian, they’re likely not familiar with Patty Hearst and how one can be a ‘victim’ and a criminal at the same time, but it’s eerily similar in story, except Hearst never came clean, rather being caught on camera in a bank heist. I think Sarah only became a victim when it was financially beneficial and likely that the sympathy factor would work in her favor. I cannot comprehend the level of narcissism it takes to become so full on oneself so as to blindly follow along, all the while ferociously attacking people who’d been out for quite some time and were sounding the alarm before anyone knew DOS was a thing. That the branding ceremony wasn’t enough to have fight or flight kick in, that she didn’t come clean with her husband, that her husband didn’t see or notice the brand, or what was surely an immense amount of pain with it for weeks, all these things and more make a rational person question the motivation behind coming forward. After all, she didn’t just exit, but prolifically and resoundingly stepped into a spotlight. It’s ironic that she thought of her mom as a parasite, when the icky feeling you get from Sarah speaking of her experience seems a bit parasitic in nature, itself. Knowing what we know now, in 2020, and all that has transpired since this podcast took place, fills in a lot of the gaps and I imagine Sarah and her family have profited quite nicely-I wonder how many of the people she fleeced of their money she has refunded? Overall a well done series and even though he comes across as heavily biased, it’s still a pretty fair podcast with using ‘friends’ to voice opposing views and the obvious questions most are left with. I’d recommend this to others interested in NXIVM and the saga, but take it with a grain of salt and fill in the gaps with things like The Frank Report blog, The Missing Women of NXIVM (on ID I believe) The Vow is a ridiculous trope filled with many unnecessary details but is interspersed with important information (could have been done in 2-3 episodes) as well as a few other podcasts.

I can not understand the women that flocked to have sex with that guy. First of all he’s got tiny hands. Tiny hands = Tiny 🍆 then he’s hairy as Chewbacca! 🤢 I completely believe people are able to be brainwashed. There have been to many cults to not believe it.

Detailed and so interesting!! I haven’t been able to find a new podcast that I love in so long!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!

Not I. What a completely uninteresting story about completely uninteresting people who think they are exceptional. Eat the rich.

Started listening to this after I got frustrated with the vow on HBO not explaining things properly, this podcast gives a more comprehensive explanation about the cult. Worth listening!

So well done; binged the whole season in a weekend

Host spends a long interview with Raniere’s lawyer asking him softball questions and allowing him to talk about basically anything he wants. Great audio footage of phone calls, etc.

Very interesting, and for the most part well done. Although, the way he keeps saying “I don’t understand how she didn’t see the signs” about Sarah is incredibly victim- blamey and disrespectful. Also I’m pretty sure Allison Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering, he keeps saying she pleaded not guilty. Maybe at first she did I’m note sure, but if you do a simple google search it says she’s pleaded guilty, so...

Worth watching

If this had been a book, it would have been a page turner. I couldn’t stop listening. Josh - great job in all the interviews. Sarah clearly pulled the curtain back on this cult.

Love this podcast I just wish it lasted long and they’d add more episodes!

Nothing is right about these crazy women. Sarah is guilty too

I could not stop listening. As a parent, it was especially gripping to hear Sarah’s mom’s perspective on how she dealt with her daughter’s cult activity.

I love to hear the same true crime story from different creators so I found this podcast after seeing the HBO show. I like how this one takes us thru Sarah’s journey and also included others’ perspective of her; interesting how the abuse was also expressed in a pyramid scheme manner. Also liked hearing from Keith’s exes.

Great story and great reporting