Will Watches Waco Week Final Whack

At one point in Waco, Steve Schneider, more or less David Koresh's second in command asks, 'What did we do to deserve all this.' Indeed.

A weird and creepy religious sect the Branch Davidians may have been, but they weren't abusing their children and they weren't bothering anyone else.

They certainly didn't do anything to justify a hundred ATF (Asshole Terrorist Fuckers) storming their compound, and they didn't do anything to justify a months long siege with tanks busting through their walls, lighting the place on fire and killing dozens of them. The Fed's strong hand played right into the Branch Davidians end of the world view, making them god's chosen against a demonic enemy.

And that's really the point. Long gone are the days of the gray suited, fedora wearing, just the facts ma'am G-Men. As we see in this day and age, the FBI has more in common with the Gestapo than Melvin Purvis. This blog recommends President Trump send a company of tanks down Pennsylvania Avenue with orders to blast the Hoover building to rubble.

We could use Nazi hunters, Red chasers, and Klan busters. Mr. We could use a man like J. Edgar Hoover again.

Will Watches Waco Week (not) War

In 1993 the ATF (Asshole Terrorist Fuckers) basically sent an infantry company to serve a firearms warrant at the Branch Davidian compound where a pair of agents and the local sheriff would do. 

The FBI is no better. Waco begins with the Ruby Ridge  siege in Idaho. Here the ATF as well as the FBI Hostage Rescue Team surrounded the Weaver cabin with... an infantry assault company. Needless death followed.

Early on in Waco Gary Noesner see's the militarization of the FBI and doesn't like it one bit.

Late in the series comes a terrifying scene. As Noesner is trying to talk the bosses out of assaulting the compound, the head of the HRT, Mitch Decker, notes that there are 5,000 people for every law enforcement officer in the country and they have power only because people think they do.

But Decker does not casually sip coffee as the compound burns to the ground - James Cameron style. No, he's as horrified as anybody and tries to rescue people. 

Waco has nuance indeed.

Will Watches Waco Week Warrior

Waco co-producer Michael Shannon* plays Gary Noesner, the series hero and sceptic.

Noesner is an old fashioned Fed, a square jawed, gray suited G-Man interested in the facts and the facts only and he's the FBI's lead negotiator at Waco. Noesner's a straight shooter, the man you want in charge of a tense situation. He's a man of peace, force is the last thing he wants. He has faith in the FBI and the art of negotion.

As the siege drags on Noesner is trapped between the Branch Davidians, who think god guides their every move, and the FBI hardliners who want to storm the compound. The hardliners eventually remove Noesner and he watches the compound burn to the ground on live TV.

Shannon's portrayal is layered, nuanced and sympathetic. He makes us feel everything Noesner feels. It's a brilliant, Emmy winning performance. Just a pleasure to watch.

The real Gary Noesner makes a cameo in the series' final scene.

*Shannon was in one of our favorite comedies ever. Heh.