#under the banner of heaven spoilers

[orangechickenpillow]

The Bishop telling Jeb that "it’s a fact, women struggle more with feelings than men" after he's sat on his couch literally struggling to hold back tears while practically begging him for an answer to ease his mom’s pain...... I am filled with so much rage.

The whole “wOmeN aRe mOrE eMotiOnaL” thing is just... bad enough as it is, because obviously -- but it had an extra punch to it in this instance because Jeb is such an emotional person. In fact, we’ve watched him struggle with overwhelming emotion for a whole three episodes at this point. We’ve watched him cry, panic, doubt, struggle, and nearly break over and over again as he watches his community (and his faith) fall apart from the inside out, all while dealing with anxieties about his family -- which have been increased tenfold by the murder of a woman and child so close to home.

So when the Bishop looks him in the fucking eyes and essentially tells him “your dementia-suffering mother is just Being Dramatic because she’s a Woman” and “you’re a man so you don’t feel things as strongly as women do, haha thank goodness for that, am I right?” Is just such a slap in the face. 

[talkaboutyourday]

"You're a bad influence, Bill", 1x01

[ex0rin]

"Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you that you may create a path for me to be a vessel for you and be a vessel for you through Ron and I will accept anything, anything that you-"

Wyatt Russell as Dan Lafferty Under the Banner of Heaven | Episode 7: Blood Atonement

[theaggresivepacifist]

detective taba appreciation post (utboh spoilers)

I’ve barely slept in three days and definitely shouldn’t be up now, but I made the decision to watch Under the Banner of Heaven E6 as soon as it came out and here is my conclusion (spoilers below the cut):

The real hero in this narrative is not Jeb Pyre. It’s Detective Taba.

(ANDREW GARFIELD STANS DON’T COME FOR ME, I love him and Pyre is also a fantastic character in his own right, but hear me out.)

If the extreme happens and Taba dies or gets hurt in episode 7, with the narrative purpose of either saving Pyre’s Mormonism (deathbed-convincing Pyre to cling to his faith - an unexpected and touching appeal from a supposed “zealot in the Church of Caffeine” who has actually respected, protected, and advocated for Pyre’s faith and religious practice all season) or severing Pyre’s connection to it entirely, it will suck majorly in terms of the fridging/suffering of a Native character to serve a white character’s development. That being said: it would also fit a pattern, because despite their friendship, and a few touching moments (e.g. Pyre rescuing Taba at the cabin), Pyre has in many ways treated Taba as being disposable this entire time.

The hard truth is that Pyre has been consistently willing to ignore or tolerate racism against Taba, even when it occurs directly in front of them both. The violence and bigotry Taba is subjected to became visible as soon as we met him and has been escalating rapidly over the course of the season, going from the forest ranger’s microaggressions, to Sam’s wife’s blatant racism talking about his skin color, to Bishop Low and his wife treating Taba (a detective) like some kind of dangerous invader in their home, to now, in this last episode, Mrs. Lafferty 1.0 all but calling him racial slurs to his face and a fundamentalist whackjob accusing him of being subhuman - of being used to abominations like the murder of a mother and a fifteen month old baby. The warning signs, the signs of escalation, the signs that Taba is in increasing danger, were there this whole time (as well as all the tropes: all the times Pyre let Taba go alone into a dangerous situation even though he comments on it being dangerous; Taba talking about and showing pictures of his [estranged?] kids, which never bodes well), right under Pyre’s nose.

Pyre has never defended Taba from this, even if he values and cares for Taba as a partner, friend, and confidante. None of Pyre’s crisis of faith seems to involve reflection on the racism in his religious community and their doctrine, and the ways he’s seen it enacted against his partner and friend, even and especially in this single investigation alone. Instead, what Pyre has done is censure Taba in the few instances when he’s reacted against the hypocrisy of the faithful (not even against the racism directly), asking Taba to moderate his tone, to cool off, to step back, to stay silent. If the series culminates in this – if Taba dies or is harmed – Pyre will be complicit, whether or not he realizes it. 

And yet meanwhile, in the background, Taba has been working tirelessly to bring the murderers to justice, and has done nothing but try to make the Mormons around him feel comfortable and safe and understood, despite the fact that they do little or nothing to reciprocate. 

He is constantly thinking of Pyre’s family, of potential threats to Pyre’s family, and trying to protect them. He knows about everyday aspects of Mormon life such as blessings and family home evening, and, unprompted, tells Jeb to go home to his family for it. He gives the girls the skates they wanted but didn’t get for Christmas. He works through the night while Pyre goes home.

With rare exceptions, he changes his language and habits around Pyre and the other Mormons. He seems to chew gum instead of smoking or indulging in other “vices” (and yet gets accused of drinking anyway, by those nasty detectives in E1). 

He’s willing to humble himself to the extreme in front of the stake president of a religion he doesn’t belong to, take insults on the chin, absorb the nastiness and the undercutting of his superior experience without commenting on it. Even though he also makes some efforts, out of compassion and humor, to help Pyre step out of his bubble – with the French fries, with insisting on telling him that he’s “goddamn proud,” instead of just “proud” - he also respects Pyre’s boundaries, and doesn’t start debates or push him farther than he wants to go. 

And so when Taba (GOD, WHY) steps out of the car at the end of E6, making the decision to follow Onias, alone and unarmed, into the dark - bravely, foolishly making the decision to potentially take on all of the brothers himself, to finally take this fundamentalist cult down for himself as well as for the victims, now that Pyre’s not here in harm’s way and Pyre isn’t here to stop him...part of me is terrified for him, and the other part recognizes: this is the hero going for it, ready to save the day, no longer waiting for permission or approval from anyone else, no longer putting up with anyone else’s vitriol and stupidity, and honestly, hell yeah. 

[whatimdoing-here]

Under the Banner of Heaven 1x07 - Blood Atonement

[jesslockwood]

Andrew in under the banner of heaven. That’s it that’s the thirst post.

[griffsursparker]

"I would rather find that kind of family dead, rather than safe and sound." that sounds like a you problem jeb, full offence

[mymostimaginaryfriend]

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN → 1.07: Blood Atonement

[kenstaroyco]

ANDREW GARFIELD in UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN 1.07 (2022)

[andyridgeley]

Jeb saying the fuck word

[orangechickenpillow]

I love how they let Bill and Jeb butt heads a little this final episode. Like, they’ve had their little moments (especially because Jeb is just so goddamn tense all the time -- understandably), but Bill has always diffused the situation or moved them past it. 

But this episode, he really became a lot more confrontational, and I love that. Because Bill is just such a patient, wise, understanding person, so it never came across as mean-spirited or out of control, if that makes sense? 

Like, even though they argued with one another, it never felt like they were at risk of having a falling out. Not once while I was watching their arguments did I think “oh shit, they’re not going to be friends anymore.” And I think that is solely because of the way Bill handles confrontation, and just generally carries himself. 

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I will not be shutting up about it: Gil Birmingham did an absolutely fantastic job, and Bill Taba was a showstopping character.  

[talkaboutyourday]

under the banner of heaven 1x01

[auntieclimactic]

Work complete.

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

[girl-in-the-waves]

Big shocker I’m thinking about UTBOH again...

I’ve been thinking about Jeb and reading “Cultish” by Amanda Montell, and had some sort of epiphany about my feelings leaving the church. I remember growing up I would hear the church called a cult a lot, and all the mormons I would talk to about it had strong opinions. “Of course the church isn’t a cult!” usually followed by laughter, “You can leave whenever you want!”

Can you?

That’s when I started thinking about Jeb again (lets be honest when am I not). Andrew Garfield did a fantastic job with his faith crisis scene, but I could never put my finger on why I connected with it so much, why it meant so much to see it on screen. He shows why the “you can leave whenever you want” counterpoint feels so off: you can leave the church whenever you want, but it’s painful. You can see how painful it is for him in that car. His whole life is crumbling down around him, and that’s exactly what it feels like. Why would you leave when it would bring you so much pain? Everyone he loves would be impacted by his decision to leave the church. Everyone! That is huge crazy immense pressure! That’s not even considering the eternal complications if you’re making the wrong choice, if your doubts really are evil. My family converted when I was like 6 or something, and my biggest motivator in the church was making sure I could get into the celestial kingdom to be with my parents forever. Leaving the church not only meant my whole life was in vain, but if I was wrong, I would be cast out from my family for eternity. And my family was in it for a relatively short time! It’s always the bloodline mormons that say it’s not a cult, even though it would be hardest for them to leave. 

I think I often feel silly for still thinking about the church so much 3 years after I left, but seeing a faith crisis helps me put it back in perspective. So to any other ex-mormons perusing Tumblr: I’m proud of you. Whether you were born in the church or converted, you did a hard thing and I’m proud of you.

[sincericida]

ANDREW GARFIELD as Jeb Pyre in Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Awn honey...

It's wrong this voice make me so horny?

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLcwkCQB/?k=1

[therunningsnail]

i really want to see the fan fiction of Bill Taba and Jeb Pyre

Does it really exist in the world?😢😢😢