r-g-vos

There are two things wrong with this production: there's no focus and they failed to ask Carl en Laura Lentz some quite obvious questions.

About the focus: what is the documentary about? That evangelical organizations tend to be very conservative and have a strong bias towards all people that are 1. White and 2. Male? Thats how 90% of the Christian churches work, especially the pentecostal ones. Of course it's very sad when a young girl of color finds out she never will be a pastor because she isn't 1. White and 2. Male. But, no disrespect intended, she should have read the fine print before joining. Instead, the documentary should have been about a narcissistic opportunist (not Carl) and his buddies (enter: Carl) who see religion as a way of making (heaps of) money.

I can imagine how the production meetings went: a bunch of happy, lefty, intellectual people with no clue what churches are, were in the proces of making the show with the bad-narcissist approach. But then someone noticed "Wow, they are against abortion, gay-marriages, equal rights! Our viewers can't relate to that. Let's interview gay/female/colored people and let them speak out what we all think in this room!" -cheers all around- I imagine one person in the back faintly arguing: "But the majority of the (young) people who go there, share these opinions. Shouldn't we at least interview one or two of them?" Of course not, don't be ridiculous!

And then, just before the meeting was closed, there came this huge announcement. Carl and Laura wanted to be on the show! -more cheers, clapping- "The negotiations were successful. Carl and Laura agreed to tell their story! Of course we won't ask them any uncomfortable questions or verify their stories. -some laughter- "We are producers, not journalists" -more laughter- The faint voice in the back said something about telling the other people interviewed in the documentary that they will be participating in a crying-Carl-I'm-so-sorry-but-'they'-are-to-blame show. But alas the meeting was already over.

And there you have it. Interesting footnote is that Carl joined another mega church with accessory celebrities and controversies. Let's see how this turns out.

I found this episode on the edge, honestly óver the edge of mushiness. And soooo predictable, hey we're in Amsterdam, let's make it about drugs, gays, bikes and sex. Add some Van Gogh, Hazes, Cruyff and voila, a sentimental city-tour episode, brought to you by the Amsterdam Tourist Office. Gezellig.

But I am in the minority... I think it's because I'm Dutch myself... So my second take on this episode (looking past the canals and woonboten): I was a huge fan of the series, but after the first episodes of the new season, I almost decided to stop watching. The show became repeating itself, looked without course, characters becoming caricatures. But this episode seems to be a pivot and an anchor for the season (at least, I hope). And yes, now I can agree it's a great episode. (With still one point deduction for all the biking)