What to Watch: Wild Wild Country

by Mike Lunsford

There comes a time in any TV viewers life that you hit a wall. You've watched enough re-runs of Friends or The Office and you need something different. If you have reached that point valued GGR reader, then these next few "What to Watch" recommendations are going to be right up your alley. They won't be sitcoms, super hero series, sci-fi, or food shows. In fact, they are all documentary series about some pretty crazy things. So, strap yourself in: the "What to Watch: Documentaries" series starts with Wild Wild Country.

Wild Wild Country is a documentary on Netflix about the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, his one-time personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela, and the growth of the Rajneeshee followers as they moved from India to a small town in Oregon. Since this is a relatively new series, I won't give any spoilers for those who don't know their story, but here is a quick synopsis. As the story begins, we see a movement about peace and love, the typical spiritual movement kind of thing you would see at any commune of "free thinkers." The Rajneeshees have a different approach though. Often times the acquisition of possessions is frowned upon when searching for spiritual enlightenment. However, their leader Bhagwan (or Osho as he was later known) encouraged consumerism. His thought process was that these things were created for our enjoyment, why deprive ourselves of them?

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Bhagwan developed a large following of international citizens who were looking for more from their lives. They came to his holy sanctum in Poona, India, seeking a life of meaning, a community that offered support and love for all members. As the community grew, the Indian government was less than helpful with expansion, especially to a controversial form of Hinduism. This is when Bhagwan's personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela suggested a move to America. As you watch these first few episodes and you hear Sheela's idea to move to the U.S. it sounds perfect, right? A country founded on the principal that all were welcome and there were such things like religious freedom would make for a perfect pairing for these peaceful, free-love sharing, orange-clad Rajneeshees, right? Well... when the commune of Rajneeshpuram was founded in a desolate part of Oregon, the less than 500 citizens of Antelope were not welcoming them with open arms. 

Bhagwan's assistant, Ma Anand Sheela, plays a large role in this documentary. As she was the guru's personal assistant and de facto 2nd in command, she ran the community's operations and was the liaison between the Rajneeshees the Oregonians and the media. She was the one who was dealing with the citizens of Antelope the most and drew much of their ire. 

Sheela with Bhagwan in the early days of Rajneeshpuram.

What follows is a back and forth ordeal in which you want to root for one side...but you're not sure who really is "the good guy." The documenters do an excellent job of showing you both sides of the story. It is fascinating to watch and, in typical Netflix fashion, you'll start an episode saying "I'll watch one or two and then off to bed." Then, you'll look up and 4 hours has gone by as you've binged half the series. There are times when the simple country folk of Antelope make you want to scream at them for their close-mindedness but trust me when I say this: the Rajneeshees don't always make themselves the best neighbors. In fact, there are some things that are downright shocking and appalling from their side. Throughout it all you find yourself wondering "did they go too far or were they pushed to this in desperation?" 

I give Wild Wild Country 4.5 stars out of 5. It is incredibly fascinating to watch. You find yourself flip/flopping when it comes to who you are "rooting" for in this historical documentary (obviously, if you know anything about this story from when it happened, then you know how it turns out and rooting is a fruitless effort). More importantly, it does a good job of showing you all sides of the story, which is vital with a documentary. 

Stay tuned for my next Netflix documentary review Evil Genius: a documentary about a bizarre event in 2003. A pizza delivery man-turned bomb wielding bank robber in Erie, Pennsylvania and the masterminds behind it all.