The Vow (2020): Season 1

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Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: August 23, 2020

Summary: The documentary series directed by Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer looks into the NXIVM self-help program where Smallville actress Allison Mack recruited women to eventually join a secret society that allegedly included sexual slavery to co-founder Keith Raniere.

Genre(s): Movie/Mini-Series, Documentary

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Season 1 Episodes

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Critic Reviews

Kristen Baldwin

Aug 19, 2020

What’s so chilling about The Vow — HBO’s immersive new docuseries about NXIVM, the New York-based “self-help group” brought down by charges of sexual slavery — is how vividly it illustrates the seductive and insidious ways these groups lure intelligent, well-meaning people into servitude. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Aug 21, 2020

A stunning expose of the self-improvement group NXIVM and its downfall. Read full review

Maureen Ryan

Aug 23, 2020

Ultimately, The Vow is an impressive and even transfixing achievement. Read full review

Daniel D'Addario

Aug 18, 2020

“The Vow” pushes back against its slack pace to become television that compels — both for the access it has and for what it does with that access. ... This series, in its methodical nature, attempts to restage Edmondson’s own coming into consciousness, and that it largely succeeds is an impressive feat of bearing witness. Read full review

Inkoo Kang

Aug 19, 2020

The generous peppering of insider NXIVM videos throughout The Vow renders the dorky, soft-spoken Raniere, who appears not to have participated in the documentary, a thoroughly unimpressive figure, while providing visual relief from the many talking-head interviews. Overall, the production is handsome and well-structured, with new episodes unearthing new layers of viciousness and manipulation. Read full review

Katie Rife

Aug 21, 2020

The filmmakers have an immense treasure trove of footage to draw from, but only a few defectors willing to be interviewed on camera. At times, the whiplash between the banality of the source material and the extreme nature of the allegations is striking. ... One thing The Vow does well is break down the techniques of emotional abuse Raniere and his inner circle used to manipulate lower-ranking members, so we understand why they stuck around—if not why they were devoted to this man in particular. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Aug 21, 2020

Nine hours of this story crosses from exhaustive to exhausting in “The Vow.” The amazing access to personal stories as they unfolded likely led directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer to err on the side of inclusion, but the repetitive, unedited nature of the series actually diminishes its intended impact. ... Still, there’s power in each episode of “The Vow,” even if it’s assembled in a manner than never completely worked for me. Read full review

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tibzoid

Oct 19, 2020

Lots of rich material but about twice as long as it needed to be. In essence, it's a bunch of well-off, damaged white people with poor boundaries who allow a second-rate charlatan to manipulate them to horrific extremes. Oh, and one of the subjects filmed everything while it was happening,Lots of rich material but about twice as long as it needed to be. In essence, it's a bunch of well-off, damaged white people with poor boundaries who allow a second-rate charlatan to manipulate them to horrific extremes. Oh, and one of the subjects filmed everything while it was happening, which certainly puts you right in the midst of the action, but it also comes across as self-indulgent navel-gazing. I'm not sure if a lot of the victims have good insight into why they were hornswoggled. But hey, I stuck around until the end, which is abrupt and incomplete compared to the excruciating marathon viewers had to endure.… Expand

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UncleWillard

Aug 30, 2020

I'm only two episodes in and I can see what other reviewers are talking about. Vincentes is also very sleazy, and comes off as someonewho married the first woman who would talk to him. It reminds me of a slicker version of other cult docs with the same core group of people; actors orI'm only two episodes in and I can see what other reviewers are talking about. Vincentes is also very sleazy, and comes off as someonewho married the first woman who would talk to him. It reminds me of a slicker version of other cult docs with the same core group of people; actors or aspiring actors. Why do these people keep falling for these charlatans? I guess its their need for attention.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Seasons & Episodes

76

Series Overview
Season 1

76
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 23, 2020
- No episode information is currently available for this season