Snakes & ladders
Eddie and Cal wrestle for Meyerism’s soul following the founder’s death.
Season 2 Mondays (from 24 July) M-Net (*101) 22:50
Are the Meyerist cult leaders high on drugs in season 2 of The Path (2016- current)? Are their religious visions real? And do the final three rungs forged by Cal Roberts (Hugh Dancy) from New York’s branch of Meyerism match the values of cult founder Doctor Stephen Meyer’s (Keir Dullea) original doctrine and text known as The Ladder? Both could be equally worthless since there is no higher authority to answer any of these questions or sort lies from truth for the viewer – each character’s truth in the show is their own reality. And that creates some fascinating paths…
DEAD WRONG
Season 1 (February 2017) ended with Dr Meyer miraculously recovered from his season-long coma and out of bed
in his clinic in Peru. At least that is what Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul) saw. By that point, recurring visions had led Eddie to doubt even the doubts that drove him away from Meyerism in season 1. The second season starts with a flashback of Dr Meyer telling Eddie that Eddie, not Cal, is his spiritual successor. Meyer then prepares to write the final three rungs of The Ladder, but before he can do that, Meyer and Eddie are struck by lightning on a mountain top, causing Dr Meyer to fall to his death. Well, that is Eddie’s story. A local later claims that they saw Eddie push Meyer off the mountain.
RISING & FALLING
What does becomes clear as the season progresses is that in the absence of literal truth, both Cal and Eddie are working toward different expressions of Meyerism’s spiritual truths. Eddie is pushing toward acceptance and openness, while Cal is driven increasingly towards restriction, blackmail and lies as his tools for holding onto power. One ladder is for climbing up and out, the other, down into darkness.