The Path is a drama produced by Hulu and created by Jessica Goldberg starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan, and Hugh Dancy in the lead roles. Originally titled “The Way”, the show was ordered to series by Hulu back in March 2015. The 10-episode first season of the show debuted on March 30th, 2016 and came to an end on May 25th. Despite the initial doubts about its premise and setting, The Path came through and proved to be an excellent drama that succeeded on almost all fronts a television show should with exceptional performances from the cast.
The Path’s plot revolves around a fictional religious cult called Meyerism and the lives of the people involved with it, the Lane family in particular. Meyerism is already an established faith movement when the show begins. Its beliefs and practices are inspired by the cult’s holy script, The Ladder. Meyerist followers are classified into different strata based on the depth of their knowledge of the Ladder. While undergoing preparation to qualify as a “6R” in Peru, Eddie Lane(Aaron Paul) gets a vision that makes him question his beliefs and the underlying ideals and lore of Meyerism. The Path progresses by examining the impact this creates on Eddie’s relationship with his family and Cal Roberts (Hugh Dancy), one of the leaders of the movement.
When The Path was first announced, the news was received with slight reservations about how a show about a religious movement would play out as a series. However, it turned out to be an excellent series thanks to its outstanding cast and interesting plot with a tad bit of surrealism thrown into the mix. From the animated title credits itself; the show has enough material in terms of story and presentation to get the viewer hooked. The show has an aura that is hauntingly magnetic at times, which adds to making it an engrossing watch. It drives itself forward primarily through the three main characters and a few other side-plots, each of which examines how faith influences different types of people. In fact, as a whole, The Path could be seen as a reflection of the significance of faith and the extent to which people are willing to go to protect their convictions. It examines the positive and negative sides of faith in something supernatural and often questions the logic behind blind faith through its many character moments. Interestingly enough, The Path manages to do it all without offending any religious group’s sentiments.
From left to right: The Lane family played by Kyle Allen (Hawk), Michelle Monaghan (Sarah), Aaron Paul (Eddie)
Each of the characters in The Path explores how faith in any institution, forced or independent, affects their lives. Eddie Lane, Sarah Lane, and Cal Roberts are the three pillars that hold the show together, each of them being an embodiment of three different types of people associated with any cult. Cal is the apparent messiah of Meyerism who continues the good work of his predecessor who is secretly driven by darker motivations. Michelle Monaghan’s Sarah Lane is the untainted believer who defends her faith no matter what; and Eddie is the skeptic questioning the validity of the institution he believes in. The finesse with which the actors portray these characters helps in making the plot much more convincing. All three of the leads previously starred in shows that are considered classics by the audience –Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad, Hugh Dancy in Hannibal, and Michelle Monaghan in True Detective. The reputation these actors gained from these shows was the major factor which created buzz about The Path before its debut. Among them, it was undoubtedly Hugh Dancy who stole the show. Cal Roberts is distinct from his former character, Will Graham, in many ways and is valid proof of Dancy’s caliber. He was highly successful in showing the dark yet conflicting persona of Cal and makes the viewer believe that at his core, Cal is a guy who wants to do good even if his ulterior motives are ultimately flawed and selfish. Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan also delivered equally stunning performances. Paul’s performance in episode 8, in particular, was outstanding. Suffice to say, they excelled in bringing their characters to life on-screen.
Hugh Dancy as Cal Roberts
The supporting characters were also backed by good actors and had interesting arcs that contributed to making the show more engaging. Kyle Allen plays Hawk Lane, Eddie’s teenage son whose faith is challenged by the events that happen to him at school. Kyle’s arc is probably the best side-plot in The Path and has several great moments. Another interesting is Detective Abe Gaines played by Rockmond Dunbar who conducts an investigation to look into The Movement’s real motives, but must confront his own faith as he faces an issue in his personal life. There are a couple of other characters in The Path as well who have interesting story arcs.
Rockmund Dunbar plays Detective Abe Gaines, a supporting character with an impactful side-plot
The Path has done well on the technical side as well. The show’s cinematography is great and features a few aesthetically beautiful locations and shots that give the show the mystical mood it needs. The episodes directed by Michael Weaver and Roxanne Dawson were among the best in the whole season with episode 8 being an outstanding entry. The soundtracks used in the show along with the featured songs also blend well with The Path’s world.
In conclusion, The Path is a fresh, exemplary drama that can quench the needs of drama lovers. It offers plenty in terms of story, twists, characters, performances, and aesthetics. It is a must watch for anyone who has ever been in a circumstance which made them contemplate on their faith and the institution they believed in. The Path is a highly recommended watch for drama-addicts looking for a new show to get hooked to.
Tags: Aaron Paul Hugh Dancy Hulu Rockmund Dunbar The Path TV series
