Showtime's On Becoming a God in Central Florida - Episode 1.05 "Many Masters"
Obie and Louise Garbeau host a lavish motivational retreat at Paradise Cay for Washington-level entrepreneurs.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Showtime's On Becoming a God in Central Florida.
"Many Masters" was written by Mike Goldbach and directed by Daniel Scheinert
The FAM community views Obie Garbeau II as a god. He isn't a divine figure though. He is simply a cruel and shrewd businessman who is just charming enough to have so many people worship his every word. This hour peels back the curtain a little bit to delve into the personal life of Obie. He has long existed as almost this mythic figure. He appeared for Travis' funeral in order to inspire the FAM community after that tragedy. But Krystal doesn't see him as the man who can change her life. He is simply the man standing in the way of her achieving her dreams. Right now, that is simply her splashercise class. She has the vision to potentially franchise it across the country through a partnership with FAM. That could be a solid way to ensure that there are marketplaces for this product that don't need to depend on local vendors and the pyramid scheme setup. Of course, that could run the risk of ruining everything that Obie has built. He may be intrigued by this idea. But he certainly doesn't wish to validate Krystal. She operates with the understanding that if she could just get to the man in charge then she too can be winning in life. That's the mentality that so many in FAM believe. They head to this retreat in order to get the chance to impress Obie. It's all a meaningless competition though. It props up the central ideas of this organization. Obie may be the only one profiting from all of this. He has a life of luxury. He makes people believe that they too can have that. As such, there is a lot of projection of strength and wealth. But there are plenty of people at the Washington level who are still struggling. Krystal and Cody are struggling. And now, it's clear that Carroll and Carole are as well. It's all just an illusion for them. They have to sell the idea of success in this business in order to motivate the people in their downline. That's the business strategy encouraged by this endeavor. They want to believe that they should be doing better by now. They hang on Obie's every word. They do view him as God whose word is scripture. They are blessed with an official meeting with him. He simply says that they aren't working hard enough. If they were to work harder, then all of this success would suddenly fall into their laps. It's a solution that isn't true in the slightest. It just makes them continually eager to please this man. Obie is a man completely imploding at the moment. He embraces such horrible behavior out of spite towards the rest of the world. No one else can tell him what to do. He is the one who matters. He is the one delivering a powerful message. And yet, his heart is failing. He doesn't want to listen to the doctors or his wife, Louise. They are simply conspiring against him. Their desire for him to get a pacemaker is perceived as a lack of faith in what he offers this world. That is so completely corrosive. He feels empowered though simply because of the gift that Cody brings him. It's monstrous and terrifying to see Cody lift up a dead pelican. But that is a true sight of strength and faith. Obie sees Cody in a new light. He is the man whose devotion cannot be question. He is someone who will do whatever Obie asks of him. That's what Obie wants right now. Because he has that clarity, he is more than willing to walk around with strength and confidence once more. No one saw or questioned his public breakdown. Instead, they simply view the aftermath of destroyed fruits and vegetables as a chance to please him. That subservient nature can be so toxic and destructive. It will ruins the lives of these people. They can't see anything else. Krystal doesn't get sucked into that narrative. And yet, her own dynamic with Cody is starting to grow incredibly toxic as they have to rely on each other in order to continue to grow their influence. It's a trick that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. But now, they both have the ear of Obie Garbeau II.
