Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults: Season 1, Episode 1

1 - 1: The Awakening

March 1997. Thirty-nine members of the Heaven's Gate cult are found dead in a Southern California mansion - the largest mass suicide in U.S. history. The inception of this mysterious group dates back to 1970s Oregon, where founding members Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite begin recruiting individuals interested in end-of-the-world Christianity, new age religion, and UFOs. Applewhite once called the group "the cult of cults." But the disappearance of new members soon drives media attention and family concerns.