Lazarus 1×6 Review: “Heaven is a Place on Earth”

Lazarus season one episode 6, titled ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’, featured a very dark mission for the team involving AI and the philosophical notions about what makes a God.

Lazarus is a show promoted as having a narrative that asked questions about humanity, politics, Godhead, and more, so I had been waiting for it to become darker. Fortunately, it did in ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ as Eleina and Leland traveled to a secluded cult where Eleina was born.

According to a magazine from 15 years ago, Skinner was linked to a secluded community, called the Tower of Truth, that worshipped an AI program. Due to Skinner being off-grid, the team assumed he might be hiding in there. With no other leads and time running out, it made sense for the team to visit the community. Eleina revealed that the AI being worshipped by the cultists was called Naga. The community believed AI to be without human weaknesses, such as greed, pride, irrationality, etc. Thus, making it the perfect God for the modern world.

I could tell where the story was headed, but I was still excited, especially with Eleina being my favorite character. I wanted to learn more about her upbringing. She was sure the community would welcome her back. Seeing one of their own return after realizing how sinful the outside world was would be treated as a win for them. Leland (posing as Leon) went along as a new recruit. Doug, Axel, and Chris were to stay at a nearby motel because the community would be suspicious of adults wanting to join their belief system.

A man named Billy introduced himself as the leader. We got to meet Hanna, who was Eleina’s childhood friend. We also got to meet Eleina’s mother. However, the community didn’t believe in familial ties. There’s no concept of having a mother or father. Everyone was just a person to each other. Eleina didn’t even know who her father was. Also, having listened to Eleina’s explanation about the type of relationships that existed inside the Tower of Truth, I wouldn’t be surprised if incest ran rampant in the cult. Hanna could even be Eleina’s half-sister, if you think about it.

Though I understand Eleina and Leland had to be caught on their mission to access Naga’s mainframe to ramp up the action, I do think the writers could have done a better job of handling their capture. Eleina and Leland made almost every rookie mistake as they made their way to the mainframe. Seeing them surrounded made me want to smack my forehead in frustration. Frankly, other than being able to sharpshoot and showcase cool hand-to-hand fight choreography, Lazarus isn’t the most efficient team. They mostly get by because of luck or plot convenience.

I did like the conversation between Hanna and Eleina while she and Leland awaited being burned alive in the morning during a purification ritual. It made sense for Hanna to be jealous of Eleina leaving the community and escaping to the outside world. Certain people who are hesitant about taking a major step in their lives do tend to lash out at those who were courageous enough to take said step. The conversation made Hanna come across as human. At least, she was able to do the right thing in the end to help save Eleina and Leland.

As for what Naga wanted, apparently, the AI was ready to let the entire community sacrifice itself. Their belief system talked about how bodies were temporary and souls were permanent. More research revealed that Naga was fashioned after Skinner’s brain. A researcher at MIT, Billy grew so obsessed with the AI that he stole it from MIT and used it to start a cult to feed Naga’s desire for more power.   

Naga wanting the cult members to kill themselves linked to how Skinner had announced to the world that consuming Hapna meant people were going to start dying very soon. There was no “higher purpose” for Naga wanting the cult members to die. It was just a way for the AI to manipulate people because according to Naga, one can’t be deemed an actual God unless they hold the power to freely mess with human lives. By having the cult members willingly sacrifice themselves in Naga’s name, Naga was going to cement itself as a God. Thus, fulfilling the goal of its primary programming.

I can’t fault Naga for “thinking” in such a manner. Human lives are greatly impacted by religious belief systems, down to how they might end up treating their family members and others. Greek and Roman mythology is full of messy Gods. Current religions have been used to wage wars and justify incredibly cruel acts. Everything was done because a “God” (or more) wanted the followers to do so. Sigh!

With the team having acquired Naga’s memory bank before the tower burned down, I’m looking forward to seeing what insight they might gain into Skinner’s mind. From how Naga operated and what Skinner’s been doing, our dude does seem to have a God complex. From what I can understand, Skinner’s willing to share the cure to Hapna if humanity’s willing to show him it deserves to exist. We’re 6 episodes in and I haven’t seen a single example that could help humanity’s case. But then again, humanity shouldn’t have to prove itself to Skinner of all people. Why does he get to decide who should and shouldn’t live? Who made him God? No one even likes him!

I’m enjoying how Lazarus is making me think of such questions. However, my notions are more of an afterthought once the episode ends. That’s why I would like to see these ideas being better explored in the content itself. Eleina and Leland should have had a scene contemplating their lives as their execution day drew closer. I don’t think the two even yelled or cried as they were being lowered toward the fire. Eleina asking Chris if she would sleep next to her after the ordeal was a sweet moment. But again, I want more scenes exploring the emotions of the main cast.

As for team Lazarus butting heads with other government entities also searching for Skinner, we got to witness a bit of a turf war after the FBI showed interest in looking for Skinner at the Tower of Truth. With only 17 days remaining before the first batch of Hapna-related deaths, I want the team to try and act faster than the FBI when following leads as well as society’s collapse into chaos.

What did you think of Lazarus season one episode 6, ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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