The Garden: Commune or Cult: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

An infamous off-grid community that went viral on social media for disturbing allegations is now the subject of a six-part limited series. 

On 22 acres of backcountry land in the American South lies The Garden – a community that lives by its own laws, free from the pressures of modern society. They maintain an open-door policy to anyone seeking to join their ranks, but new people must submit to an initiation period. Some barely last a week, others are forced to leave, and a chosen few will call The Garden home for good. Questions continue to arise about the cult-like vibes of the controversial community, but this spring is different. Cameras have been granted unprecedented access to The Garden, documenting its spread to new locations deep in the Ozarks.

Founded as a cooperative, "leaderless" community, The Garden could be viewed as a post-apocalyptic wonderland free of societal rules. However, when potential members arrive, they quickly realize there's more than meets the eye. New initiates include Tyler, a veteran and self-described doomsday prepper; Tisheila, a truck driver survivalist; "Oak," who wants to toughen up after years behind a desk; and Jessica, a former cheerleader looking to reconnect with nature. 

These newcomers have ten days to prove to The Garden that they have what it takes to be part of the community. Did they join a commune working towards a sustainable, off-grid way of life? Or have they just surrounded themselves with members of a mind-controlling cult?

Series details

• Title: The Garden: Commune or Cult
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Premiere date: 2023-10-29
• Final broadcast date listed: 2023-11-26
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: Discovery
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 61 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 71866

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2023-10-29; final listed air date 2023-11-26; episode order: 6.

Source and licence

Adapted from The Garden: Commune or Cult on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.