@@@ Anyone watch "The Program" on Netflix?

[litskispeciality]

I watched this over the weekend. Woof, I have so many thoughts and feelings. Major Trigger Warnings for child abuse, gaslighting etc.

[chilerellanos]

I started it, but it was too soon after watching quiet on set.

I would like to finish it, but needed a break.

[oregonpachey]

I did it and it was absolutely enraging. I can't believe the men in control continue to just go about their business. Also, fuck the parents that put their children in these programs.

[bex1973]

I did. I was outraged. Seeing the people tell their story in the exact place the abuse happened was a lot. So heartbreaking

[wanderingback]

Apr 8, 2024 10:20:19 GMT -5 oregonpachey said:

I did it and it was absolutely enraging. I can't believe the men in control continue to just go about their business. Also, fuck the parents that put their children in these programs.

Yeah I def understand that the parents were manipulated but omg. How do you let your kid get kidnapped in the middle of the night? How do you never visit (when scouting the place and then subsequently)?

It was def difficult to watch, even the former employees seemed rather non bothered.

[sugarbear1]

I did. It was shocking, particularly how ambivalent the former employees were.

I do have really strong feelings that I am still processing. My boyfriend's son spent last year at a therapeutic boarding school. By all reports, it was a life-changing, positive experience for him. However, BF's ex-wife was dead set against him going and has been spewing vitriol ever since. She actually cited this show in one of her recent text threads.

[Aloe Vera]

I did and it made me so mad that nothing has been done 20+ years later?! And it's actually still going on. Looks like former employees of Ivy Ridge are getting fired or placed on leave. The locals were still working with kids and adults in vulnerable situations. The director was back in Utah working in construction and was fired last month.

I went to Reddit to get some answers about her dad. This fucker is still married to the stepmom. The sister answered some questions on Reddit. She said Katherine doesn't talk to the stepmom at all and the 2 sisters have minimal interactions with the stepmom, mainly because they still see their dad. The sister admitted the stepmom made their childhood very hard and was targeting Katherine. This makes me so mad. He can say he didn't know back then but now he knows. No more excuses. Katherine was sent to this horrible place because of this woman. She was abused at home and instead of trying to understand, her dad sent her to be abused even more. Speculations are he knew something wasn't right because she never graduated. He pulled her out early. But she doesn't say why in her documentary.

[litskispeciality]

Apr 8, 2024 10:59:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Apr 8, 2024 10:20:19 GMT -5 oregonpachey said:

I did it and it was absolutely enraging. I can't believe the men in control continue to just go about their business. Also, fuck the parents that put their children in these programs.

Yeah I def understand that the parents were manipulated but omg. How do you let your kid get kidnapped in the middle of the night? How do you never visit (when scouting the place and then subsequently)?

It was def difficult to watch, even the former employees seemed rather non bothered.

Yeah the former employees bothered me so much. They're all so brainwashed. How are they not outraged, feel guilty, feel upset how underpaid they were in relation to what was coming in?!? How did people afford this?

I wasn't even clear how most of the kids got sent her other than the parents recruiting other parents. Most of the kids didn't seem to have that *bad* of behavior in the first place. I was so proud of Katherine for cutting her dad off for at least 15 months, and the other woman for doing everything she could to prove she never took drugs. Her family are sh!t if they still believe the school over her, regardless of the drug test results.

How did the few kids who graduated make it to the end? Did the school feel like they had to graduate a few to keep up appearance, or were they just 18 and the school couldn't legally keep them anymore?

Ugh it's all so heartbreaking. I'm really disappointed in NY state not regulating this as much as they claim to be so great in the educational system. The whole Utah thing is so frightening, not just with these schools but so many teen issues.

And did I miss the end game? Like I know they want money, but like why abuse the kids so bad? What would they get out of this? Did they think they could get them in line to stay in their cult, or keep them quiet for fear of further retaliation? 

[eb777888]

Yes, it was very disturbing. I can't imagine the feeling of realizing there was no way out until you're 18 (unless your parents refuse the pay) because the program is designed for you to "fail". It's so fucked up. I stopped watching after she confronted her dad in the last episode. I need to finish it.

[fivechickens]

I watched it.

A relative of mine sent their kid to a camp (not one talked about) like this, including middle of the night kidnapping. I often wonder if they watch these and have regrets.