What are the circumstances that would make you go into hiding? Odds are the answer is as simple as fearing for your life or the safety of a loved one. It requires giving up pretty much everything, so it’s not something anyone would do unless they felt they had run out of options. And that’s exactly what happens to the women in FX’s new 5-part documentary series Children of the Underground, premiering on August 12th.
(FX)
Faye Yager was determined not to let what happened to her and her daughter happen to anyone else when she created Children of the Underground, a network of safe houses for mothers and their children when the courts decided not to remove custody from abusive fathers. In this documentary series, viewers hear from Faye’s own daughter Michelle, in addition to many of the women and children who were protected by her hard work. But in a culture that favors the word of men over women, Faye’s good deeds can’t go unpunished for long.
Viewers of a certain age may remember Faye Yager and some of the docuseries’ subjects from daytime talk show appearances on shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, and The Sally Jessy Raphael Show (the latter of which appears in recent interviews looking back on the cases). But this story was new to me, starting as an underground network of volunteers to protect mothers of children who experienced sexual abuse from their fathers in an effort to protect them from a legal system that wants to return these kids to paternal care. Overcomplicating things is societal fears of “Satanic Panic,” sensationalized claims of ritualistic devil worship in the 80s and 90s that damaged and discredited genuine claims of abuse.
The series deals with the fact that well-intentioned deeds can sometimes cause more harm than good. Through interviews with several mothers and children who were aided by Children of the Underground, viewers will learn that not every case has a happy ending. Weighing in are several experts on child abuse, two former FBI agents who were following Faye Yager’s moves, plus lawyers and judges who presided over some of the cases featured in the series. At the same time, Faye’s daughter Michelle showcases what can happen when a child is kept in the custody of their abuser and the long-term effects that kind of upbringing has on your mental health.
Children of the Underground tells an interesting story, although efforts to line up thematic elements between the stories cause some of them to feel stretched a little too far. A mother and daughter, Faye and Mandy, become one of the easier threads to follow outside of Faye and Michelle’s stories, largely because they’re consistently present in all of the episodes. Other stories don’t start to be told until the third entry and their conclusion is held until the finale, but I wonder if they would’ve played better as components of an epilogue that showcase other ways these cases have gone. But overall, the series grips you, and it’s easy binge-watching material for true-crime fans.
I give Children of the Underground 3 out of 5 stars.
All five episodes of Children of the Underground will air back-to-back on Friday, August 12th, at 8/7c on FX. The entire series will be available to stream on Hulu the next day, August 13th.