Dive Deeper Into the NXIVM Cult Controversy With The Vow Part Two ’s Official First Look

Keith Raniere's trial is just the tip of the iceberg.

The downfall of the NXIVM cult, which Raniere co-founded, is further examined in The Vow Part Two, premiering Oct. 17 on HBO.

The first season of The Vow, which premiered in August 2020, told the story of the criminal underbelly of NXIVM, billed as a self-improvement group to its members, which ended with Raniere being convicted of crimes including racketeering, sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy, identity theft and production and possession of child pornography. He didn't testify in the case and he pled not guilty.

In October 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison.

"Set against the backdrop of the federal trial of The United States against Keith Raniere, The Vow Part Two offers an exclusive view into Raniere's innermost circle," according to HBO, "including NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman. It follows the legal and emotional journeys of the group's founders, supporters and defectors as new evidence and stunning revelations come to light."

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Salzman, who was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for her role in NXIVM in 2021, attempts to tell her side of the story.

"Imagine you spent 22 years trying to build something," she says in the docu-series' trailer, "but everybody thinks it's the devil's work."

It goes beyond Salzman, too. The Vow Part Two examines how some of Raniere's followers still subscribe to the NXIVM belief system, with one saying in the trailer, "Keith is very dear to me and I know he's innocent."

As Raniere himself articulates in the trailer, "You know the best way to train a con artist? Let the games that they play work."

The Vow Part Two premieres Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. on HBO, with new episodes on subsequent Mondays on HBO. The series will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

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