Operation Showtime

## Episode Guide

**"Operation Showtime"** is the third episode of *Waco*. It aired on February 7, 2018.

## Overview

ATF assault vehicles storm the Mount Carmel compound and a two-hour gunfight breaks out, leaving four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians dead and scores more wounded. The standoff begins, and the FBI arrive in Waco to take over from the ATF. FBI chief negotiator Gary Noesner arrives and agrees to broadcast David Koresh's message on national television in exchange for Koresh’s promise to come out. Noesner delivers on his promise, but Koresh refuses to come out.

## Recap

The ATF are heading into Waco, Texas towards the Branch Davidians compound, Mount Carmel. David Koresh and the rest see the commotion outside, a helicopter circling above. He sends the "women and children" to hide as the men pull out the arsenal of assault rifles and other guns on the property. The divine leader says he wants to try talking it out first, whereas the ATF are setting up outside locked and loaded and ready for action.

When Koresh steps outside he pleads that they stop. By the fence two dogs come running and ATF agents kill them, which sets the other agents on edge, and they start firing at the house. Gunfire everywhere. Koresh runs back in, but not before taking a bullet through and through in the left side; a few Davidians take bullets, as do some ATF agents. Meanwhile, TV cameras are already documenting the chaos. Inside the house a few women pick up guns to combat the carnage. Judy Schneider gets a bullet shot right up through her finger while her husband Steve is trying to help Koresh with Dave Thibodeau. Wayne Martin is calling the sheriff in desperation trying to get someone to call off the raid. Problem is there are "no communications" on the ground; the ATF didn’t bring any with them.

And all the while the guns never stop. In the distance, Robert Rodriguez stands back watching the massacre he tried his best to stop. Eventually, a bunch of ATF agents get up onto the house’s roof and head for the windows. They drop a smoke grenade then head inside. Children are exposed to flashbangs when the agents move further in. When the agents are chased off by one of the Davidians with an assault rifle a couple of them pay a fatal price. One makes it out and urges a cameraman to call for help from his van. Utter panic. At home, Balenda Thibodeau sees the news report from Waco, knowing her son is in there.

The camerman gets in touch with the sheriff who commands him to tell the ATF to ceasefire. It’d be hilarious if it weren’t so brutal and bloody. A complete breakdown in communication, a disregard for protocol, confusion, paranoia – the entire thing began with a mix of all these precipitated by the ATF’s Ed Wiggins and his call to raid Mt. Carmel.

Koresh gets on the phone with the local sheriff, talking about "theology" mostly while also trying to talk some sense about all that’s happening. Simultaneously, the cult leader argues with his trusted followers about what exactly they ought to do next; nobody really knows. While he’s alone Koresh calls his mother, telling her he’s been shot and saying goodbye. In another room, one of the Davidians is bleeding to death.

Kathy Schroeder sees that her husband Mike is sneaking in over the land coming onto Mt. Carmel, trying to get to his wife and child. But before he can the ATF fire on him. Mike briefly shoots back before he’s gunned down.

Noesner and Mitch Decker are headed to the compound in Waco. On the ground, the pair meet Tony Price, Special Agent in Charge, and he fills them in on what they don’t already know. Yet there’s already disagreement on how Gary hopes to handle things.

On the radio, Ron Engelman takes it to the federal government acting against American civilians. He questions what they’re doing using military force on their own citizens. Suddenly, Koresh is calling to talk on the air with him. The Branch Davidians’ leader speaks about what’s occurred unfiltered. Takes the FBI a bit too long to cut the lines of communication.

Gary finally gets on a new line direct to Koresh, he tries deescalating the situation. It isn’t easy. The leader is quite an intense character to be locked into a one-on-one conversation with over the phone, and under such duress. Koresh does a bit of preaching, of course. He also tells Gary to watch the tape and see they didn’t instigate the chaotic firefight. Soon, Gary offers to get David onto national television if he’ll come out peacefully, terms to which the leader of the Davidians agrees. Afterwards, Gary goes to talk with Rodriguez and asks him about the truth. Robert admits he wasn’t there. He does remember the cameraman, though says the "tape just went missing" after everything got hot out there.

Inside and still bleeding, Koresh puts his faith in God. He records a message for the outside world to hear. Steve listens on. But David goes a bit nuts when he hears people talking, laughing, acting normally around the tables in the cafeteria, chastising them for not mourning. Yes, he’s slipping more than ever.

Day 2 rolls around. Balenda rushes to Waco. At a press conference she meets the mother of Mr. Koresh. The ATF’s Wiggins goes on television where he tells lies, both about Koresh and the gunfight, plus he slanders Rodriguez personally. Now the FBI’s in charge, so they hope Gary’s deal will work. The "fifty–eight minutes" of tape is broadcast over the air for all to hear. Once it’s over Koresh sees nearly every channel, including the Christian ones, ridicule him for a rambling interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

## Cast

Michael Shannon as Gary Noesner
Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh
Andrea Riseborough as Judy Schneider
Paul Sparks as Steve Schneider
Rory Culkin as David Thibodeau
Shea Whigham as Mitch Decker
Melissa Benoist as Rachel Koresh
John Leguizamo as Jacob Vazquez
Julia Garner as Michelle Jones
Glenn Fleshler as Tony Prince
Guest Starring
Camryn Manheim as Balenda Thibodeau
Eric Lange as Ron Engelman
Christopher Stanley as Edward Wiggins
Michael Hyland as Walter Graves
Demore Barnes as Wayne Martin
Annika Marks as Kathy Schroeder
Ralph Alderman as Sheriff Harwell
Andy Umberger as Perry Jones
Blaire Chandler as Bonnie Sue Halderman | Co-Starring
Duncan Joiner as Cyrus
Matthew Page as Nate Madrono
Vivien Lyra Blair as Serenity Jones
Ryan Jason Cook as Derek Ludlow
Isabella Corlew as Leona Wendell
Eli Goodman as Barry Skinner
Leslie Fleming-Mitchell as Operator
Tait Fletcher as Brad Branch
J.B. Tuttle as Davey Jones
Kimberly Bigsby as Jaydean Wendell
Darcel Danielle as Sheila Martin
Cayen Martin as Jamie Martin
Kenneth Miller as Mike Schroeder
Kimberly Kiegel as Catherine Matteson
Jackamoe Buzzell as ATF Agent
John Campbell as ATF Agent