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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cultcw01.jpg ]]
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3''Cult'' was a series on Creator/TheCW about a community run by the enigmatic Billy Grimm, and Kelly Collins, a former member who became a cop who was convinced Billy was planning to get revenge on her for leaving, using her family who were still members. It was produced by Steven Rae, an enigmatic figure who never appears in public.
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5Wait, let's try this again.
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7''Cult'' was a series on The CW about a hit television show about Billy Grimm (Creator/RobertKnepper) and Kelly Collins (Creator/AlonaTal). Former reporter Jeff Sefton (Matthew Davis) is drawn into a bizarre conspiracy when his brother disappears after leaving several cryptic hints relating to the show. Along with Skye Yarrow (Creator/JessicaLucas), a research assistant on the series who has grown unnerved by the disturbing levels of devotion some of its fans have, he discovers that the line between fact and fiction around the show is far from clear, and who knows how far this rabbit hole goes? It is produced by Rockne S. O'Bannon, the creator of ''Series/{{Farscape}}''.
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9The CW aired 7 of the 13 episodes filmed and dropped the program from its lineup in April, 2013.
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12!!This series contains examples of:
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14* ArcWords:
15** "You're next."
16** InUniverse: "Oh hey, these things just snap right off."
17* {{Backmasking}}: The end of episode three reveals that the "weird" sound design on the ShowWithinAShow includes messages that only reveal themselves when played backwards and slowed down substantially. One such message is, "Kill for us."
18* BitingTheHandHumor: The in-universe CW network president seems almost proud of the fact that he kept around ''Series/GossipGirl'' for more than one season. Bonus points for being [[SelfDeprecation produced by the same company as GG.]]
19* CouchGag [=/=] FreezeFrameBonus: In addition to the creator's credit shifting between Rockne S. O'Bannon and Steven Rae for split seconds at a time, the intertitle ends with a quick flash of some phrase or symbol that's important in that episode.
20* {{Cult}}: Of course -- both Billy's "family" on the ShowWithinAShow, and the "True Believers" in the "real world".
21* DirtyCop: The story that got Jeff fired from the Washington Post exposed a bunch of DC cops as this. This contributes somewhat to the unhelpfulness of the chief investigating officer who keeps showing up [[spoiler: besides the fact that she's a member of the cult]].
22* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Nate to Jeff, respectively.
23%%* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou
24* TheGhost: Steven Rae, the creator of the ShowWithinTheShow.
25%%* GoryDiscretionShot: [[spoiler:The network president]] in episode 2.
26* HeKnowsTooMuch: {{Implied|Trope}} to be the cause of Skye's father's disappearance.
27%%* MadnessMantra
28* MindScrew: Good luck figuring out what's part of the fake show...and what's part of the real one.
29* TheMole: [[spoiler: Detective Sakelik is a cult member.]]
30* ParentalAbandonment: Between the two main characters' back-stories, three parents are either missing or dead.
31* RoomFullOfCrazy: More than one, both in the ShowWithinAShow and outside of it
32* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Part of Jeff's backstory, and the reason he was fired from The Washington Post.
33* SexySurfacingShot: In "The Prophecy of St. Clare", Roger watches Kirstie (Creator/MarieAvgeropoulos) going for a swim at the pool and then climb out of the pool later in a bikini.
34* ShowerScene: Skye gets one in "The Kiss", shot with ShouldersUpNudity. She also gets a hallucination of Roger [[PsychoShowerMurderParody coming at her with a knife]].
35%%* ShowWithinAShow: Possibly the ultimate example of this.
36* SigilSpam: Mild version, but you can easily identify the crazed ''Cult'' fans by the distinctive nested-square tattoos they wear. It's even found in the show's customized Fake Empire vanity plate, and one logo for the show is the letters in the title arranged in the nested-square style.
37* TitleDrop: Given the ShowWithinAShow nature, this happens repeatedly.
38%%* TheWalrusWasPaul: One of the most extreme examples around. See MindScrew above.

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