WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Under the Banner of Heaven episode 2.
Under the Banner of Heaven episode 2 ends with a gun in Detective Taba’s face outside of the cabin, but the series doesn’t show the character pointing it. As Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) and Bill Taba (Gil Birmingham) investigate the real-life 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter Erica, the small-town Utah detectives stumble upon the discovery of a dangerous Mormon cult in their own community. The detectives quickly realize they’re in over their heads as the dark truth of how specific religion-driven violence and unyielding faith have influenced the brutal murders.
While Jeb Pyre separately interrogates Allen and Robin Lafferty back at the station, Detective Taba takes it upon himself to investigate strange reports in the nearby woods that may be connected to the murders. As Taba enters the grounds, he’s greeted by young girls in traditional Latter-day Saints dresses (on account of Pioneer Day) who make noise at him before running deeper into the forest. Soon, Under the Banner of Heaven‘s Taba finds trees that have been cut down with dead squirrels nailed to them, all of which lead to a mysterious cabin in a clearing. The detective, played by Twilight‘s Billy Black actor, then sees a purposeful hole cut into the side of the cabin, and when he tries to take a closer look, he is met with a shotgun pointed at his face.
Under the Banner of Heaven episodes 1 and 2 have proven through Allen and Robin’s questionings that in the time since Brenda joined their family, the Lafferty brothers have descended into dangerous associations and more extreme traditional Mormon ideals, which are hinted at connecting to her 1984 murder. Under the Banner of Heaven gives several clues as to who could be in the cabin based on Allen and Robin’s interviews, with such contenders being the remaining Lafferty brothers or the anti-tax bearded men Allen describes as looking like old Mormon prophets. Since Robin is also introduced in the present timeline of the Andrew Garfield-starring Under the Banner of Heaven with a grown-out beard and longer hair, it’s hinted that the rest of the Lafferty brothers have done the same, meaning the most likely candidates for the gun owner are Sam, Dan, Ron, and Jacob Lafferty.
The clue that suggests Jacob is in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 2’s cabin is the dead squirrels Taba finds nailed to the trees. Under the Banner of Heaven makes an important moment out of Brenda finding Jacob with a dead squirrel in his hands, which isn’t apt to be a coincidence. Since Jacob is hinted at not being able to care for himself in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 2’s flashbacks, another Lafferty brother could also have to be living in the cabin with his family, which may explain the young girls running through the woods. As such, the Under the Banner of Heaven character pointing the gun at Taba is most likely Sam (Scream 4‘s Rory Culkin) or Ron (Sam Worthington), since Dan’s (Wyatt Russell) stepdaughters have dark brown hair rather than the blonde of the girls in the forest.
Since Under the Banner of Heaven has yet to utilize the horror talents of Rory Culkin, it wouldn’t be surprising for Sam to be the dangerous brother pointing a gun at Detective Taba, especially since the show’s trailer already depicted him growing the traditional long hair and beard. Additionally, the detectives reveal they had already tried calling Ron at home in Under the Banner of Heaven episode 1, which suggests he’s not the one living off-the-grid in 1984’s Utah. Sam and Robin also seem to be the two Lafferty brothers who do the bidding of Ron and Dan, with FX’s descriptions of the characters labeling them as fiercely protective with firm beliefs. Since Robin is already being held by Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield’s Detective Pyre, the character pointing the gun at Taba at the end of Under the Banner of Heaven episode 2 seems to be Rory Culkin’s Sam Lafferty.
New episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven release Thursdays on Hulu.
