Daisy Edgar-Jones Meets a Tragic Fate in This Murder Mystery Miniseries

The Big Picture

• Adapting a bestselling book into a series is challenging, especially when based on real events like the tragic murder in “Under the Banner of Heaven.”
• Andrew Garfield shines as Detective Jeb Pyre in the series, investigating a murder traced to Mormonism while facing personal beliefs.
• Daisy Edgar-Jones delivers a moving portrayal of Brenda, highlighting her innocence and vulnerability in a toxic environment in the series.

There are always a lot of challenges that go along with adapting a bestselling book. The main obstacle is usually whether the writers can stay true to the source material while still coming up with a fresh, interesting take on the subject. The matter becomes even more complicated when the book is based on a real-life event. In the case of Under the Banner of Heaven, the team was tasked with bringing the tragic murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter to the screen with sensitivity and grace. Jon Krakauer‘s book on the topic was first published in 2003 and brought to light the horrific crime that took place in 1984, as well as the Mormon Church’s fundamentalist history (which was inextricably linked to the deaths of Brenda and her baby). Dustin Lance Black (who won an Oscar for his screenplay of 2009’s Milk) crafted a moving and thrilling psychological drama in a seven-episode limited series that premiered in April 2022 on FX on Hulu.

The series is told from the perspective of Detective Jeb Pyre, who is investigating the murders. Pyre is portrayed by Andrew Garfield, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role as a Mormon man who must reconcile his personal beliefs with the unfolding case he’s looking into. Sam Worthington, Wyatt Russell, and Rory Culkin also deliver incredible performances as Brenda’s brothers-in-law, who become entrenched in incredibly conservative and extremist fundamentalist beliefs. But there is one performance in Under the Banner of Heaven that truly brings the whole series together. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Brenda in flashbacks, and it is her moving, authentic portrayal that demonstrates what a harrowing and devastating event these murders were.

‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ Is an Intriguing Depiction of Real-Life Events

When Brenda and her baby were found brutally slaughtered in their Utah home, the event tore apart the Lafferty family and the Mormon community. In the first episode of the series, Pyre enters the graphic crime scene to try and figure out who committed this heinous act. Multiple suspects immediately emerge, including Brenda’s husband, Allen (Billy Howle). Although he seems to be hiding something, he alleges that men with beards committed the murders. It is up to Pyre to figure out what really happened to Brenda and her daughter. What unfolds over the next several episodes is a twisted investigation into the Lafferty clan and their roles within the Mormon church. What quickly becomes apparent is that the Laffertys were much more than just traditional Mormons; their beliefs skewed into fanaticism, and it would be this descent into misogyny and violence that would lead to Brenda and her daughter’s murder.

The series is fascinating, not only because of the murders and the quest to discover the truth behind them but also because Pyre himself is trying to make sense of the darker side of his religion that he hasn’t really come face to face with before. The series does meander away from the main story in parts in order to depict some of the backstory of the Mormon religion (including its foundation in the 1800s by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young), but these tangents are necessary for the viewer to better understand where some of the Laffertys’ beliefs originated from. As their behaviors get more extreme (and more delusional), they use their beliefs to explain and excuse their violence, particularly when it is inflicted on the female members of the family. And the person that is most negatively affected by the whole Lafferty family’s religious notions is Brenda.

Daisy Edgar-Jones Is the Heart of ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’

In Under the Banner of Heaven, Brenda is initially introduced as a bright, bubbly young woman who meets Allen while attending Brigham Young University. Although she is from a traditional Mormon family, she still has her sights set on being more than just a wife and mother and has big dreams for herself. She loves Allen, but she is also incredibly naive about marrying into his family. She doesn’t seem to realize until it’s too late how her more progressive beliefs will bump up against the Laffertys’ increasingly misogynistic and abusive ways. Most of the beliefs held by this family are centered on the suffocating idea that women belong in the home and should always be submissive to their husbands (and to any male member of the family), who can control them in whatever way they see fit. Brenda shares her opinions and tries to point out the unfairness and the toxicity of these beliefs. However, she is innocent enough to believe that she will still be valued as a member of the Lafferty family (and as a human being) even if she disagrees with them. Brenda’s tragic fate, and that of her daughter, is a brutal reminder that her quest for a better life for herself would end up being her undoing.

With a less skilled actor portraying Brenda, this role could have felt one-dimensional. Edgar-Jones is able to depict Brenda’s wide-eyed vulnerability and innocence, making the character more believable. Brenda is one of the few characters in the series who has a good heart and isn’t motivated by trying to exert control over someone else. She is just trying to do her best to be a dutiful Mormon wife and mother while avoiding wearing overly modest clothes or displaying obedient and passive behaviors like the other women in the Lafferty family. Edgar-Jones represents Brenda as a woman who desperately tries to bring attention to the nefarious members of the family who, before her death, grew increasingly erratic and irrational. In this performance, Edgar-Jones also illustrates that Brenda was always able to stay true to herself and what she thought was right, even when the hypocrisy and violence were escalating around her.

This true-crime series is an insightful look into a horrific case that plunged a family (and the Mormon community at large) into turmoil. Without Edgar-Jones’ nuanced portrayal of a woman who fights to exist in a terrifying environment, the series would have been much less compelling. As it stands, it is an extremely dark yet thrilling series that showcases Edgar-Jones’ gifts. After this series, she also appeared in another adaptation of a bestselling book, Where the Crawdads Sing and her next big role comes in Twisters, which hits theaters this week. From the range of roles that she’s taken on so far and with Under the Banner of Heaven, it’s clear that Edgar-Jones is continuing to carve out a career for herself that includes challenging, dramatic parts that allow her to show off her depth.

Under the Banner of Heaven is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

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