Scientology has become a hot topic in showbiz in recent years, and some pretty shocking stories have circulated about celebrities involved in the organization. Leah Remini was formerly a member of the Church of Scientology, but she left and has been vocally critical ever since. She debuted an A&E series called Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath back in 2016, and a second season has already been ordered. Now, it turns out that we won't have to wait until Season 2 for more of Remini on Scientology. A special called "Merchants of Fear" will air later this month.
"Merchants of Fear" will be a two-hour special examining the historical relationship between the critics of Scientology and the Church itself. A number of special guest stars are slated to appear, and they will openly discuss their individual experiences when their investigations into the Church, which is notorious for firing back at its detractors. The two-hour special will include a sneak peek ahead at Season 2 of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which was officially ordered earlier this year.
The special airing ahead of Season 2 is great news for fans. No official premiere date has yet been set for Season 2, so there's no saying how long we'll be waiting before Scientology and the Aftermath returns for another batch of episodes. Additionally, "Merchants of Fear" will be a standalone special and not take away from the 10-episode order for the second season, which was a bump up from the eight episodes of the first season.
It's not a huge surprise that A&E is going all out on Scientology and the Aftermath. The series became cable's #1 new unscripted series in the 25-54 age demographic and total viewers in Live+7 day measurements. If the ratings hold steady for "Merchant of Fear" and Season 2, I'm guessing that Scientology and the Aftermath will keep going for as long as Leah Remini has material. She landed a comedy pilot back in March, so she's clearly not opposed to pursuing other projects, but she also hasn't stopped speaking out about Scientology (or who she thinks is the one person who could take the Church down). It should be interesting to see if Scientology has a response to the new special.
You can catch "Merchants of Fear" and the sneak peek at Season 2 of Scientology and the Aftermath on Monday, May 29 at 9 p.m. ET on A&E. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.
