Synopsis
The Family (2019), Season 1 is a Netflix documentary you can watch online on iFILM — five episodes on a secretive Christian brotherhood wired into Washington power.
It opens with journalist Jeff Sharlet, who once lived at Ivanwald, a men's house where the group quietly recruits. From there the season moves outward. C Street, a discreet residence for sitting politicians; the National Prayer Breakfast; and Doug Coe, the leader who preferred to stay invisible. Each episode peels back another layer, until the brotherhood's reach runs from foreign strongmen all the way to the Oval Office.
Built on Sharlet's own books and reporting, the show works because it stays calm. No shouting, no conspiracy theatrics — just the plain mechanics of access and faith laid out across all five episodes. It suits viewers who like political documentaries that argue with paper trails rather than music cues. Stream The Family Season 1 online on iFILM.
5 episodes
S1·E1Submersion
Journalist Jeff Sharlet details his days living at Ivanwald, a men's residence where he discovers the Family's allegiance to Jesus -- and to power.
S1·E2Chosen
Supporters and skeptics discuss C Street -- a secrecy-shrouded residence for Washington politicians -- and its sway in high-profile sex scandals.
S1·E3New World Order
Doug Coe, the Family's leader, obscures the group's role in the National Prayer Breakfast, which has become a hub for backroom global influence-peddling.
S1·E4Dictators, Murderers & Thieves
Some American politicians use their clout to spread the Family's views to foreign leaders, including some of history's most notorious rulers.
S1·E5Wolf King
Rooted in local men's groups, the Family's commingling of theology, ideology and worldly power extends its reach all the way to the U.S. presidency.
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