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I was in second grade when everybody started to watch YouTube. To a nine-year-old, YouTube was a vast area with unlimited possibilities and access to lives we wanted, people we wanted to meet, and families we wanted to be a part of. One of those families is the Frankes.
I remember going over to a family friend’s house for the day and we watched a Franke vlog on their channel previously known as “8 Passengers.” Despite my disinterest, my friend was enamored, just like so many others at my school. It felt shockingly fake to me, all of it, but everybody who has ever watched them, including me, never could’ve guessed just how fake it actually was.
In 2023, news broke that Ruby Franke had been arrested. The reactions from my friends and the rest of the world were drastic. The Frankes had touched many lives, making this impact hit even harder. I followed the storyline through TikToks and articles, which laid out the timelines, but in late February, everything changed.
A detailed Hulu documentary, “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke,” released three episodes with unseen footage, unheard perspectives, and an entirely new dark side to an already dark story.
The first episode of the three-episode series sets the scene, detailing the rise of the Franke’s YouTube career as “8 Passengers” and Ruby Franke’s drive and determination to build an audience. The episode also touches on the Franke’s dedication to the Mormon church as Ruby believes that God is rewarding her with followers and views as she spreads the image of a “Perfect Morman Family.” So much of the footage, deleted and posted, was extremely concerning in hindsight. It was a crazy experience watching what I had watched so long ago through an entirely new lens; a chilling one.
The second episode focuses on Jodi Hildebrant, Ruby’s partner-in-crime, who is also taken into custody at around the same time Ruby is under similar claims. After Chad, the oldest male Franke child, starts getting into trouble, Ruby seeks out Hildebrant, a therapist who is popular amongst many Mormons in the community. The episode takes a chilling turn as Hildebrant infiltrates the Frankes’ lives, using the family member's weak spots and trauma against them. The entire story escalates from there as demonic possession, rumors of an affair, and the expelling of Chad and father, Kevin Franke, from the house, unravel. This was my favorite episode, and also the most terrifying, seeing how therapists and those who work in emotional fields can manipulate others and destroy families.
The final episode of the miniseries describes the events leading up to the huge turning point: footage of the youngest Franke boy, asking a neighbor for help, his ankles tied with duct tape, and his ribs showing. Even as an avid documentary watcher and podcast listener, this was a hard episode to watch. The blatant abuse and downward spiral of people who the internet thought they knew, was terrifying. The finale left me in tears, both devastated and indignant.
Overall, the series was shocking, saddening, and incredibly well done. Any documentary that leaves a watcher upset has done its job, and it has impacted me greatly. In the wake of the documentary’s release, there has been lots of online discussion and arguments, furthering the popularity of the case.
One of the biggest points of contention is whether or not the father, Kevin Franke, should be held accountable as well as Ruby. Kevin Franke maintains his innocence to this day and fights for custody over his children; however, I and many others believe his negligence and failures as a father should be further investigated.
This miniseries earns a 5 star review from me and I believe it’s a show everybody should watch, not only to bring awareness to the situation but to show how easily social media can hide the truths of our lives.
By: Mackenzie Frost
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