March 12 - 18, 2017
1. Strangers - "Claire Obscure"
"Claire Obscure" evoked more dismayed protestations ("No, no, no!") from me than any podcast in recent memory. This is not an uncommon occurrence when listening to Strangers, and it is quite the feat for an interview driven show to cultivate such an impassioned response. Lea Thau delivers a recollection of terrible events in the past that takes an unlikely twist, leaving me stunned and anxiously awaiting the follow up promised at the end of the episode. Despite the tragedy there are glimmers of hope from Claire, the unbelievably resilient figure at the center of this still evolving story.
2. Embedded - "Police Videos: Flagstaff"
The incredible second part in Embedded's series on police related violence takes on a case atypical of many stories that involve police and guns. When something goes awry in the field, is it always OK to use the incident as a teaching moment? This episode definitely drives home the difficulty of policing, highlighting the unknown exigencies cops face every day. At the same time, Kelly McEvers balances the worth of all lives involved in the routine stop that is the focus of this episode.
3. Criminal - "Rochester, 1991"
The third episode this week continues the unintentional theme of crime that pervades each of these shows. As is the case with the other two episodes, "Rochester, 1991" raises questions about the effectiveness of delivering justice. To be sure, there is more of an inherent bias present in each of these tales with subjects recalling the not-too-recent past. But even so the questions remain valid, and I think the episode from Criminal has the most gray area. There is not a lot of allowance for situational justice in our penal system, and while this is likely in the interest of the greater good it is hard to accept stories that seemingly reflect injustice.
"Claire Obscure" evoked more dismayed protestations ("No, no, no!") from me than any podcast in recent memory. This is not an uncommon occurrence when listening to Strangers, and it is quite the feat for an interview driven show to cultivate such an impassioned response. Lea Thau delivers a recollection of terrible events in the past that takes an unlikely twist, leaving me stunned and anxiously awaiting the follow up promised at the end of the episode. Despite the tragedy there are glimmers of hope from Claire, the unbelievably resilient figure at the center of this still evolving story.
The incredible second part in Embedded's series on police related violence takes on a case atypical of many stories that involve police and guns. When something goes awry in the field, is it always OK to use the incident as a teaching moment? This episode definitely drives home the difficulty of policing, highlighting the unknown exigencies cops face every day. At the same time, Kelly McEvers balances the worth of all lives involved in the routine stop that is the focus of this episode.
The third episode this week continues the unintentional theme of crime that pervades each of these shows. As is the case with the other two episodes, "Rochester, 1991" raises questions about the effectiveness of delivering justice. To be sure, there is more of an inherent bias present in each of these tales with subjects recalling the not-too-recent past. But even so the questions remain valid, and I think the episode from Criminal has the most gray area. There is not a lot of allowance for situational justice in our penal system, and while this is likely in the interest of the greater good it is hard to accept stories that seemingly reflect injustice.
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