The Pod Piper

THE LIST 1. Decoder Ring  -  "The Johnlock Conspiracy" I don't know that I've had a more entrancing television experience in my adult life than watching BBC's Sherlock . It is not surprising for this show to be the centerpiece of a podcast, but it was definitely surprising to hear the enormous impact it had via a long-fought battle over the relationship between the central characters. 2. Hang Up And Listen  -  "The Fighting Cancer Beats Godspeed Edition" Will flag football one day rule America? Maybe not in my lifetime. But there is a professional league for the much-less-violent version of the house, and it seems to be gaining at least a little respect from the NFL. The HUALers also tear the velcro flag off of the strange normalization of patriotism in professional sports and the weird will-she-won't-she struggle between Jaelene Hinkle and US women's national soccer team. 3. Planet Money  -  "Peak Sand" Sand is an i...

As summer rolls on, here is a lengthier list of individual episodes in lieu of a longform review. It's not that I've run out of shows to dive into, and I hope to be back to splaying more thoughts out in greater depths in the coming weeks. Until then, we'll always have THE LIST 1. Embedded  -  "The Red Line" With our increase in access to news from a variety of outlets, it can be hard to appreciate the nuance reporters put into relaying the inner workings of a conflict as it unfolds. Combining some vulnerable moments from Kelly McEvers and a former Obama staffer, "The Red Line" dives into some behind-the-scenes events that drove the US's response to Syria. Examining the world as it is rather than as we might will it to be stands in stark contrast to everything that unfolded last week with our current leader's grasp on international affairs.    2. Criminal  -  "The Chase" In one of Criminal 's lighter offerings, ...

THE LIST 1. Still Processing  -  "Asian-Americans Talk About Racism, and We Listen - Part 1" Hosts Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris are seasoned journalists plenty adept at mulling over the sticky racial issues wrapped up in our collective experience as a culture. In this two-part series their savvy manifests in knowing when to listen, as they allow listener input to guide a discussion on racism Asian-Americans have faced. Good things happen when you open up your spot and give others a platform!  2. Revisionist History  -  "The Imaginary Crimes of Margit Hamosh" This story from Malcolm Gladwell reminds us of the relevance words have to dictate our truths, and how mass panic can overshadow what's really going on in a practical sense. Calling someone out for overreacting is rarely a good look in the moment, but with the benefit of hindsight this can lead to some fruitful places in understanding our history. 3. Reply All  -  "An Ad for t...

THE LIST 1. Revisionist History  -  "The Hug Heard Round the World" What does it mean to shed your identity? And to what extent is it even possible? Malcolm Gladwell ponders over these big questions via a mini-documentary about the complex life of Sammy Davis Jr. Worth it for the history alone, especially if you've heard the name of the famous singer without really having any kind of historical context..  2. American Fiasco  -  "The Dream (On) Team" Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers fame seized upon this US-less World Cup to pick apart the U.S. Men's National Team of the 1990s, from their surprising showing at the 1994 tournament to the tragic shortcoming in France in 1998. This, the first episode in the WNYC-backed 10 parter, sets the stage for the heroic rise and fall of a team currently sidelined with hopes of future glory. 3. This American Life  -  "It's My Party and I'll Try If I Want To" We follow Jeff Beals, a New Y...