The Pod Piper

This week I'm switching up the format a bit. There are still top episodes (without any explanatory text), but in Something New we've got a year-end blowout of shows I've caught but haven't had time to write about at any length. This is born out of both a desire to experiment and my lack of available time to devote to the cause. But let me know what you think, it may be the way to go in 2019... THE LIST 1. Reply All  - "Negative Mount Pleasant" 2. Showcase from Radiotopia  - "The Stoop #3 - I Got the Nod" 3. Villains  - "Amy Dunne from 'Gone Girl'" HONORABLE MENTION Showcase from Radiotopia  - "The Stoop #2 - Gullah Geechee" Futility Closet  - "The Children's Champion" SOMETHING NEW Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football, Inc. The story of Aaron Hernandez, football star and convicted murderer, just sucked me in. I knew what happened in the end, but I guess my lack of familiarity...

THE LIST 1. Heavyweight - "Marchel" Wandering through the lens of his history as a film criticism, Jonathan Goldstein riffs on an old Russian art flick and a nagging feeling he can't shake. Broadly speaking, what is the nature of regret? And what does it look like to encounter someone who should objectively long for a re-do...but just doesn't? While the movie is integral to the parsing out of these large existential quandaries, the episode's approach does not rely on any prior knowledge. It is classic Heavyweight : Goldstein's idiosyncrasies politely pound away at a perplexing question in a whimsical journey of investigative reporting.  2. Decoder Ring  - "Sad Jennifer Aniston" Of the many topics covered by the excellent Decoder Ring through eight episodes, none seems more blithely obvious than that of the tabloid news cycle. I mean, isn't it obvious that people are suckers for salacious details of lives that appear out of reach...

It's a week without a longer review, and a week encapsulating a fortnight of listening. This intro note section may be the least relevant I've yet to write. Seriously just start the next bit already. THE LIST 1. Love and Radio  - "Such is the Way to the Stars" This strange documentary from Love and Radio breaks from their solo-narrative-culled-from-interview format but retains the show's trademark voyeurism. It's a coherently rambly mishmash centered on the city of Richmond, Virginia, and reminds me of a more produced version of the Reply All marathon call-in shows. Incredible. Maybe the most novel episode I've heard maybe all year. 2. This American Life  - "Where There Is a Will" I've made the claim before, but this might be peak 2018 TAL in all their politically-tinged glory. This episode balances quirky human interest piece and important political history at a time where human interest seems steeped in politics. The thesis...