Podcast Review: Serial Season One

I've been trying to get into podcasts recently, and I figured I'd start with one of the most iconic ones, Serial. If you've never heard of Serial before, it's basically a podcast focused around investigative journalism. In the first season, you're listening to the story of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999. They were both in high school at the time. He's been sitting in prison ever since, but he still proclaims his innocence. There's a lot up in the air about what exactly happened on the day that Hae was murdered. Throughout the 12 episodes of the series, the host, Sarah Koenig, walks you through all of the details of the case. The episodes range from about 35 minutes to a little under an hour. They go by very quickly, since they're so interesting.

I absolutely loved everything about this series. I'm a true crime junkie, so it was already way up my alley. What really kept me so fascinated with it was the way the story was told. I never thought I'd connect with this form of storytelling. I thought I'd get bored or wouldn't get much out of it. Boy was I wrong. I really regret not listening to Serial earlier. Sarah Koenig did such a fantastic job with the narrative and keeping the audience informed/interested. I felt like I was investigating along with her. She did tons of research and really knew what she was talking. The podcast itself is very well-produced, with nice bits of music and lots of interviews with many of the people involved. What's crazy about cases like these is that you may never truly know what happened. There's so many details that don't add up. I personally don't think Adnan was the murderer. This is all still on-going too, as Adnan has made an appeal for his conviction and is finally getting a new trial.

I didn't know a single thing about this story going into the podcast, and I think that was the way to do it. It is definitely worth the listen. If you need a break from Netflix or YouTube, consider checking it out. It's been one of my favorite things I've listened to this year. It's just so good! It was very fun to listen to and truly kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm intrigued to check out Adnan's Story by Rabia Chaudry, which is a book that covers the case in a lot more depth. A podcast is a really neat way to tell these types of stories. It'll be interesting to see what other ones I try out this year. Check out Serial here! I'm hoping to start the second season soon, which changes gears and focuses on the Bowe Bergdahl desertion story. Thanks for looking!