Episode Reviews

This was the final episode of Decoder Ring that I listened to (pending another season in 2021!), and had put it off because of the subject-matter. I'm squeamish hearing about scams - I mostly think they're sad and frustrating rather than thrilling. This episode ended up being much more about the psychology of scammers than I had expected, through the lens of one particular person with an interesting narrative, and much more about the way that people sympathize with a "good story" when it's unclear if that's warranted. I don't know how I feel at the end, which is what makes it a great episode!

Another wonderful show from Decoder Ring, focusing in this installment on the nature of communicating truth. Not only is there a super compelling biographical tale at the episode's core, host Willa Paskin analyzes the way Decoder Ring (and so many other narrative nonfiction endeavors) choose to present real-world events as entertainment. Maybe this will be a defining moment in the deluge of hit crime-based podcasts, causing producers and listeners alike to really question the way a set of facts comes together in a titilating package.