SERIAL. Are you listening?

I was out to dinner last week with a bunch of friends and we were all bullshitting. Typical Saturday night recap. How was your week? What’s new? Me asking: Have you started watching The Affair? Transparent? What book are you reading? blah blah. A friend of mine mentioned a podcast he was listening to that he thinks I will love. I sort of tune him out because podcasts are not my thing. I have never “listened” to a book  yet alone a series.  The closest I come to talk radio is Howard. He is insistent and brings it up several times throughout the night. I “okay” him and tell him I will listen to ONE episode. If I like it, well then we can discuss.

So Monday at pickup, I download it and begin the podcast SERIAL. As of now there are 10 episodes (the 10th one comes out tomorrow). This is the summary of what the podcast is about (this is a TRUE STORY)

On January 13, 1999, a girl named Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, disappeared. A month later, her body turned up in a city park. She’d been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was arrested for the crime, and within a year, he was convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnan’s friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Hae’s body. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Hae’s death. Some people believe he’s telling the truth. Many others don’t.

Sarah Koenig, who hosts Serial, first learned about this case more than a year ago. In the months since, she’s been sorting through box after box (after box) of legal documents and investigators’ notes, listening to trial testimony and police interrogations, and talking to everyone she can find who remembers what happened between Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee fifteen years ago. What she realized is that the trial covered up a far more complicated story, which neither the jury nor the public got to hear. The high school scene, the shifting statements to police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence – all of it leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a person’s character? How can you tell what they’re capable of? In Season One of Serial, she looks for answers.

After about 5 minutes in, I am hooked. I text him “It’s so goooooood”. Shit. lol”. and it is THAT GOOD. It is holy shit good. Like it is Thursday and I am counting down the minutes until episode 10 is released tomorrow morning. (an episode is released each week on Thursday).  I have listened at pickup, cooking dinner with headphones, in the bathroom, driving. I haven’t listened to Stern in a week. That is huge.

Why am I telling you? Not to give you another time suck. No, I am telling you because once in a while something great comes a long (like an amazing TV show) and YOU have to trust me, You will LOVE THIS!!! Listen to the first 5 minutes, if you aren’t hooked, I will be SHOCKED!

Greg is hooked!

Sarah Koenig is a phenomenal reporter and story-teller. I feel like I know her and you will too.  The craziest part is that due to this podcast, Adnan (who has been spending over 15 years in jail serving a life sentence) may be acquitted and we are listening as the story unravels by the minute.

You can download it on ITUNES or download the episodes online.

Dying to hear what you think!

By the way, if you have no clue what a podcast is, let me explain:

A podcast is essentially a radio show that you can get on the internet, so you can listen any time you want.  You have two options: you can listen to a podcast through a website (this is called streaming). Or, you can download a podcast, which means you’re saving it on your phone, or tablet, or computer, and you can listen to it anytime, even without an internet connect.

xx …can’t wait for tomorrow!