In this episode, the girls prepare for death by reflecting on everything they’ve learned in season one.

Good news: we’re making Season 2. 

Slightly inconvenient news: you’ll have to wait for it. 

The solution? We launched a Death Wish Substack! Same vibe, different medium to grapple with all the big, weird, funny questions we have about death. Subscribe at substack.com/@thedeathwishpodcast.

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In this episode, the girls prepare for death by considering Do Not Resuscitate orders.

We recommend:

Caitlin: the 1964 vintage horror film, The Masque of the Red Death

Kaylin: the protest song, Coffin for a Head of State, by Fela Kuti

Kris: the November 2025 BBC coverage of the Thai woman who was nearly cremated alive

Megan: the Guardian article, Incredible story of Irish labourer buried alive in coffin for 61 days told in new documentary, about the Irish language film, Buried Alive

We referenced:

• Doctors Saved Her Life. She Didn’t Want Them To.
• Overview of Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care
• Variation Found Among Hospitals in Carrying out DNR Orders
• Patients with do-not-resuscitate orders have worse outcomes, higher death rates, study finds
• Hospital DNR Orders – WTF (Why They Failed)
• Can a DNR be Revoked by Family? What You Need to Know
• What Does a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Order Mean and Why Are They Used?

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In this episode, the girls prepare for death with some preliminary funeral plans.

We recommend:

Caitlin: The Golden Girls: S5.E7, “Not Another Monday”, aired Nov 11, 1989 for how it tackles Medical Assistance in Dying 

Kaylin: the classic, gothic novel, Wuthering Heights, specifically the scene where a grieving Heathcliff exhumes his lover, Cathy’s, corpse 

Kris: The X-Files; S1.E13 “Beyond the Sea,” and how that episode depicts grief 

Megan: the 2001 novel, Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks, for its portrayal of an English town in 1666 touched by mass death

We referenced:

After. (n.d.). Memorial service vs. funeral: What’s the difference?https://www.after.com/articles/memorial-service-vs-funeral

Dignity Memorial. (n.d.). Trends in celebration-of-life planning.https://www.dignitymemorial.com/memorial-services/planning-a-celebration-of-life/trends

Order of the Good Death. (n.d.). History of the death positive movement.https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/history-of-death-positive-movement/

Wildflower Funeral Concepts. (2026, January 8). 9 ways the funeral industry is changing in 2026 and beyond.https://www.wildflowerfuneralconcepts.com/post/9-ways-the-funeral-industry-is-changing-in-2026-and-beyond

CNBC Select. (2025, February 20). How much does a funeral cost?https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-much-does-funeral-cost/

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In this episode, the girls prepare for death by getting into mourning traditions.

We recommend:

Caitlin: the 2025 book, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away by Coltan Scrivner, PhD

Kaylin: the 2025 FX/Hulu series, Dying for Sex, for its complex depiction of a woman’s final months of life

Kris: the 2025 HBO series, The Pitt, for its trauma-informed storytelling about death in an ER

Megan: the 2024 spy thriller series, Day of the Jackal, which made her root for an assassin

We referenced:

Forget me not – revealing Victorian… | National Trust for Scotland

How rituals around Irish deaths, wakes and funerals have changed

7 Unique Burial Rituals Across the World | Britannica

Funeral practices and beliefs about the afterlife in South and Southeast Asia | Pew Research Center

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In this episode the girls prepare for death by considering “sustainable” body disposal practices.

We recommend:

Caitlin: the Apple TV series, Pluribus for depicting body disposal labor

Kaylin: the 2019 film, The Lighthouse, and Peacock’s Pokerface season 2 episode 2 for knowing cremated remains are pulverised bones

Kris: The Pitt season 2 for continuing to raise DNR awareness, and Netflix’s His and Hers

Megan: the Netflix series, Derry Girls for the Irish wake scene

We referenced:

• https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jul/09/greener-way-to-go-eco-friendly-way-dispose-of-body-burial-cremation
• https://recompose.life/
• https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-human-composting 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_composting 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Way_of_Death
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promession
• https://earthfuneral.com/resources/sky-burials-eco-friendly-funerals/
• https://www.conservationburialalliance.org/
• http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/index.php?page=find-a-natural-burial-site
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_at_sea
• https://www.epa.gov/marine-protection-permitting/burial-sea#instructions
• https://resomation.com/
• https://ncceh.ca/resources/evidence-reviews/alternative-disposition-services-green-burial-alkaline-hydrolysis-and
• https://curious.earth/blog/sustainable-green-burials/
• https://www.eternalreefs.com/
• https://www.eternalreefs.com/the-eternal-reefs-story/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cremation
• https://www.greenmatters.com/p/eco-friendly-burial-methods
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1126630/
• https://funerals.org/get-help/green-options/
• https://www.interraburial.com/ecological-burial-options
• https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/green-end-of-life-options/

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We're not dead yet! Just taking a break for the holidays. Listen to this bonus episode for media recommendations to fulfill all your wildest death wishes for the holiday season.

We recommend:

• Strange Houses (book by Uketsu, translated from Japanese)
• Tonight Show clip with Matthew Rhys on Welsh New Year’s Day tradition
• Cannonball with Wesley Morris podcast episode on D’Angelo and the Power of Last Albums
• 28 Years Later (film, directed by Danny Boyle

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In this episode the girls prepare for death by weighing the tradeoffs of caskets v. cremation.

We recommend:

Caitlin: the original 1922 film, Nosferatu, and the I Think You Should Leave sketch, CornCob TV’s Coffin Flop (season 2, episode 1)

Kaylin: the 1992 film, Death Becomes Her, for its look at corpse upkeep

Kris: the Apple TV series, Shrinking, for its message on processing grief

Megan: that classic comfort watch, Law and Order

We referenced: 

Apawu, M. (2025, September 13). Ghana’s fantasy coffins are a colorful celebration of life and legacy. AP News.https://apnews.com/article/ghana-fantasy-coffins-funerals-accra-tradition-01220db5b2e240a12ae8e4ba8820f993

Cremation Association of North America. (n.d.). History of cremation.https://www.cremationassociation.org/historyofcremation.html

National Funeral Directors Association. (2023, December 8). 2023 NFDA General Price List Study shows inflation increasing faster than the cost of a funeral.https://nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/8134/2023-nfda-general-price-list-study-shows-inflation-increasing-faster-than-the-cost-of-a-funeral

National Funeral Directors Association. (2024, July 25). U.S. cremation rate is projected to climb to 61.9 % in 2024.https://nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/8944/us-cremation-rate-is-projected-to-climb-to-619-in-2024

National Funeral Directors Association. (n.d.). Statistics. https://nfda.org/news/statistics

Vaughn Greene Funeral Services. (2022, March 13). Casket vs. Coffin: Six key differences you should know. https://vaughncgreene.com/blogs/blog-entries/3/News-Events/178/Casket-vs-Coffin-Six-Key-Differences-You-Should-Know.html

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In this episode the girls prepare for death by considering various deathbed rituals.

We recommend:

Caitlin: the Netflix TV series, Bojack Horseman, and the internet discourse around the death of the United Healthcare CEO

Kaylin: the Oct. 1, 2024 episode of the podcast Good on Paper to learn about organ donation

Kris: the FX TV series, Say Nothing, about The Troubles in Northern Ireland

Megan: the episode Grief is Like a Fingerprint on the podcast Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

We referenced:

Catholic Last Rites - Scripture Catholic

Death and Mourning in Judaism

Islamic death rituals - The Art of Dying Well

Death and mourning - Practices in Buddhism - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Eduqas - BBC Bitesize

Give My Body to the Birds: The Practice of Sky Burial - Atlas Obscura

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospice Care | National Institute on Aging

Palliative Care: Purpose & What To Expect

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In this episode the girls prepare for death by exploring the tradition of Swedish death cleaning.

**Listeners have reported a slight audio issue on episode 3 that has given us a death wish. Please accept our many apologies. We’ll do better next time!

We recommend
Caitlin: the TV series, Chucky (2021-2024)
Kaylin: Rachel Bloom’s Netflix special, Death, Let Me Do My Special (2024)
Kris: the TV show, Grotesquerie (2024)
Megan: the 2003 book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach

We referenced

Magnusson, M. (2017). The gentle art of Swedish death cleaning: How to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter. Simon & Schuster.

Platt, C. A. (2021). The Afrominimalist's guide to living with less. Tiller Press.

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In this episode the girls prepare for death by taking a look at Medical Aid in Dying and its impact on vulnerable communities.

We recommend
Caitlin: the Turkish comedy series, Gibi, and the film, Alien: Romulus (2024)
Kaylin: the K-drama, Crash Landing on You (2019)
Kris: the dead girl murder mystery series, The Perfect Couple (2024), and Marvel series, WandaVision (2021)
Megan: the writings of Liz Bruenig on the death penalty at the Atlantic, and the film, Children of Men (2006)

We referenced:

Dying With Dignity Canada. (n.d.). Get the facts: Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law. https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/end-of-life-support/get-the-facts-on-maid/ (Dying With Dignity Canada)

Government of Canada. (2025, August 27). Medical assistance in dying: Overview. Health Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html

Haring, C. (2024, January 30). D.C. can be a blueprint for Maryland aid-in-dying law. Death with Dignity. https://deathwithdignity.org/news/2024/01/dc-can-be-blueprint-for-md-dwd-law/

M, B. (2017, September 21). People with disabilities often fear they’re a burden. That’s why legal assisted suicide scares me. Vox. https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/9/21/16307868/assisted-suicide-disabilities-legal

NPR. (2022, December 11). Canada is expanding categories for medically assisted death. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/11/1142141146/canada-is-expanding-categories-for-medically-assisted-death

Seucharan , C. (2021, October 25). “I die when I run out of money”: How disability and poverty are driving medical assistance in dying in Canada. CANADALAND. https://www.canadaland.com/madeline-medical-assistance-in-dying-priced-out-of-life/ 

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