Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We watched all four episodes of the medieval mystery miniseries Shardlake. We discuss the character of Matthew Shardlake and how we were intrigued with his journey, enjoyed that his investigation challenged his faith in the institution he works for, and liked how he realized that the definitions of “truth” and “justice” change depending on who was talking. We thought the show had momentum in part due to the two totally separate threads of investigation, checked out a little at all the underlying politics, marveled at how so much of the investigation is sourcing bureaucratic records and waiting for letters, and got very frustrated with men in power in both the church and government. Katy drops some knowledge about spymaster John Dee, Carrie channels her inner NPR, Maddy shares suppository facts, and Mack teaches us about sword and knife culture. We also talk (a lot) about various Lord of the Rings references, learn about an imaginary competition Mack is in, debate how good the first 20 seconds of being tortured by rack would feel, and do not like Henry VIII. Listen to hear more about The Hunchback of Notre Dame, animal sounds, the Tower of London, Tumblrinas, swordfighting, Ea-nāṣir, and the shadow of Anne Boleyn. And is this the oldest-set mystery we will cover? So far, yes! Enjoy!

TW: Sexual assault, religious hypocrisy, torture, misogyny, medieval views on disability 

SHOW NOTES:

• Disability Horizons article “Arthur Hughes on being an actor on stage and screen with an upper-limb difference”

• Chain-mail glove examples at MFA Boston here, here, and here

• Current knife rules in the UK

• The Original 007? University of Cambridge article about John Dee

New episode out now! We watched the 1976 comedy film Murder by Death, which stars a lot of famous people parodying famous detectives. We talk about the stacked cast and how it seemed like they were having fun, but also believe that did not make up for the very dated comedy and straight up racism and other issues with the film as a whole. We thought the concept was promising, but the execution was mainly just pointing out references and tropes; ultimately we decided the movie makes no sense and did not have any sort of point of view. We also discuss the differences between parodies and spoofs, think Maggie Smith is gorgeous, love Peter Falk, and continue to have problems with Raymond Chandler. Katy got real Midwestern, Carrie drops some Lon Chaney knowledge, Maddy loves a haunted house, and Mack bravely criticizes the last season of Game of Thrones. We also touch a lot on how good Clue is, believe Buffy is quippy AND has depth, propose a fix for this movie, and acknowledge that comedy does not often age well. Listen to hear more about hand lotion, Drag Race, Mel Brooks, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, corporate greed, and Dick Jingles. Enjoy!

TW: Ableism, racism, xenophobia, fatphobia, homophobia, misogyny

Show Notes:

Carrie and Katy may have been mistaken in stating David Niven was possibly gay; there is nothing available publicly to confirm and there does not even seem to be rumors, contemporary or otherwise.

New episode out now! We take another dip into ‘80s television with the season three episode of Knight Rider, “Halloween Knight”. We talk about Michael Knight’s investigative style and the ‘80s action of it all, believe the episode did not explain the relationships or develop characters clearly, wonder what exactly their authority and jurisdiction are, and really get into KITT as an entity and how it relates to modern AI and smart devices. We also wonder if this influenced RoboCop, discuss the Hitchcock homages scattered throughout, and really loved all the fashion and hairstyles. We were completely unfamiliar with the premise, and so learned some surprising things along the way, but also perhaps looked too deeply into this action show involving perms, tight pants, and a talking car. Katy is not ashamed to say she watched Supernatural, Carrie shares a fun fact about mariachi performers, Maddy thinks men are oppressed, and Mack’s brain is bloodshot. We also talk about how the show gave us “Duloc face”, wonder if David Hasselhoff would have been as successful if he was shorter, think we lost the vision of how AI could be perceived in media, and judge pumpkin carving pretty harshly. Listen to hear more about furries, Jekyll & Hyde, yak hair, Columbo, nehru jackets, Isaac Asimov, and more. Enjoy!

TW: Assault, taxidermy, gaslighting, drug use

SHOW NOTES:
Video - David Hasselhoff - True Survivor (from Kung Fury)

New episode out now! We watched the season one episode of Diagnosis Murder titled “Shanda’s Song”. We delve into the charm of Dick Van Dyke and believe his casting likely led to the eventual success and longevity of the show, talk about Dr. Sloan’s shaky authority in speaking to suspects and investigating crimes, really get into the ‘90s hairstyles and fashion choices, and believe these characters are taking wild leaps of logic. We revisit the notion that none of these clues from non-law enforcement investigators would be admissible in court and they luck out with confessions every time. We also discuss the changes in television over the last few decades, from how shows are piloted or spun off to where they are shot and how much time is given to the theme songs. Katy does not want to hear sports, Carrie feels safe and comfortable with Columbo, Maddy will not investigate crimes, and Mack shares mustache secrets. We also get into lip syncing scandals, are accidentally sexist, think culture may be dying all around, and learn when HIPAA became law. Listen to hear more about misplaced fart sounds, anthropomorphic dinosaurs, 9-1-1, Edith Head, Home Alone 3, and notorious Ken dolls. 

TW: Suicide, stalking

SHOW NOTES:

• 2018 Sawbones episode about the injuries the Wet Bandits would have accrued medically in Home Alone can be found here. 

• The Anastasia musical moment Mack talks about can be seen on YouTube here. 

• Rob Lowe talking about it being cheaper to film in Ireland here

Extra special episode out now! For our holiday episode this year, the wonderful Mackenzie designed and ran a new one-session roleplaying mystery game! Three familiar Tinkerton detectives are called upon on Christmas Day to solve the baffling murder of private equity billionaire Michael Von Blach, as well as the disappearance of a few familiar Christmas ghosts...They question his family members as well as live-in staff, have some timey-wimey conversations, get into cahoots, and explore his large stone mansion looking for clues and the missing spooks. In the meantime, Katy gets confused, Carrie makes a man cry, Maddy is engulfed in flames, and some of Mack’s true thoughts on capitalism may have slipped through. Give it a listen to hear us all go on a wonderful holiday mystery adventure! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Show Notes:

The game format Mack used is from Micro Mysteries! by Tom Gray. It can be found here.

Surprise! A bonus episode! We watched the recently released Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third film in the Benoit Blanc detective franchise written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig. We get right into themes explored throughout the movie - the juxtaposition of Blanc and Father Jud and their differing views on faith, the temptation of power and wealth and how it preys on humanity, the many ways in which we tell stories about ourselves and each other, and the inherent power of collective judgement and shame. We delve deep into the complicated relationship between the Catholic Church and how it views and treats women, make parallels between Blanc and Poirot’s view of justice and how room time as public shaming can be utilized (or not), praise the incredible lighting and cinematography multiple times, and debate whether this could have been made with a different religion at the core. We also talk about the many twists and turns the mystery takes throughout and realize the mastermind essentially accomplished their goal. Katy was influenced by The Murder of Roger Ackroyd too much, Carrie threw her notebook into the air, Maddy was thinking about Cats, and Mack pitches an academic paper. We also talk about how both Catholics and Rian Johnson love iconography and symbolism, are definitely charmed by Josh O’Connor, think the movie really balanced the buddy comedy and life philosophy aspects well, and love Bridget Everett so much. Listen to hear more about zombies, Captain Ahab, alter servers, Man v. Animal, The Dip, and Star Wars. Enjoy!

TW: Catholicism, religious trauma, homophobia, misogyny, alcoholism, cults, fascism, alt-right

NOTES:

• CorvidCorgi Tumblr post about the themes of justice

• Cinematicnomad Tumblr post with GIFs of the lighting in the first Blanc and Father Jud scene in the church

• Claire Willett Instagram, BlueSky

New episode out now! We watched the 2005 animated film Hoodwinked! and friends, we had a time. We get right into the horrible animation and character design style and talk about how much it affected the film, wonder what exactly children liked about the story, pick apart the lack of worldbuilding, and compare it to other animated movies (cough Shrek cough) a lot. We also get into the singular production and financing of the movie, feel that both the mystery and emotional core are just not compelling, get confused by the animal/human logic, and are shocked by the box office take of the film. Katy’s library history is eclectic, Carrie wanted to scratch her face off, Maddy has to defend Cats, and Mack shares a surprising fact about Adam Worth. We also delve into Rashomon-style storytelling, debate whether we would live in Gotham or Metropolis, get sidetracked talking about musicals, and ultimately hold Mack accountable for making us watch this cursed film. Listen to hear about villain songs, rollercoasters, YouTube recs, 3-D printing, squirrels, and multiple Gimli impressions. Enjoy!

TW: Racism, sexual predators

New episode out now! We went deep into our childhood memories and played the 1998 PC game Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! We talk about the straightforward nature of following clues in a linear fashion, get frustrated by Barbie walking slowly and getting stuck, discuss our shared (or not so shared) past with the game, and compare the point and click nature to Disco Elysium with surprising results. We also cover the character design archetypes, discover the ending is different every time, follow a mysterious shadowy figure, and ultimately realize this was a game for children. Katy was a cool rebellious preteen, Carrie has Madame Webb on the brain, Maddy has no patience, and Mack tries to share more Batman lore. We also get into video game design and development over the years, demonstrate the soundscapes we encountered, learn the nature of true love is fervent competition, and delve into why we love mysteries. Listen to hear more about tourist name souvenirs, jetskis, Paul Blart, dinosaurs, and rotational physics. (You will also hear a lot of Barbie imitations). Enjoy!

TW: Sexism, discussion of neurodivergent tendencies

New episode out now! We revisit the work of Agatha Christie with the 2022 BritBox miniseries Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? starring Will Poulter and Lucy Boynton and adapted by Hugh Laurie. We get into how the relationship of Bobby and Frankie evolves throughout the story, have difficulties figuring out the timeline, think both doctors make better investigators than the young couple, and dig into the nature of evil and the way the villain of the story shifts plans based on the opportunities presented. We discuss the influence of English classicism and how it affected the investigative style, talk a little about the Marple adaptation of this same story, think this is really a romance wrapped in a mystery, and speak at length about the attractiveness of Will Poulter. Katy loves the ‘90s, Carrie likes a helpful kind man (who’s also hot), Maddy locks in for cats, and Mack has a pretty okay Palpatine impression. We also muse on how non-traditional mystery solvers always seem to have an unending supply of family members to visit, reveal various childhood (and adulthood) cartoon crushes, learn things about the full moon, and uncover a trope of character design that is pretty wild. Listen to hear more about IMDb credits, miming a telephone, Brennan Lee Mulligan, wedding pants, horror tropes, and the hotness of forearms. Go ride a bike!

TW: Suicide, mental health issues, electroshock therapy, opioid addiction

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of Luther, the British detective procedural starring Idris Elba. We discuss Luther himself and how he does not come off as a good or stable person, are drawn into the character of Alice and think she is realistically terrifying, have a lot of questions about Luther’s relationship with his estranged wife Zoe, and talk about how the most important piece of evidence was the lack of evidence. We get into Luther abusing his power and toeing the line of legality, wonder what Alice’s true motivations are, think the actors were excellent, and dive into the misogyny inherent in Luther and the treatment of women as a prize. Katy recommends some other British mystery shows, Carrie shares some disturbing lines from And Just Like That…, Maddy deserves a gold star, and Mack gives some good dating advice. We also talk about different reward systems employers use, try to recruit people for D&D, go on a collective semi-rant about the modern alpha male mentality, and learn about dark cremation facts. Listen to hear more about William Shatner, excited Googling, the Glasgow Coma Scale, microplastics, and how women are actually people! Enjoy this episode of many tangents!

TW: Violent death of a dog, pedophilia mention, capital punishment, domestic violence, domestic violence in the police force, misogyny, veterinary euthanasia, cremation