Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We dip back into the CBS procedural with a season one episode of The Mentalist, “Russet Potatoes”.  We discuss the trope of “odd specialist consultant helps law enforcement” and how this show attempts to explore that idea, and debate whether or not it succeeds. We also have some difficulty accepting the premise of this particular episode, and try to get into the specifics of hypnotherapy vs hypnosis vs “neuro-linguistic programming” vs “mentalist” skills like body language and cold reading. Katy derails the conversation to talk about another podcast, Carrie was not wearing her glasses, Maddy wants to break into a new musical career, and Mack shares a desire to run through a glass wall. We also wonder if Hollywood casting agents have folders of day-player types for procedurals, wonder if TV writing is like being a Dungeon Master, pitch a number of new TV shows, and learn some disturbing things about Mack. Listen to hear us talk about senior all night parties, MLM vs cults, duct tape, and more! It’s a real fun one, as we actually recorded while all physically together, so expect some more interrupting than usual and a bit of echo for ambiance! Plus, if you stick around until the end you’ll hear a little BTS slice of the podcast! Enjoy!

TW: Serial killers, MLM schemes

New episode out now! We cover a comic book for the first time on the podcast for our 69th episode! The four of us read Volume 1 of Wicked Things by John Allison and Max Sarin. We discuss the character of Charlotte Grote, the teen detective, and how her methods compare to other crime-solvers we’ve encountered. We love the visual art style and how it feels animated, get slightly confused by some of the plotlines, and wonder about the specific alternate reality of this world where everyone knows famous teen detectives. We also talk about the medium of comic books and how the storytelling is different, the uncertain nature of issue runs, and how we’re talking about a very visual medium on a very auditory podcast. Katy cares about our social media, Carrie gets jealous of a blazer, Maddy gasped while reading, and Mack had to Google British slang. We also discuss the impermanence of our consumerism-driven world, confirm we don’t feel bad when corporations are stolen from, debate what exactly constitutes an 18-bird roast, and learn what not to do when waking up in a hospital. Listen to hear about grocery store crushes, getting trapped in a skate bowl, childhood comic drawings, and a great Halloween witch impression. Plus one of us gets a Happy Meal delivery in the middle of recording! Enjoy!

TW: Police

SHOW NOTES / LINKS:

Recommended Comic Series/Runs We’ve Liked:

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North and Erica Henderson, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Wicked Things by John Allison and Max Sarin, Everything Kate Beaton has ever done, Ms Marvel by G. Willow Wilson, Captain America by Ed Brubaker, Lumberjanes by by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen, and ND Stevenson, Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, Bloom by Kevin Panetta

New episode out now! We enter the quippy, extremely 2000’s world of Veronica Mars right at the beginning with the pilot episode. We cover the “Nancy Drew meets Philip Marlowe” of it all, how the show utilizes PI tropes (or PI-ness, if you will) but gives them a fresher look with a cynical teenage protagonist in modern-day Southern California. We get into some of the more problematic storylines and decisions, and discuss some of the moral ambiguity this show presents. We also marvel at the list of pretty big guest stars, agree that Kristen Bell is great, and love the relationship between Veronica and her father. Katy is baffled by teenagers, Carrie spell checks hazing graffiti, Maddy misremembers mind-reading storylines, and Mack is apparently on a one-sided first-name basis with Joel McHale. We also praise Maddy’s Snapchat skills and wonder if she could be a TikTok star, try to figure out if houseboats are a viable apocalypse option, wonder how so many teenagers can afford motorcycles, and Mack fully reads Maddy’s mind. Listen to hear us talk about copyright law, three different Robs, haircuts, the Dance of the Seven Veils, and more! PS there are SERIES SPOILERS - timestamps below!

TW: Sexual assault, date rape, dismissive and abusive police practices, teen drug use

Spoiler Timestamps: 32:52-34:02, 34:21-37:04, and 39:41-41:26. 

New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode of Ripper Street, “I Need Light”, and dig into the ins and outs of Victorian crime once again. We discuss the wonderfully detailed world-building, from the great costumes, to the period-specific dialogue and parlance, to the masses of set dressing that give a lived-in feeling. We talk about how it’s interesting that the show begins in the aftermath of the Ripper murders, but then makes it clear they’re not influencing the way the detectives run things. We also think the actors all do wonderful work with these seemingly archetypal yet complex characters, and debate whether the detective methods feel true to the period. Katy gets really into ephemera, Carrie loves Brendan Fraser, Maddy comes up with an amazing new name for a type of facial hair, and Mack gives a short lesson on early film—among other things. We also talk about the Tiffany Problem, wonder what laws undercover cops can get away with breaking, dunk on Thomas Edison, and decide which topics we could give a five minute speech on with no warning. Listen to hear us cover famous Homers, traumatically embarrassing school stories, Hussars, and frosted flakes. And remember - always turn down Turkish delight! Enjoy!

TW: Corpse mutilation, snuff films, sex work, porn

New episode up now, man! We watched The Big Lebowski and started right in with quoting this cult classic. We discussed the character of The Dude and his place in the story, as well as examining the other very Coen-y characters that fill out The Dude’s world. We get into the complications of Walter’s personality and the military industrial complex, Donny’s enigmatic qualities, and how framing the movie with The Stranger‘s voiceover allows this to be just one of many odd stories in The Dude’s life. We also discover some surprising similarities with Phillip Marlowe, as well as try to follow the many different plotlines and mysteries that overlap while The Dude is along for the ride. Katy was again influenced by Empire Magazine, Carrie hates limo people, Maddy tells a story about a bath disaster, and Mack wants to assault a child. We also stress the importance of following the money to understand motivation, think The Dude would totally be into ASMR, come up with a cool business-type card idea, and fully agree that a good rug really ties a room together. Listen to hear us talk about marmots, sex robots, George Clooney, gross bathrooms, and more! Like, right on, man!

TW: US Military industrial complex and recruitment, PTSD, Vietnam, porn industry, toe and ear harm

New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode/movie of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. We discuss the unique challenges Precious faces in opening her detective business, think that the characters all feel fleshed out despite some initial stereotyping, and love that the entire series was shot on location in Botswana. We get into how this is less a ‘murder mystery’ series with a body-of-the-week and more of a detective helping the commity and cleverly taking advantage of being underestimated. We also praise the excellent costume design but share apprehensions about the fact that the writer/screenwriters/director are all white British men. Katy loves a school play, Carrie critiques typewriter practices, Maddy had nothing to roast, and Mack shares his struggles as a straight white man. We also discuss the different experiences one can have based on gender and age, postulate on what kind of national health services exist in Botswana, and love the delightful little touches of humor scattered throughout. Listen for our thoughts on cringy seduction attempts, buying perfume, and how 2008 it was! Enjoy!

TW: Fatphobia, racism, homophobia, domestic abuse, pregnancy loss, discussion of the effects of colonization

New episode up now! We watched the 2020 film The Kid Detective starring Adam Brody and wow—everyone in this movie needs therapy. We discuss the clear themes of trauma and depression that thread throughout, love the use of cinematography and music to aid the storytelling, are surprised by how dark the movie gets, and talk about the expectations vs reality of both Abe Applebaum and the town of Willowbrook. Is Abe actually a good detective or is he just somewhat observant, good at psychology, and watched too many detective shows? We also get into the odd nostalgia of the film’s flashbacks, where it's not quite clear what time period the “kid” detective grew up in but stylistically it could vary between the 1950s and the 1980s and we ponder on what that might mean. Katy is tired of movies showing depressed men peeing, Carrie admits to watching black and white films, Maddy enjoys smooth jazz, and Mack shows off his bottle cap collection. We argue about bathroom mirror placement, get anxious about hiding in closets, and wonder - why are Gen Z teens so into Pong? We also talk about cute gang names, young Vincent Price, and the nutritional aspects of ice cream. Give it a listen and you’ll hear some delightful tunes as well!

TW: Statutory rape, teen pregnancy, racism, depression

SHOW NOTES/CORRECTIONS:

New episode out now! We explore the world of Jane Austen with the 2013 miniseries Death Comes to Pemberley, based on the 2011 novel of the same name. We get into the disjointed feeling we felt while watching and try to figure out what this adaptation was really trying to be - a murder mystery with Austen characters or Austen fanservice with a background murder? A romance? A courtroom drama? All of the above? We discuss how this portrayed familiar characters and whether or not they felt true to the originals, get annoyed by Wickham continually escaping the consequences of his actions, wonder why they needed a single odd sex scene, and get grossed out by sketchy cousin marriage proposals. We also get into how the characters manipulated evidence to back their version of events, and discuss the class divide in this era, especially between the Darcy family and their staff and servants. Katy is a horse girl on rare occasions, Carrie really does love a library, Maddy has an excellent vocabulary, and Mack minds his own business. We also hate on some ugly wigs, discuss historical hysteria treatments, reveal some childhood invasions of privacy, get mad at toxic masculinity, and debate definitions of fanfiction vs. pastiche⁠—as well as reveal some of our own forays into writing! Maddy does multiple accents and we all are annoyed at Lydia - it’s a treat! Give it a listen!

(Note: Carrie’s audio is a bit off in the beginning and we apologize for that- it has been corrected as much as possible.)

TW: Incest, suicide

Show Notes:

Article - 10 extraordinary Native American cultural sites protected on public lands

New episode out now! We did something a little different this time - we played a video game! We played Hitman 3 Level 2, “Death in the Family”, where we had the opportunity to impersonate a PI and solve a murder mystery in a traditional English country manor. We compare our different strategies of gathering clues and interviewing suspects, get absolutely delighted by the efficiency of one of our approaches to the task, learn about all the different ways you can assassinate someone, and lament our lack of video game skills. We also discuss the confusing layout of these giant English houses, wonder if gossip is the best tool to solve crimes, and debate the appeal of a game where you have to hide all the time - is it worth the stress? Katy has problems with pronunciation, Carrie steals a Fabergé egg, Maddy is very good at avoiding people, and Mack has a problem with billionaires. We also wonder when spies use the restroom, discuss the flaws in having to one-up villains in serialized entertainment, praise the wonders of YouTube walkthroughs, and all get jealous of the screaming room. Two of us make the same Friends reference at the same time, and all of us try to imitate Agent 47 with varying results. Listen and enjoy!

TW: Incest, suicide, casual discussion of murder

New episode out now! We finally cover one of TV’s greatest crime-solvers⁠—Columbo! We watched the season three episode titled “Lovely But Lethal” and get into this ‘70s (and ‘90s) era sleuth. We discuss our initial feelings about the man himself, point out how bothersome he seems when you first watch the show, and debate how effective his methods actually are. We come up with Columbo’s-wife-theories, dig the ‘70s fashion, and wonder if Columbo is actually an incidental character in his own show. We also talk about the changing landscapes of cop shows and how while Columbo catches intelligent murderers by essentially breaking them down and catching them in a lie, modern shows need more evidence-based buildup that would hold up in the courts. Katy basically gives a lecture, Carrie does an impression of Thomas Mitchell,  Maddy shares cool medicinal facts, and Mack starts a new support group. We talk about the confusing history of the show’s run, wish we could see Columbo at a farmer’s market, and all try Columbo accents with varying success. We also rip on BBC Sherlock, love Vincent Price, and learn about wigs. Give it a listen to hear more!

Oh, and just one more thing….Enjoy!

TW: ageism, fatphobia