Audiences were charmed by “Free Willy,” the 1993 movie about a captive orca returning to the wild. But when the world learned the real whale was wasting away in a Mexican amusement park, scientists and activists united in a project to re-introduce Keiko to the open ocean, just like his on-screen counterpart.

NOTE: We are reviewing the entirety of The Good Whale, although some of it is still behind a payway via The New York Times. (It is being released weekly on public platforms)

But learning the skills to fend for himself in the sea proved difficult for an orca who grew up in an aquarium, not in a killer whale pod. Meanwhile, as the public waited for a cinematic conclusion, disagreement grew about how best to help Keiko and whether his lifelong reliance on humans made it impossible for him to return to the ocean.

From Serial Productions and The New York Times comes “The Good Whale.” Host Daniel Alarcón recounts the ambitious, multinational experiment to rewild the famous orca, as well as the scientific and ethical struggles around the effort. The series also includes a controversial creative choice: presenting Keiko’s unseen journey through the ocean in the form of a musical number.

OUR SPOILER FREE REVIEWS OF "THE GOOD WHALE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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