Rating: 4 Stars
As we all gear up for the last week of classes, exams are near, time is limited and stress levels have reached an all-time high. In the time I should be spending hitting the books, I often find myself distracting myself with a podcast, usually in the confines of my bedroom while stress-cleaning. This week, I stumbled upon “True Crime Obsessed,” which is hosted and narrated by Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle. Each episode consists of a dialogue between the two hosts as they discuss famous true crime stories. The two hosts have previous experience with podcasts – Hinds is the creator of the popular “Theater People” podcast and Pensavalle is the creator of “The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast.”
“True Crime Obsessed” reminds me a lot of a morning talk show. The hosts open up each episode with a new true crime case and break it down with their own commentary and banter. They use the term “true crime” fairly lightly as one of their episodes is based on the documentary “Catfish,” by Nev Schulman, which was later adapted into an MTV documentary series. Other popular deaths that are discussed include JonBenet Ramsey, Kurt Cobain and Dee Dee Blancharde.
I give this podcast 4 stars because I have found it very easy to tune in and tune out of, since some episodes may be hard to follow if you are not already familiar with the topic of discussion. It is also an acquired taste — if you don’t enjoy light commentary and banter during storytelling, you might not be into this podcast. Initially, I had a hard time adapting to this because my brain had gotten used to narrative style of podcasts like “Serial,” “Dr. Death” and “Happy Face.” The two hosts simply sit down for each episode, discuss documentaries based on the crimes and have a conversation on their opinions, which are often humorous.
As a person that spends a great portion of time listening to true crime podcasts, this one was much different than the others I’ve listened to as it was light and easy to pick up on. It is the perfect sidekick for any long car ride, walk across campus or study session break. However, it is important to note that the banter the two share throughout each episode is not casted in a negative way; the two have a way of discussing each case in a respectful way while also maintaining a conversation that is educational and informative. Hinds and Pensaville also manage to keep the listener laughing throughout with their quick wit and jokes.
If your schedule is looking as empty as mine for finals week, do yourself a favor and download this podcast to your Spotify playlists for your drive home for winter break.
