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Updated Feb 13
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FEB 10

Third Wheels Are the Best Wheels

Third wheeling has long had a bad reputation. If you’re a single person, you may have heard that hanging out with a couple makes you the odd person out. But Meredith doesn’t believe that. She LOVES third wheels – and has third wheeled with plenty of couples. In this episode, Meredith’s sister, Brette, explains how her social life, as a newly divorced person, involves hanging out with a bunch of wonderful couples. Brette says that being a third wheel has broadened her community and enriched her soul. Meredith also interviews Brad and Marco, one of the couples for whom Brette third wheels. They explain why having a shared friend makes their relationship stronger. Consider this episode a guide to being a platonic third, and a love letter to third wheels and the couples who truly believe “the more the merrier.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 10

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39 min
JAN 27

Your ex is still on Venmo

Must you block your ex on social media? Maybe. Probably. It could make your breakup a lot easier to deal with. In this episode, Meredith talks to Love Letters podcast producer Jazmin Aguilera about Jazmin’s recent breakup. They listen to a classic episode about exes and social media, and talk about what lessons ring true in 2026.Enjoy a discussion about letting go in person and online.Remember, Love Letters is also an anonymous advice column. When you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 27

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36 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1

EPISODE 1: Officer Pastillas

On the docks of New Bedford, Massachusetts, whispers about a rogue police officer harassing fishermen and stealing drugs come to a head aboard a scalloping boat late one night. The officer forces his way on board, saying an informant told him there would be drugs on board, and demands some. But when another officer, Mark Raposo, shows up, he thinks his colleague is in the middle of a “drug rip.” Now Raposo is ready to blow the whistle on what he’s seen. And it turns out that this officer’s abuse of the informant system is just the tip of the iceberg in this historic port city. *Note: this episode was updated Mar 12, 2025, to include a statement from police that the Globe received after the deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S1, E1

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53 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 2

EPISODE 2: Blind Trust

Spotlight reporter Dugan Arnett receives a desperate phone call from an informant who’s now in prison. He says he's afraid for his life because other inmates know he cooperated with police. This informant always knew he’d be in danger if someone from his gang found out that he was a snitch. What he didn’t anticipate was being betrayed by police, including a New Bedford officer who shares information with a member of the informant's gang. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S1, E2

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41 min
2025-12-02

Model Behavior

Jenna is a part-time model. Sometimes her modeling jobs are unique – think wearing stilettos and popping balloons... or wearing lingerie while feeding ducks. Recently, she's been getting paid to play a damsel in distress. With cars. How does Jenna’s modeling work affect her dating life? It’s not easy. Some people act like they’re comfortable with her job at first - but then they turn out to be judgmental and jealous. In this episode, Jenna tells Meredith the story of how she got into this type of work and how much she's willing (or not) to give up for it. A universal lesson about compromise – and finding people who love us as we are. ___ Remember, Love Letters is an advice column, too! Send questions about human relationships (romantic, friendship, etc.) to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025-12-02

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36 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 3

EPISODE 3: The Chief

Meet New Bedford’s police chief, Paul Oliveira. He’s had a hand in both of the stories we’ve already heard. And the Spotlight Team's reporting shows there's a dark backstory behind Oliveira's rise to the top of the department. Oliveira wrote the playbook on using informants. In this episode, a former New Bedford narcotics cop who worked alongside the chief for nearly two decades agrees to go on the record about everything he’s seen… and taken part in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S1, E3

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34 min
2025-12-16

Mi Amor

Nexan Asencio Corado was 20 when he left Guatemala and crossed into the U.S. illegally. He wound up settling in Massachusetts and built a life there. Within a decade, he was working in construction and framing. He fell in love with Christina Toledo and married her. They had two twin sons. In May, Nexan – who had started the process of seeking lawful permanent residency in the U.S. – was arrested by ICE agents and brought to a Federal Correctional Institution. From that moment, Nexan and Christina faced important choices about how to stay together, care for each other, and protect their family. In this episode, Boston Globe immigration reporter Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio tells the story of Nexan and Christina, using recordings from their life and phone calls, with their permission. We love feedback and questions at Love Letters – and with this episode, there’s a lot to talk about. After listening, please send your thoughts to loveletters@globe.com. You can always email us a voice memo. We’re also a relationship advice column. You can send your anonymous questions to loveletters@globe.com. To learn more about this story and Love Letters, in general, sign up for the Love Letters newsletter at Boston.com/Meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025-12-16

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36 min
2025-12-30

The Chimera

Elise, 17, appreciates that she’s growing up in a world that understands what it means to be nonbinary. She just wishes people had an easier time understanding fluidity. Because sometimes Elise feels like a boy, and other times she feels like a girl. Sometimes these changes shift with the seasons. In this episode, Elise explains how her fluidity affects her dating life – because some people who fall for her as a masculine person might be less interested if she becomes more feminine months later. She also reveals she might be a chimera – meaning, as she sees it, she might literally be two people in one. Elise and Meredith talk it through together. If you love Love Letters, give us all the stars. We love validation. We’re also an anonymous advice question; when you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025-12-30

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40 min
JAN 13 · BONUS

Elin Hilderbrand: Married to Nantucket

Meredith has always been a little afraid of Nantucket. Despite living a fast ferry ride away, she’s only been there twice. As far as Meredith is concerned, the people on Nantucket are fancy, the drama is high, and because it’s an island, it’s hard to escape. For best-selling author Elin Hiderbrand, though, Nantucket represents comfort … even when it’s stifling. Nantucket is where Elin found happiness after leaving New York. It’s what inspired her writing. It’s where she found community – and the best kinds of love. In a live conversation recorded in November, Meredith interviews Elin about Nantucket, what it means to fall in love with a place, and why Elin decided to stop writing about the island after decades of living there. They also talk about the power of books about women and love. Elin novels include “The Perfect Couple,” which became a Netflix show starring Nicole Kidman, and “The Five Star Weekend,” which is slated to be a series starring Jennifer Garner. This talk was part of “Globe Summit,” a two-day Boston Globe event that featured journalists speaking with experts in their fields. Remember, Love Letters is also an anonymous advice column. When you ask a relationship question, you help others wondering the same thing. Email your question to loveletters@boston.com. Sign up for Meredith’s newsletter at Boston.com/meredith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 13 · Bonus

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25 min
SEASON 1, EPISODE 5

EPISODE 5: “All this for nothing”

Two former New Bedford informants tell shocking stories. The first: a woman who didn’t even know she was being used as an informant by the cop she was sleeping with. The second: a man who was Paul Oliveira’s informant decades ago and who knows – better than anyone – how the police chief exploits the secrecy of this world. Spotlight reporters Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan try to get answers and accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S1, E5

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46 min

Narrative mini-series, news, commentary, and audio storytelling from the leading newsroom in New England.

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The Boston Globe

Top Shows

Third Wheels Are the Best Wheels

Your ex is still on Venmo

EPISODE 1: Officer Pastillas

EPISODE 2: Blind Trust

Model Behavior

EPISODE 3: The Chief

Mi Amor

The Chimera

Elin Hilderbrand: Married to Nantucket

EPISODE 5: “All this for nothing”

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