Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not‪)‬ The O'Brien Siblings

New episode out now! We cover the first episode of Prime Suspect 1973 (or Prime Suspect: Tennison if you’re American), a 2017 prequel series about the early days of Jane Tennison’s law enforcement career. We enjoyed the more nuanced take it had regarding many things, including how the detectives treated drug users, how they presented the autopsy scene, and the time the show spent on the grief of the family. We discuss the differences in how the women of the police force are treated versus the men, talk about how they establish “good cop” Len Bradfield and the “bad cops” of the other detectives, love the character of Morgan and how competent she is, and continue to not understand London police organization. We love the 1970s setting and think it really adds a whole other level to the show; the costumes, set decoration, and especially the excellent music selection really enhanced the vibe. Katy points out multiple obvious things, Carrie was not impressed by the wigs, Maddy leads a moment of silence, and Mack thought there were too many greasy white boys. We also discuss the trope of a quirky medical examiner and how shows try to deal with the reality of a dead body, get excited about radios and ticker tape, learn Carrie was right about London buildings being cleaner, and do not approve of puking on screen. Listen to hear more about bleached Henry Cavill, British accents, Scone Palace, Night Court, and more! Plus, try to figure out which one of us had Covid while recording, which one was hungover, and which one had a few audio dropouts fixed in post! Enjoy!



TW: Drug addiction, sex work, sex work of a minor, murder of a sex worker, police abuse, misogyny, quality of low income housing, Grenfell Tower fire



Show Notes:


It should be noted that one theory as to why the police force seemed to be more delicate/nonchalant about the drug use and methadone clinic is that this does take place both in the UK and pre-Reagan and the “War On Drugs”, which very much criminalized and villainized drug use, especially in communities of lower income. The focus shifted to criminalization and prison rather than any sort of addiction treatment or rehabilitation. 


One possible origin of the quirky coroner/medical examiner is the Canadian show Wojeck that aired from 1966-1968, about a “coroner who regularly fights moral injustices raised by the deaths he investigated”. According to Wikipedia this was the first Western TV series to feature forensic pathology as the main investigative resource for crime solving. This show then inspired Quincy, M.E., a popular American show that aired from 1976-1983 about a LA County medical examiner, who was more quirky than the coroner character in Wojeck.


About the Grenfell Tower fire from Wikipedia: “On 14 June 2017, a high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London, at 00:54 BST and burned for 60 hours. Seventy people died at the scene, and two people died later in hospital, with more than 70 injured and 223 escaping”. More details here from Wikipedia and here from the BBC. 

New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode of the 1980’s dramedy Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. We enjoy the chemistry and visual comedy work of the two leads and think they were both excellent, discuss the prevalence of the banter and how it dominates the dialogue of the show, learn a little bit about the production struggles, and call out the many recognizable guest stars who make an appearance. We talk about how this was “appointment TV” for so many people and how it remains a top show on many “Best Of” lists, absolutely love the ‘80s lifestyles and hair, and wonder if Bruce Willis’ contemporary charm helped David seem not as creepy in his initial stalker-ish and pushy behavior. We also cover the somewhat confusing mystery plot, make guesses at what 1980s computers can do, and realize we cannot compare everything to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Katy misinterprets an apparently common phrase, Carrie tries to be cool with new lingo, Maddy fixates on the butts, and Mack finds certain driving practices unforgivable. We also discuss proper diamond storage, make many Friends and Murder She Wrote references, learn about Orson Welles’ last role, and believe we should protect furries to save the internet. Listen to hear more about misunderstanding tax write-offs, barefoot running, ladder physics, confusing “Maddy” for “Maddy”, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Enjoy!



TW: Nazis, Holocaust diamonds, Woody Allen, misogyny



Show Notes:


“Why Downtown Los Angeles’s Architecture Is So Diverse | Walking Tour - Architectural Digest” Video


IndieWire article “‘Moonlighting’ Dangled Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd Off a Building for Its Very First Episode — Here’s How”

New episode out now! We discuss the first episode of the Australian show Mystery Road, titled “Gone”. We talk about the familiar concept of “big city detective in small town” and how this show handled it, compare the town vibes and the inhabitants to others we are familiar with, and really enjoy how the cinematography highlights the vast otherness of the landscape. We admire the detective skills of Jay Swan, although we have reservations on how he gets his information and wonder if he is justified in withholding said information from the local police force. We also realize we are not that familiar with Australian media in general, and make a number of guesses regarding slang, geography, and how colonialism and racism shaped modern Australia differently than it shaped America. Katy is not familiar with meth, Carrie loses her breath over her own joke, Maddy is revisiting 2004 via an important historical record, and Mack calls out Minnesota in a harsh way. We also question why people live in harsh places, give suggestions on smooth brain content, learn how lucrative cattle rustling is, and wonder why How I Met Your Mother did not hold up as much as older sitcom shows. We touch on things like cowboy hats, Irish foreheads, adults watching children’s programming, and Red Dead Redemption 2 yet again. Give it a listen! 



TW: Colonialism, racism, pedophilia, drug use and addiction, cattle for food, brief mention of teen pregnancy and rape

Show Notes:

The animated children’s shows Jason Mantzoukas recommended on TV, I Say w Ashley Ray were Hilda and City of Ghosts, both on Netflix

New episode out now! We are finally covering the original literary Sherlock Holmes, after reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book "The Valley of Fear". We discuss the textual characters of Holmes and Watson, and realize they are both very dramatic characters in their own ways. We analyze the way Sherlock investigates and how he shows his work, debate his ethical judgment and how his need to show off may have led to more death, and discuss the obsession with Moriarty compared to his presence in the books. We also talk about the contextual history of these stories concerning Victorian attitudes towards male relationships and how they were - or were not- allowed to bond, lament the way women are written about by Doyle and debate Holmes’ attitude towards them, and wonder at the patriarchal male need to create opportunities to feel powerful and earn status. Katy pronounces denouement wrong yet again, Carrie gives some eyebrow waggles, Maddy deserves a large amount of credit and grace, and Mack does not care about being rude to us. We also cover the exceptional Knowledge of London cabbies and how it changes their brain, make guesses about what is in an almanac, and one of us even wrote a mysterious haiku. Listen to hear more about men-only clubs, “rubber ducking”, old shady banks, mob pensions, and sawed-off shotguns in Red Dead Redemption 2. And ONE of us quotes Brennan Lee Mulligan - but it’s not Mack! Enjoy! 

PS. Thank you to Maddy for completing the assignment on time - she deserves all the credit and the other three are horrible procrastinators.  



TW: Misogyny, Victorian views on homosexuality, shotgun wounds, indigenous trauma concerning forced removal, union gangs 

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of Inspector Morse, a staple of British detective television and inspiration for two further series. We dig into the character of Morse and how he is presented in the show, discussing how his interests and flaws are weaved into the narrative and also how he goes about solving cases with “unorthodox” methods. We like Lewis and appreciate his agency, enjoy the music and choral singing, analyze the character’s living spaces, and debate how the morality of the 1980s drove the motive. We also talk about how the mystery is not spoon fed to the audience; the story was complicated and Morse got things wrong which was a surprising but enjoyable aspect, even if it made us confused. Katy accidentally slighted Jeremy Sumpter, Carrie enjoys live music performed well, Maddy longs for a quaint life, and Mack has opinions about handwriting. We talk about annoying puzzles, guess what American crime procedurals are popular across the pond, share stories about empty restaurants that may be fronts, and ask the age old question - gay or Oxford student? We also touch on real ale, repointing, sacred harp singing, and fish smells. And something quite incredible happens for the first time in the podcast’s history…give it a listen to find out what! Enjoy!



TW: death by suicide, binge drinking, blackmail, classicism, drug addiction, suspected incest

Show Notes:


Batman sound effect we used


Link to short YouTube video about sacred harp singing by Awake Productions


The episode of Endeavour Katy was remembering is series 1, episode 3, titled “Rocket”.

New episode out now! We watched the 1980 mystery comedy The Private Eyes, starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. We debate what the movie was aiming for between mystery and satire, wonder who the audience was intended to be, have issues figuring out if things were jokes or clues, and perhaps read too much into the actual plot. We learn the script was written in two days, and then subsequently wonder if the casting of two beloved comedy actors did a lot of the work in pumping up the humor of the film. We also feel that the Biltmore Estate lent a lot to the visuals, have issues with the casual '70s racism, think Mel Brooks was a big influence, and really like the Scooby-Doo of it all - with the epitome of a mysterious cloaked figure. Katy worried that ghosts were real, Carrie doesn't think Don Knotts is funny, Maddy has Biltmore blindness, and Mack knows who Richard Nixon is. We talk about Vulcan humor and what is unintentionally funny about old Star Trek, lament that it's difficult for kids today to learn about older pop culture, pitch The Carol Burnett Show TikTok, and channel The Mickey Mouse Club. We also cover castle architecture, funny pigeon bits, air quotes, Old Glory, and secret passages. Give it a listen and enjoy!



TW: Racist stereotypes, tongue mutilation, Santa Claus mythology, harm to animals, sexism



Show Notes:


Link: The Dentist Sketch from The Carol Burnett Show 


Link: Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on breaking up on-camera


Link: Carol Burnett discusses Harvey Korman and Tim Conway 1:21 - “I think Conway’s goal in life is to destroy Harvey.”


TikTok link to the men reenacting the French taunter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail