I like long-form investigative pods, and this is definitely that. I listened after the pod ended rather than as it went along. It’s clear the makers put together the first few eps, followed some leads, produced some leads and waited to see if it took off. And it took off. There’s obviously a lot of dedicated people behind it. The journalism can be emotion-led and hot-headed and one-sided. OMG, the sound recording, given this is an audio medium, is inexplicably appalling. I don’t think they manage one interview that doesn’t have people talking, cafe noise, music, all over it. You even hear the other members of team chatting away in the background. It’s hard to understand why it’s so technically poor given it’s produced by a proper network. It is also very repetitive. Don’t bother with the Conversation eps. Sally is an impressive, driven woman but is allowed to speak unchallenged, the journos don’t really disrupt her narrative. Sally says things like, my mum would never….this or that. There is a lot of, Marion would never leave her kids etc. I never understand how people who don’t know what happen are so sure about things like that. Women leave their children Brian! The pod very much relies on having Sally on board. It ends when Sally wants it to which is odd from a journalistic point of view. Surely the pod has to end when the story is over? It isn’t over, is it? So obviously not over. Relying on the consent of Sally meant that the pod declares itself over at a point where it really shouldn’t be doing. Benefits from the inclusion of Laura Richards, it is obvious the concept of coercive control was news to the makers of the pod, but never really gets to grips with what this pod is really about which is, is this a hidden homicide or actually, are these hidden homicides? In the end, this is a flawed but great pod that actually makes important things happen in a kind of ‘everybody in’ viewer-led way and that makes it a success. Basically a listener cracks the case. Raises a lot of issues about amateurs getting involved in investigations being investigated by police but doesn’t address them. Ultimately what really needs to happen quite obviously is that the police need to investigate the death of Marion. Even if they think these annoying podcast people get in the way.
