The Mastercast

Marie Tanksley
The Mastercast

The Mastercast covers a non-spoiler binge-worthy review of the best podcasts every Monday in a short and sweet two-three minute summary on everything you could want to know from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be.

  1. It's complicated with Crime Junkie

    7 OCT

    It's complicated with Crime Junkie

    This week we look at Crime Junkie. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram, Twitter, or the website. Music this week: Artist: COS & EffectSong: Insidehttps://soundcloud.com/cosandeffekt\https://www.instagram.com/cosandeffekthttps://www.facebook.com/cosandeffekt Links and sources:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://crimejunkiepodcast.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-junkie/id1322200189https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/crime-junkie-podcast-ashley-flowers-plagiarism-1203302072/ Transcript:  A 50/50 review Crime Junkie - No Spoilers!  It’s time! I’ve put off doing this review for a long time because of the complicated nature of this podcast’s impact on the podcasting world. I still have reservations about coming out and recommending it so I’m going to start what I’ve been calling 50/50 reviews for podcasts I’m on the fence about. What’s to be on the fence about? We’ll get into it in this episode of The Mastercast.  Crime Junkie is a very popular true crime podcast produced by Ashely Flowers and Brit Prawat that covers a variety of well known and not so well known missing, murdered, and mysterious death cases. Some are solved, some or not, and I like listening to the episode not knowing which it’ll be. There is the very rare conspiracy episode but these cover crime related conspiracies not like big foot or anything. They’re more like cover ups and things of that nature. With over a billion downloads and placing consistently in the top five of various podcast charts since their debut in 2017, very popular might be an understatement. It’s as widely known as Serial, the podcast that let’s face it - got us all into true crime podcasts. There are over 412 free episodes and  new ones come out weekly on Mondays. The show has 4.7 stars and over 350,000 ratings on Apple Podcasts. That’s almost triple the amount of reviews Chartable and Rephonic report for globally beloved podcast This American Life. In addition to the public available episodes, there’s over 150 bonus episodes. To prepare for writing this review thoroughly I actually signed up for the monthly subscription that give access to them all, thinking that I would get through them in a few weeks. It’s been two months and I’ve only gotten through back to 2021. Not only are the founders good at storytelling but they’re very smart business women. Everything they do is perfectly executed to generate a profit. This includes a well organized and supplied website. Their subscription plan and separate app locks down bonus episodes. Their merch store only opens for highly anticipated limited releases. Subscriptions are tiered to allow accumulative access to bonus episodes, videos, fan meet ups, and early access to merch releases. The show also expanded to become a network with some other really good shows like Anatomy of Murder and Counterclock. Wrestling with the ethicacy of review those shows is a big reason I choose to review this one. That being said, there are plenty of great free resources on the websites! There’s the famous “If I go missing folder” template, newsletter, and craft patterns.  Now I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the plagiarism scandal which stopped me from listening to the show for a long time. The challenge didn’t necessarily come from liking the show (although I do admit that bias) but from lack of citation standardization in the podcast community. I won’t go into much detail of the scandal’s whole story, for that I recommend the Let’s Taco ‘bout True Crime episode titled Let's Taco ‘Bout the Crime Junkie Plagiarism scandal where multiple hosts that had their work plagiarized spoke about it. But for a very short summary in 2019 the podcast was found to have clearly and knowingly plagiarized former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter, Cathy Frye’s work. After this accusation came out, others came to the surface as well. It’s important to no

    6 min
  2. Double lives with The Agent

    30 SEPT

    Double lives with The Agent

    This week we look at The Agent. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agent/id1587714169 Transcript:  Hey Pod lovers. I’m your host Marie and  If you’re joining us for the first time: Welcome! The Mastercast is a podcast recommendation show that brings you a brand new non-spoiler binge-worthy review every week of the best podcasts in a short and sweet 2-3 minute summary on everything you could want to know, from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be. New episodes come out every Monday. You can find the week’s other reviews on the show’s social on Instagram @themastercast and Twitter @mastercastpods. If you like what you hear and want to help out with this independent show you can find me on Buy me a coffee by searching The Mastercast. I’d really appreciate it. This week’s review is on The Agent - No spoilers !  It’s been a minute and to welcome us back is a really good one. The Agent is a 2022 Webby Award honoree and so good that I had to borrow his book “Deep Undercover: My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America” from the library. The 15 episode series tells the true story of Jack Barsky’s life as a KGB spy during the cold war when he spent 10 years undercover leading two very different secret lives. It’s this amazing narrative told by Barsky himself that weaves together Jack Barsky the person and Jasck Barsky the spy until something happens that leads him to have to choose between the two. The story is so immersive and wraps you up in his life. I didn’t want it to be over even though in total the podcast is over 3 days’ worth of audio content. It really does look at his whole life and not just what he did for work. That might be too much backstory for some, but I love glimpses into the lives of others, especially one this fascinating. It’s a production of Imperative Entertainment and Windjoy and was the brainchild of Jason Hoch. Barsky, of course, plays a huge role in how the story is told. It has 4.7 out of 5 stars with 1,100 ratings but still had some common themes in the reviews. First, I think the show was once paywalled but isn’t anymore. I was able to listen to all of the episodes on PocketCasts. Then there’s some reviews about the Jack Barsky as a person but honestly we’re not there to like Jack. Like most people his not a villain or a hero, he’s just a person and this is his story. I don’t think people get very far or learn anything from someone they just write off as one or the others and I encourage you to listen to the story holistically. I really appreciated his authenticity and humility. He’s honest and acknowledges bad choices he’s made and how that effected others. Some have labeled this as ego but putting asisde the fact that he was a spy and I’m sure that’s a job requirement, I did not feel the same.  Similar pods: Agent of Betrayal, To Die For, and The Miami Chronicles. All right, guys, that’s all for this week but remember if you want to see the cover art, sources, or the written transcript for this episode be sure to check out the show notes. You can also send us an email at themastercastpodlist@gmail.com. There you can tell us if you have music you would like played on the show or submit a podcast to be recommended. This week’s music came from Seasoned Souls and their brilliant song is called Haze. Please check out the show notes for how to find them and their music!  Remember to share the show with the pod lovers in your life and tune in next Monday. Thanks for listening. This week's artist: Seasoned SoulsSong: Hazehttps://www.instagram.com/seasonedsoulsofficial/?hl=enhttps://soundcloud.com/seasonedsoulsmusic/haze-1?in=seasonedsoulsmusic/sets/cryptic-defects-ep ★ Support this podcast ★

    4 min
  3. International crime with Have Murder Will Travel

    22 JAN

    International crime with Have Murder Will Travel

    This week we look at Have Murder Will Travel. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://havemurderwilltravel.buzzsprout.com/https://www.instagram.com/havemurderwilltravel/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/have-murder-will-travel/id1634439656 Have Murder Will Travel - No spoilers!  This week we’re looking at an American crime show that travels internationally to tell stories from every part of the globe. Like many of its fans, I found this podcast by recommendation from the Morbid podcast, who like me, is a big fan. The true treasure of this pod is its host Valeira Drake who is also a St.Louis based actor and dancer! She is so funny and charming and I love her voice. Some don’t care for her tangents but I think they are hilarious and make the show. She’s just saying what we’re all thinking. I even named my monstera plant after her. So there hasn’t been an episode in a while since May of 2023 actually but Valeria has mentioned on the show before about depression. Let’s just be hopeful and supportive and maybe another episode will bless our feeds soon. There are episodes to burn through though! 43 in fact and I binged all of them in a couple of days. Most are about crimes. There are few disappearances, the rare spooky episodes, and even rarer still a survival story. My favorites are Episode 33: Deadly Cruise Ships: The Disappearance of Tammy Grogan, and Episode 12: Guatemala: Rodrigo Rosenberg although there are too many to name. Usually each episode has a great instagram post with it. When the show was really active they came out once a week. Apple Podcasts has a 4.7/5 with 94 ratings. There is swearing and of course the normal trigger warnings for true crime.  Similar pods: Location Unknown, Lost in the Woods, Twisted Travel and True Crime.  ★ Support this podcast ★

    3 min
  4. Hunt for a serial killer with The Frankston Murders

    8 JAN

    Hunt for a serial killer with The Frankston Murders

    This week we look at The Frankston Murders. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-frankston-murders/id1678816681 Transcript: The Frankston Murders - No Spoilers !  From Casefile Presents this gripping podcast looks at the serial murders of three women that took place over seven weeks in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, a case unfamiliar to most in the US. Its creator and host Vikki Petratis reported on the crime as it was happening and later wrote the best-selling book The Frankston Murders. In this podcast, she speaks with an array of people including family members, police officers, and prison guards to uncover unheard material and new victims stalked before the murders. It is a longer podcast made up of 11 episodes. I honestly usually avoid single-crime podcasts of this length because they tend to use a lot of filler but the pace and layout of this pod was incredible. Informed complete reporting with no repetitive information. It is one of the best-produced podcasts I’ve heard all year and with a rating on Apple Podcasts of 4.7 it’s safe to say I’m not the only one who thinks so. There have been updates in the case as recent as this year which leaves Petretis asking for the listener's help. I do need to give a trigger warning for animal abuse.  Similar pods: The Detective’s Dilemma, West Cork, and Bowraville ★ Support this podcast ★

    3 min
  5. Plant obsession fueled black market with Bad Seeds

    05/09/2023

    Plant obsession fueled black market with Bad Seeds

    This week we look at Bad Seeds. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bad-seeds/id1680791653 Transcript: If you’re a true crime fan who loves plants, this might be your new favorite podcast. From iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans, Bad Seeds looks at what happens when living things become trendy. Every year millions of plants are poached to feed the black market that makes it possible to get whatever variety you’d like with a short trip to the store. Hosted by plant lover, author, and youtuber Summer Rayne Oakes, this podcast looks at the whole purchase process from smugglers to everyday buyers to shed light on the biological, ecological, and cultural exploitation that most who take part in the industry are unaware of. Personally, I had no idea plants were smuggled like animals but as this show explains even cartels are cashing in on the lucrative trade. It’s an intersection of passionate hobbyists and harmful crime that I’m not sure I’ve seen in a lot of other instances. While this information is common knowledge to professionals in the field, this podcast makes it easy to understand the gravity of what is happening to everyone else. For its efforts, it’s been well received with 4.8/5 stars and 149 ratings. The series has 8 parts that are about 32 minutes long and must be listened to in order.  Similar pods: In Defense of Plants, Big Sugar, Field Trip ★ Support this podcast ★

    3 min
  6. Health and wellness with Food We Need to Talk

    21/08/2023

    Health and wellness with Food We Need to Talk

    This week we look at Food, We Need To Talk. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://www.foodweneedtotalk.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-we-need-to-talk/id1490621476 Transcript: Hey Pod lovers. I’m your host Marie and  If you’re joining us for the first time: Welcome! The Mastercast is a podcast recommendation show that brings you a brand new non-spoiler binge-worthy review every week of the best podcasts in a short and sweet 2-3 minute summary on everything you could want to know, from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be. New episodes come out every Monday. You can find the week’s other reviews on the show’s social on Instagram @themastercast and Twitter @mastercastpods. If you like what you hear and want to help out with this independent show you can find me on Buy me a coffee by searching The Mastercast. I’d really appreciate it. This week’s review is on Food We Need To Talk - No Spoilers!  This is a health podcast unlike any other. It really sucks to be despite to find facts and have to sift through clutter, hype, and misinformation. I’ve tried so many and it seems like everyone has a doctor from a prestigious school saying the opposite of what the last one said. I still don’t know who to trust but over time I’ve come to believe common tips from trustworthy sources. This is one of the sources I’ve come to trust. Since saying it’s science-based doesn’t mean much, I’ll just say I really think you should give this one a try. It was started in 2019 by Juna Gjata, a Harvard graduate in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology and a minor in Music, and Dr. Eddie Phillips who has a long list of credentials. In every episode, they pick a topic such as genetics, stress, and exercise and speak to each other and experts on it. I love shows that take information and make them into beautiful tiny documentaries about everything you need to know and this show does it very well. Another thing that makes the show so relatable is how Juna sprinkles little bits of her experience throughout the episode and shares thoughts and questions I’ve heard everyone I know have. Produced by PRX, the show has a rating on Apple Podcasts of 4.7/5 with 1,800 ratings. Episodes used to come out biweekly but now come out once a week on Mondays. They’re on average about 40 minutes long which makes it easier to capture all the information without being overloaded. I still really enjoy listening to the episodes twice, once to hear and think about what’s said and another to better remember it. Also super helpful are the transcripts for every episode that can be found on their website. It really helps to look up the information mentioned. You can tell the pod is a little scripted but it’s barely noticeable. My favorite episodes so far have been “Doomed If You Diet, Doomed If You Don’t” and “This Is Your Brain On Cheesecake.” There have been accusations of harmful diet rhetoric but not only do I not feel this way, I think it’s bluntly false. This show makes you feel like it’s okay to mess up but with the correct information, you can make healthier choices for YOU. It tells you all the things you need to hear that are hard for you to believe but are true.  Similar pods: Huberman Lab, Life Kit: Health, Making Sense with Sam Harris  All right, guys, that’s all for this week but remember if you want to see the cover art, sources, or the written transcript for this episode be sure to check out the show notes. You can also send us an email at themastercastpodlist@gmail.com. There you can tell us if you have music you would like played on the show or submit a podcast to be recommended. This week’s music came from Universal Music Productions because I forgot to find an artist for this week. Remember to share the show with the pod lovers in your

    4 min
  7. Beyond cruel with Hillside: The Investigation and Trial of the Hillside Strangler

    13/06/2023

    Beyond cruel with Hillside: The Investigation and Trial of the Hillside Strangler

    This week we look at Hillside: The Investigation and Trial of the Hillside Strangler. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hillside-the-investigation-and-trial/id1623494682http://www.hillsidepodcast.com/https://rephonic.com/podcasts/hillsidehttp://www.josephrodota.com/ Transcript:  Hey Pod lovers. I’m your host Marie and  If you’re joining us for the first time: Welcome! The Mastercast is a podcast recommendation show that brings you a brand new non-spoiler binge-worthy review every week of the best podcasts in a short and sweet 2-3 minute summary on everything you could want to know, from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be. New episodes come out every Monday. You can find the week’s other reviews on the show’s social on Instagram @themastercast and Twitter @mastercastpods. If you like what you hear and want to help out with this independent show you can find me on Buy me a coffee by searching The Mastercast. I’d really appreciate it. This week’s review is on Hillside: The Investigation and Trial of the Hillside Strangler Between October 1977 and February 1978 Los Angeles, California witnessed a group of serial killings that would leave 10 women assaulted and murdered in just a year. Due to many of the bodies being discovered among the city’s surrounding hills, the linked murders were named by the media as the “Hillside Stranglings.” Since the crime and its record-long trial which lasted two years and two days, countless documentaries, books, films, and podcasts have been made about it. This 2022 show from Last 5 Percent Media uses narrative as well as interviews with family members of the victims, lawyers, prosecutors, jurors, and investigators to give a fascinating but respectful look at the case. I really appreciated that host and author Joseph Rodota gives a warning about the outdated language used in older recordings as well as graphic content warnings. The podcast has 4.9 stars on Apple Podcasts with 64 ratings. There are 10 episodes in the series, all about 39 minutes on average. My only critique would be there is music playing in the show when there shouldn’t be. It just plays quietly in the background for most of the time.  Similar pods: The Clown and The Candyman, Mind of a Monster: Aileen Wuornos, and Atlanta Monster  All right, guys, that’s all for this week but remember if you want to see the cover art, sources, or the written transcript for this episode be sure to check out the show notes. You can also send us an email at themastercastpodlist@gmail.com. There you can tell us if you have music you would like played on the show or submit a podcast to be recommended. This week’s music came from Universal Music Productions because I forgot to find an artist for this week. Remember to share the show with the pod lovers in your life and tune in next Monday. Thanks for listening. ★ Support this podcast ★

    3 min
  8. Legends, myths, and monsters with Lore

    30/05/2023

    Legends, myths, and monsters with Lore

    This week we look at Lore. If you'd rather read the reviews, check the show out on Instagram or Twitter.  Links and sources: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/themastercasthttps://www.lorepodcast.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lore/id978052928https://www.youtube.com/@lorepodcasthttps://www.unit5.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=22832&ViewID=5C8B25C6-C8F8-4BD5-923B-8A7C70A93DDA&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=31141&PageID=14927&Comments=true Transcript:  Hey Pod lovers. I’m your host Marie and  If you’re joining us for the first time: Welcome! The Mastercast is a podcast recommendation show that brings you a brand new non-spoiler binge-worthy review every week of the best podcasts in a short and sweet 2-3 minute summary on everything you could want to know, from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be. New episodes come out every Monday. You can find the week’s other reviews on the show’s social on Instagram @themastercast and Twitter @mastercastpods. If you like what you hear and want to help out this independent show you can find me on Buy me a coffee by searching The Mastercast. I’d really appreciate it. This week’s review is on Lore - No Spoilers!  From Grim & Mild Entertainment and host Aaron Mahnke, this week’s review is on the award-winning podcast Lore. It is proof that history isn’t just events and dates. Myths, legends, folk tales, and creatures are woven throughout our collective history no matter where you are from. In each episode, Mahnke picks one and dives into it, making a snapshot of its culture and psychology. Mahnke isn’t just the host but is also the creator, writer, producer, and founder of its network Grim & Mild Entertainment. For those unfamiliar Mahnke has a distinct, divisive, but much-loved diction. If you find it bothers you, try to listen to only a couple of episodes at a time. I will say that so many people love the show it was adapted for television by Amazon, has a Youtube channel, and Penguin Random House has published it as a three-book set. It won Best of 2015 for iTunes, Best History Podcast for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards as well as a handful of others. Some schools have even incorporated it into their curriculum. On Apple Podcast the show has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 43K ratings. So far there are 227 episodes available for free everywhere with paid episodes sprinkled in on Apple Podcasts. On average they are about 30-35 minutes long and release about once a week. A note on the factual nature of the show… It's a great starting place. It’s well-researched and it can be hard to get everything into a 30-minute episode. The subjects it covers are also pretty subjective. That being said there have been many times where people have pointed out missed or falsely interpreted parts. I think it’s a great introduction but definitely not the bible. The show’s episode sources page on its website is huge and could be a great place to dig deeper if you’d like. Also, be aware a common complaint of the show is the jarring volume of the ads so sleepy listeners beware. My favorite episodes have been Episode 170: Into the Wild, and Episode 42: In the Bag. While there is no swearing the spooky nature of the show might require discretion for younger listeners.  Similar Pods: Myths and Legends, Destination Terror, and Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!  All right, guys, that’s all for this week but remember if you want to see the cover art, sources, or the written transcript for this episode be sure to check out the show notes. You can also send us an email at themastercastpodlist@gmail.com. There you can tell us if you have music you would like played on the show or submit a podcast to be recommended. This week’s music came from Universal Music Productions because I forgot to find an artist for this week. Remember to share the show with the pod lovers in your life and tune in next Monday. Thanks for listening. ★ Suppor

    4 min

About

The Mastercast covers a non-spoiler binge-worthy review of the best podcasts every Monday in a short and sweet two-three minute summary on everything you could want to know from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be.

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada