Strawberry Spring iHeartPodcasts
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- Fiction
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Based on the short story by Stephen King, Strawberry Spring is a scripted podcast set against the backdrop of the sixties revolution on the campus of New Sharon College. We follow a generation of students who don't trust authority, the futile efforts of the local police, and a young, determined reporter as he chases the bloody trail of Springheel Jack, an unrelenting, modern-day Jack the Ripper. After vanishing and leaving his murders unsolved, Jack is back - along with a new Strawberry Spring, a weather pattern with an unusual fog bank that rolls in every eight years. Using the fog to hide his tracks, he taunts New Sharon with fresh kills, each murder more violent than the last. The 8-episode season stars Garrett Hedlund, Milo Ventimiglia, Sydney Sweeney, Herizen Guardiola, Al Madrigal, Ken Marino, and Brec Bassinger.
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Chapter 1: Springheel Jack Is Back
With the arrival of a rare foggy weather pattern known as Strawberry Spring, notorious serial killer Springhill Jack returns after an eight-year absence
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Chapter 2: Written In Blood
Springheel Jack makes contact with Henry in a most unconventional way
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Chapter 3: What Can You Tell Me About Charlotte?
A 2nd murder haunts the campus of New Sharon, and a prime suspect is let go.
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Chapter 4: Drive Slow, Walk Fast
Henry and Rachael uncover a 3rd murder scene, one more brutal than the others
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Chapter 5: Snow Angels
Springheel Jack leaves evidence in Henry’s car. Is he being framed? Is this a copycat killer?
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Chapter 6: Adrift At Sea
A 4th murder, the most violent yet, pushes Chief Spencer to take extreme measures.
Customer Reviews
Mrs scary story
I have read the King short stories many times over. But listening to them is even more exciting while camping on Mt Taranaki in the dark. Loving this team
Mediocre at best
Strawberry Spring is one of King’s most wickedly effective short stories. This is an adaptation of that story, stretched out to its limit. Perhaps it would have been easier if I hadn’t known the short story’s ending, but even so: the protagonist is your usual plucky reporter/teacher, who is so horrendously self centred that you’d be forgiven for wanting the narrative to take a left turn and for him to be the next victim. He gaslights his wife and takes the credit for his (female) colleagues work. He climbs out of the black hole of his own ego to notice that some murders are happening, and proceeds to build his career on them. Then he gets obsessed with them in the most cliche way possible. Maybe this is a story choice and he’s meant to be unsympathetic; unfortunately it’s very hard to tell. The voice acting could best be described as “meh.” All the male characters aside from the narrator are hard to tell apart, and the female characters seem to have aimed for ‘strong female character’ and hit ‘annoying girl boss’. The described action is clunky; telling it straightforward in the narration “it was very foggy” to then have characters say “wow it’s really foggy” and then reiterate that every time they go outside. One of audio drama’s cardinal sins.
I don’t like comparing adaptations to their source material because they are very different beasts. However this podcast series is rubbish on its on merits. Read the short story, before this absolute junker of a podcast ruins it for you.
Intriguing, great story
Very King, very good. So enjoyed the characters/voices and storyline