Hooked

I really enjoyed listening to this podcast. Tony and Connor were very honest and raw and the host, Josh, did a great job interviewing them. It was eye opening to hear about what addiction can make people do and how redemption is possible. Highly recommend this podcast!

Hooked is a well-produced and compelling podcast—expertly written, edited, and narrated. The story is gripping, the pacing is tight, and the sound design pulls you in from the start. From a technical and storytelling standpoint, it’s top-notch. However, the podcast falls short in holding its subject, Tony Hathaway, accountable. Despite the devastating impact of his actions—especially on his own son, whom he involved in crimes including a bank robbery and repeated drug use (heroin) as a teenager—Tony shows little remorse. He downplays the trauma he caused to bank tellers and seems to believe that stealing insured money somehow makes it victimless. The narrator leans too heavily into a redemption arc and misses opportunities to challenge Tony’s narrative or demand accountability, particularly when it comes to his son’s prison sentence, which Tony could have helped reduce by owning up to his role. I was particularly disgusted by his lack of remorse around doing heroin with his son as a teenager likely led to his lifelong addiction.

I really appreciated the honesty in this story. I really hope Tony and Connor continue to do well. Your story is going to help a lot of people like myself have empathy for people with addiction. Praying for you!

I was drawn in at the jump to this good story, a host with a “radio voice,” & an intriguing interviewee, all capsuled in excellent production. I wouldn’t have liked *another sad story* of addiction, but this one did; in fact, I loved it. Great job!