This podcast has made valuable contributions to the Nancy Drew fandom that I believe will be incredibly important in keeping the franchise alive, especially in online spaces where the games are the primary focus. I have great respect and admiration for the effort and work that has been put into producing a high quality podcast. That said… I can’t say I enjoy or have fun listening half the time, and flat out dread my favorite entries in the series ever being covered on this show.
The obvious bias against Ned Nickerson/for Frank Hardy has made listening feel laborious. It feels like even when Ned is not present in the media being discussed, there will still be discussion about him, and likely some disparaging remarks or some comment about why actually, Frank is better for her. The real reason they feel this way is probably due to their own crush on Frank Hardy but whatever.
You would think, with as much time in every episode dedicated to lecturing the listener about sexism, misogyny, racism, etc. that we would be spared from reducing discussion around Nancy Drew to which man she should or shouldn’t be with. It seems as though the hosts have leaned so hard into being progressive that they have circled back around to not being progressive at all. Thankfully, I am not that woke.
So why do I keep listening? I do believe the podcast is overall well researched and put together. There is a wealth of interesting information and fun facts available, along with interviews with key players in the ND universe. (Authors, artists, etc.) If you can get past the polarizing takes or stay awake through another hollow lecture on racism, then you will probably learn something neat listening to any given episode.
It’s not that I disagree, or that I can’t handle a simple difference of opinion. It’s that it often comes across as talking down to the listener, or presenting an opinion as an accepted fact.
Regular Nancy Drew has transitioned from two friends talking about Nancy Drew to a legitimate source for information so well that it is verging on becoming required listening for fans. I hope they use this platform and their position within the fandom responsibly. I desperately wish I could give this 3 or more stars but the fact that I feel so alienated when I listen to it, even when I agree with many of the points being made and the franchise is so, so important to me, is why I’m giving it 2.
