61 episodes
That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast Exactly Right
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- TV & Film
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4.6 • 4.7K Ratings
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Each week, comedians and amateur detectives Liza Treyger and Kara Klenk break down episodes of Law & Order: SVU, deep dive into the true crimes they're based on, and interview on-screen talent, ranging from big stars to joggers who find the body. These are their stories. Dun dun!
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Producer's Backend
Today, Kara and Liza discuss the SVU episode, “Producer’s Backend” (Season 16, Episode 3), the controversies around Bryan Singer and Dan Schneider, and chat with the lovely Stevie Lynn Jones.
SOURCES:
The Atlantic
Wikipedia
Rolling Stone
Hollywood Reporter
Variety - 1
Variety - 2
LA Times
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
The Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Next week’s episode will be “Tragedy” (Season 5, Episode 1).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Blood Brothers
Liza and Kara cover SVU’s “Blood Brothers” (Season 13, Episode 3), the background of the Arnold Schwarzenegger affair, and chat with the talented Judy Reyes.
SOURCES:
LA Times - 1
LA Times - 2
NY Daily News
Wikipedia
Hello!
The Sun
Sydney Morning Harold
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
North American Council on Adoptable Children - https://nacac.org/
Next week’s episode will be “Producer’s Backend” (Season 16, Episode 3).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
One More Tale of Two Victims
In this week’s episode, Kara and Liza break down the SVU episode “One More Tale of Two Victims (Season 23, Episode 4), the case of Trevor Lawler, and interview actor (and friend!) Johnny Pemberton.
SOURCES:
BBC - 1
BBC - 2
Independent
Daily Mail
Manchester Evening News
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
RAINN - https://www.rainn.org/
Next week’s episode will be “Blood Brothers” (Season 13, Episode 3).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Name
This week, Liza and Kara break down “Name” (Season 7, Episode 7), the mysterious disappearances of “The Boy in the Box” and “The Clinton Avenue Five,” and interview the multi-talented Paula Garcés.
SOURCES:
NY Times
Philadelphia Inquirer
NJ 101.5
CBS New York
NJ.com - 1
NJ.com - 2
NJ.com - 3
BlackHistory.com
Crime Reads
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
Cold Case Foundation - https://www.coldcasefoundation.org/
Next week’s episode will be “One More Tale of Two Victims” (Season 23, Episode 4).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Hell's Kitchen
Today, Liza and Kara discuss “Hell’s Kitchen” (Season 20, Episode 8), the Mario Batali and Brett Kavanaugh allegations, and chat with actor Sara Bues.
SOURCES:
Axios - 1
Axios - 2
Wikipedia - 1
Wikipedia - 2
The New Yorker
LA Times
Harvard Business Review
Eater - 1
Eater - 2
Newsweek
ABC News
Fox Lexington
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
Hollaback! - https://www.ihollaback.org/
Next week’s episode will be “Name” (Season 7, Episode 7).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. -
Presumed Guilty
In honor of the holiday season, Kara and Liza recap an SVU Christmas episode “Presumed Guilty” (Season 14, Episode 10), talk about the long history of child abuse in the Catholic Church, and interview legendary character actor Denis O’Hare.
SOURCES:
CNN
BBC
NY Times - 1
NY Times - 2
NY Times - 3
NY Times - 4
NY Times - 5
NY Times - 6
NY Times - 7
NY Times - 8
NY Times - 9
NY Times - 10
Herman Law
ProPublica
USA Today
NY Post
The Limited Times
Courthouse News
Washington Post
Newcastle Herald
WHAT WOULD SISTER PEG DO:
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) - https://www.snapnetwork.org/
Next week’s episode will be “Hell’s Kitchen” (Season 20, Episode 8).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Customer Reviews
Best podcast.
I LIVE for this podcast. I love the hosts, the length, the content, and the comedy. Tuesday is my favorite day because I look forward to this podcast!
You don’t need to watch SVU…
…to find this podcast entertaining and informative. I love these two funny ladies! One thing, just b/c you’re Jewish doesn’t mean it is okay to make antisemitic jokes. Jewish people are dealing with escalated antisemitism in words and deeds. Let’s lookout for everyone and remember it’s NEVER okay to make fun of a person’s ethnic background. Referring to yourself as “chatty Jew. Virgo” is NOT Okay! In this context, please use “Jewish” not “Jew”!
Turnaround Potential
After listening from day-one, I am reluctantly unfollowing this show for now after a trend of increasingly-cringey moments that now outweighs the entertainment-factor.
When the show started, both hosts came across as funny, down-to-earth, and humble. Now, (ostensibly since Liza moved out of her parent’s and back to CA), the opening discussions have become eye-rolllingly self-absorbed, disconnected from the audience’s lived experience, and (frankly) boring. It can be an incredible listener experience to get to know the hosts of a podcast MFM-style when it creates a connection, but if anything, they (especially Liza, sorry 😞) just continue to dig a bigger and bigger gap when talking about Liza’s day-to-day (extremely privileged) “struggles” without an ounce of self-awareness outside of he LA-bubble feedback loop. And while I do align “politically” with the perspective of the hosts, it seems that based on their (frequently incorrect) over-simplification of concepts, there is no deep or nuanced knowledge around very sensitive topics marginalized groups (that they themselves are not a part of) face. Instead it’s just an exercise in “woke” word bingo. And I get they are not experts… perhaps the flippancy with which they talk about systemic issues is just meant to be entertaining? Unfortunately, it does not come across as cute or funny… just misguided and uninformed. (And while Kara often jumps in after to try to add nuance, it’s just to late and too frequent.)
Now (all of) that said, I do think the show has potential to get back on-track if the common feedback from reviews is taken seriously and incorporated, and we can get Liza a little more grounded in reality like Kara (who also lives LA and still remain relatable- so it’s obviously possible). I am hoping if/when I check back in a couple months, there will be some improvements 😊.