Verified: Full Disclosure

JeAnna Anderson says Officer Anthony Armour sexually assaulted her during a traffic stop. Frances Salazar went to prison over Armour’s false testimony.  And fellow officer Abby Dennison says Armour drugged and raped her.

At the time, Armour was on something called the Brady List, a catalog kept by Arizona prosecutors of cops who shouldn’t be called to the stand - cops whose history of lying or misconduct could impeach their testimony. And that evidence was never disclosed to the women.

In the latest season of “Verified: Full Disclosure” host Natasha Del Toro looks at how Arizona failed to hold disreputable cops accountable or track them from job to job. Piggybacking on the work of an investigative reporter, Del Toro explores a system in which cops can lie and no one needs to know.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "VERIFIED: FULL DISCLOSURE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: shag doll.

Best TV of 2022

Scheming families, conniving con men, and dangerous killers. We saw a lot of great series and documentaries on the small screen this year. We’ll each give our top ten list for the Best TV of 2022.

Lara

1. Only Murders in the Building season 2

2. Yellowjackets

3. The Vow, Part Two

4. Bad Sisters

5. Blackbird

6. Fireboys

7. The Tinder Swindler

8. The White Lotus season 2

9. Landscapers

10. The Dropout

Toby

1. We Need to Talk About Cosby

2. Bad Sisters

3. The Patient

4. Ozark

5. The White Lotus season 2

6. Candy

7. A Friend of the Family

8. Only Murders in the Building season 2

9. Captive Audience

10. Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis

Kevin

1. Yellowjackets

2. The Patient

3. HBO's The Staircase

4. Bad Sisters

5. The White Lotus season 2

6. Only Murders in the Building season 2

7. Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis

8. The Dropout

9. A Friend of the Family

10. NBC’s The Thing About Pam

Rebecca

1. Yellowjackets

2. The White Lotus season 2

3. The Patient

4. Bad Sisters

5. Ozark

6. Only Murders in the Building season 2

7. The Dropout

8. Blackbird

9. Friend of the Family

10. Undercurrent

Best Podcasts of 2022

Wrongful convictions, political investigations, and colorful characters were BIG this year. We’ll each give our lists for the Top Ten Podcasts of 2022.

Lara

1. Bone Valley

2. Motive: Blind Spot

3. Burn Wild

4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

5. Accused: The Impending Execution of Elwood Jones

6. The Sunshine Place

7. Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff

8. The Letter

9. Chameleon: Wild Boys

10. Smokescreen: Puppy Kingpin

Toby

1. Chameleon: Wild Boys

2. Bone Valley

3. Burn Wild

4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

5. Cover Story: Seed Money  

6. Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis

7. Death of an Artist

8. Will Be Wild

9. Project Unabom

10. Suspect season 2

Kevin

1. Bone Valley

2. The Trojan Horse Affair

3. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

4. Chameleon: Wild Boys

5. Will Be Wild

6. Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis

7. Project Unabom

8. Breakdown: The Trump Grand Jury

9. Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin

10. Motive: Blind Spot

Rebecca

1. Bone Valley

2. Will Be Wild

3. Chameleon: Wild Boys

4. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

5. Cover Story: Seed Money

6. The Letter

7. Motive: Blind Spot

8. The Trojan Horse Affair

9. Burn Wild

10. Run Hide Repeat

Cover Story: Seed Money

Ex-spy Matt Marshall makes a stunning accusation: billionaire Mike Goguen has been trafficking women to his Montana safehouse, paying them for sex, and bribing law enforcement to get away with it. Matt said he knew this because he’d been Mike’s right-hand man for years. The rich philanthropist had a secret life of paying millions of dollars to strippers and harboring his own fantasies of saving the world. Was the billionaire with a superhero complex actually a super villain? And could the former CIA operative be trusted?

In season two of “Cover Story: Seed Money” from New York magazine and Vox, host Hanna Rosin and investigator Ken Silverstein interview both Mike and Matt and try to make sense of the accusations, lawsuits, and criminal charges in the case. How did two best friends find themselves in a world of sex, money and international intrigue…and what can the reporters believe of a story in which they know everyone has lied to them?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "COVER STORY: SEED MONEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 7 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Welcome to Chippendales

Steve Banerjee kept failing in his bid to create an upscale club in Los Angeles. His luck changed when he turned the strip club model on its head, creating the all-male dance review for women known as Chippendales. His new choreographer Nick De Noia elevated Chippendales with polished showmanship. But as the dance troupe attracted national attention, Nick vied for credit and control of the operation. Filled with resentment and jealousy, Steve set in motion a plan to get rid of his rival.

Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales” stars Oscar nominee Kumail Nanjiani and Emmy winner Murray Bartlett. The drama shows how one man’s American dream turned into a murderous nightmare. The limited series tells the behind-the-scenes tale of greed, murder…and lots of sex.  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WELCOME TO CHIPPENDALES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: hot dog.

Infamous: Boy Gone Wild

Joe Francis made a fortune on a simple concept: get drunken women to flash the camera for his direct-to-DVD series “Girls Gone Wild.” When the filming stopped the debauchery continued, as Francis allegedly coerced sex from the women…some of whom were underaged.  Local authorities wanted to protect the victims and put a stop to the filming. Francis remained defiant, until the night an armed man broke into his Bel-Air home to give him a taste of his own medicine.

In the five-part podcast “Infamous: Girls Gone Wild,”* host Vanessa Grigoriadis recounts her early days covering the show for Rolling Stone and the legal troubles Francis would later find himself in. It’s part profile of a vile libertine and part commentary on what constitutes exploitation.

*Note: the title of this series has also been listed as “Infamous: Girls Gone Wild.”

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "INFAMOUS: GIRLS GONE WILD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 7 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

The White Lotus season 2

A new set of wealthy guests have checked into The White Lotus in Sicily, each with their own kind of baggage. They include Dominic Di Grasso, with his father Bert and son Albie, who’ve come to seek their Italian relatives. Cameron & Daphne and Ethan & Harper are on a couples vacation. But recently having come into money, Harper is suspicious of her husband’s old college roommate. And returning is quirky heiress Tanya McQuoid, accompanied by her husband and her new assistant he’s not supposed to know she dragged along.

Winner of ten Emmy awards, “The White Lotus” returns to HBO for a second season. Set in a Mediterranean paradise, the hotel staff attempts to cater to the needs of their guests who are slowly coming undone. This character study asks the questions whose relationships will survive, what it means to be a modern man, what happiness can money buy, and which of those guests was found dead in the water at the end of their vacation?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE WHITE LOTUS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: kick in the pants.

The Vow, Part Two

Facing federal charges that included establishing a sex cult and branding his female followers, NXIVM leader Keith Raniere prepares for trial. Meanwhile his second-in-command, Nancy Salzman, breaks her silence to say she didn’t know the darker things happening within the organization. Prosecutors lay out a strong case of racketeering and trafficking against Raniere. His attorney and his remaining followers proclaim Raniere’s innocence, saying life in NXIVM is not the cult portrayed in the media.

HBO’s “The Vow, Part Two” picks up the story as Raniere’s trial begins. The focus moves away from his disaffected followers and reveals new details about the crimes and victims of the DOS program. Its sweeping access includes a comprehensive profile of Salzman as she awaited sentencing for racketeering.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE VOW, PART TWO" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Run, Hide, Repeat

After a childhood of secrecy and sudden relocations, reporter Pauline Dakin’s mother finally revealed the reasons behind their family’s chaotic upbringing. Unbeknownst to the children, they’d been living in hiding from their father, a powerful figure in organized crime. The Dakins had been protected for years by Stan, a family friend and federal agent posing as a preacher. Now an adult, Pauline is made aware of the ever-present dangers posed by the gangsters. But as the situation grew increasingly complex, she learns the truth is darker than she thought.

The CBC podcast “Run, Hide, Repeat” is based on Dakin’s memoir of her fugitive childhood. In the five-part series, she confronts the family secrets and deceptions that followed her her whole life. She attempts to answer the question “what was our time in witness protection really about”?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "RUN, HIDE, REPEAT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: big cheese.

Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields

Between 1986 and 1991, the remains of four missing women were discovered in the same field in League City, Texas. Authorities couldn’t rule out the deaths were connected to a string of 30 murders outside of Houston since the 70s. Then another string of disappearances began in the mid-90s. Were all of these crimes linked in some way? And what is their connection to that secluded plot of land on Calder Road?

Season three of “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields” looks at the long history of murder along the interstate 45 corridor. The Netflix series introduces us to those closely affected by the unsolved crimes and zeroes-in on the main suspects.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE TEXAS KILLING FIELDS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff

Sheriff Alex Villanueva won office in 2018 campaigning as a reformer who’ll clean up the scandal-plagued L.A. County Sheriff's Department. After criticism he was doing the opposite, Villanueva doubled down on his efforts to abuse his power, vilify the press, and investigate his rivals.

“Imperfect Paradise: The Sheriff” from LAist Studios examines the controversial head of one of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies. Host Frank Stoltze interviews Villanueva and talks to his critics to learn how he wields his power, going from a progressive sheriff’s candidate to a right-wing media darling.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "IMPERFECT PARADISE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: beef hot dog beef.

Suspect season 2

Jonelle Matthews vanished after her school Christmas recital in 1984. Colorado investigators had no leads, until a detective homed in on Jonelle’s neighbor, a man said to have a fixation on young girls. The case remained cold for decades until Jonelle’s body was discovered. Then police got a tip about another man in the girl’s orbit: a true crime fan who for years said he had information…but was continually ignored by police.

Season two of Campside Media’s “Suspect: Vanished in the Snow'' is currently on Amazon Music and is scheduled for broad release next year. Host Ashley Fantz examines the case and several of those suspected of the crime. The six-part series also covers the murder trial of the man police say did it.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SUSPECT" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE SHOW.

God Forbid

Giancarlo Granda was the pool boy at a Miami hotel when he was propositioned by Becki Falwell and her husband, the president of evangelical Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr. The couple lavished attention and money on Granda to keep the love triangle going and to keep it secret. Like his father before him, Falwell fancied himself a political kingmaker, influencing millions of evangelical voters. But if word of their arrangement with Granda came out it could damage Falwell's 2016 endorsement of candidate Donald Trump.

In the Hulu documentary “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty,” Granda tells his side of the story. It also makes the case that keeping the couple’s kink under wraps changed the course of history.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "GOD FORBID" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: Wish I could be part of that world.

Pseudocide

After breaking up with longtime girlfriend Olivia Newton-John, Patrick McDermott set sail on an overnight fishing trip in June of 2005. When he didn’t get off the boat the next morning, officials presumed he fell overboard. But then the tabloids speculated whether McDermott had faked his death. Potential sightings of McDermott fueled the story. Journalists and private investigators scoured Mexico on tips he was living a new life. But were they reshaping the facts of an accident at sea for their own purposes - regardless of the cost to McDermott’s loved ones?

“Pseudocide'' is the term for faking one’s death. It’s also the name of the Spotify exclusive podcast hosted by Alice Fiennes and Poppy Damon. The team explores McDermott’s upbringing, his relationship with a superstar, and his fatal voyage at sea. They also question those who advanced stories about his secret whereabouts - often based on flimsy accounts.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "PSEUDOCIDE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Vatican Girl

In 1983, 15-year-old Emanuela Orlandi disappeared after her music lesson. Her family were citizens of the Vatican. Men claiming to be her abductors promised her return if authorities would release the man held for shooting Pope John Paul II. Other theories of the crime emerged. Did the Soviet Union take her to blunt the Pope’s political influence in Poland? Were mobsters using her as leverage to recover money laundered by the Vatican Bank? Or was she spirited away by the Church to prevent the exposure of some secret?

“Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi” explores one of Italy’s most infamous cases. With interviews in both English and Italian, family members and journalists recount the many theories surrounding the disappearance and question a man who claimed to be one of her kidnappers.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "VATICAN GIRL" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: it is what it is.

Bad Sisters

Grace Williams has just lost her husband, John Paul. But her four sisters are not unhappy to see the man they called “The Prick” meet his demise. For months the Garvey girls had been plotting to kill the cruel and controlling spouse and get Grace out from under his thumb. Now that the deed is done, no one is suspicious - except for the life insurance agent with family secrets of his own.

The Apple Original dark comedy series “Bad Sisters” features an Irish ensemble cast led by Sharon Horgan and Sarah Greene. Just how did John Paul die? How did he make an enemy of each of his in-laws? And will the nearly-broke insurance agents avoid paying on the policy by cracking the mystery?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BAD SISTERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 7 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders

In 1982, authorities were baffled when seemingly healthy people were suddenly dying. They concluded the Tylenol they’d recently bought in Chicago-area stores had been laced with cyanide.  In the past forty years, the culprit has not been identified. Investigators had two strong suspects but could not pin the crimes on either one of them. 

In the podcast “Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders” from the Chicago Tribune and At Will Media, reporters Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair dig through the files of the famous cold case. They also examine the two main suspects hoping to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "UNSEALED: THE TYLENOL MURDERS" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: sneaky snake.

We Were Three

Rachel McKibbens didn’t even know her father and brother were sick with COVID until it was too late. She grappled with how the two people she loved the most turned unrecognizable due to pandemic misinformation. But her search for answers only renewed questions about her family history, a life filled with both fear and love that she and her brother experienced. Were the deaths a result of contemporary forces, or was this personal tragedy set in motion years earlier?

The podcast “We Were Three” from Serial Productions is an intimate look at one family’s ending that was both sudden and years in the making. Host Nancy Updike zooms in on one story about what the pandemic took away and what it revealed.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WE WERE THREE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: political positions.

The Patient

Alan Strauss is kidnapped and chained in the basement of his new patient. Sam Fortner reveals he’s a serial killer and wants the therapist to help him change his violent ways. During his captivity Alan ponders his many regrets in life, all while attempting to cure Sam’s murderous urges. Alan knows if he’s unsuccessful and can't prevent his patient from killing again, he’ll surely become his next victim.

In Hulu’s ten-part miniseries “The Patient,” Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson each give tightly wound performances. Both men struggle with how their pasts affect their present. Can Alan convince Sam to stop killing in the ultimate test of cerebral fitness?  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PATIENT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 9 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: the cost of kindness.

Bone Valley

A Florida judge reaches out to author Gilbert King, saying an innocent man has been in prison for three decades. Leo Schofield was convicted of murdering his wife despite no physical evidence and thin witness accounts. Schofield maintains he was not the one who stabbed Michelle and left her body in a roadside canal.

Gilbert learns authorities never examined fingerprints found on the hood of Michelle’s car, evidence that points to a different suspect. But rather than clear his name, authorities are not interested in correcting this miscarriage of justice and exonerating Schofield.

Lava for Good presents the podcast “Bone Valley.” Gilbert and research assistant Kelsey Decker retrace the investigation into the 1987 Michelle Schofield murder and uncover surprising new evidence about the case. Can the new information convince an indifferent justice system to let Leo Schofield go?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "BONE VALLEY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL TEN MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.