Crooked City: The Emerald Triangle

When journalist Sam Anderson learned a high school friend was wanted for the murder of a Northern California pot farmer, he set off to prove his friend’s innocence. He discovered the infamous Emerald Triangle was not the hippie Shangri-la it was made out to be. Anderson tries to reconcile the friend of his youth with the man implicated in a fatal ripoff. He seeks answers as to what happened in the hills that drove Zach Wuester to violence.  

In “Crooked City: The Emerald Triangle,” Anderson makes his way through California’s strange and dangerous marijuana harvesting culture. Did Zach lead seven others to kill the farmer who ripped them off, or was he just an unwitting accomplice?  

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE EMERALD TRIANGLE" BEGIN IN THE FINAL NINE MINUTES OF THE EPISODE

Crime of the Week: hotel parking.

Alabama Astronaut

Ex-preacher and musician Abe Partridge went on a journey to discover songs never recorded, but passed down for generations in Appalachia. He discovered the largest repository of undocumented music were in Pentecostal churches where preachers employed the controversial practice of handling snakes. But once getting over the customs of their unconventional worship, Partridge developed a true appreciation for the people, their beliefs, and their music. He’d eventually convince a snake-handling preacher/musician and his wife to record the songs of their faith.

In the podcast “Alabama Astronaut,” host Ferrill Gibbs relays Partridge’s odyssey through an often ridiculed subculture and his hunt for the folk art long hidden. It focuses less on the spectacle of handling snakes and drinking poison and more on how it informs their little-known musical expressions.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ALABAMA ASTRONAUT" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 14 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo

As head of La Luz del Mundo, third generation church leader Naasón Joaquín García promised eternal salvation. All the while, he used his position as Apostle to groom children and young women for sexual abuse for years. When García’s victims in the US and Mexico meet on Reddit and compare stories, they ban together to expose the church’s secret. Once seeming untouchable, they convince authorities to go after García and hold him accountable.

The HBO Original “Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo” is the latest documentary exploring the sins of religious leaders using their position as God’s messenger to coerce followers into sexual exploitation. It provides plenty of space for American and Mexican victims to tell their truth and covers García’s fall from grace.

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

In Crime of the Week: doggie style.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

A group of uber-successful professionals are invited on a weekend trip to their billionaire friend’s island to play a game: solve his own murder. But one stranger is also tagging along: the famed detective Benoit Blanc, who fears a more sinister game is afoot. 

The lights go out. A body is sprawled on the floor. Who’s the killer? The politician? The fashion model? The scientist? The video gamer? Or the former business partner the host swindled?

Daniel Craig leads an all-star cast in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” A modern take on the parlor mystery, the audience follows Blanc as he attempts to solve the case before the killer can strike again.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "GLASS ONION" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

Undetermined

In August 2019, her friend reported Jessica Easterly Durning missing. When family members got little response from New Orleans police, they conducted their own search and found Jessica’s body in a field a short distance from her home. Several forensic factors made it impossible for authorities to definitively say whether Jessica’s death was homicide, accidental or some other manner. Meanwhile suspicion has fallen on her husband Justin whose story about her last night at home kept changing.

Jessica Noll hosts “Undetermined” from Tenderfoot TV & Resonate Recordings. The podcast dives into the mystery around the death, including her volatile marriage and secret hustle as a cam girl. The series asks whether Jessica’s untimely death was murder - and if so - who was responsible.

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

In Crime of the Week: bug in the restaurant.

The Battle for Justina Pelletier

Justina Pelletier was a 14-year-old girl diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that required numerous surgeries and caused severe pain. When she was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital, doctors suspected Justina’s issues were psychological and not physical - and they suspected her parents were committing medical child abuse.

Over the next 16 months, the Pelletiers used the media and threats of litigation to apply pressure on the hospital and the state to discharge their daughter. But administrators said these hardball tactics made it impossible to get Justina care at other facilities, further harming her prognosis.

The Peacock documentary series “The Battle for Justina Pelletier” looks at the very public tug-of-war between parents and physicians convinced they’re doing the best thing for a sick child, as well as the exploits of a computer hacker who came to her cause. It also explores the thornier question of what Justina’s medical issues truly were and how that affected the adults’ decisions.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE BATTLE FOR JUSTINA PELLETIER" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 7 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

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.