New episode out now! We watched the pilot episode/movie of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. We discuss the unique challenges Precious faces in opening her detective business, think that the characters all feel fleshed out despite some initial stereotyping, and love that the entire series was shot on location in Botswana. We get into how this is less a ‘murder mystery’ series with a body-of-the-week and more of a detective helping the commity and cleverly taking advantage of being underestimated. We also praise the excellent costume design but share apprehensions about the fact that the writer/screenwriters/director are all white British men. Katy loves a school play, Carrie critiques typewriter practices, Maddy had nothing to roast, and Mack shares his struggles as a straight white man. We also discuss the different experiences one can have based on gender and age, postulate on what kind of national health services exist in Botswana, and love the delightful little touches of humor scattered throughout. Listen for our thoughts on cringy seduction attempts, buying perfume, and how 2008 it was! Enjoy! TW: Fatphobia, racism, homophobia, domestic abuse, pregnancy loss, discussion of the effects of colonization
New episode up now! We watched the 2020 film The Kid Detective starring Adam Brody and wow—everyone in this movie needs therapy. We discuss the clear themes of trauma and depression that thread throughout, love the use of cinematography and music to aid the storytelling, are surprised by how dark the movie gets, and talk about the expectations vs reality of both Abe Applebaum and the town of Willowbrook. Is Abe actually a good detective or is he just somewhat observant, good at psychology, and watched too many detective shows? We also get into the odd nostalgia of the film’s flashbacks, where it's not quite clear what time period the “kid” detective grew up in but stylistically it could vary between the 1950s and the 1980s and we ponder on what that might mean. Katy is tired of movies showing depressed men peeing, Carrie admits to watching black and white films, Maddy enjoys smooth jazz, and Mack shows off his bottle cap collection. We argue about bathroom mirror placement, get anxious about hiding in closets, and wonder - why are Gen Z teens so into Pong? We also talk about cute gang names, young Vincent Price, and the nutritional aspects of ice cream. Give it a listen and you’ll hear some delightful tunes as well! TW: Statutory rape, teen pregnancy, racism, depression SHOW NOTES/CORRECTIONS: Katy was incorrect in her remembrance of the crazy sword fight; it was between Basil Rathbone and Danny Kaye, not Vincent Price and Danny Kaye. Still worth watching though as Danny Kaye is a wild man with no training which made Rathbone nervous: Here! What Katy thought was a podcast with John Hodgman is actually a TV show called Dicktown which is on FXX but it is about a former kid detective solving crimes in a small town. Keep It! Podcast with guest Adam Brody Here is a link to The Solve It Squad show website Mack mentioned The book Katy was thinking of is Meddling Kids: A Novel by Edgar Cantero. Goodreads link
New episode out now! We explore the world of Jane Austen with the 2013 miniseries Death Comes to Pemberley, based on the 2011 novel of the same name. We get into the disjointed feeling we felt while watching and try to figure out what this adaptation was really trying to be - a murder mystery with Austen characters or Austen fanservice with a background murder? A romance? A courtroom drama? All of the above? We discuss how this portrayed familiar characters and whether or not they felt true to the originals, get annoyed by Wickham continually escaping the consequences of his actions, wonder why they needed a single odd sex scene, and get grossed out by sketchy cousin marriage proposals. We also get into how the characters manipulated evidence to back their version of events, and discuss the class divide in this era, especially between the Darcy family and their staff and servants. Katy is a horse girl on rare occasions, Carrie really does love a library, Maddy has an excellent vocabulary, and Mack minds his own business. We also hate on some ugly wigs, discuss historical hysteria treatments, reveal some childhood invasions of privacy, get mad at toxic masculinity, and debate definitions of fanfiction vs. pastiche—as well as reveal some of our own forays into writing! Maddy does multiple accents and we all are annoyed at Lydia - it’s a treat! Give it a listen! (Note: Carrie’s audio is a bit off in the beginning and we apologize for that- it has been corrected as much as possible.) TW: Incest, suicide Show Notes: Article - 10 extraordinary Native American cultural sites protected on public lands
New episode out now! We did something a little different this time - we played a video game! We played Hitman 3 Level 2, “Death in the Family”, where we had the opportunity to impersonate a PI and solve a murder mystery in a traditional English country manor. We compare our different strategies of gathering clues and interviewing suspects, get absolutely delighted by the efficiency of one of our approaches to the task, learn about all the different ways you can assassinate someone, and lament our lack of video game skills. We also discuss the confusing layout of these giant English houses, wonder if gossip is the best tool to solve crimes, and debate the appeal of a game where you have to hide all the time - is it worth the stress? Katy has problems with pronunciation, Carrie steals a Fabergé egg, Maddy is very good at avoiding people, and Mack has a problem with billionaires. We also wonder when spies use the restroom, discuss the flaws in having to one-up villains in serialized entertainment, praise the wonders of YouTube walkthroughs, and all get jealous of the screaming room. Two of us make the same Friends reference at the same time, and all of us try to imitate Agent 47 with varying results. Listen and enjoy! TW: Incest, suicide, casual discussion of murder
New episode out now! We finally cover one of TV’s greatest crime-solvers—Columbo! We watched the season three episode titled “Lovely But Lethal” and get into this ‘70s (and ‘90s) era sleuth. We discuss our initial feelings about the man himself, point out how bothersome he seems when you first watch the show, and debate how effective his methods actually are. We come up with Columbo’s-wife-theories, dig the ‘70s fashion, and wonder if Columbo is actually an incidental character in his own show. We also talk about the changing landscapes of cop shows and how while Columbo catches intelligent murderers by essentially breaking them down and catching them in a lie, modern shows need more evidence-based buildup that would hold up in the courts. Katy basically gives a lecture, Carrie does an impression of Thomas Mitchell, Maddy shares cool medicinal facts, and Mack starts a new support group. We talk about the confusing history of the show’s run, wish we could see Columbo at a farmer’s market, and all try Columbo accents with varying success. We also rip on BBC Sherlock, love Vincent Price, and learn about wigs. Give it a listen to hear more! Oh, and just one more thing….Enjoy! TW: ageism, fatphobia
New episode out now! We visit the Great White North with an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, season nine’s “Raised on Robbery”. We debate whether the blatant anachronisms are charming or terrible, try to unravel the unnecessarily complicated robbery plot, and have some unflattering observations about the writing, acting, and editing. We also discuss the odd cleanliness of the sets, speculate about what other wild inventions Murdoch may have come up with, and get confused about the character relationships. (We did like the theme song…) Katy gets her serial killers mixed up, Carrie gets very, very salty, Maddy almost felt a feeling, and Mack practices his “NPC talks to police” voice. We also discuss the viability of baby whistles, come up with better robbery plans, learn about the Napoleon of Crime, and share a number of ways to call something “bland”. Two of us get real spicy about their dislike of this show, and one of us tries to defend it—with limited capacity to do so. Give it a listen to hear who is who! The sibling vibes are strong in this one! (We would also like to apologize to Canada - we know the show is beloved by many but we gotta be true to ourselves). Enjoy! TW: Child endangerment, orphaning NOTES: Katy was wrong about the rocket ship details - someone else came up with it and Murdoch just had to figure stuff out after the ship was discovered. It’s S9E5 “24 Hours Til Doomsday”. The book Mack is referring to about Adam Worth is The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief by Ben Macintyre
New episode out now! We delve into mid-century noir with the 1955 film Kiss Me Deadly. We discuss the nature of hard-boiled detective stories and their inclination to create an ideal square-jawed “dark hero”, and how Mike Hammer seems to be (perhaps purposefully) a weird parody of that. We talk about how almost every character is a terrible, unlikeable person, lament the appalling treatment and depiction of women, discuss the influence on other movies, admire the cinematography, and really get into just how dang confusing it was. We also learn some of the reasons it may be confusing lie in weird story changes caused by McCarthyism, the Hays Code, and good old-fashioned Hollywood writers trying to be too clever. Katy finds extreme gym culture boring, Carrie has issues with sonnet interpretation, Maddy shares the real danger of bears, and Mack volunteers to take up some serious historical research. We also talk about Indiana Jones, get confused by exaggerated accents, discuss the lapsed(?) fear of nuclear war, and two of us mistake a dog for a cat! Yikes! Give it a listen to hear one of our worst PBS ratios yet! TW: suicide, atomic bombs, racism, sexual assault Show Notes/Corrections: Mack got his dates incorrect: the bear almost ended the world in the 1960s, not the 1980s. Article: Kiss Me Deadly: The Thriller of Tomorrow By J. Hoberman Video Mack mentioned: Good Enough Movies: KISS ME DEADLY (1955) by moviebob
New episode out now! We watched the 1973 whodunit film The Last of Sheila, and listeners, this movie has LAYERS. We discuss the journey of watching the film and thinking we knew where it was going, only to discover there was another twist or reveal that proved we were wrong. We get into the confusing experience we had watching it but how it all settles and fits in perfectly by the end, realize that every little detail is there on purpose, praise the stellar cast and writing, lament some of the character reactions to depraved secrets, and learn understandably bleak things about 1970s cinema. Katy does love a toast rack, Carrie can’t find her bird scissors, Maddy busts out three separate accents in her excitement, and Mack planned his own murder mystery party. We also discuss historical queer terminology and representations, get mad about slurs but especially ones using food, learn we know very little about 1970s ice picks, and serenade you with an iconic song from the 2000s. Listen to find out why this movie is an ogre! Please note: We did record this before Stephen Sondheim died, which is why we don’t talk about his death. TW: Child molestation, child molestation by a religous authority, death by suicide, alcoholism, minor gore, ethnic slur discussion focusing on Italians
New episode out now! We head to the Island and watch the infamous season three episode of LOST titled “Exposé”, aka the Nikki-and-Paulo episode. We cover the controversial episode’s place within the mythos of the show, argue about whether the investigative characters actually solve anything or just noticed anomalies, revisit the structure of the show as a whole, debate multiple character motivations, and discuss the idea that anyone can be a main character if we spend enough time with them. We also dig deep into our reminiscence about watching the pilot live, learn what it’s like to have older sisters freak out about television, and are grateful we no longer have to call dibs on the TV. Katy brings up the writers strike again, Carrie was flabbergasted no one else knew about important spider facts, Maddy quotes Britannica.com, and Mack shares a platonic fantasy. We also reiterate that you should always listen to dogs, list a myriad of potential dangers on the Island, talk about ungulates, and get annoyed that the characters weren’t dirtier. There are full series spoilers so beware! (We would also like to encourage you to watch The Last of Sheila (1973) which is scheduled to be our next episode; we will be spoiling it and it is a good movie to watch without knowing anything beforehand - trust us!) TW: Being buried alive, temporary paralysis, hanging Show Notes: Britannica Entry for LOST Nikki’s entry on Lostpedia
New episode out NOW! We’re shaking things up for the month of December! It’s the last of four brand new episodes along the same theme: the game Crack the Case. It’s Casemas 2: Electric Boogaloo! Crack the Case is a Milton Bradley party game that came out in 1993 where players ask yes or no questions in order to solve a mystery. We’re putting our detective skills to the test! Mack hosts week four, where we talk about obsolete retail chains, give practical advice on handling large birds, and decide who we would be in the Garfield Universe. Katy explains Buffy metaphors, Carrie shares facts she learned from Letterkenny, Maddy sings an old church hymn, and Mack does some method voice acting. We also share an announcement about next year’s schedule; be sure to listen to the very end! Give it a listen! Let us know if YOU solve it before we do!